Xbox

[17]. Nintendo reported that as of January 2006 they have sold a total of 20.61 million Nintendo Gamecube units worldwide. NVIDIA ceased production of the Xbox's GPU in August of that year, which almost certainly marks the end of Xbox production and the quick release of the Xbox 360 featuring a new GPU from NVIDIA's rival ATI. One example is the advertisement campaign for Square Enix's GameCube-exclusive Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. Microsoft's next generation Xbox, the Xbox 360, was released on November 22, 2005. Most of the "Who Are You?" commercials advertised games developed or published by Nintendo, but some developers pay Nintendo to promote their games, using Nintendo's marketing and advertising resources. To avoid frustrating early adopters, they offered a bundle containing two games and one controller for free to any purchaser who could provide a sales receipt showing the original higher price. The "Who Are You" logo is similar to graffiti lettering.

Microsoft countered with a £100 price drop (and its equivalent in the rest of Europe) some scant months after launch. The idea behind the "Who Are You?" campaign is that "you are what you play"; the kind of game a gamer enjoys playing suggests a dominant trait in that gamer's personality. With a price-dropped PlayStation 2 and a comparatively inexpensive GameCube as competition, many users were naturally reluctant to invest in the console. Subsequent ad campaigns had Nintendo advertising with a "Who Are You" tangent, essentially marketing the wide range of games Nintendo offers. Obviously, ignoring the GBP-USD exchange rate in the way gives the impression of a 100% mark-up for Europe. The lettering would begin as a wave, only to settle on the top of the pictured console. As with many games consoles (for example, the PlayStation series), the Xbox was launched with a price in GBP equal to its US price in USD (in this case, $/£299), and this price then converted for the rest of Europe. It basically rotated around what appeared to be the top of a GameCube console, with the lettering being slightly 3D.

Of note is the high European launch price. Later on, Nintendo incorporated a video clip before the normal clip for the GameCube game would begin, similar to the brief PlayStation 2 logo before a commercial featuring the game. Oceania. This was usually after the normal commercial for a GameCube game. Europe. A voice whispered "GameCube". North America. The earliest commercials displayed a rotating cube video, which would quickly morph into the GameCube logo.

Recently, the firmware to the newer optical drives was edited to allow signed code to play. Nintendo has used several advertising strategies and techniques for the GameCube. Modding your Xbox in this manner will definitely void your warranty, since it requires you to disassemble the console.
. There are now sites that offer to modify the software on your Xbox for free. Unplugging and reconnecting the controller, and in the case of the wireless Wavebird controller, turning the controller off and back on, will also force a recalibration. Probably the most legal way of modding the Xbox is replacing the whole motherboard so that you can install Linux or any other operating system designed for PC without having to hack anything. Holding down X, Y and start/pause for three seconds will recalibrate the controller at any time.

One such successful use of Live to discourage modding was when the hit game Halo 2 was released, and many owners of modded consoles found out that they were permanently banned from the Xbox Live service, but was retaliated with On-Off switchable Modchips (or add-ons) and XBOX Live friendly softmods from XBOX hackers community. Like most analogue controllers, the GameCube pad self-calibrates when the console is switched on, setting the current analog stick and L and R buttons' positions as "neutral", which may cause problems if these controls are not actually in their neutral position at the time of calibration. As of November 2004, Microsoft has been taking new actions for banning Xboxes with hard drive modifications from the Xbox Live service. Various games use this structure to varying levels of success. Also, most internal hardware modifications will render an Xbox unable to participate in Xbox Live, which has forced many modders to use a switch that turns on and off their modifications. This serves as two additional buttons on the controller without the need to actually add physical buttons. Modding an Xbox may require opening the Xbox case, and would certainly void the Xbox's warranty. The L and R analog shoulder buttons, the main innovation, have when fully depressed an additional 'click' if the buttons are depressed further.

A modded Xbox can even be configured into a computer running Linux, FreeBSD, or Microsoft Windows CE operating systems. The controller is a standard wing grip design, and was designed to fit well in human hands. Beyond gaming, a modded Xbox can be used as a media center with the Xbox Media Center software (XBMC) allowing the playing of DVDs without the DVD dongle/remote and streaming of music and video files from the hard drive or from another computer over a network. Some unofficial controllers also have "turbo" or "macro" buttons, but these only modify the actions performed by other buttons. This process does require a modded Xbox using one of the alternative dashboards, and is used by scrupulous users to eliminate load times or leave their games in storage, and by unscrupulous users to play illegally copied games. Originally, Nintendo was not going to include it, but game developers asked for it to be put in. This allows the user to spare game disks from scratching and allows for faster load times. In a late design change, the "Z" button was oddly positioned above the "R" trigger.

Then Xbox games can be copied from the DVD to the hard disk with programs such as DVD2Xbox and PxHDDLoader, and then played directly from the hard drive. Slightly above the "R" button is the "Z" button. The original hard drive can be replaced with a larger one. On the top of the controller there are two analog shoulder buttons marked "L" and "R" which are moulded to fit index fingers. This is especially attractive as the Xbox is designed to output to TVs, and high-quality controllers and arcade sticks are available for it. The start/pause button is in the middle of the controller. This allows running an alternate dashboard such as UIX, Avalaunch, Evolution-X or UnleashX and in turn makes playing original (free) homebrew games or various older games through arcade and console game emulators possible. Below those, there is a yellow "C" stick, which has a similar function to the right stick on a PlayStation.

Software modding is much less intrusive, and only involves running software exploits to trick the Xbox into running unsigned program code. On the right are four buttons; a large green "A" button in the centre, a smaller red "B" button to the left, an "X" button to the right and a "Y" button to the top. [15][16]. The primary analog stick is on the left, with the D-pad below it. He was sentenced to 140 hours community service, ordered to pay £750 costs at a court in Caerphilly, Wales, and his computer equipment was confiscated. The standard GameCube Controller totals eight buttons, two analog sticks and a D-pad. It is the first conviction since the Directive was enacted in October 2003 in the UK. Games with large amounts of voice acting or pre-rendered video often need to be put on two discs.

(The Directive makes it illegal to circumvent copy protection systems on hardware including video game consoles). The capacity of the disc is 1.5 GB. This was the first conviction of its kind in the UK. The disc is a proprietary version of the eight cm DVD (MiniDVD) format. In July 2005, a 22 year old Cambridge University graduate was convicted under the EU Copyright Directive for modifying Xboxes and selling them with an upgraded 200 GB hard drive, which was pre-loaded with 80 games. The GameCube Optical Disc is the media format used by the Nintendo GameCube. Hardware modding can involve anything from simply replacing the console's green decorative "jewel" with a custom-designed one to opening up the case and installing a modchip. (Even though DDR-SDRAM is significantly faster, since the PowerPC 750CXe can not address DDR-SDRAM, it is not used.).

The recent popularity of the Xbox has inspired efforts to circumvent the built-in hardware and software security mechanisms (sometimes in order to use the Xbox as a low cost web server), as well as to add customized design touches to the console's case (similar to PC case modding). Some benchmarks provided by third-party testing facilities do indicate, however, that some of these specifications, especially those relating to performance, may be conservative. The Xbox API is similar to DirectX version 8.1, but is non-updateable just like other console technologies. The following are hardware specifications provided by Nintendo of America. Microsoft's set of low-level APIs for game development and multimedia purposes, DirectX, was used as a basis for the Xbox's hardware programming.
. This output selectivity is made possible by the Xbox's SCART-like AVIP port. Also before the price wars, it was estimated that Nintendo lost the least amount of money or even made a small profit on each sale of a GameCube, compared to its rivals who sold their consoles at a loss[8].

Numerous unofficial third-party cables and breakout boxes exist that provide combinations of outputs not found in these official video packages; however, with the exception of a few component-to-VGA transcoders and custom-built VGA boxes, the four official video packages represent all of the Xbox's possible outputs. Unlike Sega, Nintendo has strong cash reserves so it could afford to match price wars whenever Sony or Microsoft lowered the price of their console. Included with the Hello Kitty Crystal console was a matching Crystal Controller S and a copy of Hello Kitty Mission Rescue. Nintendo also reassured nervous investors by stating that they would "only exit the software business at the same time they would exit the hardware business"; in other words, that they would not discontinue their console business to focus on developing games like Sega had done after the failure of the Dreamcast. A limited production run of 550 units was sold at a retail price of S$99 (US$61), if you purchase selected Samsung LCD TVs during a promotion. The GameCube had a strong hold on the children's market and its low price compared to the PS2 and Xbox kept it competitive. The special edition console was translucent with a pink and orange Hello Kitty picture covering the X on top of the case. However, this has been offset by the growing size of the video game console market which has allowed Nintendo to carve out a loyal following even though its market share decreased.

The Hello Kitty Crystal Xbox was released with Sanrio in Singapore, to commemorate the release of Hello Kitty Mission Rescue on the Xbox. The GameCube has not performed to expectations due to being unable to match the sales and market share of its Nintendo 64 predecessor. Included with the neon green console was one of two games: Project Gotham Racing 2 or Amped 2. GameCube sales have continued to be steady, particularly in Japan, but the Gamecube is still in third place in worldwide sales [7]. Dew logo under the Xbox name. Since then, sales have rebounded due to a price drop to $99 USD and the release of the The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition bundle, which spurred sales. The Mountain Dew Limited Edition Xbox was neon-green colored and had a special jewel atop the Xbox that had the words "Limited Edition" and the Mt. During the second half of 2003, due to sagging sales, Nintendo had to cut GameCube production in order to sell off surpluses and issue a profit warning [6].

Production numbers are unknown. Also 2K Sports, who have not supported the Gamecube, will release Major League Baseball 2K6 in spring 2006 [5]. The sweepstakes spanned 5 months – from April to August – in 2004. Since then, however, Eidos has resumed development [4] of GameCube titles. The Mountain Dew Limited Edition Xbox was only available through a Mountain Dew sweepstakes requiring loyal Dew-drinking Xbox fans to amass 550 points in order to "buy" the Limited Edition Xbox. After several years of losing money from developing for Nintendo's system, Eidos Interactive announced that it would end support for the GameCube, cancelling several titles that had been in development including Hitman 2 [3]. Included with the Ice Blue console was a matching Controller S, and a copy of Halo 2. Cross-platform games—such as sports franchises released by Electronic Arts—sold far below their PlayStation 2 and Xbox counterparts, prompting developers to scale back or completely cease support for the GameCube.

The console was translucent blue and retailed for approximately $249. The strong preference of GameCube owners for first-party titles has also put the system at odds with major third party developers. On March 18, 2005, an Ice Blue Halo 2 Limited Edition Xbox was released in Canada and Asia. However, the Nintendo disc still had sufficient room for most games, although it had less extras than other versions (for example, the Spider-Man Xbox release featured extra levels not in the Gamecube port). The original retail price was ¥22'800 yen ($215), and included the translucent blue console with a matching Controller S, a DVD Playback Kit, an Xbox Live Starter Kit with a free one-year membership, a copy of Dead or Alive Online, and a five-foot-long Kasumi body pillow. The 1.5 gigabyte proprietary disc format may have also been a limiting factor since Nintendo's rivals used the 4.7 gigabyte DVD. The translucent blue case was based on the costume of Dead or Alive's main character, Kasumi, and had "Dead or Alive Online" written in white lettering in the lower left corner of the top of the case. Although online support was added in late 2002 and both Sony and Nintendo followed a similar decentralized online model (in contrast to the centralized Xbox Live), lower sales of the GameCube versions of games during its launch year precluded developers from including online support.

The system had a limited manufacturing run of 5,000 units, and was released simultaneously with Tecmo's fighting game, Dead or Alive Online. Also, due to Nintendo's lack of support for the online capabilities of the GameCube, as opposed to Microsoft and later Sony who actively promoted online gaming by releasing first-party online titles and soliciting developers, many multiplatform games with online functionality were released offline-only on the GameCube. On March 25, 2004, a Kasumi-chan Blue Xbox console was released in Japan. Many third-party games popular with teenagers or adults such as first-person shooters and the controversial Grand Theft Auto series skipped a GameCube port in favour of the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. 200,000 of these Xboxes were produced. Nintendo's family-friendly franchises such as Pokémon gave the GameCube the reputation of being a "kiddie" console that failed to appeal to the teenage and adult market[2]. The version of Halo that came with this bundle was identical to other versions of Halo, with the exception of a "NOT FOR RESALE" notice placed on the front of the game case. Despite Nintendo's efforts, the GameCube was unsuccessful in recapturing the preceding Nintendo 64's market share, and the sixth generation was taken over by the PlayStation 2.

The console case featured the Halo logo and the words "Special Edition"; the controller had a jewel that had the Halo logo in place of the normal Xbox logo. Because of these efforts, GameCube owners tend to support first-party games more heavily than third party games, whereas the reverse is true for PlayStation 2 and Xbox owners. This version was translucent green and came with a copy of Halo: Combat Evolved and a matching translucent green Controller S. This policy from Nintendo resulted in many exclusive third-party games for the Nintendo GameCube, and the arrival of multiformat titles on the platform. On March 14, 2004, Microsoft released a special version of the Xbox in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Nintendo often took an active role in cooperating with a developer. A Crystal Controller S was also availible separately. Sometimes, Nintendo would merely request that a third-party developer produce a game based on the third-party's own game franchises; other times, Nintendo would request that the third-party developer produce a game based on Nintendo's own game franchises.

The Crystal console was re-released on October 8, 2004 in a new bundle (but with only one controller) at the normal Xbox price of €149/£99. Unlike previous generations in which Nintendo was seen by some as bullying its third-party game developers, Nintendo openly sought game-development aid on the Nintendo GameCube. It is unknown how many Crystal Limited Editions were produced, however; later bundles were released pairing a re-released Crystal Xbox with different Xbox games and Xbox Live subscriptions. One of the defining aspects of the Nintendo GameCube is the rejuvenated relationship between Nintendo and its licensees. With a price tag of €199/£139, the Crystal Limited Edition came with a transparent console and two matching Crystal Controller S. Some of the more popular first-party titles include:. On March 14, 2004, the Crystal Limited Edition Xbox was released in Europe to celebrate the Xbox's European birthday. The Nintendo GameCube software library contains such traditional Nintendo series as Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid.

Included with the Pure White console was a matching Controller S, a DVD Playback Kit, and an Xbox Live Starter Kit with a free one-year membership and voice communicator. Source: ESRB. The original retail price for the Pure White Limited Xbox was ¥19'800 yen ($186) and was only available for purchase online at the Official Xbox Japan website between the dates of January 30 and February 6, 2004. The GameCube features games with the following ratings:. The words "Limited Edition 2004" were also carved into the jewel of the console, and into the exclusive Controller S (right below the Xbox name). In addition, over 25 titles are currently in development. The system had a limited manufacturing run of 1,000 units and allowed purchasers to personalize their console with up to twenty letters (Japanese characters not allowed) engraved on the case. The GameCube currently has over 550 games available in its library.

On February 22, 2004, a Pure White Limited Xbox Console was released in Japan, to commemorate the console's two-year anniversary in that country. Also, holding the "Z" Button while the system boots will replace the normal xylophone musical sequence with squeaks, followed at the end by a child laughing. The Translucent Green Limited Edition Xbox was also released in Candada and came with one matching Controller S and two games, Crimson Skies and Project Gotham Racing 2. Tap the "A" Button repeatedly to spin the Gamecube logo. The green Controller S was also sold separately. A unique feature of the Gamecube are a few Easter Eggs included in its startup sequence. The styling of the Translucent Green Xbox is identical to Debug Units used in game development; of course, the retail versions lacked the words "Debug Unit" on the front of the case. Two separate adaptors were made, one for dial-up phone lines and one for broadband connections.

The console came with two matching Controller S and retailed for €229/£149. Instead, Nintendo focused more on Game Boy connectivity. On May 2, 2003 a Translucent Green Limited Edition Xbox was released in Europe to celebrate Xbox's one-year European birthday. The only high profile title that required the adapter was Sega's Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II. Included with the Special Edition console was a matching white Controller S, an Xbox Component A/V cable, an Xbox Component AV pack, a copy of Panzer Dragoon Orta with its soundtrack CD, and a dragon head necklace. The GameCube also had a network adapter released during the holiday season of 2002, but Nintendo did not promote or support online gaming anywhere as heavily as Sony or Microsoft. The Panzer Dragoon Orta Special Edition was priced at ¥35'800 ($358) and could only be pre-ordered on November 1, 2002 through Sega Direct. The thumbsticks do not have added "clickable" button functionality—unlike other such consoles of the era—but both L and R shoulder buttons are analog, being able to detect pressure applied to them before "clicking," essentially doubling their functionality.

The console's special features included a white case with the Panzer Dragoon Orta logo in top's the lower left hand corner, as well as some artwork from Orta surrounding the Xbox jewel. Keeping up with the Nintendo 64, it features no select button, but the C buttons have been replaced by an analog C stick, instead. This Special Edition had a limited production of 999 units; however, it is rumored that there are actually 1,049 units in total. The controller has the traditional directional pad, two thumbsticks, and eight buttons: A, B, X, Y, Z, L, R, and start/pause. This quickly became the most sought-after Xbox to date. Despite being more compact than the PlayStation 2 (being that it was released over a year after and kept the power supply separate from the console), the GameCube has superior graphics processing power and better ProLogic sound, but no optical output. On December 19, 2002, a Panzer Dragoon Orta Special Edition Xbox was released in Japan to commemorate the release of Panzer Dragoon Orta on the Xbox. Interestingly, with the addition of the Game Boy Player accessory, the GameCube becomes a nearly perfect geometric cube.

Included with the Clear Black console was a matching Clear Black Controller S, an Xbox Component AV pack, and a key chain that had Bill Gates' signature and the console's serial number engraved in it. However, this feature over other consoles was minimal since its inexpensive production and selling price were its main advantages. The system had a limited manufacturing run of 50,000 units, and originally retailed for ¥35'800 yen. The GameCube was designed for ease of portability, with its small size complemented by a carrying handle. In 2001, a Clear Black Limited Edition Xbox was released in Japan to commemorate the Xbox's Japanese release. A fair variety of GameCube games implement this innovative functionality, while Nintendo encourages its continued use. Manufacturing photos can be found here.. A special Nintendo GameCube to Game Boy Advance connection cable is required for each Game Boy Advance system that is to be connected to the GameCube.

Microsoft extended the warranty on those first generation Xboxes that came with faulty drives and fixed them for free, unlike Sony and their first generation PS2s. Up to four Game Boy Advance systems can be connected to the GameCube through the GameCube's four controller ports for multiplayer play. Several internal hardware revisions have been made in an ongoing battle to discourage modding (hackers continually updated modchip designs in attempt to defeat them), cut manufacturing costs, and to provide a more reliable DVD-ROM drive (some of the early units' drives gave Disc Reading Errors). This functionality has also been used to unlock "secrets" such as new levels or characters when two games, a Game Boy Advance game and its GameCube equivalent, are connected together. This Japanese controller (which was briefly imported by even mainstream video game store chains, such as GameStop) was subsequently released in other markets as the "Xbox Controller S", and currently all Xbox consoles come with a "Controller S", while the original controller (known as Controller "0" or "The Duke") was quietly discontinued. Subsequent information related to game play may be displayed on the Game Boy Advance's color screen for added convenience or to avoid the cluttering of the display on the television screen. In response to these criticisms, a smaller controller was introduced for the Japanese Xbox launch. Examples of this functionality include the use of the Game Boy Advance as a controller for the game played.

The original game controller design, which was particularly large, was similarly often criticized since it was ill-suited to those with small hands. Such a connection between the two systems allows the transfer of game data. However, the Xbox has also pioneered safety features, such as breakaway cables for the controllers to prevent the console from being yanked from the shelf. The system does not link to the Micro due to the fact that its slot is too small. Because of this, the Xbox has found itself a target of mild derision, as gamers poke fun at it for things like a warning in the Xbox manual that a falling Xbox "could cause serious injury" to a small child or pet. The GameCube system also has the unique capability to connect to Nintendo's portable system Game Boy Advance and SP. This is largely due to a bulky tray-loading DVD-ROM drive and the standard-size 3.5" hard drive. The Q's different footprint also left it incompatible with the Game Boy Player.

The Xbox itself is much larger and heavier than its contemporaries. However, it was never released outside Japan and production ceased in December 2003. The Xbox does not use Windows CE due to Microsoft internal politics at the time, as well as limited support in Windows CE for DirectX. Called the Q, it was a modified GameCube that could also hold standard-sized DVD discs and play back both formats. Therefore if the Xbox crashes, the only way to recover is to reboot the console as there is no multitasking support on Real Mode. There was also a DVD-capable variant released by Panasonic in Japan, under license from Nintendo. That is why Xbox is running on Real Mode and not Protected Mode as seen on Windows 2000. Despite the protection of a non-standard disc format (essentially a miniature DVD-ROM with non-standard sectors and filesystem formatting), a number of modchips such as the Qoob and ViperGC have been released that, when used in conjunction with a modified bios, allow the use of a standard or 8 cm DVD-ROM to load backed-up, homebrew, boot-leg or pirate software.

Although the Xbox is based on commodity PC hardware and runs a stripped-down version of the Windows 2000 kernel using APIs based largely on DirectX 8.1, it incorporates changes optimized for gaming uses as well as restrictions designed to prevent uses not approved by Microsoft. The lack of DVD movie support was also a double-edged sword; it did not appeal to the mass audience that turned to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox due to their built-in DVD support. An Xbox owner can rip music from standard Audio CDs to the hard drive so players can use their custom soundtrack in addition to the original soundtrack of Xbox games that support such feature. Common reasons cited by Nintendo for using this format are to lower piracy, provide faster loading times, and to make the system cheaper (to avoid DVD-licensing fees) and more compact. Some games support "Custom soundtracks," another particularly unusual feature allowed by the hard drive. The Nintendo GameCube does not have any DVD-movie support. Most of the games also use it as a disk cache, for faster game loading times. Later, a special debug mode in the GameCube drive was discovered which allowed the console to read and play from standard mini dvdrs.

The Xbox was the first console to incorporate a hard disk drive, used primarily for storing game saves (eliminating the need for separate memory cards) and content downloaded from Xbox Live. [1]. Nonetheless, most of these features were not fully exploited in its first year of launch, notably the lack of Xbox Live online multiplayer. By exploiting a flaw in Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, users were able to connect their GameCubes to their PC's and run homebrew programming on the console. Also, the console cost as much as the high-end GeForce 3 video card alone in 2001, while having comparable graphics processing power (the Xbox's NV2A graphics chipset is a derivative of the GeForce 3). This move was mainly intended to prevent piracy of GCN titles, but like most anti-piracy technology, it was eventually cracked. At the time of its introduction, the Xbox was the only game console to do so. Contrary to popular belief, GameCube discs are not physically read any differently from a standard DVD disc, but are encrypted and contain a 'barcode' unreadable by most DVD-ROM drives.

The Xbox was designed to take advantage of a slowdown in the saturated PC gaming market and incorporates a built-in Ethernet adapter. The Nintendo GameCube uses a unique storage medium, the GameCube Optical Disc, a proprietary format based on Matsushita's optical-disc technology; the discs are approximately 8 centimeters (3 1/8 inches) in diameter (considerably smaller than the 12cm CDs or DVDs used in competitors' consoles), and the discs have a capacity of approximately 1.5 gigabytes. This prediction turned out to be correct; Microsoft Game Studios, Microsoft's game division in charge of Xbox development, had its first profitable quarter reported in January 2005, thanks largely to the success of Halo 2[14]. In Japan, the system is also available in orange, or in limited edition colors like Crystal White, Mint Green, Copper, and White with black pinstripes. Microsoft predicted that it would not make a profit on the Xbox for at least three years. Physically shaped similar to a geometric cube, the outside casing of the Nintendo GameCube comes in a variety of colors, such as indigo, platinum, and black (also a limited edition Resident Evil 4 platinum and black game console). The losses deepened when sales of the Xbox increased and when the price was reduced successive times to compete with PlayStation 2 [13]. Unveiled during Spaceworld 2000, the Nintendo GameCube was widely anticipated by many who were shocked by Nintendo's decision to design the Nintendo 64 as a cartridge-based system.

[12] In particular, the Xbox hardware itself is a loss leader, since the console was sold at a loss even at its debut price. The GameCube launched in North America with the following twelve games:. Internal documents show that the Xbox division had invested $4 billion from 2000 to 2005. . The large size of the hardware itself did not endear itself to the size-sensitive Japanese consumers. Luigi's Mansion was the first cover game (volume #150). The Xbox has sold poorly in Japan mainly because Microsoft was unable to enlist enough local developers to cater to Japanese interests. The GameCube was first introduced in volume #145 of Nintendo Power magazine.

In Europe, the Xbox's market share is currently ahead of the GameCube, but is still behind the PlayStation 2. The GameCube was released on:. The Xbox has enjoyed its greatest success in North America, where an estimated 13.5 million units have been sold and where it managed for a time to outsell the PS2[11]. The GameCube itself is the most compact and inexpensive of the sixth generation era consoles. Although ahead of the GameCube's 18.5 million, this was far behind the PlayStation 2's 90 million (after the Xbox was discontinued in favour of the Xbox 360, the GameCube and PlayStation 2 have reached 19.8 million[9] and 100 million[10], respectively). The Nintendo GameCube (Japanese: ゲームキューブ; originally code-named "Dolphin" during development; abbreviated as GCN) is Nintendo's fourth home video game console, belonging to the Sixth generation era; the same generation as Sega's Dreamcast, Sony's PlayStation 2, and Microsoft's Xbox. According to company documents, Microsoft has shipped 25 million consoles to retailers worldwide at the end of 2005[8]. It is considered particularly useful for Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II and is difficult, though not impossible, to acquire outside of Japan.

However, as of February 2005, estimates show the Xbox's share of the worldwide console market is only moderately ahead of the Nintendo GameCube and far behind the PlayStation 2. The keyboard requires the use of two controller ports, and contains both Roman and Japanese hiragana characters. Some critics were initially concerned that the Xbox would allow Microsoft to extend its dominance of the PC software market to consoles. An ASCII keyboard controller, resembling a standard GameCube controller pad stretched to accommodate an alphanumeric keyboard in the center. In July 2004, Microsoft announced that Xbox Live reached 1 million subscribers, and announced in July 2005 that Live had reached 2 million. A dance pad, included with Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. 250,000 subscribers had signed on in 2 months since Live was launched [7]. This official Nintendo accessory is currently sold in Japan only.

This online service works exclusively with broadband. SD Card Adapter, for games exhibiting the SD Card logo like Animal Forest e+. In November 2002 Microsoft released the Xbox Live online gaming service, allowing subscribers to play online Xbox games with (or against) other subscribers all around the world and download new content for their games to the hard drive. Commands are issued when you hold the X button on the controller. In 2005, the long-awaited Xbox-exclusive Doom 3, Half-Life 2, and Far Cry Instincts were released. Odama also includes a microphone clip to clip on to the controller. That year, Microsoft and Electronic Arts reached a deal which would see the latter's popular titles enabled on Xbox Live. Microphone, which plugs into memory card slot, for use with Mario Party 6, Mario Party 7, and Karaoke Revolution Party.

In 2004, Halo 2 set records as highest grossing release in entertainment history [6] as well as being a successful killer app for the online service. DK Bongos for use with the music games Donkey Konga, Donkey Konga 2 and Donkey Konga 3, and the Donkey Kong platform title Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. In addition, many other publishers got into the trend of releasing the the Xbox version alongside the PS2 version, instead of delaying it for months. In PAL regions, an RF cable for connection to older televisions, and an RGB SCART cable for high-quality connections. Take-Two Interactive's exclusivity deal with Sony was amended to allow Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and its sequels to be published on the Xbox. Several are available from Lik-Sang, however, a game supporting 480p combined with the Component Video cable above, and the VD-Z3 (which has a monitor pass-through) or this can give Progressive Scan display quality on a computer monitor. Several best-selling and critically-acclaimed titles for the Xbox were published, such as Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, Ninja Gaiden, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Allows GameCube play on a standard computer monitor.

The Xbox Live online service was launched with a strong lineup including MotoGP, MechAssault and Ghost Recon. VGA Adapter. In 2002 and 2003, several releases helped the Xbox to gain momentum and distinguish itself from the PS2. See System Specifications above and Official Information.). Lastly, Sony countered the Xbox by making exclusivity deals for highly anticipated games such as the Grand Theft Auto series and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Less than one percent of GameCube owners used 480p, therefore the digital output was eventually removed from the design to reduce the system's manufacturing costs. Although it enjoyed strong third-party support from its inception, many early Xbox games did not take full advantage of its powerful hardware, with few additional features or graphical improvements to distinguish themselves from the PS2 version, and this negated one of the Xbox's main selling points. Component video cable (for progressive scan (480p) support) which requires a GameCube with Digital Video Output.

However, the failure of several first-party games (including Fuzion Frenzy [4] and Azurik: Rise of Perathia [5]) damaged the initial public reputation of the Xbox. Game Boy Player (to play Game Boy games on the television, using either a GameCube controller or a connected Game Boy Advance). Other successful launch titles included NFL Fever 2002, Project Gotham Racing[2] and Dead or Alive 3 [3]). Modem or Broadband adapter (for internet or LAN play). Halo still remains the console's standout title. Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance cable (for games that support connectivity between the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance). The greatest success of the Xbox's launch games was Halo: Combat Evolved, which was critically well-received [1] and one of the best-selling games of the year. A maximum of 127 files can be stored on a memory card).

The Xbox launched in North America on November 15, 2001. Memory Card (59, 251 or 1019 blocks. The Xbox even brought high-end gaming technology to the mainstream, sporting a top of the line GeForce 3 equivalent graphics processor, a built-in Ethernet adapter, and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Wavebird (RF wireless controller). The Xbox also presented a standardized alternative to the near-endless variety of end-user configurations on the PC. There are also specially shaped controllers, such as a blood-spattered chainsaw released to coincide with Resident Evil 4.). Being based upon Windows and standard PC hardware, the Xbox was more familiar to developers and as a result was significantly easier to develop for in contrast to PlayStation 2's proprietary processor and operating system. There are also many limited edition controllers available such as a split Platinum and Red, with the Mario "M" logo replacing the regular GameCube logo seen on standard controllers.

The authors concluded that the Xbox project as a direct response to the upcoming PlayStation 2. Controller (Standard colours include Indigo, Black, Spice (Orange), Platinum and Indigo-clear. As well, a venture into the gaming console market would also diversify Microsoft's product line, which up to that time had been heavily concentrated into software. [4.3"(H) x 5.9"(W) x 6.3"(D)]. The growing video game market seemed to threaten the PC market which Microsoft had dominated and relied upon for most of its revenues. Physical Measurements of Entire System: 110 mm (H) x 150 mm (W) x 161 mm (D). According to the book Smartbomb, by Heather Chaplin and Aaron Ruby, the remarkable success of the upstart Sony PlayStation worried Microsoft in late 1990s. Power Supply: AC Adapter DC12 volts x 3.25 amperes.

Some see the Xbox as a way to capitalize on the growing video game market, noting that the PC market growth was stagnating after the dot-com bust. High-speed Parallel Ports: 1. In May 2000 the "Xbox Project" was officially confirmed by Microsoft. High-speed Serial Ports: 2. Gates said that a gaming/multimedia device was essential for multimedia convergence in the new times of digital entertainment. Digital Video Outputs: 1 *. The rumors of a video game console being developed by Microsoft first emerged at the end of 1999 following interviews of Bill Gates. Analog Audio/Video Outputs: 1.

The Xbox was initially developed within Microsoft by a small team which included Seamus Blackley, a game developer and high energy physicist. Memory Card Slots: 2. . Controller Ports: 4. Notable launch titles for the console include Amped, Dead or Alive 3, Halo: Combat Evolved, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, and Project Gotham Racing. Approximately 1.5 gigabytes in capacity. The Xbox was Microsoft's first independent venture into the video game console arena, after having developed the operating system and development tools for the MSX, and having collaborated with Sega in porting Windows CE to the Sega Dreamcast console. Producer is Matsushita (Also known as Panasonic).

The Microsoft Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console first released on November 15, 2001 in North America and Puerto Rico, then released on February 22, 2002 in Japan, and later on March 14, 2002 in Europe. Diameter is 3 inches in length. Xbox: Part Deux (Xbox XGPU Basics)" by Dave Salvator, ExtremeTech.Com, November 30, 2001, retrieved January 30, 2006. Based on DVD technology. "GameCube vs. Disc Media: