XBOX 360 here's a huge list on XBOX 360:
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. Its Xbox Live service allows players to compete online and download content such as arcade games, game demos, trailers, TV shows, and movies. The Xbox 360 is the successor to the Xbox, and competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.
The Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged later that month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). It is the first console to provide a near-simultaneous launch across the three major regions. The console sold out completely at release (with the exception of Japan) and, as of January 3, 2008, 17.7 million units have been sold to retailers worldwide.[1] The Xbox 360 is currently available in four different versions, the "Arcade" console, the "Core" console, the "Premium" console, and the "Elite" console, each having its own set of included accessories and features.
Development
Known during development as Xenon, Xbox 2, Xbox FS,[4] Xbox Next or NextBox, the Xbox 360 was conceived in early 2003.[5] In February 2003, planning for the Xenon software platform began, and was headed by Microsoft vice president J Allard.[5] That month, Microsoft held an event for 400 developers in Bellevue, Washington, to recruit support for the system.[5] Also that month, Peter Moore, former president of Sega of America, joined Microsoft. On August 12, 2003, ATI signed on to produce the graphic processing unit for the new console, a deal which was publicly announced two days later.[6] The following month, IBM agreed to develop the triple-core CPU for the console.[5] Before the launch of the Xbox 360, several alpha development kits were spotted using Apple's Power Mac G5 hardware. This was due to the system's PowerPC 970 processor running the same PowerPC architecture that the Xbox 360 would eventually run under IBM's Xenon processor.
Launch
Main article: Xbox 360 launch
The Xbox 360 was released on November 22, 2005, in the United States and Canada; December 2, 2005, in Europe and December 10, 2005, in Japan. It was later launched in Mexico, Colombia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, India, Brazil, Poland, Czech Republic and Russia. Microsoft has additionally announced official launches in: Hungary, Slovakia,[7] and the Philippines.[8] In its first year on the market, the system launched in 36 countries, more countries than any console has launched in a single year.[9] Due to its early launch, the Xbox 360 had a one-year lead on both of its competitors, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii.
Retail configurations
The Xbox 360 is available in three standard variants; the "Xbox 360 Arcade", the "Xbox 360", and the "Xbox 360 Elite".[10] A discontinued SKU, the "Xbox 360 Core", was replaced by the "Xbox 360 Arcade" in October 2007.[11]
At launch, the Xbox 360 was available in two configurations: the "Xbox 360" package, priced at US$399, and the "Xbox 360 Core", priced at US$299. The Elite package was launched later at US$479, and the "Xbox 360 Arcade" replaced the "Xbox 360 Core" in October 2007 at US$279.
The Xbox 360 Core[12] was an entry level Xbox 360 priced at US$279.99. The "Core" is no longer being sold, being replaced by the Xbox 360 Arcade.[10] It was not originally available in Japan, but was later released on November 2, 2006.[13] The Core system comes bundled with composite video cables, capable of only SDTV resolutions, but newer models with lot number 0728 or greater have an HDMI 1.2 output. The Core may output HD signals up to 1080p when connected to separately sold HDMI, Component, or VGA cables. It may also utilize a separately sold 20 or 120 GB hard drive.
Xbox 360 ArcadeThe Xbox 360 Arcade,[14] priced at US$279.99,[15] is the replacement for the "Xbox 360 Core".[16] It was publicly revealed (though it was available in stores far earlier)[17] by Microsoft's president of Entertainment Devices devision Robbie Bach to the Financial Times on October 18, 2007,[15] and officially announced on October 22, 2007.[18] It includes a wireless controller, 256 MB memory unit, composite AV cable, HDMI 1.2 output, and 5 Xbox Live Arcade titles.[19] Holiday 2007 consoles, with packaging labeled "Go Play!", are bundled with Boom Boom Rocket, Feeding Frenzy, Luxor 2, Pac-Man Championship Edition, and Uno on a single disk, which also includes a "Welcome Video" and several game trailers/demos.[20]
The Xbox 360, commonly called the Premium or Pro, priced at US$349.99, includes all the features of the Xbox 360 Core and includes a hybrid composite and component cable with optional optical out instead of a composite cable. The Xbox 360 also includes a detachable 20 GB Hard Disc Drive to store downloaded content, provide compatibility with original Xbox games, and store game data. The included hard drive comes with game demos, video clips and a free Live Arcade game, Hexic HD. In July 2007, this version of the Xbox 360 began appearing with the Zephyr motherboard (the motherboard used in the Elite) which features HDMI 1.2 output and an improved GPU heatsink. Although the Premium package does include an HDMI 1.2 output, it does not come with HDMI 1.2 cables.[21][22] Starting at the end of September, the newest systems were shipped with the new "Falcon" motherboard. This motherboard includes the new 65-nm CPUs, making them quieter and cooler than the older systems.[23] Holiday 2007 consoles, with packaging labeled "Go Pro", are bundled with Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Forza Motorsport 2. [24]
Xbox 360 EliteThe Xbox 360 Elite is the fourth and most expensive variation of the console. It is priced at US$449.99 and includes a 120GB hard drive and a matte black finish. The Elite retail package also includes an HDMI 1.2 cable and a controller and headset that match the system's black finish.[25] The initial release price was US$479.99,[26] C$549.99,[26] £299.99, and AU$729.95. The Elite was released in Europe on August 24, 2007, and Australia on August 30, 2007. Holiday 2007 consoles, with packaging labeled "Go Big", are bundled with Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Forza Motorsport 2.[27]
Special editions
On a few occasions, Microsoft has produced special editions of the console, usually to coincide with the release of a major product. These special editions are typically custom-colored Xbox 360 models, and are produced in limited numbers.
At the E3 2007 press conference, Microsoft announced the Halo 3 Special Edition of the console, released September 16, 2007. It sports a Halo 3 theme on the console, wired headset, and wireless controller. Other than the unique "Spartan green and gold"[28] color scheme and exclusive dashboard theme and downloads, its features are identical to that of the Premium system.[29] It is priced at US$399.99 and £279.99 (the original price of the Xbox 360 Premium).[30]
To promote The Simpsons Movie, Microsoft created a specially-designed, yellow Xbox 360 console.[31] This configuration is based on the Xbox 360 Premium package, with the only difference being the color scheme of the Xbox 360 console and wireless controller. The consoles were to be given out to winners of drawings taking place between July 18, 2007 and July 27, 2007, in which a name was randomly drawn each day in the "10 Days and 10 Chances to Win" sweepstakes.[32] This edition is limited, as 10 consoles were produced.[32]
Comparison of features
Information in the table below is based on the latest specifications. Older packaging may not include all items listed.
Features Elite Premium Arcade
Price US$449.99, GB£299.99 US$349.99, GB£249.99 US$279.99, GB£199.99
Appearance Matte black, chrome trim Matte white, chrome trim Matte white
Controller Type Wireless, Matte black Wireless Wireless
Included storage 120 GB HDD 20 GB HDD 256 MB Memory Unit
Ethernet / System Link cable Yes Yes No
Xbox 360 Headset Yes, Matte black Yes
(excluding Oceania and Mexico
where a Media Remote is bundled instead) No
HDMI 1.2 equipped Yes Yes
after August 2007[33] Yes
Included video cables[1] HDMI 1.2 (HD)
Component/Composite (HD/SD) Component/Composite (HD/SD) Composite (SD)
Xbox LIVE 1 Month Gold trial, Silver 1 Month Gold trial, Silver 1 Month Gold trial, Silver
Bundled games Hexic HD Hexic HD "Go Play" package:
Boom Boom Rocket,
Feeding Frenzy,
Luxor 2,
Pac-Man Championship Edition,
UNO
Xbox LIVE
Main article: Xbox Live
On the day of the Xbox 360's release, Microsoft's online gaming service Xbox LIVE was shut down for 24 hours and went through a major upgrade, adding a basic non-subscription service, Silver, to its already established premium subscription-based service (which was renamed Gold). Xbox LIVE Silver is free of charge and is included with all SKUs of the console. It allows users to create a user profile, join on message boards, and access Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade and Marketplace and talk to other members.[34] An Xbox LIVE Silver account does not generally support multiplayer gaming; however, some games that have rather limited online functions already, (such as Viva Pinata) or games that feature their own subscription service (eg. EA Sports games) can be played with a Silver account. Xbox LIVE also supports voice and video communication, the latter a feature possible with the Xbox Live Vision; an add-on USB web camera designed specifically for the Xbox 360.[35] The Gamertag of a player with a Silver account has a silver trim, rather than gold.
Xbox LIVE Gold has the same features as Silver and includes integrated online game playing capabilities outside of third-party subscriptions. Microsoft has allowed previous Xbox LIVE subscribers to maintain their profile information, friends list, and games history when they make the transition to Xbox LIVE Gold. To transfer an Xbox LIVE account to the new system, users need to link a Windows Live ID to their gamertag on Xbox.com.[36] When users add an Xbox LIVE enabled profile to their console, they are required to provide the console with their passport account information and the last four digits of their credit card number, which is used for verification purposes and billing. An Xbox LIVE Gold account has an annual cost of US$49.99, C$59.99, GB£39.99, or €59.99. As of July 11, 2007, Xbox LIVE has over 7 million subscribers.[37]
Xbox LIVE Marketplace
Main article: Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox LIVE Marketplace is a virtual market designed for the console that allows Xbox LIVE users to download purchased or promotional content. The service offers movie and game trailers, game demos, Xbox LIVE Arcade games, gamertag images and Xbox 360 Dashboard themes as well as add-on game content (items, costumes, levels etc). These features are available to both silver and gold members on Xbox Live. A hard drive or memory unit is required to store products purchased from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.[38] In order to download priced content, users are required to purchase Microsoft Points for use as scrip;[39] though some products (such as trailers) are free to download. Users are able to view items available to download on the service through a PC via the Xbox Live Pipeline website.[40] An estimated seventy percent of Xbox LIVE users have downloaded items from the Marketplace.[41]
Xbox Video Marketplace
Main article: Xbox Video Marketplace
On November 6, 2006, Microsoft announced the Xbox Video Marketplace, an exclusive video store accessible through the console. Launched in the United States on November 22, 2006, the first anniversary of the Xbox 360's launch, the service allows users in the United States to download high-definition and standard-definition television shows and movies onto an Xbox 360 console for viewing. At launch the service offered 800 hours of standard footage and 200 hours of high definition content.[citation needed] With the exception of short clips, content is not currently available for streaming, and must be downloaded. Microsoft has also announced that its Microsoft TV service will add IPTV functionality to the console, giving users the ability to stream 2 simultaneous HD and 2 simultaneous SD channels.[42] Movies are also available for rental. They expire in 14 days after download or at the end of the first 24 hours after the movie has begun playing, whichever comes first. Television episodes can be purchased to own, and are transferable to an unlimited number of consoles. Downloaded files use 5.1 surround audio and are encoded using VC-1 for video at 720p, with a bitrate of 6.8 Mbit/s.[43] Television content is offered from MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Turner Broadcasting, and CBS; and movie content is Warner Bros., Paramount, and Disney, along with other other publishers.[44]
After the Spring 2007 update, the following video codecs are supported:
H.264 video support: Up to 15 Mbit/s, Baseline, Main, and High (up to level 4.1) Profiles with 2 channel AAC LC and Main Profiles.
MPEG-4 Part 2 video support: Up to 8 Mbit/s, Simple Profile with 2 channel AAC LC and Main Profiles.
During Microsoft Press Conference at E3 2007 on July 10, 2007 it was announced that Xbox LIVE users in Europe and Canada would be able to use the exclusive video store that is curently available only in the United States by the end of 2007.[citation needed]
As a late addition to the Fall Xbox 360 update which was launched on the 4 December 2007 25 movies were added to the European Xbox 360 video market place on the 11 December 2007 and cost 250 Microsoft points for the SD version on the movie and 380 Microsoft points for the HD version of the movie.[45]Xbox LIVE members in Canada featured the ability to go on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace as of December 10, 2007 with around 30 movies to be downloaded for the same amount of Microsoft Points.
Xbox LIVE Arcade
Main article: Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox LIVE Arcade is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute downloadable video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners. In addition to classic arcade games such as Ms. Pac-Man, the service offers some new original games like Assault Heroes. The Xbox LIVE Arcade also features games from other consoles, such as the PlayStation game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and PC games such as Zuma. The service was first launched on November 3, 2004,[46], using a DVD to load, and offered games for about US$5 to $15. Items are purchased using Microsoft Points, a proprietary currency used to reduce credit card transaction charges. On November 22, 2005, Xbox LIVE Arcade was re-launched with the release of the Xbox 360, in which it was now integrated with the Xbox 360's dashboard. The games are generally aimed toward more casual gamers; examples of the more popular titles are Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting, and UNO.[47]
Multimedia
The Xbox 360 supports videos in .wmv-format, as well as high-definition .wmv-videos, H.264, MPEG-4, and PlaysForSure WMV videos.
The Fall 2007 dashboard update added support for the playback of MPEG-4 ASP format videos.[48]
The Xbox 360 also supports audio playback, with music player controls accessible through the Xbox 360 Guide button. Users may play back their own music while playing games or using the dashboard, and can play music with an interactive visual synthesizer.
The Xbox 360 can also display pictures and perform slideshows of photo collections with various transition effects. Users can also play audio in the background while viewing a slideshow.
Music, photos and videos can be played from standard USB mass storage devices, Xbox 360 proprietary storage devices (such as memory cards or Xbox 360 hard drives), and servers or computers with Windows Media Center or Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher within the local-area network in streaming mode.[49][50] This is possible with video files up to HD-resolution and with several codecs (MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV) and container formats (WMV, MOV, TS).[51]
In the UK the Xbox 360 will be enabled to download and display BT Vision video content. [52]
Software
Dashboard
The Xbox 360 dashboard. Showing the original four bladesSee also: Xbox 360 System Software
The Xbox 360's graphical user interface GUI is the Xbox 360 Dashboard; a tabbed interface that features five "Blades" (formerly four blades), and was designed by AKQA. It can be launched automatically when the console boots up without a disc, or when the disc tray is ejected. However, the user may choose to launch a game automatically if a disc is inserted. A simplified version of it can also be accessed at any time via the Xbox Guide button on the gamepad. This simplified version shows the user's gamercard, Xbox LIVE messages and friends list. It also allows for personal and music settings, in addition to voice or video chats, or returning to the primary Dashboard from the game.
Since the console's release, Microsoft has released several updates for the Dashboard software. These updates have included adding new features to the console; enhancing Xbox Live functionality and multimedia playback cabilities; adding compatibility for new accessories; and fixing bugs in the software. The latest Dashboard update, revision 2.0.6683, was made available on December 4, 2007.
Microsoft XNA
Main article: Microsoft XNA
Microsoft XNA is a set of tools and technologies that includes XNA Studio, which provides versions of key production tools such as asset management, defect tracking, project automation and work lists. These tools are designed to work together to automate common development tasks and present interfaces tailored to the different functions within the team. John Carmack stated at QuakeCon 2005 that the Xbox 360 has "the best development environment I've seen on a console".[53] Microsoft XNA also includes other components such as the XNA Framework and XNA Build.
Anyone can develop a game using XNA Game Studio Express, an IDE for homebrew developers, which was initially released in beta form on August 30, 2006. A second, near feature complete beta version was released on November 1, 2006.[54] The final feature complete version, 1.0, was released on December 11, 2006.[55] For a US$99/GB£65 yearly subscription fee users can join a "creators club" which lets them transport code onto their 360 and share their content with others. In the UK, there is also a 4 month subscription to the "Creators [sic] Club" which costs £30 GBP.
Backward compatibility
Main article: List of Xbox games compatible with Xbox 360
Backward compatibility on the Xbox 360 is achieved through software emulation of the original Xbox. Emulated games are rendered in 720p, 1080i, or 1080p HD resolution with anti-aliasing enabled rather than the Xbox standard of 480p[56] (anti-aliasing is also applied when the output resolution is 480p.) However there are also games that do not perform well in emulation; these often exhibit a lower framerate on the Xbox 360,[57] as well as various sound bugs and occasional gameplay glitches. A hard drive and the downloading of an emulation profile is needed in order to play original Xbox games. Updated emulation profiles are automatically obtained through Xbox LIVE, or alternatively they can be burned to a CD with files downloaded from Xbox.com, or by ordering a free update disc from Microsoft. A full list of backward-compatible games is maintained at Xbox.com.
The current U.S. list includes 464 games as of the November 2007 update; fewer titles are backward compatible in European and Japanese markets, with 295 and 101 titles respectively. Microsoft originally stated that they intend to release more emulation profiles as they become available, with a goal of making the entire Xbox library playable on the Xbox 360. They have since made multiple statements indicating that this may never be complete though the rate of updates to the backwards compatibility list still continues steadily.[58]
At 2008's CES, Albert Penello, the Xbox 360's group marketing manager, said that "engineering work around bringing out new titles" is "winding down".[59]
Xbox Originals
Main article: List of Xbox Originals
As part of the December 4, 2007 dashboard update, a new feature, called Xbox Originals, was launched allowing users to download original Xbox games directly to their Xbox 360. The games have not been altered in any way, except that any demos and game previews have been stripped out. Currently all titles are available for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15USD) each.[60]
The games available from the launch of the Xbox Originals are: Halo: Combat Evolved, Fable, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Psychonauts, Fusion Frenzy, Indigo Prophecy, and Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge. Videos previewing the service had shown Burnout 3: Takedown as a title, and though it was not included at launch, it will be available on January 14th.[61]
Game library
Main article: List of Xbox 360 games
The Xbox 360 launched with 14 games in North America and 13 in Europe. The console's best-selling game for 2005, Call of Duty 2, sold over a million copies.[62] Five other games sold as well in the console's first year in the market: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter,[63] The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion,[64] Dead or Alive 4,[65] Saints Row[66] and Gears of War.[67] As of January 3, 2008, Halo 3 is the Xbox 360's best-selling game with 8.1 million copies sold.[1] Only six games were initially offered in Japan, and eagerly anticipated titles such as Dead or Alive 4 and Enchanted Arms were not released until several weeks after launch. Games more suitable to the region are planned or have since been released, such as Chromehounds, Ninety-Nine Nights, and Phantasy Star Universe. Microsoft-backed Mistwalker has since released Blue Dragon in the region, and currently has two other Japanese-style games in development, Lost Odyssey and Cry On. On October 19, 2006, with over 10,000 pre-orders, a limited-edition Blue Dragon bundle sold out in Japan on the first day. The pack, priced at JP¥29,800 includes the Xbox 360 core system with a copy of Blue Dragon, along with a table calendar, Blue Dragon faceplate, and five miniature character figures. At the Lepzig game convention in 2007, Microsoft revealed details of Project Gotham Racing 4, Rock Band, Tom Clancy's EndWar, Dark Sector, FIFA 08, Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare and Tony Hawk's Proving Ground.
E3 2006 was the first large-scale show after the console's launch and the first trailer for Halo 3, the sequel to the original Xbox's best-selling game, was shown there. Fable 2, a sequel to the Xbox's best-selling RPG,[citation needed] was also shown, along with Alan Wake, Mass Effect and Too Human. Bill Gates spoke of plans to integrate several Microsoft services into one entity with Live Anywhere. This service will allow multiplayer games and communication possible between Xbox 360 and the Windows Vista operating system for the PC.[citation needed] Shadowrun was the first game announced to be compatible with Live Anywhere. Several games originally released on PC have also been released on the Xbox 360, such as F.E.A.R. and Quake 4. Grand Theft Auto IV was shown and will be the first title in the series to be released for the Xbox 360 the same day as its PlayStation 3 counterpart. At X06, Microsoft announced several new titles, along with information on future releases. Splinter Cell: Conviction, set to release after Splinter Cell: Double Agent, was announced to be exclusive to the Xbox 360, as were BioShock and Banjo-Kazooie 3. At the event, Halo Wars was also announced, along with an untitled Halo project. In additon, Microsoft published sequels to some of its more successful franchises on the original Xbox, such as Forza Motorsport 2, Project Gotham Racing 3 & 4, and Fuzion Frenzy 2. They have published original games based on new IPs, such as Viva Piñata and Gears of War.
Hardware and accessories
Hardware
Main article: Xbox 360 hardware
The main unit of the Xbox 360 itself has slight double concavity in matte white or black. It features a port on the top (when vertical, left side when horizontal) to which a custom-housed hard drive unit can be attached in sizes of either 20 or 120 GB. Inside, the Xbox 360 uses the triple-core IBM designed Xenon as its CPU. Graphics processing is handled by the ATI Xenos which has 10 MB of embedded eDRAM. Its main memory pool is 512 MB in size.
Accessories
Main article: Xbox 360 accessories
Many accessories are available for the console, including both wired and wireless controllers, a wireless steering wheel, headsets, a webcamera, an HD DVD player, three sizes of memory cards, and two sizes of hard drives, among other items, all of which are styled to match the console.
Technical problems
An Xbox 360 showing the "Red Ring of Death"Main article: Xbox 360 technical problems
The Xbox 360 can be subject to a number of technical problems. Since the console's release in 2005, the console's reliability gained a bad reputation from the general public and in the press through articles portraying its poor reliability and relatively high failure rates,[68][69][70][71] although every Xbox 360 that is made after July 2007 has the new heatsink built in to reduce overheating.[citation needed]
Microsoft has subsequently introduced design revisions and extended the 360's manufacturer's warranty to three years.
Sales
Quarter ended on: Units shipped
December 31, 2005 1.5 million shipped[72]
March 31, 2006 1.7 million shipped[73]
June 30, 2006 1.8 million[74]
September 30, 2006 0.9 million[75]
December 31, 2006 4.4 million[citation needed]
March 31, 2007 0.5 million shipped[76]
June 30, 2007 0.8 million[citation needed]
September 30, 2007 1.8 million[77]
December 31, 2007 4.3 million[citation needed]
Cumulative totals
as of January 3, 2008 17.7 million[1]
The Xbox 360 began production only 69 days before launch.[78] As a result, Microsoft was not able to supply enough systems to meet initial consumer demand in Europe or North America.[79] Many potential customers were not able to purchase a console at launch. This lack of availability caused Xbox 360 bundles to sell on eBay at inflated prices; some auctions exceeded US$6,000.[citation needed] Forty thousand units appeared on eBay during the initial week of release; this was 10% of the total supply.[80] By year's end, Microsoft had shipped 1.5 million units, including 900,000 in North America, 500,000 in Europe, and 100,000 in Japan.[81]
At E3 in May 2006, Bill Gates announced that Microsoft would have a head start of 10 million units by the time Sony and Nintendo entered the market.[82] Microsoft later specified that goal and estimated shipments of 10 million units by the end of 2006,[83] a target it passed by 400,000 units.[citation needed] As of August 2007, the Xbox 360 has sold 8.9 million units worldwide.[citations needed] As of September 1, 2007, 6.3 million Xbox 360 units have been sold to consumers in the United States,[citations needed] and as of July 18, 2007, 420,000 units in Japan.[citation needed] Although the console had struggled in Japan, it was reported on October 29, 2007 that the Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 for a week in Japan.[84]
During an earnings call in January 2007, Microsoft's CFO downgraded estimated Xbox 360 sales for the first half of 2007.[citation needed] Cumulative sales from the system's launch until June 30, 2007 were predicted to reach 12 million units, down from 13 to 15 million units estimated earlier. Microsoft later announced they shipped 11.6 million units cumulative to June 30, 2007.[citations needed] Being released one year ahead of its competitors, the Xbox 360 was the market leader throughout the first half of 2007. However on September 12, 2007, it was reported by the Financial Times that the Xbox 360 had been surpassed by the Wii in terms of worldwide console sales.[85] On October 4, 2007, Microsoft stated that Xbox 360 sales have more than doubled when compared with the weekly average before the Halo 3 launch.[86]
Based on figures from October 19, 2007, the Xbox 360 outsold the Wii for the month of September in North America, helped in part by the spike in sales seen after the launch of Halo 3, which sold 3.3 million copies in the U.S. in a 12-day period.[87] The Xbox had sales of 528,000 units for September, while the Wii had sales of 501,000 units.[88]
However, despite these sales figures, Microsoft's gaming division is losing money. Through 2005, the Xbox gaming division had lost over $4 billion dollars.[89] However, Microsoft expects the console will start making money in 2008.[90] The losses are due to the market strategy of selling consoles below cost in order to obtain market saturation and gain profits on software and peripherals that have a much higher profit margin.[91][92] Also notable is that Microsoft expects it needs to spend one billion dollars for repairs or replacements of bricked Xbox 360s.[93]
PS3
The PlayStation 3 (officially marketed PLAYSTATION 3,[5] commonly abbreviated PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game systems.
A major feature that distinguishes the PlayStation 3 from its predecessors is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network,[6] which contrasts with Sony's former policy of relying on games' developers for online play.[7] Other major features of the console include its robust multimedia capabilities,[8] connectivity with the PlayStation Portable,[9] and its use of a next-gen optical media, Blu-ray Disc, as its primary storage medium.[10]
The PlayStation 3 was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan,[11] November 17, 2006 in North America,[12] and March 23, 2007 in Europe and Oceania[13][14] with two stock keeping units (SKUs); a basic version with a 20 GB hard disk drive (HDD), and a premium version with a 60 GB HDD and several other features.[15] (The 20 GB version was not released in Europe or Oceania.[16]) Since then, the console has had several revisions made to its available SKUs[17] and has faced stiff competition from the other seventh generation consoles.[17] As of December 2007, the PS3 is in third place in sales for its generation.[18]
Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation 3 to the public on May 16, 2005, during the E3 2005 conference.[19] A functional version of the system was not present there[20] nor at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2005,[21] although demonstrations (such as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots[20]) were held at both events on devkits and comparable PC hardware.[20][21] Video footage based on the predicted PlayStation 3 specifications was also shown (e.g. Mobile Suit Gundam).[22]
The system was initially planned to have two HDMI ports, three Ethernet ports and six USB ports,[23] though, as shown at E3 2006, this was later reduced to one HDMI port, one ethernet port and four USB ports, presumably to cut costs.[15][24] Also announced were two configurations of the console, a "60 GB" and "20 GB", for $599/€599 and $499/€499 respectively.[15] The 60 GB would be the only configuration to feature a HDMI port, Wi-Fi internet, and a chrome trim with the logo in silver.[15] It was announced for a global release date, November 11 for Japan and November 17 for North America and Europe.[25]
On September 6, 2006, Sony announced that the PAL region (Europe and Oceania) PlayStation 3 launch would be delayed until March 2007 due to a shortage of diodes used in the Blu-ray Disc drive.[26]
At the Tokyo Game Show on September 22, 2006, Sony announced that it would be including HDMI on the 20 GB system with a silver logo, but not the chrome trim or Wi-Fi.[27] Also, the launch price of the Japanese 20 GB model was reduced by over 20%[28] and the 60 GB model was announced for an open pricing scheme in Japan.[28] During the show, Sony demonstrated 27 playable PS3 titles running on final hardware.[29]
Launch
Main article: PlayStation 3 launch
The PlayStation 3 was first released in Japan on November 11, 2006, at 07:00.[11] There were reports that many of the systems were obtained by businessmen who paid mainly Chinese nationals to buy the systems to resell them on eBay.[30] According to Media Create, 81,639 PS3 systems were sold within 24 hours of its introduction in Japan.[31]
Soon after its release in Japan, the PS3 was released in North America on November 17, 2006.[12] Reports of violence surrounding the release of the PS3 include a customer shot,[32] campers robbed at gunpoint,[33] customers shot in a drive-by shooting with BB guns,[34] and 60 campers fighting over 10 systems.[35]
On January 24, 2007, Sony announced that the PlayStation 3 would go on sale on March 23, 2007 in Europe, Australia, the Middle East, Africa and New Zealand.[13][36] On March 7, 2007, the 60 GB PlayStation 3 launched in Singapore with a price of S$799.[37]
The PS3 was launched in Europe, Australia and New Zealand on March 23, 2007.[13] The system sold about 600,000 units in its first two days.[38]
The console was launched in South Korea on June 16, 2007 in a single version equipped with an 80 GB hard drive and IPTV.[39]
Retail configurations
For more details on this topic, see Timeline of PlayStation 3 SKUs.
There are four PlayStation 3 hardware models that are commonly referred to by the size of their included hard disk drive: "20", "40", "60", and "80" GB models.[15][40]
All retail packages include one or two Sixaxis controllers, one USB cable, one composite video/stereo audio output cable, one ethernet cable (20, 60, and 80 GB only) and one power cable.[40][41]
Feature 20 GB
(NTSC)[42] 40 GB
(PAL, NTSC)[43] 60 GB
(NTSC)[42] 60 GB
(PAL)[42] 80 GB
(NTSC)[42]
USB 2.0 ports 4 2 4 4 4
Colors Piano Black Piano Black, Ceramic White (Asia) Piano Black Piano Black Piano Black
802.11 b/g Wi-Fi No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Flash card readers No No Yes Yes Yes
Chrome trim No Yes Yes Yes Yes
SACD support Yes No Yes Yes Yes
PS2 compatibility Yes - Hardware (Emotion Engine) No Yes - Hardware (Emotion Engine) Yes - Software Emulation Yes - Software Emulation
First Availability Nov 2006 Oct 2007 Nov 2006 Mar 2007 Aug 2007
In Production No[44] Yes No No Yes
All models include: Blu-ray/DVD/CD drive, HDMI 1.3a,[45] Bluetooth 2.0,
Gigabit Ethernet, PlayStation backward compatibility[46] through software emulation[47] and a glossy finish[48]
In addition to all of the features of the 20 GB model, the 60 GB model has internal IEEE 802.11 [[IEEE 802.11#802�b|b]]/[[IEEE 802.11#802�g|g]] Wi-Fi, multiple flash card readers (SD/MultiMedia Card, CompactFlash Type I/Type II, Microdrive,[49] Memory Stick/PRO/Duo) and a chrome coloured trim.[42] In terms of hardware, the 80 GB model released in South Korea is identical to the 60 GB model released in Europe and Australia (European territories), except for the difference in hard drive size.[50] Like the South Korean and Europe models, the North American 80 GB model also excludes the PlayStation 2 "Emotion Engine" CPU chip.[51] However, it still keeps the "Graphics Synthesizer" GPU.[52] Due to emulating of the "Emotion Engine", the level of compatibility was reduced[51] (see PlayStation 3 games - Removal of hardware support for more details). The 40 GB model has two USB ports instead of the four USB ports on other models, and does not include a multi memory card port, SACD support, or any backwards compatibility with PlayStation 2 titles.[51][17] This was due to the removal of "Graphics Synthesizer" GPU, which stripped the unit of all PlayStation 2 based hardware.[43]
No official Wi-Fi or flash memory card readers have yet been released by Sony for the 20 GB system, although plans for such add-ons are in place.[53] Nevertheless, as the model features four USB 2.0 ports, wireless networking and flash memory card support can already be obtained through the use of widely available external USB adapters.[51]
It was rumored that third-generation PS3s (40 GB) would be using Cell CPUs of 65nm,[54][55] Sony has revealed that this is indeed correct after an initial denial.[56]
Sales and production costs
See also: PlayStation 3 launch - Release data and pricing
Region Units sold First available
Japan 1,341,000 as of November 23, 2007[57] November 11, 2006
North America 3,250,000 as of January 1, 2008[58] November 17, 2006
PAL territories 1,300,000 as of August 23, 2007[59] March 23, 2007 (more...)
Worldwide 5.59 million as of September 30, 2007[2]
The PlayStation 3's initial production cost is estimated to have been US$805.85 for the 20 GB model and US$840.35 for the 60 GB model;[60] however, they were priced at US$499 and US$599, respectively.[61] The high manufacturing costs meant that every unit was sold at a loss of approximately $250,[60] contributing to Sony's games division posting an operating loss of ¥232.3 billion (US$1.97 billion) in the fiscal year ending March 2007.[62] In April 2007, soon after these results were published, Ken Kutaragi, the head of gaming at Sony, announced plans to retire. Various news agencies, including The Times[63] and The Wall Street Journal[64] reported that this was due to poor sales, whilst SCEI maintains that Kutaragi had been planning his retirement for six months prior to the announcement.[64]
Since the system's launch, production costs have been reduced significantly as a result of phasing out the EE chip[65] and falling hardware costs.[66][67] The cost of manufacturing Cell microprocessors has fallen dramatically as a result of moving to the 65 nm production process[68][67] and Blu-ray diodes being cheaper to manufacture.[66][69] As of January 2008, each unit costs around $400 to manufacture.[70][71]
On January 7, 2007, Sony met its goal of shipping 1 million units to North America.[72] Just over a week later, on January 16, 2007, Sony confirmed they had shipped 1 million units in Japan, bringing the worldwide total to over 2 million shipped.[73] As of April 1, 2007, approximately 5.5 million units had been shipped worldwide.[62]
In the worldwide marketplace, the PlayStation 3 is currently behind its competitor systems, the Xbox 360 and the Wii, both overall and in monthly sales. In Japan, the Wii outsold the PS3 by 3 to 1 in August, 4 to 1 in July, 6.5 to 1 in June, 5.6 to 1 in May and 4 to 1 in April.[74][75][76][77] In Japan, 2,800,576 Wiis have been sold in total, compared with 1,143,798 PS3s; however the Xbox 360, which was released almost a year earlier than its competitors has sold only 380,131 units.[78][79]
In North America, the PS3 was outsold 4.4 to 1 by the Wii and 2.2 to 1 by the Xbox 360 in June 2007, and sold the least units of any seventh generation console in the period January through April.[80][81] Additionally, the PS3 saw the largest drop in sales of the three systems, selling 37% less in April than the previous month.[82][81] Sony has attributed the poor sales in April to a lack of new software for the console.[83] In many cases, the system has been outsold by its predecessor, the PlayStation 2.[80][82]
Sony has stated that the PS3 has been consistently outselling its competitors in Australia, although it still lags behind both in total units sold.[84]
From October 2007 to November 2007, sales of the PlayStation 3 went up by 285% in the United States.[85] Sony CEO Howard Stringer attributes the growth to a price cut and Nintendo's inability to manufacture the Wii system at a rate high enough to meet public demand.[86]
Hardware
Silver PlayStation 3 prototype at E3 2006Main article: PlayStation 3 hardware
The PlayStation 3 is convex on its left side when vertical, (the top side is convex when horizontal) and has a sleek black finish with the Playstation logo on the left side.[87] Playstation designer Teiyu Goto stated that the Spider-Man-font-inspired "logo was one of the first elements [SCEI president Ken Kutaragi] decided on and the logo may have been the motivating force behind the shape of PS3."[88]
The Playstation 3 features a slot-loading 2x speed Blu-ray Disc drive for games, Blu-ray movies, DVDs, CDs, and other optical media.[89] It was originally available with hard drives of 20 and 60 GB[90] (only the 60 GB model was available in PAL regions[16]). An 80 GB model has since been introduced in NTSC regions,[91] and a 40 GB model has been introduced in all regions.[92][93] All PS3 models have user-upgradeable 2.5" SATA hard drives.[94]
The PlayStation 3 uses the IBM-designed Cell microprocessor as its CPU, utilizing seven of the eight "synergistic processing elements" (often shortened to SPE).[95] The eighth SPE is disabled to improve chip yields i.e. chips do not have to be discarded if one of the SPEs is defective.[96][97] Only six of the seven SPEs are accessible to developers as one is reserved by the OS.[97] Graphics processing is handled by the NVIDIA RSX, which can output resolutions from 480i/576i SD up to 1080i/1080p HD.[89] The PlayStation 3 has 256 MB of XDR main memory and 256 MB of GDDR3 video memory for the RSX.[98]
Numerous accessories for the console have been developed for the system, including the wireless Sixaxis controller, the BD Remote, the PlayStation Eye camera and the upcoming PlayTV DVB-T tuner/digital video recorder accessory.[99][100]
The system has Bluetooth 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0 and HDMI 1.3a built in on all models.[89] Wi-Fi networking is also built-in on the 40, 60 and 80 GB models while a flash card reader (which is compatible with MemoryStick, SD/MMC, and CompactFlash/Microdrive media) is built-in on 60 and 80 GB models.[89][98]
At its press conference at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show, Sony announced the DualShock 3 (trademarked DUALSHOCK 3), a PlayStation 3 controller with the same function and design as the Sixaxis, but with vibration capability included.[101] Hands-on accounts describe the controller as being noticeably heavier than the standard Sixaxis controller, and capable of vibration forces comparable to the DualShock 2.[102] It was released in Japan on November 11, 2007,[103] while a Spring 2008 release date has been scheduled for Europe and North America.[104]
The PS3s hardware has also been used to build supercomputers for high-performance computing,[105] as the NCSA has already built a cluster based on the PlayStation 2.[106] Terra Soft Solutions has a version of Yellow Dog Linux for the PlayStation 3,[107] and sells PS3s with Linux pre-installed,[108] in single units, and 6 and 32 node clusters.[109] In addition, RapidMind is pushing their stream programming package for the PS3.[110] Also, on January 3, 2007, Dr. Frank Mueller, Associate Professor of Computer Science at NCSU, clustered 8 PS3s. Mueller commented that the 512 MB of system RAM is a limitation for this particular application, and is considering attempting to retrofit more RAM. Software includes: Fedora Core 5 Linux ppc64, MPICH2, OpenMP v2.5, GNU Compiler Collection and CellSDK 1.1.[111][112][113] (for more information on PS3 clusters, see Playstation 3 cluster)
On March 22, 2007, SCE and Stanford University released the Folding@home project for the PlayStation 3.[114] This program allows PS3 owners to lend the computing power of their consoles to help study the problem of improper protein folding.
Software
Operating system
Main article: PlayStation 3 System Software
Sony has added the ability for the operating system, referred to as System Software, to be updated.[115] The updates can be downloaded from the PlayStation Network directly to the PS3 and subsequently installed or downloaded from the official PlayStation website to a computer, transferred to portable storage media, and subsequently installed on the system. Updates can also be installed from game discs that require the update to run the game.[115]
The latest version of the software, 2.10, was released on December 18, 2007.[116] This update made the PS3 compatible with Blu-ray profile 1.1, added a new music visualization, added the ability to change voice pitch in the console’s chat function, and added support for DivX, XviD,[117] and VC-1 (WMV) codecs.[118] Version 2.01 was released on November 19, 2007 and fixed some of the stability issues with the PS3’s network connection and repaired some problems with Remote Start.[119]
Version 2.00, released on November 8, 2007, added the ability to customize the XMB using themes; support for the DualShock 3 controller; the ability to create custom playlists for music and photos; more options for grouping content under XMB tabs, and the ability to remotely turn the PS3 on and off from a PSP using Remote Play.[120]
Graphical user interface
Main article: XrossMediaBar - PlayStation 3 XMB
See also: Linux for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 3 System Software - Media playback features
The PlayStation 3 version of the XrossMediaBar (pronounced Cross Media Bar, or abbreviated XMB) includes nine categories of options. These include: Users, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game, Network, PlayStation Network, and Friends (similar to the PlayStation Portable media bar). The PS3 includes the ability to store various master and secondary user profiles, manage and explore photos with or without a musical slideshow, play music and copy audio CD tracks to an attached storage device, play movies and video files from the hard disk drive, an optional USB mass storage or Flash card, or an optical disc (Blu-ray Disc or DVD-Video), compatibility for a USB keyboard and mouse, and a full web browser supporting in/compatible file download function.[121] The Friends menu allows mail with emoticon and attached picture features and video chat which requires an optional PlayStation Eye or Eyetoy webcam.[122] The Network menu allows online shopping through the PlayStation Store.[122] The PlayStation 3 also includes the ability to install other operating systems,[123] such as Linux.[124][125][126][127]
PlayStation Network
Main articles: PlayStation Network and PlayStation Store
Official logo of the PlayStation NetworkIn response to Microsoft's success with their Xbox Live network, Sony announced a unified online service for the PlayStation 3 system at the 2006 PlayStation Business Briefing meeting in Tokyo.[128] Sony also confirmed that the service will always be connected,[129] free,[130] and include multiplayer support.[131] In addition, the registration interface can only be accessed through the PS3 system interface.[132]
At the Tokyo Game Show on September 21, 2006, it was revealed that users will be able to download some of the thousands of PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 titles from the PlayStation Network for about US$5–$15, starting with those with the smallest game data.[133] Ken Kutaragi also announced functionality with other systems, similar to Nintendo's Virtual Console, including confirmed Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16 functionality;[133] however, Sega replied that Sony had been too hasty with calling it a fact, and that it was still "under examination".[134]
On May 8, 2007 Sony Computer Entertainment announced PlayStation Network Cards,[135] a form of electronic money that can be used with the Store. PlayStation Network Tickets, available in units of 1,000, 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000 yen, can be purchased at convenience stores throughout Japan.[136] Each ticket contains a 12 alphanumeric code which can be inputted to the PlayStation Network to place credits in the virtual wallet.[137] The tickets are available through electronic kiosks at 26,000 convenience stores, including Lawsons, Family Mart, Daily Yamazaki, Ministop and Sunkus.[138] They are also available at 26,000 post office ATM machines, although registration is required first at a special mobile website.[138]
A similar PlayStation Network Card system based on actual cards instead of tickets was introduced in South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan in summer 2007[139] and is scheduled for a Spring, 2008 release in North America.[140]
PlayStation Home
Main article: PlayStation Home
The PlayStation Home logoDuring the 2007 Game Developers Conference, Sony announced PlayStation Home, a new free-to-download community based service for the PlayStation Network, which allows users to create an avatar character for their PlayStation 3 system.[141][142] This avatar will get its own apartment, which can be adorned by items players can receive in several achievements.[141] In the future the service will also expand, allowing players to have more sorts of clothing, as well as hold pets.[142] Home will be a Second Life-like experience and will allow gamers everywhere to interact in a virtual world.[143] Home will also act as a meeting place of sorts for players who want to play multiplayer games on the PlayStation 3.[143] During a video demonstration of Home, Sony said that a Home icon and options will be added to the Xross Media Bar (XMB), so it is expected to be available through a firmware update or separate download from within the PlayStation Store.[142][143] A closed beta was in progress in Europe in May 2007,[144] and an open beta was scheduled to be available in North America in early fall 2007.[143] However, at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show, Sony announced that the final worldwide launch of Home, which had originally been scheduled for fall 2007, will now take place in spring 2008.[145] SCEI President and Group CEO Kaz Hirai later explained that the launch was delayed for further testing and feedback evaluation to provide the best possible experience upon launch.[146]
PlayStation Portable connectivity
Further information: PlayStation Store (PC) for PSP
The PlayStation Portable can connect with the PlayStation 3 in many ways, including in-game connectivity. For example, Formula One: Championship Edition, a racing game, was shown at E3 2006 using a PSP as a real-time rear-view mirror.[147] Although this feature did not make it in the final release, Sony confirmed that such connectivity between the two systems remains an option for the future.[148] In addition, it is possible to download PlayStation 1 games to the PlayStation 3 from the PlayStation Store. These games were not originally playable on the PS3; however, they could be sent to a PSP, and played using the PSP's PlayStation Emulator. Sony added support for playing downloaded PS titles on PS3 on April 18, 2007, with the update to firmware revision 1.70.[149][150]
Sony has also demonstrated the PSP playing back video content, including 1080p content from the PlayStation 3 hard disk across an ad-hoc wireless network. This feature is referred to as Remote Play located under the browser icon on both the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Portable. Remote play has since expanded to allow remote access to the PS3 via PSP from any wireless access point in the world.[151]
Games
Main article: PlayStation 3 games
See also: List of PlayStation 3 games, Chronology of PlayStation 3 games, and List of PlayStation Network games
The PlayStation 3 launched in North America on November 17, 2006 with a total of twelve titles and another three were released before the end of the year.[152] After five days of sales it was confirmed that first person shooter Resistance: Fall of Man from Insomniac Games was the top-selling game, and was heavily praised by numerous video game websites, including GameSpot and IGN, both of whom awarded it with their PlayStation 3 Game of the Year award for 2006.[153][154] Some titles missed the launch window and were delayed until early 2007, such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, F.E.A.R. and Sonic the Hedgehog. During the Japanese launch, Ridge Racer 7 was the top-selling launch title, while Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire also fared well in sales; both of which were offerings from Namco Bandai. The PlayStation 3 launched in Europe with twenty-four titles, including games that were not offered in the North American and Japanese launched, such as Formula One Championship Edition, MotorStorm and Virtua Fighter 5. Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm have been the most successful titles so far; each has sold over one million copies worldwide.[155] Subsequently both games are to receive sequels.[156][156]
At E3 2007, Sony was able to show off a number of their upcoming video games for the PlayStation 3, including Heavenly Sword, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune,[157] all of which have been released in the 4th quarter of 2007.[158][159][160] They also showed off a number of titles set for a 2008 release; most notably Killzone 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2004 first person shooter.[161] LittleBigPlanet was also demonstrated during the event and subsequently won the award for 'Most Original' game of the show.[162]
Reception
The PlayStation 3 received generally unfavorable reviews soon after its launch, with many websites and reviewers criticizing its high price and lack of top-quality games.[163][164] However, after a series of price drops and the release of several quality titles, the system has begun to receive better reviews.
The PS3 was given the number-eight spot on PC World magazine’s list of “The Top 21 Tech Screwups of 2006,” where it was criticized for being “Late, Expensive, and Incompatible.”[165] Also, GamesRadar ranked the PS3 as the top item in a feature about game-related PR disasters, asking how Sony managed to "take one of the most anticipated game systems of all time and — within the space of a year — turn it into a hate object reviled by the entire internet", but added that despite its problems the system had "untapped potential."[166] Business Week summed up the general opinion by stating that it was "more impressed with what [the PlayStation 3] could do than with what it currently does."[167]
Some journalists judged that the relative ease with which it was possible to buy a PlayStation 3 in stores in the U.S. and Japan soon after its launch, compared with the scarcity of the Wii, was evidence of lukewarm consumer demand for the system.[168] In addition, there were reports that some Japanese retailers discounted the system as early as January 2007 to stimulate demand.[169] In an interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly, SCEA Chief of Operations Jack Tretton scoffed at the assertion that PS3s were not flying off store shelves, telling the interviewers, "If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you 1,200 bucks for it."[170] In response, Penny Arcade's Gabe and Tycho demanded a reward of $13,200 after finding six PS3s in stores near their home town.[171]
Despite all the bad press, several websites have given the system very good reviews. CNET United Kingdom praised the PlayStation 3 saying, "the PS3 is a versatile and impressive piece of home-entertainment equipment that lives up to the hype … the PS3 is well worth its hefty price tag."[172] CNET also awarded it a score of 8.8 out of a possible 10 and voted it as its number one "must-have" gadget,[173] praising its robust graphical capabilities and stylish exterior design while criticizing its limited selection of available games.[174]
In addition, both Home Theater Magazine and Ultimate AV have given the system's Blu-ray playback very favorable reviews, stating that the quality of playback exceeds that of many current standalone Blu-ray players.[175][176] European Imaging And Sound Association also awarded the PS3 top honors for its media center capabilities.[177]
Hexus Gaming reviewed the PAL version and summed the review up by saying, "…as the PlayStation 3 matures and developers start really pushing it, we’ll see the PlayStation 3 emerge as the console of choice for gaming."[178] At GDC 2007, Shiny Entertainment founder Dave Perry stated, "I think that Sony has made the best machine. It's the best piece of hardware, without question.
Notes: Even though PS3 is free for internet it doesn't come with features for the internet. XBOX 360 has a headset where you can talk by using your mouth not typing! You can also on XBOX 360 get an Ethernet cable to connect and save pictures and put as screensavers!
I have to say XBOX 360 is better! HALO 3 is amazing way better than the Rachet and Clank series!
Halo 3: Halo 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. The game is the third title in the Halo series and concludes the story arc that began in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 2.[8] The game was released on September 25, 2007 in Australia, Brazil, India, New Zealand, North America, and Singapore;[4] September 26, 2007 in Europe; and September 27, 2007 in Japan. On the day before its official release, 4.2 million units of Halo 3 were in retail outlets.[9] Halo 3 holds the record for the highest grossing opening day in entertainment history, bringing in US$170 million in its first 24 hours,[10] going on to gross US$300 million in its first week.[11] More than one million people played Halo 3 on Xbox Live in the first twenty hours.[12] As of January 3, 2008, Halo 3 has sold 8.1 million copies,[13] and is the best-selling video game of 2007 in the U.S.[14]
Halo 3's story centers on the interstellar war between 26th century humanity, led by the United Nations Space Command, and a collection of alien races known as the Covenant. The player assumes the role of the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier, as he wages war in defense of humanity, assisted by human Marines as well as allied alien Elites led by the Arbiter. The game features vehicles, weapons, and gameplay not present in previous titles of the series,[15] as well as the addition of saved gameplay films, the Forge map editor (which allows the player to perform unlimited modifications to levels), and file sharing. Overall, the game was well-received by critics, with the Forge and multiplayer offerings singled out as strong features; on Game Rankings, Halo 3 ranks as the sixth highest rated Xbox 360 game to date.[16]
The gameplay of Halo 3 builds upon the previous iterations of the franchise; it is a first-person shooter which takes place on foot, but also includes segments focused on vehicular combat. The balance of weapons and objects in the game was adjusted to better adhere to what Bungie Studios Multiplayer Designer Lars Bakken describes as the "Golden Triangle of Halo".[17] These are "weapons, grenades, and melee",[17] which are available to a player in most situations. Halo 3 contains the ability to dual-wield, where a player forgoes both grenades and melee attacks in favor of the combined firepower of two weapons simultaneously. Most weapons available in previous installments of the series return with minor cosmetic and power alterations. Unlike previous installments, all weapons a player is carrying are visible; weapons not in use are holstered or slung across the player's back.[18] Halo 3 introduces "support weapons", which are exceptionally large, powerful, and cumbersome two-handed weapons which drastically limit the player's normal combat options and slow them significantly, offering greatly increased firepower in return.[19] In addition to new weapons, the game contains a new class of usable items called Equipment;[20] these items are found like weapons and have various effects and functions, ranging from defensive screens to shield regeneration and enemy confusion. Only one piece of equipment can be carried at a time.[21] Like the previous games, Halo 3 features a strong vehicular component,[22] with new vehicles added to the series. Most of the vehicles can be controlled by the player, but some are A.I.-controlled. Certain vehicles usable in campaign are not available by default in multiplayer due to balance concerns;[23] conversely, some vehicles are only found in multiplayer.[24]
Besides refinements, Halo 3 also brings entirely new features to the series. One such feature, known as 'Forge', is a map-editing tool that enables players to insert game objects, such as weapons and crates, into existing multiplayer maps.[23] Almost all weapons, vehicles, and interactive objects can be placed and moved on maps with Forge.[25] Forge allows multiple players to work on maps at the same time, players can turn into a Forerunner Monitor and edit and manipulate objects in-game.[26] Another new feature is 'Saved films', which allows players to save up to 100 films of gameplay to their Xbox 360's hard drive,[27][28] viewing the action from any angle and at different speeds. The Saved Films are only game data (not an actual video) and this allows the file sizes to be smaller than a true recording. Saved films are played back at whatever resolution the Xbox 360 is currently set to, regardless of which resolution was used when the film was recorded. All games are recreated in real-time on the Xbox 360 using the Halo 3 engine.[29] Halo 3 offers a form of file sharing, where items such as saved films, screenshots, custom game modes, and Forge settings can all be uploaded to the 'File Share'. Anyone can browse user created content that has been uploaded to Bungie's website on a personal computer and tag it to automatically download to their console next time they sign into Xbox Live.[21][30]
Campaign
Halo 3's campaign contains nine levels, which complete the storyline of the Halo trilogy. The campaign can be played through alone, or played cooperatively with other players via Xbox Live or System Link.[31] Instead of having each player be an identical Spartan as in previous Halo games, the first player plays as Master Chief, the second player plays as the Arbiter and the other two players control two other Elites; N'tho 'Sraom and Usze 'Taham, each with their own backstories. No matter which character is played, each player has identical abilities.[31] A.I. behavior was improved over Halo 3's predecessors, occasionally drastically changing gameplay; for example, the behavior of enemy Brutes the player faces has been modified, giving them a "pack mentality" that causes the aliens to perform similar actions at the same time.[20][32] There are various Forerunner computer terminals hidden throughout the campaign which can be accessed and provide background storyline information.[33]
Halo 3's campaign features a scoring method called the "meta-game", which introduces a competitive aspect to cooperative play. Players are awarded points for defeating enemies while completing a level in the campaign. Extra points are awarded for certain actions (such as performing headshots or defeating multiple enemies in rapid succession), and are lost if the player dies or kills a cooperative team-mate. Hidden skulls (based on the Easter egg skulls in Halo 2) can be found on each level; these can be activated to cause changes in gameplay, such as giving the enemies extra health, changing in-game dialogue, or modifying the enemy behavior.[34] These skulls, as well as the difficulty level and the speed at which the level is completed, provide multipliers to the total score.[21] Players are awarded gamerscore points for successfully reaching a certain score in each level,[35] and medals are awarded for specific accomplishments.
Multiplayer
On a single console, up to two players can play campaign and up to four can participate in a versus multiplayer match through use of split screen. Through use of LAN or Xbox Live, up to four players can play together in campaign and up to sixteen can participate in versus multiplayer matches. (Each console must retain their respective split screen limitations.) A public beta test of the game's online multiplayer features, as well as saved films and file share, occurred between May 16, 2007 and June 10, 2007.[36]
Like other multiplayer Xbox 360 titles, Halo 3 uses a customized version of TrueSkill ranking system for 'matchmaking', or the automated grouping of players of similar skill. Halo 3's matchmaking system is based on two different measures of player ranking, skill and experience (based on the number of 'rating points' or EXP, respectively). Skill is the numerical TrueSkill rank of the player in a given multiplayer mode. The TrueSkill ranking is affected by both wins and losses; wins against a much higher ranked opponent will rank a player up faster, while losses against players with lower ranks will cause a player to drop in rank faster. The experience system is linear, with a player gaining experience for winning a game and losing experience for quitting or otherwise leaving a game, with no effect for losing a game.[37] To help players have an enjoyable time online, a new feature dubbed the "****** button" allows players to mute annoying players in the game quickly and easily from the in-game scoreboard view.[38] Like Halo 2, Halo 3 supports downloadable content and updates.[39]
Synopsis
Setting
Halo 3, like its predecessors, is set in the fictional Halo universe, taking place during the year 2553. According to the backstory, humans developed faster-than-light travel and colonized hundreds of planets before encountering the alien Covenant in 2525.[40] The Covenant declared humanity an affront to their gods and began destroying human colonies by turning the planet's surface into glass. Despite efforts to keep the Covenant from finding Earth, a Covenant fleet discovered humanity's homeworld during Halo 2.[41] By the beginning of Halo 3, the Covenant have arrived in full force on Earth, with most human resistance crushed.
The titular 'Halo' refers to massive ringworlds several hundred kilometers in diameter that are scattered across the galaxy. These rings were constructed thousands of years ago by an enigmatic race known as the Forerunners as a weapon of last resort against the parasitic alien species known as the Flood. When activated, the seven Halos would destroy all sentient life in the galaxy, thereby depriving the Flood of its food.[42] The ringworlds were activated once in the distant past, and the Forerunners are believed to have perished.[43] In Halo: Combat Evolved, a small human ship fleeing the Covenant stumbled upon one of these ringworlds, Installation 04. The humans manage to destroy the ring, stopping the Flood once again; the Covenant, unaware of the destructive nature of the rings, attempt to fire another ring during Halo 2 in order to fulfill their religious prophecy.[44] One race in the Covenant, the Elites, learn the truth about the rings, and join forces with their onetime enemies, humanity, in order to stop the firing of the ring. Though they are successful, the unexpected shutdown of the installation triggers a failsafe protocol—all the rings are ready to fire from one single location, referred to as the Ark.[45] Still oblivious to the true nature of the rings, the Covenant High Prophet of Truth and the remaining loyalist Covenant proceed to head to Earth, where they believe the Ark is buried.
Characters
Main article: List of Halo characters
Halo 3's protagonist is the Master Chief, a cyborg supersoldier who is one of the last surviving members of the SPARTAN Project, and one of humanity's greatest warriors. The Chief fights alongside the Arbiter, a disgraced former Covenant Elite commander who, along with his race, breaks from the Covenant during Halo 2. Two new Elite characters, N’tho ‘Sraom and Usze ‘Taham, appear as the third and fourth players in co-op play.[46] Most of supporting characters that were introduced in previous games return; this includes Sergeant Major Avery Johnson, a veteran human commander, as well as Commander Miranda Keyes, who prevents the firing of Installation 05 in Halo 2.[47] The Forerunner Monitor 343 Guilty Spark, who tries and fails to stop the Master Chief from destroying his ringworld in Halo, also makes an appearance.[47] Filling an alternating antagonistic/helpful role to the player is the large Flood entity known as "Gravemind"; encountered during Halo 2, the leader of the Flood escapes from confinement on Halo by invading the Covenant city of High Charity and capturing Cortana, a human-created A.I., in the process.[47]
Plot
Taking place shortly after the events of the comic mini-series, Halo: Uprising,[48] Halo 3 begins with the Master Chief entering Earth's atmosphere and smashing to the ground, where he is found by Sergeant Major Avery Johnson and the Arbiter. The Chief, Johnson, and company fight their way to a UNSC outpost. Here, Commander Keyes and Lord Hood plan a last-ditch effort to stop the Covenant leader, the High Prophet of Truth, from activating a Forerunner (an extinct, highly advanced race) artifact uncovered in the ruins of Mombasa, Kenya. The Chief is ordered to clear a way into the city of Voi, and destroy all anti-air Covenant defenses so that Hood can lead the last of Earth's ships against the Prophet.[49] Using the opening caused by the ground attack, Hood mounts an offensive against Truth's ship, but the Prophet activates the buried artifact and creates an enormous, stable slipspace portal which he and his followers enter. As the human ships recover from the shock wave, a ship controlled by the Flood, a parasitic race which caused the destruction of the Forerunners, arrives via slipspace and crash-lands nearby.[50] Covenant Elite forces, now allied with humanity, arrive on Earth, and glass Flood-infected areas of Earth, neutralizing the parasitic threat. Following the cryptic message from the human A.I. construct Cortana left aboard the Flood cruiser, the Master Chief, Arbiter, Elites, Johnson, Keyes and a handful of marines follow Truth through the portal. Joining them is the Forerunner construct 343 Guilty Spark, who decides to aid the Master Chief, since his ringworld was destroyed in Halo: Combat Evolved.[51]
Traveling through the portal, the humans and Elites discover an immense artificial structure—the Ark—which is well outside the Milky Way galaxy. Here, the Prophet can activate all the Halos and purge the galaxy of all sentient life. The Halos were created by the Forerunners as a last ditch effort to combat the Flood, by destroying all sentient life in the galaxy. The Chief and company quickly activate the installation's Cartographer to find Truth; in the process, Guilty Spark discovers that the Ark is creating a new ringworld to replace his destroyed installation. Guided by Guilty Spark, the Chief and the Arbiter make their way towards the control room of the Ark. During their journey, the Flood arrive on the former Covenant Holy City High Charity via slipspace, and they begin infesting the installation.[52] Johnson is captured by Truth to activate the Ark because only a human can utilize the Forerunner technology. The Flood controlling intelligence Gravemind forges a truce with the Chief and Arbiter in an effort to stop Truth. Though Keyes is killed by the Prophet, the installation's firing is halted. After Truth is killed by the Arbiter, Gravemind quickly turns on the Chief and Arbiter, but Johnson flies away while the Chief and Arbiter fight their way out. Master Chief decides to activate the new ring being built at the Ark, sparing the galaxy at large while eliminating the local Flood. Before he can activate Halo, he needs an Activation Index, which Cortana had acquired in Halo.[53] The Chief saves Cortana from High Charity, and overloads its main reactor to destroy the ship and Gravemind with it.
Master Chief and Cortana escape the ArkArriving on the new Halo, Cortana warns that the Gravemind is trying to rebuild itself on the ring. The Chief, the Arbiter, and Johnson make their way to the control room, where they will activate Halo's weapon. Guilty Spark explains that since the ring is not yet completed, a premature activation will destroy it and the Ark.[54] When Johnson ignores his warning, Guilty Spark kills him in order to protect "his" ring.[55] Master Chief destroys Guilty Spark, activates the ring, and barely manages to escape with the Arbiter and Cortana to Forward Unto Dawn, a UNSC ship, as Halo fires.
Back on Earth, the front half of Forward Unto Dawn crashes into the ocean, and workers cut the Arbiter out of the wreckage. A memorial service is held for the fallen heroes of the human and Covenant war; the Master Chief appears to have perished as well. After the memorial service, the Arbiter departs for his home planet, where the Elites are finally free of the Prophets' hegemony.[56] If the player waits through the closing credits, a scene reveals that the Master Chief and Cortana have survived Halo's firing in the rear section of the ship and await rescue, drifting helplessly through space. If the game is completed on the "Legendary" difficulty level, the scene continues and depicts the severed section of the Dawn drifting towards what appears to be an unidentified planet.
Development
Storyboard sketches for the Halo 3 announcement trailerInitial conception for Halo 3 was done before the game's predecessor, Halo 2 was released in 2004.[57] For a period after this, much of the staff were still preoccupied in making extra content for Halo 2, while others continued with the groundwork for the development of Halo 3. Bungie remained almost completely silent as to what their new project was for the next year and half, occasionally leaving comments in their weekly update alluding to a "new project."[58] Due to the cliff-hanger ending of Halo 2, many observers correctly speculated that Bungie's new project was indeed, Halo 3.
The game was officially announced with a real-time cinematic trailer at E3 2006.[8] Similarly to the development of Halo 2, Bungie kept the public informed on game development via "Bungie Weekly Updates". During development, the game was divided into single player and multiplayer builds; this made debugging and testing the much smaller multiplayer files quicker.[59] While details of Halo 3's multiplayer were widely disseminated in the sixteen months leading up to the release,[18] the single-player aspect of the storyline was kept relatively secret throughout much of the development to build up interest. The first campaign screenshots did not appear until a year after the announcement trailer, on July 5, 2007, as a "tease" for the planned pace of marketing.[60]
Graphics
Halo 3 utilizes a proprietary, in-house graphics engine, often referred to as the "Halo 3 Engine".[2]As detailed on the Bungie Studios website, it employs advanced graphics technologies such as High Dynamic Range, global lighting and depth of field effects within cutscenes.[61] Motion blurring was absent from the beta, but was added to the final game.[62] Most of the dynamic objects in the game cast real-time shadows on themselves and the environment around them, including the game's plant life. Halo 3 uses normal, bump, and parallax mapping to give surfaces more detail without dramatically increasing the number of polygons. Players can see distances of up to ten miles away, all fully three-dimensional.[63] Real time reflections were written into the engine, however they are often unused as Bungie consider it a waste of resources.[64]
After the game was released, speculations arose that Halo 3 did not natively render at true HD resolution (at least 720 lines of vertical resolution).[65] In a Bungie Weekly Update, it was confirmed that the game was rendered at 1152×640 resolution instead of the usual 1280×720 (HD) resolution that most Xbox 360 games use.[1] The choice for this design was conscious on Bungie's part, due to the fact that Halo 3 uses two frame buffers instead of the usual one, and that this choice would allow Bungie to preserve as much of the dynamic range as possible for the game's lighting, as well as maintaining a smooth frame rate. The picture could be upscaled all the way up to 1080p by the Xbox 360.[1]
Audio
As with all titles on the Xbox 360, Halo 3 fully supports 5.1 surround sound audio.[66] In the game, there are over 50,000 pieces of audio, with nearly 40,000 of those being NPC dialogue.[21] This is far more than in either of the preceding Halo titles; Halo 2 had over 15,000 pieces of dialogue. The AI controlling this dialogue is designed to ensure the exchanges flow naturally and convincingly.[63] Separate recordings were made for nearby and distant gunfire to make for a more believable sound experience.[67] Distant gunfire sounds, which may first seem like prerecorded ambient sound, may often be the result of an actual firefight happening elsewhere in the game.[68]
Marty O'Donnell again composed the original score for the game.[69] Some pieces of the game's music are produced with a much larger real orchestra than any pieces in the prior two games. For example, the music for the announcement trailer was recorded with a 60-piece orchestra and a 24-piece choir.[8] Halo 3 is the first game in the series to feature custom soundtracks, allowing players to replace in-game music with their own choices.[70] The Halo 3 Original Soundtrack was released on November 20, 2007.[71] Included on the soundtrack is an original composition submitted by fans and judged by Nile Rodgers, Michael Ostin, and Marty O'Donnell.[72]
Cast
Voice actors returning to reprise their roles in Halo 3 include Jen Taylor as Cortana, David Scully as Sergeant Johnson and the Elites, Keith David as the Arbiter, Tim Dadabo as 343 Guilty Spark, Ron Perlman as Lord Hood, Robert Davi as Rtas Vadum, and Steve Downes as the voice of Master Chief. The game also features new voices, with Terence Stamp and Justis Bolding replacing Halo 2 voice actors Michael Wincott and Julie Benz as the Prophet of Truth and Miranda Keyes respectively.[73] Additional voices include celebrity presenter Jonathan Ross,[74] Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Alan Tudyk, Katee Sackhoff, and John DiMaggio.[73] Members of the Halo machinima Red vs. Blue (Burnie Burns, Gus Sorola, Matt Hullum, Jason Saldaña, Geoff Ramsey, and Joel Heyman) had a cameo role.[47]
Marketing and release
A Halo 3 launch event was held at the NASDAQ building in New York City on September 25.Main article: Marketing for Halo 3
Various marketing techniques have been employed in promoting the release of Halo 3. This has included various trailers of the game; real-time cinematics, recorded gameplay sequences, pre-rendered CGI, and even live action film.[75] Throughout the course of development four "developer documentaries" were released, which explain the processes behind creating parts of the game. A large scale multiplayer Beta test was played on Xbox Live with more than 800 000 members of the public being able to take part and experience the game for themselves.[75] Beginning in June 2007, Iris, an alternate reality game, began on the internet, designed to create hype for the game while involving players in slowly revealing background information for the game.[75] The actual release was met with numerous launch parties across the United States and Europe.[76]
Numerous interviews with Bungie staff were conducted by gaming press establishments, covering a vast range of subjects dealing with the game. Magazines and journals also occasionally ran stories revealing new information. Pepsi-Cola announced a new line of soft drink, a variant of Mountain Dew named Game Fuel, branded with the Halo 3 logo and the Master Chief.[77] Much of the advertising focused on appealing to the general public, rather than just hardcore fans of the game; for example, some 7-Eleven stores advertised Halo 3 and sold specialty cups and copies of the game.[78] On September 12, 2007 the "Believe" Halo 3 ad campaign, focused on the epic nature of the story and heroism told through dioramas and third party accounts of Master Chief's service, began with the video "Museum" and continued on past the game's release.[79]
Leaks
Months before the release of Halo 3, the game's final testing copy before its gold release (codenamed Epsilon and confirmed by Bungie to be 99.9% complete),[80] was leaked to the Internet. Microsoft reacted to this leak by having the Xbox Live accounts of gamers caught playing the Epsilon copy banned until the year 9999.[81] Two weeks before Halo 3 was due to be released, full retail copies of the game complete with photographs of the open game box started to appear on the internet auction site eBay.[82] A week before Halo 3 was due for release, major UK catalog retailer Argos accidentally released some of their final retail copies of Halo 3. Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division were quoted as being "disappointed that it happened" but that "it was just an honest mistake" and that Microsoft had no intention of punishing Argos for the error.[83]
Halo 3's final retail copy was leaked online over a week before its official release. The 6.14 gigabyte file of the game was hacked and downloaded by "thousands" of people within 24 hours of the leak.[84] Videos of the ending of Halo 3, obtained from the leaked copy, were captured and posted on popular file sharing sites, such as YouTube.[84]
Versions
Features Standard Limited Legendary
Image of contents
Game disc & manual Yes Yes Yes
Interactive Xbox 360 disc No Yes Yes
Beastiarum No Yes (book) Yes (DVD)
Legendary DVD No No Yes
Master Chief helmet case No No Yes
Halo 3 was released in three separate versions. The Standard Edition contains the game disc and a manual. The Limited Edition, contained in a metal case, contains the game disc, manual, interactive Xbox 360 bonus disc with several featurettes, and a hard cover bound "Beastiarum", which is a collection of information and art covering the species, cultures, and civilizations of Halo 3. The final version was marketed as the "Legendary Edition", which contains the game disc, manual, interactive bonus disc, Beastiarum (on one of the DVD discs), Legendary DVD containing special content exclusive to the Legendary Edition, and a scale replica of the Master Chief's helmet as a case for the three discs.[85] Gamestation stores in the UK also offered a limited edition Master Chief figurine only available to the first 1000 pre-orders.[86]
Upon release, some of the Limited Edition versions of Halo 3 were found to have a defect in the hub that kept the discs in place, which could lead to scratched discs. Microsoft confirmed the problem and offered to replace scratched Halo 3 game discs free of charge until the end of 2007.[87] This was not a problem in either the Legendary Edition or the Standard Edition.[88]
Sales
Bill Gates sold copies of the game at the launch in Bellevue, WA.According to Microsoft, first-day sales of Halo 3 reached $170 million in the U.S., setting the record for highest gross of an entertainment product within 24 hours of its release. The performance beat the previous record setter, predecessor Halo 2, which earned $125 million within 24 hours after its launch.[89] Halo 3 has beaten other records as well; at least four million copies of Halo 3 were pre-ordered globally, making it the fastest pre-selling game to date.[90] Worldwide more than US$300 million worth were sold in the first week, helping to more than double the sales of the Xbox 360 when compared with the weekly average before the Halo 3 launch.[11] In the U.S., Halo 3 sold 3.3 million copies in its first 12 days on sale,[91] increasing to 3.7 million copies by November 15, 2007.[92] On October 4, 2007, Reuters UK estimated that Halo 3 may have sold up to 5.2 million copies worldwide in the first two weeks after launch.[11] By November 30, 2007, Halo 3 had sold 5 million copies worldwide, and as of that point, is the best-selling video game of 2007 in the U.S., even though the game is only available on one console.[93] On January 3, 2008, Microsoft announced that Halo 3 has sold 8.1 million copies.[13] Halo 3 is the best-selling video game of 2007 in the U.S., with 4.82 million units sold.[14] The game drew over a million Xbox Live members to play online in the first 20 hours, making it the biggest day for Xbox Live gaming in history.[12]
On October 15, 2007, Advertising Age reported that movie studio executives were convinced the release of Halo 3 harmed box office receipts; the week's take was 27% less than the previous year's yield.[94] While some executives decided the disparity in estimated and actual gross for films like The Heartbreak Kid was due more to the film's poor reception, other analysts believed that "the audience on [Halo 3] is the 18-to-34 demographic, similar to what you'd see in cinemas" and that this led to a decrease in receipts.[95] Later research suggested that the Halo 3 players still watched the same amount of television and movies, regardless of the time they spent playing the game.[96]
Content for download
The week before release, Bungie announced that additional content for download would be inevitable.[97] A new multiplayer map pack was released via Xbox Live on December 11, 2007. The "Heroic Map Pack" costs 800 Microsoft Points (US$10) and consists of three maps, entitled Standoff, Rat's Nest, and Foundry.[98] The maps have additional features in Forge, including placeable man cannons (large gravity lifts) and shield doors,[98] objects which were static parts of the environment in the game's original maps. The map pack will eventually be available for free.[99]
On January 4, 2008 it was confirmed by Bungie that a new set of multiplayer maps would be released on an undetermined date.[100] The code-names for the maps are currently O.K. Corral, Purple Reign, and Moonbase Alpha.[101]
Critical reception and impact
Reviews
Publication Score
1UP.com 10/10
Edge 10/10
Eurogamer 10/10
Famitsu 37/40
Game Informer 9.75/10
GameSpot 9.5/10
IGN 9.5/10
Official Xbox Magazine 10/10
Compilations of multiple reviews
Compiler Score
Metacritic 94%
Game Rankings 93%
Awards
Spike TV Awards: Best Multiplayer Game, Most Addictive Video Game Fueled by Dew
TIME: Game of the Year
Critical reception of the game has generally been positive. On the review aggregator Game Rankings, the game has an average score of 93%, based on 82 reviews, making it the sixth best reviewed Xbox 360 game to date.[16] On Metacritic, the game has an average score of 94 out of 100, based on 74 reviews.[102]
Pro-G assured readers in its review that Halo 3 lived up to the hype, saying that the game "is everything we hoped it would be, and much, much, more".[103] Many publications, including Eurogamer and Games Radar stated that the "winning formula" of Halo and Halo 2 was unchanged, but the addition of new features and weapons prevented any stagnation.[104][105] Most publications agreed that multiplayer was by far one of the best features; IGN said that the multiplayer map lineup was the strongest of the series,[106] and Gamespy added that the multiplayer offering will make "Halo [veterans] weep big sloppy sobs of joy".[107] The Forge level editor and saved films features were singled out as particularly strong features,[108][22] in addition to superb voice acting and Martin O'Donnell's rich score.[107][109]
Reception of the single-player aspect varied greatly. Pro-G said that while the cliffhanger ending of Halo 2 was disappointing, the campaign of Halo 3 "is anything but";[103] Gamespot and GameSpy, meanwhile, said that the campaign was too short, especially on easier difficulty levels.[22][107] IGN was highly critical of the eighth level, stating "the penultimate chapter is so bad, just thinking about it puts a rotten taste in my mouth." The New York Times said the game had a "throwaway" plot and Total Video Games judged the single-player aspect ultimately disappointing.[110][111]
Other complaints focused on the artificial intelligence; critics praised the enemy AI but bemoaned that the intelligence of the player's allies was far poorer.[22][20][112][113] Bryan Vore of Game Informer said that human faces and some textures were just "embarrassing".[109] IGN and Cinemablend.com both said that they thought a part of the story was lost by not having the Arbiter featuring as prominently as the character was in Halo 2.[114][20]
Awards
Halo 3 was nominated for seven awards from the Spike TV Awards,[115] of which it won "Best Multiplayer Game" and "Most Addictive Video Game Fueled by Dew".[116] The game was also nominated eleven times for the 2008 GameStooge Awards.[117] It won TIME magazine's "Game of the Year" and IGN chose it as the Best Xbox 360 Online Multiplayer Game and Innovative Design of 2007.
Rachet and Clank Future Tools of Destruction
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction starts as a robot army begins to attack the city of Metropolis, seemingly searching for Ratchet. Ratchet decides to escape, but unfortunately his vehicle fails and he has to sneak through the robot-infested city on foot.
They soon discover the details of the mastermind behind the attack: Emperor Percival Tachyon, a being known as a "Cragmite". They learn that Tachyon's race has been waging an epic war against the Lombaxes (Ratchet's race) for generations. At this point it is revealed that Ratchet has never known anything of his past, his family, or his Lombax origins, and no one, not even Clank, is able to fill that void.
Ratchet learns about the Lombax secret known as the dimensionator which can open portals to other dimensions and wants to use it, but Clank urges him that it must be destroyed because it's too dangerous and the Zoni told him too. Clank's argument and Ratchet being unable to see or hear the Zoni causes the two to drift apart. After seeing Tachyon use the dimensionator to bring back the Cragmites, Ratchet and Clank get separated after getting hit by a blow and Ratchet realizes how important Clank is to him. They soon reunite and make up their differences.
While confronting Tachyon on planet Fastoon, Tachyon reveals Ratchet's father was the guardian of the dimensionator and that he killed him. Tachyon uses the dimensionator to give Ratchet one last chance to go home to where the Lombaxes went after they used the dimensionator and never bother him again. Ratchet refuses saying that more people would be hurt if Tachyon continues and they fight. When Ratchet wins, Tachyon claims that he's the only one who knows Ratchet's real name and purpose and he can't get rid of him so easily after he gets sucked into a blackhole. Ratchet later wonders if what Tachyon claims is true and Clank says he didn't hear any lie in Tachyon's voice, but Ratchet's purpose was fulfilled by defeating Tachyon. Soon after Ratchet is forced to watch the Zoni take Clank away and this is where the game ends.
Bottom Line: Halo 3 and XBOX 360 are better!