Posts Tagged ‘Xbox Live’

Do you know what’s special about the Xbox 360? Here are some of the features you can expect from Xbox 360:

Ring of Light and Xbox Guide Button. The ring of light is the power button and it is divided into four quadrants that can display a number of different colors depending on what is going on.

The Xbox Guide button is prominently featured on the controller as well as the Xbox 360 remote. This will allow you to instantly access information on person who just challenged you on Xbox Live. Or you can even jump right to where you can find downloadable content for the game you are currently playing. The Xbox Guide button will also allow you to turn the Xbox 360 system on and off from the comfort of your couch. That is one great idea that is has long been overdue.

Xbox Live – There will be two types of Xbox Live for the Xbox 360.

The Silver version is free. It allows you to access the Xbox Live Marketplace as well as communicate with your friends using voice chat. However, you cannot play games online.

With the Gold version of Xbox Live, you get all of the possible features. Most importantly, you can play games online. Your achievements and statistics will be stored so you can check them whenever you want. You will also be able to use video chat and video messaging. Microsoft has announced that all new Xbox 360 owners will get Gold Service feature for the first month. After that, the pricing will be similar to Xbox Live on the current Xbox.

Xbox Live Marketplace. Another great feature of Xbox 360. The marketplace is an area where you will be able to download game demos and trailers as well as new content for games such as new levels, characters, vehicles, weapons, and many others. Some things are free of charge but you will have to pay for some premium content.

Digital Entertainment. The Xbox 360 allows you to rip your music to the hard drive to be used during games. It will also stream music off of any MP3 player that you plug into the USB 2.0 ports. This is including Sony PSP.

You can also upload photos to the hard drive and share them with your friends on Xbox Live. The Xbox 360 also features DVD movies. Unlike the original Xbox, the Xbox 360 can display them in progressive scan. It seems like DVD playback will be available out of the box and will not require the purchase of an extra remote or anything. Definitely an improvement.

Personalizing your console. With the interchangeable faces of the system itself, you can change the color of your system whenever you want by simply snapping on a new face.

You do not even have to buy new faces because you could simply paint the stock face yourself. It is guaranteed that Microsoft will roll out a line of limited edition and collectible faces to lure people in, though.

You will also be able to customize the look and feel of the Xbox Guide browser on the system. Suspiciously similar to changing themes in Windows on your computer. Customization is always a good thing and while these features do not really mean anything in the long run, they certainly provide a nice change every once in awhile.

Xbox 360 and its great features are a great deal unto itself.

Basically, the hard drive is the one playing a major role in how you can use the Xbox 360. You are given the choice of saving the progress of the game on the hard drive, as well as rip your CDs to it.

You can transfer music, videos, and photos from your mp3 player or other USB devices. It will also be necessary to spend more time on Xbox Live because custom content, patches, and other downloadable content needs to be put stored somewhere and a little 64MB memory card isn’t going to cut it.

The hard drive is required for backwards compatibility. The other bonus to having such a hard drive is that loading time is faster especially in some games and other performances boosts.

With all these Xbox features up for grabs, what more can you ask for?

By: Lisa Whister -

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Lisa Whister is a publisher and website owner. Learn more about technology and entertainment. Visit Technology and Games

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If you are one of the individuals who have recently purchased your own Xbox 360 and are finding it a chore to navigate around in order to perform a chosen function then don’t despair, all you need is a tactical overview of the Xbox Dashboard. The Xbox Dashboard is the nerve center of the Xbox.360 gaming unit, and once you have familiarized your self with its functions you will be more at ease navigating through the system.

If you will notice the Xbox dashboard has been divided out into for distinct and integral parts. You will have a better understanding of your Xbox 360 system if you take the time to familiarize yourself with each of these four distinct segments. To that end, we will break down each segment into bite-size pieces.

Xbox Live
Xbox live is one of the more popular segments of the Xbox Dashboard. Within this section you can see, view and modify your gaming profile. Within this profile you can set up the Xbox 360 to your own personal specifications. You can also access this feature within other sections of the dashboard.

This section also allows you to send messages to friends as well as receive messages from friends who also own an Xbox 360 and are connected to the Internet via broadband. Xbox Live also allows you to have a friends list where you can add and delete friends at any time. You can also use Xbox Live to invite other players to join in a game with you. Within this section you will also be able to access the online feature known as Xbox Live Marketplace. Here you can actually purchase add-ons to your favorite games to enhance your gaming experience on the Xbox 360.

Games
The aforementioned Xbox live marketplace can be accessed from this section of the dashboard as well. You may also watch gaming videos through the Xbox Marketplace. Within this section you will also find listed all of the games which you have played, as well as allow you to see what games are available for download from the Xbox Arcade.

Media

Within the media section you will find the control area of the gaming system. You can go here if you would like to enjoy listening to some of your favorite music or if you would like to view photos.

System
As you have probably guessed this section of your Xbox 360 Dashboard is where you will go to modify your system settings and different controls which will in turn change your gaming experience.

So there you have it, a quick and dirty tactical overview of the Xbox 360 Dashboard.

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