Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is a seventh generation game console and is the successor to Microsoft's Xbox video game console, developed in co-operation with IBM, ATI, Samsung Electronics and SiS. Information on the console first came through viral marketing campaigns and it was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged later that month at the prominent Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Upon its release, the Xbox 360 became the first console to have a simultaneous launch across the three major regions, as well as the first console to provide wireless controllers as a standard. It also serves as the first entrant in a new generation of game consoles and is competing against Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii. Microsoft believes that its push towards high-definition gaming, year-early head start and its Xbox Live online gaming service will help the console be successful. The Xbox 360 can also be System Linked with other Xbox 360s as well as the original Xbox, allowing multiplayer games to take place much more easily among gamers.

There have been a few different types of the Xbox 360, including the Core, Arcade, Premium and the Elite. However, special editions have also been available. These are like the Halo 360 had a aesthetic Halo theme as well as a special controller.

As of March, 2010, the 360 was in second place in the console war, with 40 million units sold. The Wii was first with 69,5 million, while the PS3 sold 33,5 million. The 360's most widely sold game was Halo 3, which sold an astonishing 8.1 million copies. Second was Gears of War, with 4.7 million copies, at third, Grand Theft Auto IV with 3.5 million copies sold. Fourth place was Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare at 3.1 million copies. Rounding off the top five is Forza Motorsport 2 with 3 million copies, although that also includes the free copies that came with every 360 Elite model. The most critically acclaimed game was Grand Theft Auto IV, with an average Meta-Score of 98 out of 100. Second was BioShock, with 96 out of 100, third was The Orange Box collection, which also got a 96 out of 100. Fourth was Gears of War with 94 out of 100, fifth was Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, sixth was The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and in seventh place was Halo 3, which got an impressive 94 out of 100.

Halo 3 on the 360 Dashboard

In the 360 dashboard, the user can apply a Halo themed background that comes preloaded onto the 360's hard drive. There are also three Halo gamer pics that come preloaded as well. One is of the Master Chief, the other of a blue Spartan, and one of Sergeant Johnson. You can go to Xbox Live Market place and download more themes, pictures, and even download some free Halo videos. Buying Limited or Legendary Edition Halo 3 disc two will come with Bonus features to download more Halo 3 themes for your 360 console, such as a Bungie theme, Red vs. Blue theme and the This Spartan Life theme. You can also download more detailed gamer pics from the marketplace.

"Red Ring of Death"

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General hardware failure, or the "Red Ring of Death".

The "Red Ring of Death", often abbreviated to RRoD, is a term coined by Xbox 360 users to refer to the three (occasionally one, two, or four) flashing red lights around the power button that appear when the Xbox encounters a "general hardware failure". When an Xbox displays the Red Ring of Death, usually there is a problem with an internal component. Frequently, this error is caused by uneven heat distribution inside the console which causes the motherboard to warp out of shape. This in turn results in the GPU being separated from the board at one or more corners. Usually, when one receives a Red Ring of Death error, they must send the console in to Microsoft for repair or replacement, unless they want to attempt the repair themselves (this will void the warranty). Its name stems from the fact that often the problem is irreparable or considered expensive to fix. It could have also spawned from the term "Blue Screen of Death" which comes from Windows users of an error that featured a Blue Screen. There's also a "Red Screen of Death", which more closely correlates to "Red Ring of Death".

One Red Light: Graphics error.
Two Red Lights: Overheating, very common if Xbox is in a small space.
Three Red Lights: General hardware failure.
Four Red Lights A/V cord is not plugged in or can't be recognized. Though this isn't really a hardware issue, a new A/V cable may be needed.

Halo-themed editions

The Halo: Reach special edition Xbox 360 S.

There is a Halo 3 edition of the Xbox 360. It was released on September 16th 2007, and includes other things in the box, like a wired Halo 3 headset.

A Halo: Reach special edition Xbox 360 S is available for release on September 14, 2010. It features a X-Box 360 S Edition, two controllers, and a headset, all of which are based on the game. Colored silver gray, the console is based on an in-game archive reader unit used by the Office of Naval Intelligence. The console actually appears in the game in Halsey's lab.^[1]

Trivia

All three original Xbox Halo discs are backwards compatible on Xbox 360; Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 and Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack.
An Xbox 360 hard drive is required for Xbox software backwards compatibility. As such, the Xbox 360 Arcade is incapable of playing Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2.
As of April 15, 2010, the Xbox LIVE service for all original Xbox games (including Halo 2) was discontinued. It was possible to play Halo 2 online on the Xbox 360, but was not possible if the person did not play Halo 2 on Xbox LIVE for the original Xbox. The person needed to have the map packs in order to play LIVE for Halo 2 on the 360.
The Xbox 360 can be found as an easter egg in Halo: Reach.