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Microsoft released their X Box console in the States November 15th 2001 at $299.00, ($100.00 more than the GameCube at the time) and in the U.K it has now dropped in price with Microsoft offering great game packs.

Raven Games has been stocking the X box right from its original release date so keep an eye on this page for any news & updates regarding the X Box & the 360.

X BOX, WHAT'S IT LIKE ?

The X Box many felt on release was not the best looking games console ever, being pretty big and some say ugly (for a games console for that year 2000 anyway) but it does has a professional look to it to be fair. Microsoft seem to have the clout and support from all the top software houses for their new venture into the home console market and they had a really fantastic range of software titles for the launch in the states!

But at the E3 show of that year 2000 in the states the overall feeling with the X Box was that it was a tad of a disappointment, most games at the best on demo not even looking as good as many PS2 and Sega Dreamcast titles. So the X Box had a lot to prove, and a hell of a lot of hype to live up to.

In Japan the X Box struggled from its release to the present day with Japanese gamers not too happy with the western style of gameplay and also the very large controllers at that time. But in Europe after a slow start the X Box has taken off thanks to the gigantic investment behind it, price reductions and the fact that the online gaming' X Box Live' has really taken off. With the X Box 2 looming we feel this is when Microsoft will really

show us what the X Box is all about !

X BOX SPECS

With the CPU 733 mhz chip intel, total memory of 64mb running at 200mhz DDR (double data rate) this machine is a pretty powerful beast, it has 4 USB X Box joypad ports, plays DVD's (a separate kit is required for this), has the option to link 8 consoles together, which we hope is used as Sony and Sega's Dreamcast have never really used this fantastic option to its true ability, is broadband enabled and has all the digital Av outputs that you expect now from the next generation of games consoles. 

'DVD Playback Kit'

'Memory Card'

THE CONTROLLER

The joypad controller like the machine is quite large (even though now as smaller version has been released) and is not a million miles away from Sega's Dreamcast controller in looks, it has two analog control sticks, six pressure sensitive analog buttons, built in rumble feature, a nine and a half foot long cable (great idea) & slots at the top for memory cards.

SOFTWARE

All the top software houses like Capcom, Konami, Electronic Arts & Sega are writing for the X Box, and as we speak many titles are being moved over to the X Box only, so whatever type of games you're into be it platformers, sports games, arcade conversions, RPG's etc. your gonna get it all on the X Box. 

THE FUTURE 

No one yet can really predict the future for Microsoft's first venture into the home console market, when Sony first came into the market place not too many years ago it was ruled by Sega and Nintendo and no one would ever have thought Sony could march in and take the number one slot in such a short space of time, and not only knock Sega off top spot but turn the tables so Sega end up writing games for the PS2. So the next few years should be very interesting, and with no one now apart from Nintendo and Sony in the home console market to battle it away with (and to be honest no one now outside these 3 giants stands a chance of ever getting in!) maybe there is room for all three to succeed side by side ?.

Microsoft seem to think so, but the U.K launch for the X Box was very disappointing with Microsoft being forced to drop the retail price many times over the year to try to compete with Sony. But since the last price drop the machine has picked up sales and at last we are seeing some really great titles especially online titles which Microsoft are pushing hard with X Box live. But we still might have to wait for the X Box 2 now named 360 till we can really see what Microsoft have to offer us ?