XBOX 360 E User Guide

							
In Your Dreams—
The Catalog
The Catalog subsection is
what you want your game
library to look like. This
section lists the entire
universe of Xbox 360
games. With links to every
game in the Xbox and Xbox
360 library organized into
digestible little morsels, the
Catalog page is a virtual
gamer’s buffet. The Catalog is equipped
with a robust search
engine capable of looking
up games using keywords,
genres, titles, ratings, and
supported features. The
Dewey decimal system
couldn’t do it any better. 
106
Xbox 360™Han dbook

Clicking on the
Advanced Search
link on the Upcoming Games subsection
leads you to this page.
NOTE
Protected by copyright. Unauthorized or unlawful copying or downloading \
expressly prohibited.  
						

							
107
One Website, Everything You Need

Play Nice!—Friends of Xbox
For people looking for even more in-depth info, the
Friends of Xbox subsection has links to sites that offer
news, reviews, previews, videos, and strategy guides.Fan sites, affiliates, television networks, and other
industry types gather at the Friends of Xbox section to
contribute to the Xbox community (that includes you).
All the Gaming, Half the Calories—
Family Central
For parents who take an interest in their family’s gaming
activities, here’s Family Central...and a ton of kudos. A
great resource for parents looking for family-friendly
games, Family Central also provides information on
things like the Entertainment Software Rating Board
system (known as ESRB) and the parental control
features of the Xbox 360. Family Central’s tips on healthy gaming habits,
budget-friendly titles, and how to set up your console’s
family settings are an invaluable resource for family-
conscious gamers, parents or not. Moms, dads, big
brothers and sisters, this page is for you.

Other notable websites with friendly communities
include TeamXbox.com, XboxSolution.com, and XboxAddict.com. These gamer-friendly fan
sites have established themselves as part of the Xbox community and continue to grow
daily. If you can’t find something on Xbox.com (doubtful), give them a try.
TIP
Protected by copyright. Unauthorized or unlawful copying or downloading \
expressly prohibited.  
						

							
108
Xbox 360™Han dbook

Here is a quick rundown of the ESRB rating categories. Dog-ear this page, bookmark it, or tear it out. Just
keep it handy for quick reference.
Rating symbols on the front of game packaging:
Did You Know?
EC (Early Childhood)
May be suitable for ages 3 and older. Contains no material that parents would find inappropriate.

E (Everyone)
May be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy
or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language.

E10+ (Everyone 10 and older)
May be suitable for ages 10 and older.  Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy
or mild violence, mild language, and/or minimal suggestive themes.

T (Teen)
May be suitable for persons ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence,
suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use
of strong language.

M (Mature)
May be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense
violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and/or strong language.

RP (Rating Pending)
Title has been submitted to the ESRB and is awaiting final rating. (This sym-
bol appears only in advertising prior to a game’s release.)

Content Descriptors are found on the back of video game boxes.
They are not part of the Xbox 360’s Family Settings.
Protected by copyright. Unauthorized or unlawful copying or downloading \
expressly prohibited.  
						

							
The Nuts and Bolts—Hardware Section
To maximize your Xbox
360’s potential, you have
to understand what it is
capable of. Not everyone
is an MIT graduate or
capable of solving complex
quadratic equations, but
most everyone feels the
power of the Xbox 360
sphere start-up screen.
If you want to know the
technical details about
everything Xbox 360-
related, drop in on the
Hardware section. Under the Hardware
section, you’ll find infor-
mation on the Xbox and
Xbox 360, accessories for
both consoles, and even
where to buy these prod-
ucts. There are also some
great primer articles that
explain how to get the
most of your system aurally, the differences in HD resolutions, and more. The Hardware subsections include:
> Xbox 360
> Xbox
> Accessories
> Catalog
> Where to Buy
109
One Website, Everything You Need

The Xbox 360 Family Settings also have
restrictions as to what type of movies can be
viewed. Those, however, have different ratings. For detailed information, visit
http://www.mpaa.org/FlmRat_Ratings.asp.
TIP
For a quick explanation of the Xbox 360’s
family settings, check out the video clip on
the Family Central page. For a deeper under- standing of these settings, flip to chapter 3, “Four Blades, Infinite Possibilities.”
TIP
Protected by copyright. Unauthorized or unlawful copying or downloading \
expressly prohibited.  
						

							
The Reason You Bought This Book—Xbox 360™
The Xbox 360 subsection
is a fountain of knowledge
about every technical
aspect of the Xbox 360.
Want to know what a
“custom, symmetrical,
three-core CPU” is? So do
we. That’s what the Xbox
360 Overview is for.Every detail and feature
is covered on the Features
Overview. Where better to
get the skinny than from
the people at Xbox.com
themselves?
110
Xbox 360™Han dbook

Chances are if you’re reading this, you’re already the proud owner of an
Xbox 360. If not, buying the book was a good move. It should help ease the transition between gaming mediocrity and gaming bliss. If you’re still
undecided, check out the “Xbox 360 vs. Xbox 360 Core System—Which One Is Right for Me?” article in the Xbox 360 subsection. It is a superb tool in figuring which configuration best meets your gaming needs.
TIP
Protected by copyright. Unauthorized or unlawful copying or downloading \
expressly prohibited.  
						

							
The Reason You Bought an Xbox 360™—
Xbox
®
While Xbox.com is definitely a fantastic resource for
Xbox 360 owners, it’s just as useful for owners of the
original Xbox. You’ll find a thorough list of hardware and
software for Microsoft’s original machine here. The
company spotlights the Xbox 360 with this site, but it
doesn’t neglect the owners of its first system. Gamers
playing on an Xbox have a home at Xbox.com, too!
Adapters and Controllers and Cameras,
Oh My!—Accessories
Between the hard drive, camera, wireless controllers,
and wireless networking adapters, it can be difficult to
keep up with everything the system can do. 
To make sense of the accessories available for the
Xbox 360, check the Accessories subsection. There you
will find everything you need to know about peripherals,
add-ons, and system necessities to get your game on.
111
One Website, Everything You Need

13
Protected by copyright. Unauthorized or unlawful copying or downloading \
expressly prohibited.  
						

							
Getting the Tools of the Trade—Catalog and Where to Buy
Like the game catalog, the accessory catalog is a rich
compendium of every Microsoft accessory produced.
Search by keywords, console, or category to find what
you need.Detailed descriptions of the peripherals and acces-
sories include release dates and prices. Once you find
what you’re looking for, click on the Where to Buy sub-
section and whip out your credit card...or car keys if
you fancy a trip to the store.
112
Xbox 360™Han dbook
Protected by copyright. Unauthorized or unlawful copying or downloading \
expressly prohibited.  
						

							
Global Warring—Xbox Live®
Maybe you’re not into
global warring per se but
more into global owning.
Either way, the Xbox Live
subsection is a great
source of everything you
need to know to get your
global game on.On the Xbox Live section
you’ll find:
> A general overview of the service
> An explanation of Xbox Live member-
ship levels
> Information on the latest items available
in the Xbox Live
Marketplace
> Microsoft’s official online policies
> Useful articles on topics like migrating
your Xbox Live
account from an
original Xbox to the
Xbox 360
This will be refresher information for seasoned gamers who are already destroying the competition on Xbox Live.
But for novices and parents, it’s a great introduction and orientation. Everything you need to game online is here.
113
One Website, Everything You Need
Protected by copyright. Unauthorized or unlawful copying or downloading \
expressly prohibited.  
						

							
There Is No Bronze—
Membership Levels
The Membership Levels
subsection breaks down
the difference between
Gold and Silver member-
ships. They are the differ-
ence between being a part
of the community and being
able to contribute to the
community. Your level of
involvement is all up to you
(or your parents if they’re
the one with the credit
card) but ultimately your
decision-making process
should start here.Though membership
also covers Xbox Live on the
Xbox, be aware that the
two membership plans are
exclusive to Xbox 360.
Click on the links detail-
ing both memberships to fully understand each plan and what you get with your membership. For a basic
breakdown, read on:
SILVER MEMBERSHIP
> Create your gamer profile.
> Create and maintain a friends list.
> Access Xbox Live Marketplace including Xbox Live Arcade, demos, and trailers.
> Send and receive text and voice messages.
> Join in special Xbox Live Gold trial opportunities.
> Access massively multiplayer games.
GOLD MEMBERSHIP
> All the Silver benefits, plus:
> Great online multiplayer gameplay
> Exclusive Xbox Live Marketplace downloads and content
> Revolutionary TrueSkill ™
matchmaking
> Enhanced gamer feedback
114
Xbox 360™Han dbook
Protected by copyright. Unauthorized or unlawful copying or downloading \
expressly prohibited.  
						

							
Good as Gold—
Xbox Live
®Gold
For people teetering on the
line between Gold and
Silver, or people who don’t
have the patience to wait
for an Xbox Live Gold trial
opportunity, there is the
Xbox Live Gold subsection.This subsection is a
gold mine of information
about the premier Xbox
Live membership plan.
This section gives you a
brief overview as well as
point-by-point explana-
tions of Gold Membership
features. 
115
One Website, Everything You Need

If you purchased a subscription kit for the
original Xbox, you can use that subscription
code for your Xbox 360. The subscription kits are just as good as Gold, really. The only dif- ference is that they lack Xbox 360-specificcontent like Marketplace Points or an Xbox 360-specific headset.
TIP
Silver level requires
an Xbox 360 storage device and broad-band connection. Xbox Live
Marketplace down- loads and MMO
games may require an additional fee.If you’re not entirelysure about going for the Gold, it’s okay!
Silver membership is
free and comes stan- dard with your Xbox
360. Just wait for an
Xbox Gold trial oppor-
tunity and take it out for a spin. Ten bucks says you’ll convert.
NOTE
TIP

Eager gamers take
note! If you 
absolutely need to know more about
Xbox Live member-
ships, turn to chapter 2, “Get Started.”
TIP
Protected by copyright. Unauthorized or unlawful copying or downloading \
expressly prohibited.