In a single word: evolutionary. I haven’t spent much time with my brand new Xbox 360, but I can tell you that it’s a welcome addition to my existing array of home entertainment devices. Yes, this is much more than a simple gaming machine - a far cry from the Adventure cartridge for your Atari of yesteryear. I outlined our initial Xbox 360 adventure earlier this evening, but feel the need to expand on a few specific aspects of Microsoft’s latest creation. The Xbox 360 is a cash cow in ways that Windows has never been. Gaming is a billion-dollar industry, and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has been released at the right time. You need one more reason to get a PVR? The Xbox 360 is it. Need an excuse to get an HDTV? Xbox 360. Want a Media Center Edition? Xbox 360. This is the future of your living room, and Microsoft is going to be the one to deliver it to you. If $299 sounds like too much to you, then you might as well argue that “black and white television is good enough for anybody.” The Xbox 360 is an amazing machine - not perfect, but perfectly acceptable. Moreover, it’s a marketing coup for Microsoft.

I didn’t rush out and get an Xbox when it was first released; I didn’t feel the need to get one at the time, and still find it to be something I use only when friends are visiting. Not so with the Xbox 360; I wanted one, badly. I needed one, badly. Why? For all the reasons listed above. An Xbox 360 extends and complements my existing setup quite nicely - the gaming portion of the Xbox 360 is a bonus. Over time, the firmware will evolve, and the same hardware will be capable of so much more. Imagine, if you will, waking up and having all the high-def trailers for your favorite genres of movies waiting for you to view. Imagine getting voice and video mails through your television set. The Xbox 360 will make this possible. Not today, certainly - but Microsoft’s not banking on today. They weren’t banking on “today” when they started developing the original Xbox, actually. It’s all about tomorrow, and how today is a gateway to your future. The Xbox 360 is about seamless communications and media proliferation. They may not have an iPod killer, they may not have a PSP killer, but they’ve got the living room wrapped up into a tight little package. Future, thy name is Xbox 360. Stay tuned.

[tags]microsoft,gaming,console,xbox,xbox360,gamer,videogame,live,360[/tags]