FAQs

 

Xbox will be launched on or near November 15th, 2001. Check with your local video game retailers closer to this date for more information.

 

Each retail chain determines whether pre-ordering is available. Microsoft does not take pre-orders directly.

 

 

Individual Xbox retailers have different pre-sales plans available.  Check with your local video game retailers for information on reserving an Xbox video game system in advance.
Retail stores design their own reservation programs. Retailers across the country will be selling standalone Xbox video game systems in addition to offering hardware and software bundle options, many of which are very flexible and provide consumers with a variety of choices.
To determine how retail stores in your area are choosing to sell Xbox, be sure to call and check with your favorite video game retail store.

 

What is the price?

 

The Xbox video game system has a suggested retail price of $299.00 USD.

 

Retailers determine their own price for Xbox, and may choose to sell the Xbox video game system bundled with additional games and peripherals. Check with your local video game retailers for information on pricing and bundle options.

 

 

Xbox will launch in North America on or near Nov. 15, 2001. One million to 1.5 million Xbox video game systems will arrive at North American retail stores this holiday season, with more than 100,000 Xbox video game systems shipped each week after that.
If you have a question about Xbox presales plans, please contact the retail store that you placed your order with for more information, as retail stores design their own reservation programs.

 

The Xbox console can play DVD movies and compact discs that contain the official Compact Disc logo.

 

You can turn your Xbox video game system into a DVD movie theater with the purchase of the DVD Movie Playback Kit. The kit includes the required infrared receiver and a remote control designed for DVD playback.

 

Xbox was designed with high-definition TV support specifically in mind. Xbox supports HDTV and TV resolutions up to 1920x1080 with the purchase of the High Definition AV Pack.

 

The High Definition AV Pack supports HDTV RGB video and your choice of RCA Audio or Digital Audio over optical cable.

 

The Xbox video game system features a theater-quality audio experience, the best ever heard in a video game console. It has 64 simultaneous audio channels, 3D positional audio, and Dolby AC3 audio encoding. It also supports Dolby Digital. 

 

The Xbox Dashboard appears when you turn on your Xbox console without a disc in the disc tray. The dashboard will let you adjust system settings, including audio, video, language and memory management. It also lets you save games and create soundtracks.

 

With Xbox you will be able to create soundtracks from your own CD collection and play the music you want to hear during your favorite games.

 

Xbox has the best graphics capacity of any video game system. Check out the Xbox Web site, at http://www.xbox.com to see gameplay videos of upcoming titles and see the visuals for yourself.

 

The Xbox contains an NVIDIA graphics processing unit (GPU), delivering more than three times the graphics performance of other consoles.  Xbox also offers support for HDTV, DVD movie playback, and TV resolutions up to 1920x1080.

 

After November 15th, Xbox game interactive displays in video game retail stores will let you try out these great games for yourself. That's the best way to choose your favorite games, and to check out the superior game play performance, look, and sound of the new Xbox titles.

 

You can also check out the Xbox Web site for a complete list of names, information, ESRB ratings, gameplay videos and screenshots for upcoming titles.

 

The memory card allows you to save a game that is in progress and play it on another Xbox console.

 

Can I use the console with my computer?

 

The Xbox console is a dedicated video game console. Its sole purpose is to provide you with the best video game experience available on the market while connected to your television. You can also use Xbox as a DVD home theater system if you purchase the DVD Playback Kit.

Can the Xbox hook up to a Computer Monitor?
 
The Xbox video game system is intended for use with television sets. This focus allows gamers to enjoy the superior visual and sound capacity of high-definition and high-resolution television sets.

Can I play PC games, or games from other video game systems on Xbox? 

 

The Xbox video game system is designed only to play game discs licensed by Microsoft for the Xbox video game system. This does not include burned disks, PC game discs, or discs from other video game systems. The Xbox console can play DVD movies and compact discs with the official Compact Disc logo.

 

Some televisions, especially front- or rear-projection TVs, can be damaged if any video games, including Xbox games, are played on them. Consult your television owner's manual to determine if video games can be played safely on your television set. If you are unable to find this information in the owner's manual, contact your television dealer or the manufacturer to determine if video games can be played safely on your set.

 

All you need to start playing games with multiple players are extra controllers and a game designed for multiplayer use. The game will appear via a split screen on one television. No multitap is required.

 

If you have extra Xbox systems and televisions, you may network them together, and play certain games that support this feature. Maximum number of simultaneous players is built into the game. As an example, HALO will support 4 Xbox systems and 4 players per Xbox, for a total of 16 players.

 

In the future, the broadband adapter will allow you to connect to online gaming sessions for multi-player gaming across the Internet.

 

Broadband capability is scheduled to go live in the summer of 2002. For more information, visit http://www.xbox.com.

Does Xbox have a dial-up modem?  I do not have DSL or cable Internet service available in my area.
 
The Xbox has been designed for the highest possible gaming performance. Unfortunately, analog modems do not provide the necessary bandwidth for entertaining game play, and so modem support is not planned.

 

The Xbox Web site at http://www.xbox.com has a list of upcoming Xbox titles, and the developers who are creating games for Xbox.

 

 

If you are interested in employment opportunities at Microsoft, please check out the Microsoft employment Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/jobs/.

 

The ESRB rating system is an unbiased, standardized way to help you determine whether a game is appropriate for your child. Ratings are determined by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), an independent board developed with the support of the computer and video game industry.

 

The ESRB has established a toll-free line at 1-800-771-ESRB (3772) and Web site at http://www.esrb.org so that parents and consumers can access up-to-date rating information. These consumer aids are also available in French and Spanish.

 

Refer to the list below for more information about a specific ESRB rating:

 

EARLY CHILDHOOD
Content may be suitable for persons ages 3 and older. Contains no material that parents would find inappropriate.

 

EVERYONE
Content may be suitable for persons ages 6 and older. May contain minimal violence and some comic mischief or crude language.

 

TEEN
Content may be suitable for persons ages 13 and older. May contain violent content, mild or strong language, and/or suggestive themes.

 

MATURE
Content may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. May contain mature sexual themes or more intense violence or language.

 

RATING PENDING
Product has been submitted to the ESRB and is awaiting final rating.

 

ADULTS ONLY
Content suitable only for adults. May include graphic depictions of sex and/or violence. Not intended for persons under the age of 18.

Should I buy Xbox for my child?

 

The Xbox video game system will provide your family with superior technical value for the price.  It is a video game console, a CD player, and, with the purchase of the DVD Movie Playback Kit, a DVD player all in one. The Xbox video game system will feature a wide variety of games across all genres to appeal to different ages and interests.

 

You have the power to decide which games and movies can be played on your Xbox. You can use the parental control feature to limit the type of content played based on the ESRB rating level for game titles, and the standard move ratings system (G, PG, PG-13, R) for DVD movies.

 

Almost every computer and video game has an ESRB rating symbol and a content descriptor right on the box. The rating symbol tells you what age group the game is appropriate for. The content descriptor outlines the content of the game. This is the information that you can use to make choices about which levels are appropriate for your household.

 

 

You can use the Xbox parental control feature to limit the type of content played on the Xbox video game system based on the game title's ESRB rating level. You can also select separate parental control levels for games and DVD movies.