The Xbox 360 Uncloaked: The Real Story Behind Microsoft's Next Generation Video Game Console

by Dean Takahashi

A fascinating insider's look at the creation of the Xbox 360 and Microsoft's multi-billion dollar gamble to become a leading force in the global video game industry. Through extensive interviews and unprecedented access, San Jose Mercury News Technology and Gaming Writer Dean Takahashi takes you behind the scenes as he reveals... The birth of the machine as seen through the eyes of the Xbox 360 engineers who designed it... Blow-by-blow coverage of the heated internal debates as senior Microsoft executives battle to define the future of the Xbox brand... The strategic chess moves as Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and company take risk after risk, trying to outmaneuver their archrivals for the brass ring: dominance of the incredibly lucrative video game market... Sony, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, the entire Microsoft Xbox 360 team, and the industry's most celebrated game developers -- all of the major players are included in this captivating story.

Genres: Business, Gaming, Video Games, Nonfiction, Games

404 pages, ebook

First published May 2, 2006

About the author

Dean Takahashi is a writer for VentureBeat. Prior to his currrent job, he was the Tech Talk Columnist at the San Jose Mercury News, where he wrote gadget reviews and opinion pieces on technology in Silicon Valley. He also wrote the Dean & Nooch on Gaming and Tech Talk blogs and did a regular video podcast on gaming. He has been a journalist for 20 years, most of it covering technology business news. Before he joined the Mercury News in 2002, he was a senior writer at the Red Herring magazine from 2000 to 2002. Before that, he was a staff writer in the San Francisco office of the Wall Street Journal from 1996 to 2000. His first job at the Mercury News was as a chip industry reporter from 1994 to 1996. Before that, he worked at the Los Angeles Times Orange County Edition, the Orange County Register, and the Dallas Times Herald. He has a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University (1987) and a bachelor's degree in English from UC Berkeley (1986). He is the author of two books, "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked" published in 2006 and "Opening the Xbox" published in 2002. He lives in the suburbs of San Jose and is an avid gamer. His favorite game is Halo.

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight into the battle over home entertainment via gaming consoles and games.

[Unit076 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever had a question, "Why would Microsoft dare to enter gaming industry and buttheads with Sony/Nintendo?". The short answer is obviously because they are software technology company and saw the growth of game/household entertainment industry. The long answer is this book.

Along each chapter, The Xbox 360 Uncloaked chronologically -- and occassionally in parallel -- Dean Takahashi guides us to see for ourselves the struggle of developing a gaming console while gaining trust of developers, suppliers, and consumer, also the logistical pain of daring vision: launching a fickle hardware product in three major regions simultaneously (which subsided a bit when your direct competitor also had their own logistical problems).

While it picked up right after 'Opening the Xbox', the first three chapters still works as a not-so-brief summary of history of the original Xbox. Thankfully this book doesn't dwell too deep into technical jargon of the innards of a gaming hardware although unfortunately when it briefly does, it's not particularly engaging. Not a particular issue for computer whizz, but might be kinda boring if you are not well-versed in chips and microcomputers.

Still with all insights of product developments, how this book managed to humanize the countless nameless architect behind the Xbox brand, and list of names you might want to remember if you want to delve deeper into gaming industry; The Xbox 360 Uncloaked is a must read for any gaming enthusiasts.

[Edward Amberton]

A very interesting book, which inspire my on creating me own blog https://xboxreviewer.com/ This week, I finally got my hands on the Xbox One and I have to say, I'm really impressed! The console is sleek and sexy, and the games look and feel amazing. The only downside is that the console is a bit on the expensive side, but I'm sure that it will be worth it in the end.

[Michel Sabbagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Subject Appeal: 5/5.
Research Depth: 4/5.
Research Breadth: 4/5.
Narrative Flow: 4/5.

Verdict: 4/5. A swell ode to one of gaming's most impactful consoles that makes for a thoughtful tale of ambition and sacrifice.

[Wayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really interesting look at the Xbox360 development that picks up from the prior book and continues right up until approximately 6 months after the lanch of the console.

The reason for knocking down the review was to do with number of grammtical errors throughout the book. If it wasn't for those that often interrupted the flow as I was reading it, then I would have given it one point higher.