Microsoft XboX 360 is a Gaming Console having Video Streaming, Social Networking & Digital Downloads Feature - Multiple Entertainment Experience

Microsoft's Xbox 360 is now seven years old and although it started life as a games console, it is now evolving into an entirely different thing. But in what ways are its multimedia facets being enhanced?

This console generation has seen three very different machines hit the market. While the Xbox 360 from Microsoft and the PlayStation 3 from Sony both ushered in the era of HD gaming, with the Nintendo Wii forging its own path with casual, family-oriented fun, it was initially assumed that Sony would lead the way in the multimedia stakes.

This was largely due to the fact that the PS3 features a Blu-ray drive as standard, allowing it to play back HD movies from high-capacity discs. Sony was hoping that this would allow its console to repeat the success of the PlayStation 2, which sold many units thanks to its integrated DVD drive.

The Xbox 360 lacked Blu-ray support and Microsoft's creation of an HD DVD-compatible add-on drive was made redundant when this format died out. However, the emergence of ADSL2 and fibre broadband connectivity, along with a healthy batch of software updates, have allowed Microsoft to turn the Xbox 360 into a multimedia powerhouse which is actually better than the PS3 because physical discs are no longer popular in an age of high-speed web services.