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

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Description

A fascinating insider's look at the evolution of the Xbox 360 and Microsoft's ambitious gamble to become a leading force in the multi-billion dollar video gaming 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 video game developers -- all of the major players are included in this captivating story. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lulu Press; First Edition (May 17, 2006)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 404 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0977784215


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 19


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.32 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.91 x 9 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #2,878,861 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #5,205 in Video & Computer Games #6,714 in Computer & Video Game Strategy Guides


#5,205 in Video & Computer Games:


#6,714 in Computer & Video Game Strategy Guides:


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Top Amazon Reviews


  • An amazing "behind the scenes" look at the making of Microsoft's XBox 360
I love Dean Takahashi's writing style. The guy obviously has a passion for the video game industry. The corporate intrigue surrounding the development of the XBox 360 is recounted here in great detail. Takahashi's ability to weave a compelling narrative thread out of what could otherwise be a dry synopsis of an industrial design cycle is what makes this book such a great read. If you are interested in the video game industry this book is a must buy. I highly recommend it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2009 by T. Ryan Arnold

  • For Gamers
This is a great book for gamers and readers interested in business. It was really interesting to see the internal conflict / decisions made behind closed doors. I love gaming and I'm a business owner so this book hit a chord in both respects. Good read.
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2012 by James A. Raynor Jr.

  • A great insight into the making of X360
Great book for anyone who wants to delve deeper into the Xbox 360. Author provides great coverage from the industry insiders as well as the people who made the product itself. Considering this was highly "top secret" within Microsoft/IBM/ATI, the author still manged to show the thought process behind making "Xenon" (code name for Xbox 360 project, later the name of the X360's CPU). The book is well organized into many small chapters which makes it an easy read. The most interesting thing you'll learn from this book is the amount of dedication from the whole team, Microsoft's plunge into the unknown territory and all the compromises, tough business and design decisions. An excellent read for anyone interested in "behind the scenes" of video game industry. Recommended. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2010 by Ivan I.

  • Still worth your time....
Although to varying degrees the other reviews have merit, this is still an exceptional read, and a fascinating behind the scenes look at your favorite console! Dean's first book, 'Opening the Xbox' is a complete masterpiece, and so I have great respect for his knowledge and insight. I applaud Dean for sticking to it and writing this book, as well as the previous one. Let's hope that a revised and updated version becomes available. 5 stars! Bravo! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2009 by Video Game History

  • Nicely done...
A nicely done story about Xbox... book could have used a good editor though... a fair amount of silly typos and mistakes.... nonetheless, an insightful story about the many decisions that went into crafting a new game console.
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2014 by Dag Spicer

  • Great Enthusiast Read
This book is a great read for video game, or more specifically - XBox, enthusiasts. It's filled with great details of what when on behind the scenes to get the XBox360 out the door. If I were to complain about anything, it's that I found it repeating some of the details from time to time. I would think that I read the exact same details before, then look to see, and sure enough I could find it verbatum in the previous chapter. This doesn't happen often enough to detract too much overall, as the book is chaulk full of quotes and unknown morsels that a hardcore gamer is sure to enjoy. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2008 by TomS

  • Greate inside look
This book reminds me of Tracy Kidder's Soul of the New Machine. It is in inside look at what it takes to design state-of-the art hardware and software in the gaming business. I find the whole process fascinating.
Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2006 by Roger Jack

  • Intriguing (but flawed) look behind the scenes
Dean Takahashi is a reporter for the San Jose Mercury News. While I applaud his efforts to do the research and leg work to uncover the history, back story and technical details of the Xbox 360, this book just simply is not well written. Dean does a nice job in news reporting related to the tech industry and gaming in general but he is no novelist. This book is obviously not a novel either but you might expect it to be at least a story...In my opinion, it is not- it is a collection of observations loosely tied together, and even then, it is flawed. As other reviewers have noted, you will find yourself reading the same information, names, and sometimes even quotes in multiple places throughout the book, making it harder to follow his line of thinking clearly. Oftentimes, there is also a bit much of the delineation of who worked for who and who quit the Xbox team when, etc. that does not really lead the reader anywhere or add much to the story. To me, this book feels similar to the previous Xbox book written by Dean in that way- some great tidbits but overall, barely worth reading because of how painful it is to get through it. I've never had this situation happen to me before where I seriously wanted to learn the history and background of building this console, the process that was followed, etc. but was simply not motivated to continue reading the book because of its flaws. If you are used to reading more professional novels or magazine writing by mainstream writers, you may be frustrated by the common grammatical errors, editorial errors, proofreading mistakes, etc. that pop up in every chapter. They aren't a big deal and you know what he is trying to say but when you pay for a book (that isn't all that cheap, by the way) you expect more. At least I do. In summary, since I am an IT professional and an avid Xbox and Xbox 360 gamer, I kind of forced my way through the book to learn. You have to take a different approach to reading it, kind of ignoring errors, focusing on the highlights and not trying to tie everything together seamlessly, very differently than you would likely read any other book. If you feel this story is worthwhile enough to put up with these flaws, go for it. Otherwise, you may be disappointed. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2008 by gatbagel

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