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Microsoft hands out Xbox Development Kit with Sidecar attachment

By | April 5, 2011, 7:33am PDT

Summary: Microsoft is rolling out a new Xbox Development Kit, and it’s also coming with a little helper referred to as the Sidecar.

Microsoft is rolling out a new Xbox Development Kit, and it’s also coming with a little helper referred to as the Sidecar.

Some of the improvements in the new XDK console include larger hard drives and more built-in memory. All of that will also be packed in a smaller form factor apparatus. The optional Sidecar attachment (pictured above), clips on to the top of the console for work with debugging and disc emulation.

Overall, it is “designed to increase efficiency and reduce cost” at the same time for Xbox 360 gaming developers. All of this hasn’t been launched just yet (and Microsoft has refrained from giving an exact date), but it will be made available to developers who already have licensing contracts with Microsoft.

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Kit, Microsoft Xbox, Development Kit, Game Players, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for ZDNet based in San Francisco.

Disclosure

Rachel King

Rachel King has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted in this blog.

Biography

Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for CBS Interactive in San Francisco. Before serving as a contributing editor at ZDNet in New York City for two years, she previously worked for The Business Insider, FastCompany.com, CNN's San Francisco bureau and the U.S. Department of State. Rachel has also written for MainStreet.com, Irish America Magazine and the New York Daily News, among others. Rachel has a B.A. in Mass Communications and History from the University of California, Berkeley and a M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, where she served as art director for the student magazine, Plated.

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RE: Microsoft hands out Xbox Development Kit with Sidecar attachment
Champ_Kind 15th Apr 2011
@Nevellin When Microsoft started the initial development of 360 software in-house, they bought a ton of 2.7 PMG5 systems since PPC emulation on x86 platforms was slower than molasses at the time. I also think that some of the major gamemakers received these kits from Microsoft.
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DirectXbox
statuskwo5 5th Apr 2011
Sweet. Now in addition to XNA Studio they will also offer this little gem. Can't wait...
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RE: Microsoft hands out Xbox Development Kit with Sidecar attachment
Rama.NET 5th Apr 2011
Cool add-on. This eases a lot of pain while debugging. happy
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No more Macs then?
WarhavenSC 5th Apr 2011
The original 360 XDK was a Power Mac G5, and you can still pick up a dual 2.7 GHz G5 Power Mac for $350. I wonder how much the new XDK is...
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RE: Microsoft hands out Xbox Development Kit with Sidecar attachment
Nevellin 6th Apr 2011
@WarhavenSC What? I used to visit some devs years ago and the first 360's SDK was a 360 with some more horses of power. A lot of these got 3RL very fast... Are you sure?
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RE: Microsoft hands out Xbox Development Kit with Sidecar attachment
Champ_Kind 15th Apr 2011
@Nevellin When Microsoft started the initial development of 360 software in-house, they bought a ton of 2.7 PMG5 systems since PPC emulation on x86 platforms was slower than molasses at the time. I also think that some of the major gamemakers received these kits from Microsoft.

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