Xbox 360: Zero Hour

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PALMDALE, CA--The sun has just set and the sky is quickly darkening, but a surrealistic green glow is emanating from a massive aircraft hanger approximately two miles outside the city. It is here, at a high security remote location, that Microsoft has chosen to debut its new Xbox 360 console to selected members of the public. In order to get past the police, the K-9 unit, and the private security guards, you had to be invited by Microsoft. More than 3,000 gamers across the world won tickets to the event, dubbed Zero Hour.

Although the doors to the main hanger were not set to open until 7 pm, the faithful started arriving much earlier in the day. By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, a sizeable crowd had already gathered. For those waiting, this would be their first chance to get a hands-on look at the new hardware -- a full 26 hours before its official release.

Many of the early attendees hailed from the local area, but some traveled from parts far and wide in order to attend Zero Hour. Jason Martin made the trip from Columbus, Ohio, along with his girlfriend Jaymie Cosenza, who lives in Chicago. Martin won his tickets the week before the event, by entering a contest on the Xbox.com website.

"I saw a page on this on Xbox.com, so I entered and we got lucky enough and won," said Martin. "We actually got really lucky because we had a pair of free roundtrip tickets on Southwest. We just had to try and schedule around final exams."

Before the main event started, all attendees were given a limited edition Zero Hour hoodie (it gets cold in the desert at night!), an Xbox 360 memory card, and the chance to setup an Xbox Live account free of charge. The lines to the Live tent were undoubtedly the longest, as nearly all of the games at Zero Hour could be played online. Having a Live profile also carried a side benefit in the form of achievement tracking. Any achievements obtained at Zero Hour became a permanent part of your gamertag, including a special "Zero Hour" achievement that was only available to those who came to the event. It's the perfect way to virtually boast "I was there" when playing online.

Microsoft executives Peter Moore and J. Allard were on-hand to officially open the event. But unlike typical suits, these two didn't run away as soon as Zero Hour began and the masses rushed forth like a wave of flesh rushing inland to the electronic island of digital toys. Instead, Moore and Allard hung out signing autographs and mugging for photos with fans. The two then wandered the event, staying until the wee hours of the night, playing games, chatting, and even causing a little trouble with the fluffly bean bag chairs that littered the hanger.

Gamers weren't the only ones excited to be at Zero Hour. Some of the software developers working the event were just as giddy to finally be checking out the work of other developers. Eric Riley, a producer on Call of Duty 2 at Infinity Ward, marveled at the sheer number of gamers constantly playing.

"It's very, very exciting. People are just sitting here non-stop and there's never an open station," said Riley. "I haven't been able to play GUN yet and I want to see some of Gears of War."

In order to help keep fans occupied while they were waiting for a particular title to open up, Microsoft has a number of activities planned, including an over-sized, outdoor foosball table and a main stage that featured demos, contests, and a performance by the Kaiju Big Battel fighters.

Along the sides of the hanger were prototype versions of upcoming Xbox 360 games and all were available for hands-on play. Gamers got the chance to sample Full Auto, Dead or Alive 4, Dead Rising, Final Fantasy XI, The Outfit, and Ninety-Nine Nights. This is an opportunity that is usually not afforded to those outside the industry. Just because the games weren't quite finished didn't prevent them from being popular with the gamers, including Cosenza, a self-professed casual gamer.

"[Dead or Alive 4] is my new favorite game now. I can actually play and win," exclaimed Cosenza after beating Martin, best seven out of ten. "I think I'm going to play that a lot!"

Zero Hour was still going strong well after 1AM, when those lucky few in the VIP area were treated to an unannounced surprise -- a burlesque show. While relaxing in one of the domes, a stocking clad woman in a corset, garter, and heels wandered into the center of the room and started carefully disrobing. Though she never actually revealed any naughty bits, the show was certainly appreciated by the fans and seemed to revitalize some of the players that were starting to slow down.

As the night wore on, a few players left for home or hotel beds, but the majority kept playing into the wee hours of the night. Game stations were in active use up until around 3:30 or 4:00 am in the morning. The most dedicated simply passed out in their seats, controller in hand, while others got creative with their bean bag chairs and built makeshift beds to nap on.

Those that were still awake at 5:00 am literally had their pick of games, as most seemed to be more interested in sleeping under the soft green glow of the hanger. No doubt they were dreaming of purchasing their new Xbox 360 systems the next evening, and wanted to catch up on their beauty sleep. Check back tomorrow for details on the second half of Zero Hour, including the sale of the first Xbox 360 system.

1: Video Preview
Our editors go hands-on with the Xbox 360 in this special video segment

2: What Does it Do?
Media options; Xbox Live; The hardware itself

3: What's in the Box?
Core and premium packages

4: Launch Games Line-up
A rundown of all the launch titles

5: Editor Bites
What do the Yahoo! Video Games staff have to say?

6: Gamer Feedback
Words from gamers around the country on Xbox 360

7: Zero Hour, Day 1
Day 1 of Microsoft's massive desert launch party

8: Zero Hour, Day 2
Day 2 of Microsoft's massive desert launch party