A new book entitled Xbox 360 Uncloaked, written by the author of Opening the Xbox, has revealed a number of details about the development of the 360, and the internal struggles of coming up with a system that doesn't bleed money.

One of the many revelations is that Microsoft could have had GTA as an exclusive franchise, if J Allard hadn't borked it.

Under Allard, the third-party division had failed to spot Grand Theft Auto III as the killer application. Allard had organized a group of game managers to evaluate proposals for games. They asked questions of developers, such as, "What would a gamer do in 60 seconds of game play?" The process was secretive, and it had been nicknamed "The Star Chamber," after a 1980s Michael Douglas movie where a group of judges meted out street justice in secrecy. (The movie itself was named after a secret medieval society of judges who vindictively abused the powers of the courts). Unfortunately for Microsoft, the Star Chamber turned down the proposal from RockStar games for Grand Theft Auto III. The Star Chamber members sent the proposal back to RockStar Games with the suggestion to beef up the game.

Other tidbits include how Epic singlehandedly convinced Microsoft to add extra RAM to the 360 (by showing them what Gears of War looked like with and without it) and MS's botched plans for Rare (five titles in two years, ho ho ho).

You can read an excerpt from the book at 1up, or buy it online through its publisher Spiderworks.