This week we look at a console that has a special place in our hearts and under our TVs
The late 90s saw the launch of the sixth generation of games consoles, far more advanced than anything before.
The previous generation with its Dreamcast, PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and so on was already a quantum leap forward in terms of what the home gamer could enjoy on their TVs. However, this sixth generation stuff was about to knock the ball out of the park, so to speak.
The original Xbox console was released in November 2001, about a year after Sony launched the PlayStation 2. It was a bold move, since the PS2 was already firmly established in homes around the world, and gamers had already become accustomed to Sony’s previous generation.
In all honesty, and we’re talking from our own point of view here, the original Xbox was a pretty ugly looking unit. Compared to the PS2 or even the Nintendo GameCube, the odd-shaped, chunky looking console was difficult to love at first. But once you powered it up, increased the volume on the TV to drown out the noise of the internal fans and unravelled the unfeasibly but very usefully long cable attached to the controller, you had a decent console under your TV.
Its History
The history of the Xbox started in March 1999. Sony had already teased the media and gaming public with the soon-tobe launched PS2, with its enhanced 3D visuals, DVD playback and advanced processing prowess.
Kevin Bachus, Otto Berkes, Ted Hase and Seamus Blackley were working on various projects at Microsoft, and between them, toying with the idea of building a console that could compete with this new generation of powerhouse processing.
They formed the idea and sent it skyward to those who hold the purse strings for such things, but according to internet lore, Bill Gates didn’t think it was a worthwhile idea. Nevertheless, he asked the team to pitch their idea directly to him. By the end of the presentation, Bill had changed his mind and the Xbox was finally born.
The concept of the Xbox was startlingly different to what was already and what had previously been available. In Microsoft’s view, consoles lacked the creativity that a modern gaming PC could offer, so why not make the Microsoft console more like a PC than the current generation of consoles.
Due to DirectX having a history with games developers, the new console team basically stuffed the guts of a higher-end gaming PC into a large plastic box and based the in-house OS on the Windows 2000 kernel. That way the developers of the time could code away using familiar routines for a PC and a console version of a particular game.
As it happens, it was a good idea, and the DirectX Box project had a new name: the Xbox.
The original Xbox lasted four years, until Microsoft released the upgraded Xbox 360 in November 2005. This resulted in games severs for the original Xbox shutting down while developers migrated their skills to the new console.
The Good
Remarkably powerful. Basically just a highend PC. Great gaming and even better modding later in life. XBMC!
The Bad
Fairly poor laser. The fans often packed up. DVD issues with earlier models.
Conclusion
While Microsoft has often missed its mark on several projects, it managed to hit the proverbial nail on the head with the original Xbox. So much so, that you can still find them in good working order on eBay.
Did You Know?
• Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was one of the first owners of an original Xbox.
• The first console to feature a hard drive.
• Over eight million copies of Halo 2 were sold.
• There were two models of controller made: a standard version, which was designed for bigger hands, and an S-version, for smaller hands (apparently, for the Japanese market).