Fancy nostalgic time travel in a long-forgotten era, in the improved 3D graphics for video games, connectivity and multimedia harnesses were the hottest and hottest concepts of the game industry? In addition, there was no matter from which genre, countless great gaming highlights to which one likes to be back.
The sixth console generation, which went about from 1998 to 2006, was a time of milestones and was fully in focus of a revolution of console gaming. And not only because of the two great consoles from Japan, the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo Game cube, but also because of the first console from Microsoft.
The original Xbox console was particularly well known to start 2001, pretty potent, chunky and expensive. But beyond that, the great attack of Microsoft’s Japanese-competitive Gaming market of the 2000s was also considered pretty courageous and revolutionary.
Suitable for the 20th anniversary of the Xbox we celebrate in the form of a large special, that there is also in the form of a complex video. Among other things, you can look forward to prettying recordings of the original Xbox console and plenty of video games, the serious influence took on the sixth console generation.
Table of contents
- 1Japanian dominance: The game industry Under of the 90s
- 2 starch Xbox: From concept to business in quick pass
- 3The Xbox slaughter plan: the bigger, the better
- 4 a colorful line-up full of variety and playing fun
- 5hr Xbox says, Halo says
- 6The birth of the brand Xbox: A paradise for adventure
Japanese dominance: The game industry Under of the 90s
At the end of the 90s and early 2000s, Japanese companies dominated the gaming market. That was nothing new. Whether it was the 16-bit or the episode, the three big names were for a pretty long period of Sega, Nintendo and Sony. While Sony celebrated massive successes with the PlayStation 1 and especially the PlayStation 2, Nintendo at that time lost important market shares to the competition. Nevertheless, one could shine with the Nintendo 64 especially in the American market. At the same time, however, just under 20 million times the PlayStation went over the bar counter.
SEGA, on the other hand, sat down on a map after the Desirous Sega Saturn, with the Sega Dream cast wanted a land rules the games world: Japan was the only big instance of the console gaming at the end of the 1990s. The last console produced in America was the Atari Jaguar, which was discontinued in 1996. Source: PC Games you prove one for all times that you were right for the big names of the console manufacturers. Like that ended, it is well known. While Sega is tidy and planned to focus only on software, there was a new player with Microsoft. He was drafted behind closed doors on the big launch of a technology bomb for the console market.
Quiz: test your knowledge about 20 years Xbox!
Starting Shot Xbox: From the concept into the high-speed business
Who thinks now, Microsoft worked for a decade for a huge master plan in which every detail was accurately worked out, which is quite wrong. The idea for an in-house console, which was based on Windows and Direct X, began four young engineers in 1998.
Nobody wanted green: Xbox is green, PlayStation Blue and Nintendo Red — this is a festive law of the game industry. But if someone had not stolen all other pens away from the green felt tip of Xbox designer Luke Horace, then that would be very different today. Source: Power On — The Story of Xbox from Microsoft I Xbox These belonged to the DirectX team: Kevin Bacchus, Ted Has, Seamus Blackly and Otto Yerkes. The first unveiling of the PlayStation 2 provided additional motivation by Microsoft. Sony put on a full-fledged home entertainment system. The PlayStation 2 could also play audio CDs and video DVDs in addition to Gameness. For Microsoft, which dominated the PC market, that was quite a thorn in the eye.
Four pioneers, one goal: The idea for the original Xbox, a Microsoft console based PC similar to the in-house Direct X and hardware, fortunately found favor with Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. Source: Power On — The Story of Xbox Microsoft Xbox I your big media unveiling celebrated the Xbox (buy now) at CES 2001 on January 06, 2001. In addition to Microsoft genius Bill Gates was none other than Dwayne The Rock Johnson on stage to showcase the technologically impressive home console. And it must be said: The Xbox was in fact in many areas a fairly revolutionary Games product. In addition to the PC-like hardware that should make developers as easy as possible to develop games for the Xbox, the first ever built in a console hard drive was a particular feature. In the heart of the Xbox also wore a clocked at 733 megahertz Pentium III processor. Ahead of the competition so you had to not be afraid.
Just as revolutionary: it was on the Xbox an Ethernet port! Today only hard to imagine, but this was seen as a major step towards the future. Multiplayer away from couch co-op play was only by Sega in previous years a relevant issue, even if only a little while. But what Microsoft started with LAN connection and a year later led away with Xbox Live, is now considered the blueprint of modern online gaming. In addition, the Xbox as well as the PlayStation 2 genuine offered Dolby 5.1 surround sound!
Even then, quite heatedly: The self 20 years later still ongoing duel between the two games giants Sony and Microsoft had already sparked shortly after the birth of the first Xbox. Source: Computer Media GmbH For less ekstasische sweats the high launch price of 479 euros made. Like the 450-euro PlayStation 2 is a pretty elitist luxury toy. The price of the Sony console was, however, reduced the Xbox competition at 299 euros before the European launch.
As European boss Sandy Duncan then announced on the launch event X01 in Cannes the Europe Prize, was understandably a loud murmur through the crowd. Only a few months later, Microsoft moved to the slug fest with Sony. However, the Japanese bowed once again to 249 euros. So it was already right at the start heated to between two iconic manufacturers. For Xbox defense one must also mention: The game package that we put together got from Microsoft was a very nice thick.
The Xbox game plan: the bigger, the better
The original Xbox not just hiding in a fairly large package. The product itself as well as its iconic controllers are well known for their slaying mass. Microsoft’s home console weighed a whopping 3.4 kilos! By comparison, the PlayStation 2 weighs just 2.2 kg. A decent difference. More fiercely fell out of the iconic Xbox controller: the Duke, who was internally called, appropriately, Fatty. The Xbox game pad was almost three times as large as the PlayStation 2 controller. Not only in Japan, he was therefore quite difficult to market.
But the oversized game pad was not an insane idea the part of Microsoft that Bigger is better philosophy was based on the simple but actually quite elaborate. Ergonomics laboratories had worked out the perfect size controller through multiple tests and studies. Here came out: Who closes his eyes and holds an imaginary controller in hand, who plays unknowingly exact shaping of the Dukes. Crazy, is not it? And the controller is viewed with some distance not so bad!
A console, two controllers: The actual controller of the Xbox was the so-called Duke (left side). That was the most fans but far too large, making little later a new game pad was released worldwide (right side). Source: PC Games The Xbox controller features two vibrating motors, two analog triggers, two analog sticks, a digital pad, the back and a Start button, two accessory slots and six 8-bit analog action buttons. They were not decorated like the competition with symbols, but with colors and letters. Even today, Xbox reaches even to A back B, X and Y buttons. But this just shape! After plenty of scorn and criticism is only a short time later buckled. Microsoft released a customized controller version, which was to keep much narrower and more pleasant world.
Also, only starting with the PlayStation 2 to compete, of course, a tremendous undertaking for Microsoft. Nevertheless, the company impressively managed to establish itself with a then revolutionary game package as an integral part of the gaming industry. One even left Nintendo and the Game cube behind him. In addition to the many clever ideas in terms of design and technology, this was especially important at the games.
A colorful line-up full of variety and playing fun
A game that wanted to wind the games shank around the finger was Odd world: Munch’s odds. The iconic platform around amphibians Munch and colleague ABE was actually planned as a highlight for the PlayStation 2. In addition, ABE was actually considered the unofficial Sony mascot next to the purple dragon Spiro and Crash Bandicoot. Of course, Microsoft knew: For the launch of a home console, it needs to be known video game faces and established brands. Other titles that joined the Xbox for a total of 20 Games: the Team Ruler Dead Or Alive 3, who enthused with impressive graphics, and the winter sports cause Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding.
Another highlight: The popular racing game Project Gotham Racing, which even has a big fan base today. Also thanks to the 5.1 sound of the Xbox. Developer Bizarre Creations took on the Dream cast Flyer Metropolis Street Racer to improve in all areas and to hear especially the wishes of the fans. The demanding difficulty level has been throttled and the graphic thanks to the Xbox power properly upgraded.
Electric Beats and Hip Kids: Jet Set Radio Future from Sega was a flop in terms of sales figures, but playful the action adventure was great and is considered one of the highlights of the first Xbox. Source: Sega as well as positive reminder remains the wedding action adventure Jet Set Radio Future, which was developed by Sega for the then Xbox. Again a dream cast classic who found a new home on the Xbox. Microsoft aimed with the CEL-SHADING title full of electric beats clearly on the Japanese market. Unfortunately, despite very positive criticisms, he became the sales flop. This was especially because the Xbox only sold very badly in Japan. The line-up was rounded off by a lot of variety in the form of the party game Fusion Frenzy and the Action Hits Max Payne.
Super Game initiative: Microsoft and Sega join together (News)
Who says Xbox says Halo
Above all, the Xbox owed its success but of course the legendary shooter masterpiece Halo: Combat Evolved. And at the same time one of the most legendary heroes of all time: the Master Chief. Without Halo, the story of the first Xbox would certainly be a completely different…
The birth of a legend: We focus on the 20th anniversary of the Xbox in this special, but the Master Chief has also become old two decades! Source: Microsoft today iconic developer studio bungee planned in the late 1990s a real-time strategy game around super soldiers, aliens and mystical rings in all. And for PC and Macintosh. Shortly before the publication, however, the studio of Microsoft was bought up. The plan: to customize the ambitious sci-fi title for the Xbox. With a lot of effort and massive changes, Halo turned to the third-person shooter and finally to the ego shooter phenomenon, as we know it today.
For the few, whom the cinematically narrated story of the Master Chiefs is unknown: Halo plays in 2552. Humanity suffers from a huge overpopulation and sees himself so forced to populate other planets away from the earth. A little later, there is a first meeting with an invincible alien ship, which turns out to be the Alliance during the course. This is a community from various alien breeds that have joined for a fanatical religion.
You take a couch and halo: buggies ego shooter halo and the many successors are the perfect video game for two. Together on a couch to save the galaxy, a very nostalgic memory is very nostalgic. Source: PC Games Everywhere in All, there are peculiar and huge rings: ancient weapons that carry the power to wipe out biological life within 25,000 light years. The Alliance is the firm conviction so that a big trip is able to compete, which reflects the key point of its religion. In this high-voltage scenario, we take over the role of the Master Chiefs, also called Spartan 117. It is one of the last survivors of a series of genetically modified superfoods. His task: prevent the intelligence of the Alliance and save humanity as well as the entire galaxy.
What Mario for Nintendo and Rates or Nathan Drake are for PlayStation, this is the green armored Master Chief for Xbox. In addition, Halo: Combat Evolved is considered one of the best console games of all time. You could not really want a better launch title. Whether it was the phenomenal music and sound accompaniment, the thrilling story or the enormous gaming game: Halo counted and counts to the sizes of the shooter genre and also as one of the most important pioneers of the console shooter.
Who now thinks Microsoft at the beginning of the entire available game fun jackets, which should be stuck: In the following years after 2002, the Xbox brand adorned with countless great video games, especially exclusive titles such as Fable, Morrow ind & Co.
The birth of the brand Xbox: a paradise for adventure
Anyone who wanted to enjoy the best role-playing games on a console at the beginning of the 2000, who did not pass the Xbox. The renowned developer Bethesda gave himself with the mentioned The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrow ind the honor. And bioware contributed a very special insider tip: the southeast of the south-eating fantasying jade empire.
In addition, with the hype title fable developed by Peter Milieux, there was a real gaming fungal, which provided with British humor and many interesting ideas for fresh wind in the genre. Who would rather sit with platforms, who found great adventure in the form of Blind and Voodoo Vince. In Blind we take over the role of the cloth of the same name, which is on the hunt for piggy men. In Voodoo Vince, however, we control a Voodoo doll in the French district of New Orleans. She has to add pain to defeat her opponents.
An unjustly dusted doll: Voodoo Vince was a great platform of the early 2000s, especially the humor and the charming characters have conquered millions of hearts in wind parts. Source: Microsoft I Xbox also there were also great license titles, which conveyed us gripping stories from the cinema screen to the domestic screen: In The Chronicles of Rid dick: Escape from Butcher Bay we slip into the role of the Richard Rid dick played by Vin Diesel, of the Fund criminals in the universe. On hero side there was great criminal fighting in the pretty comic look: Ultimate Spider-Man is one of the best superhero games of the 2000s! At that time license plays were actually pretty good.
We could now speak forever about BIG video games that were gripping highlights of the first Microsoft generation. That would blow up the frame quite fast. What in the end becomes clear: Xbox enjoys even 20 years after the launch of the first console still the trust of a large fan base. But even more important is that the first Xbox made a big contribution to the game magic of the time. Together with Nintendo’s Game cube and the PlayStation 2 by Sony, a game era has been created, which significantly shaped an entire generation. Thanks for it, dear Xbox! We are sure: we’ll meet again.
Did you (or today) an Xbox? What were your first Xbox generation highlights, or generally within the sixth console generation? Shares your nostalgic experiences and discuss with us in the comments, we are happy!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY XBOX: The Revolutionary Microsoft Console in Retro Sight [Source: PC Games]
From Mac Nae em Cheema
editor
28.11.2021 at 10:00
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