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We
all know who Microsoft are - the worlds leader in computer
software, services and Internet technologies - controlling around
90% of the world’s computer software market. When Microsoft’s
Xbox was released in November 2001 in
North America
, it made a storm. Gamers bought more than three Xbox titles with
every console sold. It was one of the most successful hardware
launches of all time – and the games attach rate was the highest
ever for any console at launch. The Xbox reached our shores
on
14th March, 2002
, with a similar reaction – cr eating the new BIG 3 (even though
Nintendo’s GameCube wasn’t released till a few weeks later).
With a 733MHZ Intel Pentium III processor and a custom 3D graphics
processing unit (courtesy of industry leader NVIDIA), the Xbox has
set new standards in power and performance.
One
of the advantages of the Xbox is its 8GB Hard-Disk Drive (HDD) with
64 audio channels, 256 Stereo voices and the ability to encode
Dolby Digital 5.1 audio in real time – a feature only found on
the Xbox - although it doesn’t have an optical out unlike the
PlayStation2. The 8GB HDD allows you to save your game data
onboard, however the feature can get quite annoying, especially
with later titles because of the fact if you want your game data
mobile you have to create a file on the memory card at the start,
the software doesn’t allow you to move game data to the memory
card later, and much later software has removed the option of
external memory altogether. The HDD also has the ability to rip
music CD’s, enabling you (dependant on the software) to create
your own custom soundtracks for your favourite games.
The Xbox also has a DVD player onboard, not unlike the
PlayStation2, except the DVD player onboard the Xbox is a far
better quality system. However, as at launch, the feature supplied
for the Xbox isn’t without added cost, as you have to invest in
an Xbox DVD Remote.
In 1999 the industries best developers headed to
San Jose
(
California
) for the annual Games Developers Conference (GDC), a somewhat
disregarded conference by the masses. Unlike the Electronic
Entertainment Expo (E3) or Tokyo Games Show (TGS), the GDC is
solely for developers - neither press nor the public are admitted
entrance… usually. Bill Gates took the stage, stealing many other
developer’s thunder in the wake of the Xbox unvieling. Although
little more than the technical specifications and some
demonstrations were revealed, the impact the announcement had on
the industry cannot be overlooked. The Xbox had arrived, and with
no question was the most powerful games console to ever be released
to date. The system was found to consist of high-end components
normally found in the top-of-the-range PC’s of the day (Intel
Pentium III processor, NVIDA GPU and a HDD) - marking a new
president for games consoles. At the TGS that year, Microsoft
decided not to show anything related to the Xbox, and at the E3,
little else was actually revealed. A tech demo of direct music was
Microsoft’s main attraction at the show. Despite not really
showing anything to the masses, the Xbox won the E3 award for Best
Console Hardware; beating both Sony’s PlayStation2 and Sega’s
DreamCast.
In June of the same year, Microsoft revealed that they had
bought a now incredibly well-renown developer, Bungie Software
Products, the company that brought us the award winning Myth
series. They became an independent development studio within
Microsoft’s games division. Giving exclusive publishing and
distribution rights to Microsoft for select Bungie titles – 
rumour has it that Microsoft were attending a meeting with Bungie
to assess the possibility of the team creating multiformat titles
with the Xbox in mind, however, when Bungie showed the Microsoft
executives Halo: Combat Evolved running on not only
PC, but also GameCube hardware, the decision was already made.
Over
the next few months numerous developers openly stated their
intentions to support the Xbox. Developers such as Dave Perry (Messiah)
and Sir. Peter Molyneux (Black And White), both showed a
keen interest in developing games for the console (some of the most
noted games developers at the time).
Later that year Microsoft announced they had started
shipping Xbox development kits in July. Even though they had not
revealed any of the developers which were supporting the Xbox, they
disclosed that about 1000 Xbox Development Kits (XDK) had been
shipped out to about 100 developers.
Microsoft made its development deals officially shortly
before the European Computer Trade Show (ECTs) in
London
. They announced they had signed deals with 18 developers to bring
exclusive content to the Xbox, including Sir. Peter Molyneux’s
UK
based Lionhead Satellites (later  renamed Lionhead Studios), also
Universal Interactive Studios (Vivendi Interactive), Boss Game
Studio and Rainbow Studios among others. On the eve of the TGS in
September, in San Francisco Microsoft confirmed the consoles name
as the Xbox - and also revealed more than 150 developers would
support the system and the first game footage and revamped logo
were presented.
Microsoft's XboxLIVE! service has become the leader
in the world of online games. The service allows you to play
online, competing against gamers all over the world, and with
certain games evolving over months and allowing you to download new
levels, weapons and characters.
Only a few months till the first of the next generation is
released - Xbox360 – and personally I feel that Microsoft have
rushed the development of this system to get it out first, and with
quite a large head start. Will it help them to keep that distance
when the other systems are finally released (Nintendo’s
Revolution and Sony’s PlayStation3), or will it be their
downfall? Time will tell, as the future is nearly here….
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