Spring Break
The life and times of the Microsoft Xbox
Stephen Ortiz
Issue date: 3/4/09 Section: Focus
On Nov. 15, 2001, Microsoft, the longtime computer software company of "Windows" fame, threw its hat into the ring of home console gaming. The Xbox would take the spot of the failed Sega Dreamcast and ultimately disrupt the console war between Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's Gamecube.
Often criticized for its size (OK, it was large enough to crush a small country), lack of quality exclusives (a flaw crafted by fanboys) and poor launch controller (which was later re-crafted to excellent effect), the Xbox faced adversity from the get-go and needed to make up a lot of ground to gain the respect of elite gamers.
Now, seven-and-a-half years later, with 24 million consoles sold and nearly 1,000 games released, Microsoft has proven itself world over (except perhaps in Japan) that it can square off against the big boys. But just as every console rises, it must also fall.
As the Xbox 360 sits comfortably at second-place in the home console war, the original Xbox has become an antique. Early last month, gaming retailer giant GameStop has officially stopped accepting all Xbox consoles, games and accessories. Yesterday, Microsoft ceased service repairs worldwide. In honor of the console's end, let's take a trip down memory lane with the top 10 games from its life cycle.
1. "Halo"/ "Halo 2": Let's face it. No matter how many people out there claim that "Halo" is overrated, that it's nothing that we haven't seen before and that it's a simple, mindless console shooter, without it, the Xbox would have never made it. Bungie gave Microsoft a face for their console - the shoot-first, talk-later Master Chief - and a multiplayer game that will never be matched by any other console shooter.
2. "Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic:" Combining two unlikely forces - BioWare, developer of the highly acclaimed "Baldur's Gate" series, and LucasArts, a longtime publisher of classic PC games - produced the greatest "Star Wars" game since the '90s. With a wonderful story that took place in that galaxy far, far away long before the events of the films, an action/RPG combat system and an open-ended galaxy to explore, Bioware gave the Xbox a much-needed role-playing title.
Often criticized for its size (OK, it was large enough to crush a small country), lack of quality exclusives (a flaw crafted by fanboys) and poor launch controller (which was later re-crafted to excellent effect), the Xbox faced adversity from the get-go and needed to make up a lot of ground to gain the respect of elite gamers.
Now, seven-and-a-half years later, with 24 million consoles sold and nearly 1,000 games released, Microsoft has proven itself world over (except perhaps in Japan) that it can square off against the big boys. But just as every console rises, it must also fall.
As the Xbox 360 sits comfortably at second-place in the home console war, the original Xbox has become an antique. Early last month, gaming retailer giant GameStop has officially stopped accepting all Xbox consoles, games and accessories. Yesterday, Microsoft ceased service repairs worldwide. In honor of the console's end, let's take a trip down memory lane with the top 10 games from its life cycle.
1. "Halo"/ "Halo 2": Let's face it. No matter how many people out there claim that "Halo" is overrated, that it's nothing that we haven't seen before and that it's a simple, mindless console shooter, without it, the Xbox would have never made it. Bungie gave Microsoft a face for their console - the shoot-first, talk-later Master Chief - and a multiplayer game that will never be matched by any other console shooter.
2. "Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic:" Combining two unlikely forces - BioWare, developer of the highly acclaimed "Baldur's Gate" series, and LucasArts, a longtime publisher of classic PC games - produced the greatest "Star Wars" game since the '90s. With a wonderful story that took place in that galaxy far, far away long before the events of the films, an action/RPG combat system and an open-ended galaxy to explore, Bioware gave the Xbox a much-needed role-playing title.
Be the first to comment on this story