Gadgetory

how did a company best known for Clippy become responsible for halo adventures in tech explains how Microsoft found its cool and created the very first Xbox no one expected Microsoft to reshape the world of video games for starters it wasn't the kind of company that made awesome games machines it was the kind of company that hired the cast of friends to make ill-advised Windows 95 promos anyway when Bill Gates revealed plans to build a console we all enjoyed a good chuckle but while Microsoft had no experience making consoles I knew more about gaming than many of us assumed several years earlier Microsoft had forged Direct X a series of tools for building games for Windows developers were already used to using these tools thanks in no small part to Bill Gates himself extolling their virtues from inside a game of Doom's these games were getting really realistic DirectX had already made a console appearance as part of a Windows CE eversion that Microsoft built for the Dreamcast in the end though it was only used by handful of games something more drastic was required for members of the DirectX team built a prototype console and pitched the direct Xbox to Microsoft's head freeze the project took off with a shorter name and a few years later we got our first look at the Xbox which was shown off looking like a massive silver X it's a good job they changed it because that design would have made for a problematic sequel Microsoft built the Xbox on Windows cutting down development time by using off-the-shelf or barely modified PC components like its Intel Pentium 3 processor it was the first console to come with a built-in hard drive and even had its own Ethernet port it was powerful to Microsoft boasted its system was more than three times as graphically capable as the ps2 pushing 300 million polygons per second hardware was only half the battle gamers wanted games as such Microsoft invested some of its cash in a title that would become a global phenomenon developed by Bungie Studios halo was first shown off in 1999 by Apple Steve Jobs and was intended to run on Mac and Windows when Microsoft bought Bungie halo became an exclusive Xbox launch title one that hit a million sales in just four months that incredible success was replicated in 2004 with Halo 2 which provided a perfect launch pad for the Xbox Live online service halo 2 became the fastest selling media product ever making 125 million dollars in 24 hours just in the US and leaving Sony scrambling to think of a blockbuster shooter of its own Microsoft drafted the ailing Sega to publish a slew of games for the Xbox also nabbing some neat exclusives over the years the system would play host to plenty of great games and by the time the Xbox 360 was out sales of the original had hit 24 million units the Xbox wasn't perfect it had the world's chunky ax stroller and by the time the 360 took over the ps2 had outsold it by roughly four to one that didn't matter though because Microsoft had managed what nobody thought possible establishing a foothold on the mighty mountain of console gaming perhaps Microsoft's greatest trick was not overthinking it they made a console that was basically a PC in a box and ensured it had plenty of great games today the Xbox one has Kinect TV integration and much more but you have to wonder whether Microsoft has lost sight of the simple principles that made its first console such a success did you own an original Xbox and what do you think of Microsoft's gaming powers today let me know and check back next time for another adventure in tech