Xbox

Did You Know?

• A group of users known as the 'Noble 14' continued to play Halo 2 online for almost a month after Xbox Live support for original Xbox games was discontinued on April 14, 2010, by simply leaving their consoles on.
• The initial layer of security on the Xbox BIOS was broken by MIT student Andrew Huang within a few months of release using custom-built hardware.
• Xbox Live reached 100,000 subscriptions in its first week of operation in November 2002.

History

Before entering the home console market, Microsoft had success publishing video games for Windows PCs, including Microsoft Flight Simulator and Age of Empires. Sony's PlayStation 2, announced in March 1999, was intended to act as a gateway for home entertainment, and Microsoft CEO Bill Gates saw it as a threat to Windows PCs. Gates decided Microsoft needed to compete with Sony in the console market. Sega had developed a version of Windows CE for its Dreamcast, and Gates had approached Sony CEO Nobuyuki Idei about developing programming software for the PS2, but was declined. Microsoft also attempted to acquire Nintendo but was turned down.

Hardware

The Xbox was the first video game console with a built-in hard disk drive, used for storing game saves and downloaded content from Xbox Live, eliminating the need for separate memory cards. Users could rip music from audio CDs to the hard drive for custom soundtracks in some games. Unlike the PlayStation 2, the Xbox required an external IR adapter plugged into a controller port to play movie DVDs; without it, an error screen appeared. The Xbox DVD Playback Kit included the IR sensor and a remote control manufactured by Thomson, which went on sale in late 2002.

The console was the first to feature Dolby Interactive Content-Encoding Technology for real-time Dolby Digital encoding. It was based on commodity PC hardware, making it larger and heavier than contemporaries due to a bulky tray-loading DVD-ROM drive and a standard-size 3.5-inch hard drive. Breakaway cables for controllers were introduced as a safety feature.

Software

The Xbox runs a custom operating system based on a heavily modified version of Windows 2000, exporting APIs similar to Direct3D. Its source code was leaked in 2020. The user interface, called the Xbox Dashboard, features a media player for music CDs, ripping CDs to the hard drive, and managing game saves and downloaded content. It uses shades of green and black to match the console's color scheme.

When the Xbox launched in 2001, Xbox Live was not yet online, so the Dashboard's Live sections were absent. Xbox Live was released in November 2002, requiring a starter kit with a headset and subscription. The Dashboard was updated via Live several times to reduce cheating and add features. Popular launch games included Halo: Combat Evolved, Project Gotham Racing, and Dead or Alive 3, each selling over a million copies in the US.

Early Xbox games often did not fully use the hardware until a year after release. Sony secured exclusives for Grand Theft Auto and Metal Gear Solid, while Nintendo secured Resident Evil. Sega announced an 11-game exclusivity deal at Tokyo Game Show, releasing titles like Jet Set Radio Future and Panzer Dragoon Orta.

Sales

Anticipation for the Xbox was high before launch, with Toys 'R' Us and Amazon reporting online preorders sold out within 30 minutes. Microsoft planned to ship 1–1.5 million units by the end of 2001. The launch was one of the most successful in video game history, with sales surpassing 1 million after three weeks and reaching 1.5 million by the end of 2001. The system had one of the highest attachment rates at launch, with over three games sold per unit. Strong sales were tied to Halo: Combat Evolved, which sold over 1 million units by April 2002 with a 50% attach rate. By July 2004, the system had sold 15.5 million units worldwide. In 2008, the original Xbox was still Microsoft's best-selling console compared to its successor until the Xbox 360 surpassed it in November 2008.