Xbox is a video game console system that consists of nine different models, as well as applications(games), an online service known as Xbox network, streaming services, and the development known as Xbox Game Studios it was invented and owned by an American company, Microsoft. After the Atari Jaguar stopped sales in 1996, Xbox became the first video game console invented by an American company.
Introduction of Xbox
On November 15, 2001, Xbox was introduced in the United States, with the launch of the original Xbox console and displays into a competitor with Nintendo’s GameCube and Sony’s PlayStation 2.
The company spent a great effort on a digital library known as DirectX, they wanted to showcase what the software could do with a dedicated gaming system named the DirectX Box or Xbox.
On the same day, Bungie Studios launched the legendary Halo Franchise alongside the system. Seamus Blackley, Ted Hase, Kevin Bachus, and Otto Berkes were the developer of Xbox. The team inform Bill Gates about the idea in 1998 as they saw the trend of console systems gaining steam.
The console was named Direct Xbox by the original design and was meant to execute Windows 2000. However, the team wanted to compete with Sony Play station 2 so, they made the hardware twice as powerful as the Sony console.
In 2000, at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), Bill Gates proclaimed Microsoft’s development of a gaming console. At the period of that time, console features and gameplay were such a step ahead. At Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft proclaimed months later on. This is where the company contact Bungie and after, Microsoft purchased the studio for $30 million.
In 2002, Microsoft noticed the potential of online gaming and was used to it concerning their Windows platform. In November same year, Microsoft introduces Xbox Live. Xbox gained a new image when the online gameplay service became live.
Read more on: 6 Amazing Ways On How To Become Rich
The strategic plan of Microsoft
Microsoft struggled to make consistent profits from its console when Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation became their rival. In 2009, Xbox 360 Elite price was reduced to 25 percent so that it may catch the market share.
Around 2010 in America, Xbox 360 became the most used game console and the Xbox Live network had more than 20 million subscribers.
Microsoft unleashed the Xbox One which is heftier to address one of the most persistent defects of the Xbox 360. Xbox One doesn’t overheat due to a larger good ventilated housing and a responsive cooling mechanism.
Editions of Xbox
However, Xbox names in gaming history have been taken by nine various models. In the gaming industry, Microsoft has made the brand noticeable throughout its existence.
The first edition of Microsoft console games
On November 15th, 2001, The Xbox was introduced and released to the Japanese market on February 22, 2002, and on March 14, 2002, to European and Australian audiences. Xbox was given a library it needed to take a good market share and survive through the classic and revolutionary titles.
The second edition of Microsoft console games
Microsoft introduced the second loop of the Xbox console family on November 22, 2005, known as Xbox 360. It had 512 MB of RAM and was capped out at 60 GB for storage. Xbox 360 boasted more entertainment features through its size which was slim.
The console introduced avatars, better friends list functionality, music streaming, and the ability to purchase the Kinect peripheral. The difference in gameplay quality between the original Xbox and the Xbox 360 was large enough that it pushed Sony to create a device that can truly compete, the Playstation 3.
During the time of the second console, The franchise of long-running such as Gears of War, Red Dead Resolver, and Assassin’s Creed were introduced. It became the first console to access and replace internal storage easily. On April 20, 2016, Xbox 360 stopped sales after the introduce Xbox one.
The third edition of Microsoft console games
In 2013, Xbox One was released. It has 8 GB of RAM and 500 GB of hard drive space. The console is large in size than Xbox 360 and has a weight of an additional pound and a half.
The console has executed the increasing software demands of games like Grand Theft Auto V, Warframe, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, Dead rising 3, etc through the increment of CPU and GPU power. Xbox one became stagnant due to the advent of Xbox One X.
The fourth edition of Microsoft console games
On August 2, 2016, the Xbox one was introduced into the gaming industry. This console was a smaller size compared to Xbox One and Microsoft was still able to pack more power into the device. Although, Microsoft made this console to refine the Xbox One to fit into a smaller space. It became the first console of Xbox to come with updated Bluetooth controllers.
The fifth edition of Microsoft console games
The Xbox One X was an improved quality model of One S and was released on November 7, 2017, with access to an identical library of games but playable in 4k resolutions. Due to the production of the Series X and Series S, Microsoft stopped the production of One X.
The sixth edition of Microsoft console games
On November 10, 2020, Microsoft made Series X more catchy to their viewers to play at 8k resolution with 60 frames per second. It can execute the Xbox OS, moreover, compete with components of hardware and the price of PCs can overperform.
The seventh edition of Microsoft console games
The purpose of Series S is to reduce the cost option for gaming that relies on a completely digital library. It means that Series S is made without a disc drive and also no specifications released about the console.
Although, at the lower resolution, they offer the same gaming experience as the Series X. It is the smallest console that Microsoft has made to date. The console can’t act as a 4k Blu-ray player but, it enables streaming 4k content from web services.
Read more on: Game Consoles: The 7 Best Consoles Of All Time In The 21st Century
Gold
After the 360, Xbox Gold was released to manage good quality online gaming services such as chat rooms, friends lists, community management, and internet access. Gold is an edition of payment, while Xbox Silver was released as a free version. The online service was named Gold after the release of the Xbox One.
Game Pass
Game pass is an online service that acts as an Xbox Gold subscription and a game streaming subscription. It permits subscribers to browse more than a hundred titles and it can install them remotely to their consoles or play them through cloud streaming on their mobile devices.
