Oscillator
Moblin
Apologies for contributing to the glut of Xbox threads... hopefully this one brings some good vibes. ^_^
Yeah. Launched by setting a template both for multiple XB/PS consoles that would follow it and for online multiplayer and infrastructure on consoles in general. Then was able to capitalise on the late and pricey PS3 launch to give 360 the boost it needed to bed in as a major competitor, getting players all set up in the whole ‘digital ecosystem’ that then encourages people to go not only where their friends are, but where their old games are too.The original Xbox never outsold the PS2, but it pretty much set the template for where console design would go from then on.
- Integrated hard drive
- PC derived architecture that allowed tools to be developed and shared between PC and console
- Fully fleshed out live service that allowed online multiplayer and DLC
Insanely forward thinking console, and it had the games to match. It's an absolute travesty what has happened to the Xbox brand since.
Yeah. Launched by setting a template both for multiple XB/PS consoles that would follow it and for online multiplayer and infrastructure on consoles in general. Then was able to capitalise on the late and pricey PS3 launch to give 360 the boost it needed to bed in as a major competitor, getting players all set up in the whole ‘digital ecosystem’ that then encourages people to go not only where their friends are, but where their old games are too.
The original Xbox was disruptive in the best way.
But then the XB1 launch happened with a plan that put domination over the living room as a US-focused media hub first, and giving a portfolio of studios room to grow and make the games they are good at making second. They’ve been circling the drain ever since.
Thing is, it’s not like their original XB/360 plans weren’t aimed at grabbing the console gaming mainstream from Sony. It’s just that they did it by making online gaming both easy and attractive with good games, a platform people wanted to be on. That’s like running a games platform 101.
Chaos Theory is still the best stealth game to this day, and nothing else since has come even close.
Splinter Cell in general is crazily underrated - a number of other games get credited for gameplay innovations that actually had their start here.