XBOX
The Xbox is the
first console from Microsoft that ventured into the video game console
market, after having collaborated with Sega in porting Windows CE to
the Dreamcast
console. The Xbox first edition was initially developed by a small
Microsoft team that included game developer Seamus Blackley. Microsoft
repeatedly delayed the console, which was first mentioned in late 1999
during interviews with then-Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. Gates stated that
a gaming/multimedia device was essential for multimedia convergence in
the new times, confirmed by Microsoft with a press release. When Bill
Gates unveiled the Xbox at the Game Developers Conference in 2000,
audiences were dazzled by the console's technology. At the time of
Gates' announcement, Sega's Dreamcast was diminishing and Sony's
PlayStation 2 was just hitting the streets in Japan.
The era of the Xbox was in August 2005 and was replaced by the Xbox
360 which had more superior storage, audio and video capabilities
compared to the original Xbox. The Xbox 360 is also with a removable
hard drive add on, Xbox 360 redefines what games look like, sound like,
feel like, and play like to engage you like never before. Every Xbox
360 title supports 720p and 1080i high definition resolution or 480p
standard definition resolution, in 16:9 widescreen, with anti-aliasing
so you enjoy smooth, movie-like graphics and multi-channel surround
sound. Vibrant characters display depth of emotion to evoke more
dramatic responses, immersing you in the experience.
On November 15, 2002, Microsoft launched its Xbox Live online gaming
service, allowing subscribers to play online Xbox games with
other subscribers around the world and download new content directly
to the system's hard drive. The online service works only with a
broadband Internet connection. Approximately 250,000 subscribers signed
up within two months of Xbox Live's launch. In July 2004, Microsoft
announced that Xbox Live had reached one million subscribers; in July
2005, membership reached two million, and by July 2007 there were more
than 3 million subscribers. By May 2009, the number had ballooned to 20
million current subscribers. On February 5, 2010, Marc Whitten posted
on gamerscoreblog that Xbox Live support for the original Xbox games
would be discontinued as of April 15, 2010
