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22 years ago the first Xbox launched

Quasicat said:
Since it's backwards compatible, you pop in the disc and it does a title update which is the entire game. The disc is basically a physical key at that point. Unless you're like me and you buy it digitally and leave your disc copy on the shelf. ☺️
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I'm gonna try this. Thanks for the info!
 
The original Xbox was kind of amazing. People forget today that Xbox was kind of like an internal startup at MS. They didn't know what they were doing which meant they could do anything.

The OG Xbox was HUGE because it had HUGE GUTS with that Intel and Nvidia combo, instead of the limp dick AMD trash we have today. The early era had so many experimental games, including the unique Sega titles. OG Bungie before Destiny. Real attempts to come up with ideas to improve gaming experiences like Achievements and Xbox Live.

Today Xbox is a empty monopolistic shell, run by the bean counters who run Windows, obsessed with destroying Sony and buying Nintendo and the rest of the industry. I had an OG Huge Xbox and a launch 360 which went through 3 RRoD replacements. Those were the good old days for sure, today is just sad.
 
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Quasicat said:
I bought the GameCube at launch since I knew Smash Bros and Luigi's Mansion were going to be fun. I wasn't even looking at the Xbox until Panzer Dragoon Orta was announced.
I bought an Xbox the day it came out!
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Same here, Orta was the reason I bought an Xbox.

Great system, 360 was even better. It's a shame that MSFT leadership just took a shit in 2011/2012 and has seemingly never recovered.
 
I honestly like the og xbox slightly more than PS2. PS2 was still a must-have of course, but damn I loved my xbox.

Splinter Cell Chaos Theory
Ninja Gaiden Black
Halo 1
Halo 2
Escape from Butcher Bay

were my top 5. Played DOA2 Ultimate years later and that holds up extremely well, but I think DOA5 Ultimate is my favorite despite not involving Itagaki! Special shout out to Half-Life 2 port which was my main means of playing it until the Orange Box.
 
PGR2 is one of my favorite racing games ever. It was a great first console and had an amazing lineup. You just had to hope you won the disc drive lottery and didn't get stuck with a Thomson unit.
 
Halo
JSRF
Shenmue 2
DOA 3 & ultimate
Otogi 1 & 2
Panzer dragoon Orta
Crimson Skies
Splinter cell games (not the butchered PS2 versions)
PGR 1 & 2
Doom 3
Riddick escape from Butcher bay
Half life 2
...and many others

Man, what a console it was
 
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Got mine late, lust tarted playing Forza, and then they showed project Gotham racing on Xbox 360 🤣

Really enjoyed Forza, Pgr, Conker, Time Splitter games, On Xbox.
 
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That means I have a 22 year old electronic device at home that still works (last time I checked a few months ago). Anyway, congrats. This console convinced me to stick with xbox as my main gaming machine.
 
They couldnt wait 3 more years to have a meaningfull 25y celebration? Anyways, im still hoping one day we get a new Rallisport challenge, to me thats one of the most fun rally racers ever made and still holds up today. I still play the og xbox from time till time, it really has nice games. Outrun c2c / 2 , mechwarrior, DOA, it did a lot of things right, it had MS investing in exclusives to make the system worthwhile, it always kinda felt like the Dreamcast 2 to me with sega's presence.

but take a good look now where we are 22 years later with microsoft and gaming. Its depressing.
 
My only experience with one is my friend who hacked the bejeesus out of his to turn it into a pretty awesome emulation box. Back in the day it was a pretty good use for one. The original colour & design though is fuck ugly. Peak american consumer electronics, boxy with stupid grills to catch all the dirt and dust. However the crystal & clear green colours at least made it look nicer although that stupid green jewel with it's tacky gold paint on the raised text made it look super cheap.
 
The hardware was leaps and bounds better than the competition, they basically put online on the map for consoles and there was tons of exclusive software making the system a must-have. After nailing their first console (at least from a gamer's perspective) I have no idea how Microsodt screwed up this badly to reach their current state.
 
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There would have been no need for a Digital Foundry back then because every game ran perfectly, no nonsense with stuttering, most games were 60fps and even 20 years later some of them still look fantastic. The specs of the Xbox on paper weren't even that great but developers had talent that seems lacking nowadays. They didn't just release a stuttery mess and hope a newer Pro version of the console would come out to brute force their subpar work. They knew they had to get it right first time, and they did. Microsoft back then wouldn't have certified shoddy games for release. Nowadays anything goes.
 
"Hey guys, what should we call our new plastic box?"
"Just take the coolest letter of them all and call it Xbox."
 
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Makes me feel like some old fart. I still remember getting Xbox on my birthday in 2004 or 2005. I was debating whether to get halo 1 or 2. Got halo 2 because it had new features.
 
I bought an OG Xbox for Halo CE,it was a revelation to me back then......they haven't released a game since that has given me any desire to own an Xbox......true story.
 
And I waited in line for it at Walmart at 17.

Didn't go to school that day because I was too tired and felt so sick, LOL.
 
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Unknown Soldier said:
The original Xbox was kind of amazing. People forget today that Xbox was kind of like an internal startup at MS. They didn't know what they were doing which meant they could do anything.

The OG Xbox was HUGE because it had HUGE GUTS with that Intel and Nvidia combo, instead of the limp dick AMD trash we have today. The early era had so many experimental games, including the unique Sega titles. OG Bungie before Destiny. Real attempts to come up with ideas to improve gaming experiences like Achievements and Xbox Live.

Today Xbox is a empty monopolistic shell, run by the bean counters who run Windows, obsessed with destroying Sony and buying Nintendo and the rest of the industry. I had an OG Huge Xbox and a launch 360 which went through 3 RRoD replacements. Those were the good old days for sure, today is just sad.
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They tried to buy Nintendo back then you know. That was the only time they tried.
 
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I remember getting the Xbox, Halo, Oddworld, Cel Damage, and DOA3 for Christmas that year. I think my parents got the bundle from EB games.

One of the best Christmas breaks I ever had from school growing up.
 
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This machine was pure gold for me.
I don't think there's another game where I've played through the campaign as many times as I have with Halo.
Tony Hawk Underground, PGR, James Bond Nightfire, Splinter Cell, Freedom Fighters, Midtown Madness 3, Amped, Black, Burnout series, XIII ... damn those were the days.
Also the last console I got demodiscs for ...
 
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I remember the XBOX when it was unveiled live and I watched it on TechTV (before G4 ever existed) when The Rock and Bill Gates were on stage presenting it. I also remember all the hype about it and seeing the kiosk at my local Toys R Us for the first time.

Great console and great generation, as XBOX brought so many new things to console gaming and especially Halo, Halo 2, and XBOX Live.
 
It was a fantastic console, well designed and had excellent games. I would have liked for more of its games to get BC.
 
This console was really good. Halo, DoA and PGR and that was just launch. RalliSport, Splinter Cell, Doom 3 and HL2 were games that pushed the system ahead of what PS2 and GC could do. Sega had some overlooked games too like Panzer Dragoon, Gun Valkyrie and JSRF. And it was the only console for quite a while that could play SF3 Third Strike online. Ninja Gaiden was one of a kind ofcourse.
 
remember seeing it for the first time in a gamestop.
some car game with a ton of post-processing. made me stop and say "whoa".

saw the console size and went "damn".
saw the controller and laughed.
felt the controller and laughed some more.

never bought one, but kind of have to respect it.
cool boot sequence.

gamecube wins.
 
Always makes me a little sad. Kids don't know Xbox used to be good.

Edit shout out to this game that pioneered first person immersion 20 years before Cyberpunk made it cool

 
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My friends and I were all Nintendo fanboys, and I remember buying an Xbox in secret and not telling them for months 😂

The Duke controller was terrible, but man… playing Halo for the first time was something else. What an awesome console.
 
The whole industry was different and better back then. Now it's mostly about chasing GAAS, user engagements. Whole industry feels devoid of creativity. Indie scene is where its at.
 
Absolutely awesome console I bought Day 1 in UK and still think very fondly of this console, Please bring back the black and white buttons, I remember the black button being used as a quick save button in some games and it was great.

Xbox live was sooooo good back then too, Dedicated servers on my fave MP games like GR/IT and Rainbow Six/black arrow and splinter cell... Being able to choose maps and actually host properly was so much better than today's rabble, Back when UBI were simply the best.

Halo 2 MP even though there was no dedicated hosting it was still a great game, Superb game.

Project Gotham 2 👌👌👌

Panzer Orta!!!

This console deserved to sell gangbusters but sadly PS2 hype was in overdrive worldwide.
 
YeulEmeralda said:
Always makes me a little sad. Kids don't know Xbox used to be good.

Edit shout out to this game that pioneered first person immersion 20 years before Cyberpunk made it cool

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Game fucking RULES. Once you get over that initial difficulty spike at the outset it's just an incredible experience.

And it solidified me as a TRUSTCompany fan

 
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