Prior to 2001, the games console market was dominated by Japanese companies. Nintendo was the elder statesman, Sony was the successful competitor and Sega was the fading giant.However, this three horse race was soon to be joined by another contender, this time from the West. Microsoft revealed the Xbox during the GDC event in 2000, with company founder, Bill Gates pulling back the curtains in person.
The Xbox went on sale in November of 2001 and had a relatively short career in the spotlight before being replaced by the Xbox 360 in 2005. However, this console laid the groundwork for Microsoft’s future success in the market and also included some innovations that would later become standard features.
Microsoft first set a small team onto the task of creating a games console back in 1998. It was worried about the fact that games developers were abandoning Windows in favour of working on titles for Sony’s PlayStation and upcoming PS2 and felt that it was in a good position to launch its own console.
Taking its name from the DirectX API, the Xbox took shape over the next three years. Microsoft used its experience working with Sega on the Dreamcast, for which it provided Windows CE, in order to guide its progress and the results were impressive.
The original Xbox was built in line with Microsoft’s endeavours in the PC market, which meant that it featured a powerful processor, a dedicated internal hard disc and even a broadband network adapter as standard.
Gamers could rip CDs to the Xbox’s hard disc and create their own playlists in certain games, as well as never having to worry about whether or not there would be enough space to create save files.
In November of 2002 the Xbox ushered in another innovation thanks to the creation of the Xbox Live service. This premium subscription-based platform allowed gamers to play online and access other exclusive features in a cohesive and well-supported package.
At the time, there was a lack of cohesion in the console market when it came to online functionality, so Xbox Live was a real wakeup call that indicated to Microsoft’s rivals that they would need to up their game.
The original Xbox went on to sell more than 24 million units globally during its relatively short life and was eventually discontinued completely in 2007.
Microsoft is currently getting ready to announce the third Xbox, which is tentatively referred to as the 720 by the media. So anyone asking, where can I you sell your Xbox games console prior to its launch might want to look online for the answer.
Fans will be hoping that the new Xbox builds on the success of its predecessors and delivers a more PC-like gaming experience than ever before. It might not even need a Halo game to succeed this time.
James West is a tech expert and games reviewer who has worked for a number of publications over the years. He believes that people who sell their Xbox games console now will get a good deal ahead of the announcement of Microsoft’s next-gen device.