The big 22! Yep, Xbox is now 22 years of age as Microsoft launched its first ever gaming console on November 15th, 2001. We still remember the days of the OG Xbox very fondly, and what came after has been an amazing ride for Xbox fans around the world.
It's always weird to think that whenever we talk about original Xbox anniversaries, we're basically talking about the whole idea of Xbox as a brand within Microsoft. As 2021's incredible documentary showed us, 'Xbox' was barely a thing at Microsoft HQ mere months before the console became a reality and hit store shelves in fall 2001.
That original box had some amazing games as well, didn't it? Who can forget the big launch title in Halo, or Microsoft's great work with Sega and projects like Jet Set Radio Future & Panzer Dragoon Orta? The system is still impressive today - we use ours every now and then even in an Xbox Series X|S world, and are continually amazed by how much power Microsoft crammed into a console from 2001!
Xbox Live then followed the year after, and as they say, the rest is history. Microsoft's forward-thinking online tech reshaped the entire industry and gave Xbox 360 a fantastic platform to grow - and it really did strengthen Xbox and its position in the market as a viable alternative to PlayStation & Nintendo. We're grateful to the original Xbox and its cutting-edge feature set to this day!
Of course, the Xbox brand is still growing - especially with the likes of Xbox Game Pass pushing the envelope with how we all acquire and play games. Hopefully with the likes of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard now on board, we have an amazing future to look forward as fans of team green. The last generation wasn't the easiest for Xbox fans, but the brand is here to stay and Microsoft is still investing hugely into its gaming division.
Looking back, do you have any standout memories over the last 22 years of Xbox? Whether it be right from that famous first launch back in November '01, or another massive moment within Xbox's history, what stands out to you?
Tell us about your favourite Xbox memories down in the comments below! Oh, and happy birthday to Xbox and that legendary original console.
Comments 21
I’ll have to fire up the old lass tonight in celebration 🎉
Happy Birthday ol Xbox. I remember getting it for Christmas with Halo and the original Ghost Recon. Good times
Dear @Baler
I was thinking the same thing.
I truly missed many different (and lovely) games there...
There was something really, really special about that first Xbox. Microsoft was so eager to get into games and had this incredibly consumer-and-dev friendly approach — while also having a bit of a punk-rock attitude to shed away their stiff corporate image.
The games were incredible, like having a PC hooked up to your TV. A hard drive that you could rip your CDs to and make custom game soundtracks. Xbox Live. Tear away controller cables in case someone stepped on a wire to prevent damage. So many innovations in such a short period of time. And they were shaking up the industry.
OG Xbox is probably my second favorite games console, behind Sega Dreamcast and at least tied with, if not ahead of, the N64.
Happy birthday you gigantic, powerful, amazing, ugly *****.
@EvenStephen7 It was awesome when it came out. It was super powerful and they were really pushing it. I remember getting it at launch with PGR and Halo. Then later picking up Gunvalkyrie, amped and JSRF in the months that followed. The games, graphics and that original controller felt like nothing else that had come before it lol groundbreaking stuff at the time
I have been playing on the Xbox since 2003 and before that I played on the Sega and Kotor 1 and Kotor 2 were my favorite games on the OG Xbox and congratulations on Xbox
Happy Birthday Xbox
Happy Birthday XBOX !!. Many great memories of the original system Halo 1 and 2, Forza, KOTOR. Project Gotham Racing.
Also a big shout out to extremely fun games Burnout 3 Takedown, Outrun Coast to Coast, Tiger Woods PGA tour etc
i have an old tube tv in the shed that may work. anyone's og xbox didn't work after years of storage?
I remember wanting the Xbox over the Playstation 2 because of the name. Xbox sounded better and looked cool because it was black. I got mine Christmas 02' and never looked back.
Still have mine, still hooked up to a CRT. Still buying games for it. Such a great console!
I sold my ps2 to get og Xbox and have never looked back . Been on Xbox ever since. Halo made me want one and once my kids saw halo they wanted Xbox too..😘
Congratulations! It's nice to read all these memories although I didn't go green until Xbox One, but mainly because of the backwards compatibility (and Killer Instinct). Like you, I never looked back. It's the best platform for gaming.
I still have an OG Xbox Crystal, not my OG Xbox I traded in to get the crystal. I remember it well as I was impressed by and eager to play this epic new game unlike anything I'd seen a console do at that time called Halo: Combat Evolved and the Xbox became a 'must' buy for me...
It really doesn't seem like that long ago...
Although I never owned the original Xbox I still remember playing Halo at a friends house. Good Times. Happy birthday Xbox.
Packing up and travelling to a friends house with a CRT TV and the Xbox for a Halo LAN party was the best!
Happy Birthday Xbox!! ♥️
Happy birthday Xbox. I owned every system and had some fond memories with each console.
@rustyduck As long as you removed the clock capacitor, you should be fine.
I still have all of my Xbox systems. That includes: 3 OG Xbox, 5 Xbox 360, 2 Xbox One X and a Series X. I got my OG Xbox day one. I worked at Microsoft at the time and I remember they had the Xbox games at the company store for $10. I just recently acquired my 1000th xbox game and have acquired 60 more since then.
I've had them all. I'll never forget my first win of Lone Wolves (FFA) on Halo 2. It was my 234th game and catching up with the skill of everyone else was brutal, as I got my OG Xbox late in the day.
Other stand out moment is Chromehounds on the 360, that lobby system has never been bettered in my mind and made being part of a clan really feel like a community. Didn't expect it to be the only Implementation of such a great lobby system, it felt like the future of online gaming at the time
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