Ten years ago today, Microsoft’s first games console was put to the mercy of the market. Built under enormous time constraints and creaking from the weight of hype during its production, the future of the Xbox was never certain.
After all, only a handful of console manufacturers have survived Nintendo and Sony’s space. The pressure is such that new consoles quickly find themselves in the same pit as Jaguar, Dreamcast and Neo-Geo if just a couple of business meetings go the wrong way.
If Xbox’s endurance isn’t impressive enough, the extent of its success is bedazzling. It stands shoulder-to- shoulder with PlayStation in terms of global sales and has stridently attacked Nintendo’s casual stronghold.
These commercial triumphs would not be possible without the creative drive from game developers around the world. Develop speaks to a number of studio bosses and creative heads, from established studios to new arrivals, to pay tribute to Microsoft’s prolific box