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Power On: The Highs And Lows Of Xbox’s Evolution

Power On: The Highs And Lows Of Xbox’s Evolution

A virtual museum, a Q&A session with Halo’s boss. 

And now a documentary.

As part of its celebrations marking twenty years since it was first launched, Xbox has released a six-part (!!) mini series that you can now watch for free on YouTube. “Power On: The Story of Xbox” covers the development, launch and evolution of the console, which was first released in 2001. 

The documentary takes a wide-ranging look at the Xbox’s history – starting from Sony’s PlayStation 2 unveil in 1999 and how its threat to take over PCs finally spurred Microsoft into action. 

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The series also charts the highs and the lows for the Xbox, including the Xbox 360’s infamous Red Ring of Death – an event that cost Microsoft some US$1.5 billion dollars. It was caused by a motherboard design flaw and forced Microsoft to extend the Xbox 360’s warranty to three years. Some fans reported going through four Xbox 360s on the same warranty, And the entire fiasco culminated in a lawsuit.

If you want to remember those dark days, you can purchase a Red Ring of Death “premium print” from the Xbox Gear Shop for US$25. The print was launched in conjunction with the mini documentary. 

“Power On: The Story of Xbox” is not just about Xbox but it’s also about how it made gaming more accessible, especially in North America where Xbox holds the majority of the market share. 

The PlayStation 2 – ironically, the console that resulted in the launch of the Xbox – remains the best selling console of all time with over 150 million units sold. 

*Featured image from Power On: The Story of Xbox

By Samantha Chan \ 09:50am, 16 December 2021

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