They grow up so fast! Not many gave Microsoft a chance when it entered the gaming space head-first on November 15, 2001, with the original Xbox and Halo: Combat Evolved as its launch title.
Fast forward a couple of decades later, and here we are, marking exactly 20 years since the venture.
Redmond celebrated the occasion with the Xbox Anniversary Celebrations, which were streamed live and followed the birthday bash with appropriate launches. These ranged from the final batch of backward-compatible games to a special vault with The Rock that offered a chance to win limited edition prizes.
And amidst all that, we also got the launch of Halo Infinite Multiplayer.
Amazeballs!
The Xbox Anniversary Celebration show began at 10 a.m. PT and was streamed live on the official Xbox channels on YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook, with subtitles in 30 languages.
Microsoft also launched a couple of peripherals to mark the occasion, with the 20th Anniversary Special Edition Xbox Wireless Controller and Xbox Stereo Headset sporting translucent bodies. These are actually shipping out today.
This is unlike the Xbox Series X Mini Fridge, which is also a thing, though you will have to wait until December to get your hands on it.
But this much is clear the Xbox brand is now stronger than ever.
From humble beginnings, the risk Microsoft took is now a core business for the company. Things started with the launch of an iconic game that changed the landscape of console shooters forever and only went up with the platform’s pioneering features like game achievements and digital game distribution.
We have seen since that the company launched a new gaming subscription service with Xbox Game Pass and the new Cloud Gaming service, which is available on PCs and mobile devices.
Talk about changing the game!
