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This is quite a long post but well worth taking the time to read to get you up to speed on the X-Box. These are quotes from J Allard, the General Manager of Xbox worldwide, given in a recent interview. They are copied and pasted here purely for your information/amusement. No editing has been undertaken on my part. Comment how you see fit.
"Xbox has a philosophy of a machine that was designed by gamers for gamers. We went to see thousands of gamers and monitored how they played games and what they liked and didn't like and then we took their ideas and put them into the Xbox and the controller.
"The design of a box isn't important, just like the design of a hi-fi amplifier. The CD is what contains the magic, the amplifier, just like the Xbox gives it the power for you to enjoy the magic. We wanted to base the design on high-end audio equipment, something that looks energetic and futuristic - sadly, we couldn't keep the silver X as it was a little too impractical, even though everybody loved them.
"The Xbox isn't going to kill off PC gaming over night. Console gaming and PC gaming are completely separate. Console gaming is far more sociable - 4 people sitting on a couch playing games. This was important in the design of Xbox and the way the games will be made. Xbox is a console and there will always be great PC games.
"The hard disk is not about Windows. It's not about Internet Trojan horses. It's about games and making the gaming experience better. The Xbox will carry on the continuity of the gaming experience, if you shoot a hole in a wall, that hole in the wall will remain. If you play the game, then turn it off or decide to play FIFA for a couple of hours, the Xbox will know exactly how you left the game and the next time you play the game will be exactly the same as you left it.
"Online console gaming will move from being a novelty to a necessity. Gaming is a social challenge, whether it's 4 people in a room, 40 people at a party or 4 million across the world. Console gaming and the ethernet broadband connection on the Xbox will make Xbox a truly global console allowing everybody in the world to play against each other. The Xbox is a console for everybody. There's a PC on every desk and office in the world, why not a Xbox for every home.
"The competition isn't another console, it's another form of entertainment. Video games have never been a legitimate form of entertainment. The Xbox has the power and more importantly the developers who have the techniques to create a form of digital entertainment that can finally compete with other forms of entertainment.
"Xbox is a five year business. We're looking at the long haul. Coming out second has big benefits, we know all the disappointment of the PS2. We know that it's a question of doing it right, we must have a sufficient amount of hardware and good software at launch. Xbox is going to be the Ferrari of video games - everything is going to be of the highest quality.
"2001 is going to be the best ever year for videogames - the Xbox, the GameCube, the Gameboy Advance and all the second-generation PS2 games that will be appearing. I'm really excited about the Gamecube. Microsoft and Nintendo are very different, Nintendo will be looking at the younger market and a catalogue of great Mario and Zelda games. If Microsoft are the Ferrari of videogames, Nintendo are a family hatchback and the PlayStation 2 is a mini-van.
The Xbox will be competitively priced."
Source: Withheld for commercial reasons.
"Xbox has a philosophy of a machine that was designed by gamers for gamers. We went to see thousands of gamers and monitored how they played games and what they liked and didn't like and then we took their ideas and put them into the Xbox and the controller.
"The design of a box isn't important, just like the design of a hi-fi amplifier. The CD is what contains the magic, the amplifier, just like the Xbox gives it the power for you to enjoy the magic. We wanted to base the design on high-end audio equipment, something that looks energetic and futuristic - sadly, we couldn't keep the silver X as it was a little too impractical, even though everybody loved them.
"The Xbox isn't going to kill off PC gaming over night. Console gaming and PC gaming are completely separate. Console gaming is far more sociable - 4 people sitting on a couch playing games. This was important in the design of Xbox and the way the games will be made. Xbox is a console and there will always be great PC games.
"The hard disk is not about Windows. It's not about Internet Trojan horses. It's about games and making the gaming experience better. The Xbox will carry on the continuity of the gaming experience, if you shoot a hole in a wall, that hole in the wall will remain. If you play the game, then turn it off or decide to play FIFA for a couple of hours, the Xbox will know exactly how you left the game and the next time you play the game will be exactly the same as you left it.
"Online console gaming will move from being a novelty to a necessity. Gaming is a social challenge, whether it's 4 people in a room, 40 people at a party or 4 million across the world. Console gaming and the ethernet broadband connection on the Xbox will make Xbox a truly global console allowing everybody in the world to play against each other. The Xbox is a console for everybody. There's a PC on every desk and office in the world, why not a Xbox for every home.
"The competition isn't another console, it's another form of entertainment. Video games have never been a legitimate form of entertainment. The Xbox has the power and more importantly the developers who have the techniques to create a form of digital entertainment that can finally compete with other forms of entertainment.
"Xbox is a five year business. We're looking at the long haul. Coming out second has big benefits, we know all the disappointment of the PS2. We know that it's a question of doing it right, we must have a sufficient amount of hardware and good software at launch. Xbox is going to be the Ferrari of video games - everything is going to be of the highest quality.
"2001 is going to be the best ever year for videogames - the Xbox, the GameCube, the Gameboy Advance and all the second-generation PS2 games that will be appearing. I'm really excited about the Gamecube. Microsoft and Nintendo are very different, Nintendo will be looking at the younger market and a catalogue of great Mario and Zelda games. If Microsoft are the Ferrari of videogames, Nintendo are a family hatchback and the PlayStation 2 is a mini-van.
The Xbox will be competitively priced."
Source: Withheld for commercial reasons.
This is quite a long post but well worth taking the time to read to get you up to speed on the X-Box. These are quotes from J Allard, the General Manager of Xbox worldwide, given in a recent interview. They are copied and pasted here purely for your information/amusement. No editing has been undertaken on my part. Comment how you see fit.
"Xbox has a philosophy of a machine that was designed by gamers for gamers. We went to see thousands of gamers and monitored how they played games and what they liked and didn't like and then we took their ideas and put them into the Xbox and the controller.
"The design of a box isn't important, just like the design of a hi-fi amplifier. The CD is what contains the magic, the amplifier, just like the Xbox gives it the power for you to enjoy the magic. We wanted to base the design on high-end audio equipment, something that looks energetic and futuristic - sadly, we couldn't keep the silver X as it was a little too impractical, even though everybody loved them.
"The Xbox isn't going to kill off PC gaming over night. Console gaming and PC gaming are completely separate. Console gaming is far more sociable - 4 people sitting on a couch playing games. This was important in the design of Xbox and the way the games will be made. Xbox is a console and there will always be great PC games.
"The hard disk is not about Windows. It's not about Internet Trojan horses. It's about games and making the gaming experience better. The Xbox will carry on the continuity of the gaming experience, if you shoot a hole in a wall, that hole in the wall will remain. If you play the game, then turn it off or decide to play FIFA for a couple of hours, the Xbox will know exactly how you left the game and the next time you play the game will be exactly the same as you left it.
"Online console gaming will move from being a novelty to a necessity. Gaming is a social challenge, whether it's 4 people in a room, 40 people at a party or 4 million across the world. Console gaming and the ethernet broadband connection on the Xbox will make Xbox a truly global console allowing everybody in the world to play against each other. The Xbox is a console for everybody. There's a PC on every desk and office in the world, why not a Xbox for every home.
"The competition isn't another console, it's another form of entertainment. Video games have never been a legitimate form of entertainment. The Xbox has the power and more importantly the developers who have the techniques to create a form of digital entertainment that can finally compete with other forms of entertainment.
"Xbox is a five year business. We're looking at the long haul. Coming out second has big benefits, we know all the disappointment of the PS2. We know that it's a question of doing it right, we must have a sufficient amount of hardware and good software at launch. Xbox is going to be the Ferrari of video games - everything is going to be of the highest quality.
"2001 is going to be the best ever year for videogames - the Xbox, the GameCube, the Gameboy Advance and all the second-generation PS2 games that will be appearing. I'm really excited about the Gamecube. Microsoft and Nintendo are very different, Nintendo will be looking at the younger market and a catalogue of great Mario and Zelda games. If Microsoft are the Ferrari of videogames, Nintendo are a family hatchback and the PlayStation 2 is a mini-van.
The Xbox will be competitively priced."
Source: Withheld for commercial reasons.
"Xbox has a philosophy of a machine that was designed by gamers for gamers. We went to see thousands of gamers and monitored how they played games and what they liked and didn't like and then we took their ideas and put them into the Xbox and the controller.
"The design of a box isn't important, just like the design of a hi-fi amplifier. The CD is what contains the magic, the amplifier, just like the Xbox gives it the power for you to enjoy the magic. We wanted to base the design on high-end audio equipment, something that looks energetic and futuristic - sadly, we couldn't keep the silver X as it was a little too impractical, even though everybody loved them.
"The Xbox isn't going to kill off PC gaming over night. Console gaming and PC gaming are completely separate. Console gaming is far more sociable - 4 people sitting on a couch playing games. This was important in the design of Xbox and the way the games will be made. Xbox is a console and there will always be great PC games.
"The hard disk is not about Windows. It's not about Internet Trojan horses. It's about games and making the gaming experience better. The Xbox will carry on the continuity of the gaming experience, if you shoot a hole in a wall, that hole in the wall will remain. If you play the game, then turn it off or decide to play FIFA for a couple of hours, the Xbox will know exactly how you left the game and the next time you play the game will be exactly the same as you left it.
"Online console gaming will move from being a novelty to a necessity. Gaming is a social challenge, whether it's 4 people in a room, 40 people at a party or 4 million across the world. Console gaming and the ethernet broadband connection on the Xbox will make Xbox a truly global console allowing everybody in the world to play against each other. The Xbox is a console for everybody. There's a PC on every desk and office in the world, why not a Xbox for every home.
"The competition isn't another console, it's another form of entertainment. Video games have never been a legitimate form of entertainment. The Xbox has the power and more importantly the developers who have the techniques to create a form of digital entertainment that can finally compete with other forms of entertainment.
"Xbox is a five year business. We're looking at the long haul. Coming out second has big benefits, we know all the disappointment of the PS2. We know that it's a question of doing it right, we must have a sufficient amount of hardware and good software at launch. Xbox is going to be the Ferrari of video games - everything is going to be of the highest quality.
"2001 is going to be the best ever year for videogames - the Xbox, the GameCube, the Gameboy Advance and all the second-generation PS2 games that will be appearing. I'm really excited about the Gamecube. Microsoft and Nintendo are very different, Nintendo will be looking at the younger market and a catalogue of great Mario and Zelda games. If Microsoft are the Ferrari of videogames, Nintendo are a family hatchback and the PlayStation 2 is a mini-van.
The Xbox will be competitively priced."
Source: Withheld for commercial reasons.