Today marks 20 years since the creation of the original Xbox. To celebrate, Xbox had a 20th Anniversary Stream; you can watch the full stream above or continue reading to recap what went down.
Power On: The Xbox Story
The first significant portion of the Xbox 20th Anniversary stream was introducing a new docu-series that showcases the creation of Xbox. This documentary promises to go back to the early days when Xbox was just a thought created by many workers at Microsoft. The main message that seemed consistent through the trailer was that the Xbox idea was a reach and not one that Microsoft believed in at first. The documentary will be in 6 parts and will be on YouTube. The docu-series comes out on December 13. But, anyone who attends Xbox FanFest will get an early viewing.
Xbox Philosophy/Backwards Compatibility Announcement
The Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, was out next discussing the philosophy behind Xbox. First, he talked about their decisions and that they always had the fans in mind. Next, he recapped big moments in recent years, like the many accessibility improvements on Xbox. Next, he discussed how Xbox Live connected people from all around the world. Then, a video was played showcasing many gamers worldwide who have met up with friends they made online.
After the video was over, an announcement was made surrounding the Backwards Compatibility program on both the Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles. Seventy new games are coming to the program from series like F.E.A.R, Max Payne, and Star Wars. In addition, 30 of the 70 games announced will also be eligible for the next generation FPS Boost feature that makes old games play as smoothly as current games. For more games involved in the program and the new ones coming, you can see them here.
Xbox Flashback Moments
Xbox also played flashbacks to big moments throughout the stream, including The Rock and Bill Gates revealing the first Xbox, Phil Spencer announcing Backwards Compatability, and Keanu Reeves announcing CyberPunk2077. You can watch all the flashback moments below:
It would not be an Xbox celebration without Halo. Halo is Xbox’s crown jewel, the center of the franchise. One of the console’s best exclusives of all time and a game that helped shape Xbox itself. On the 20th Anniversary Stream, two MASSIVE Halo announcements should leave Xbox fans very pleased.
Halo TV Show Teaser
Any fan of Halo has begged and pleaded for there to be a live-action show that showcases the story of Halo. The game has such a gripping narrative that it would work perfectly as a show. Finally, in 2022, this dream will become a reality. Not many details are released about the show except that Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television is producing it. The show’s description states that it will focus on the 26th-century war between the United Nations Space Command and the alien Covenant. Like the games, Halo’s main character Master Chief and his helpful ally Cortana are confirmed to be the show’s core.
Halo: Infinite Multiplayer is LIVE!
Now for the big reveal, when you get that ‘But wait, there’s more!’ kind of speech at the end of an Xbox stream, you know it’s a game trailer. This time did not disappoint, as it was a trailer that confirmed that Halo: Infinite’s Multiplayer mode would go live at the end of the Anniversary Stream. The Multiplayer is now officially out, and it is entirely free to play on all Xbox consoles and PC. In addition, season 1 of the battle pass, which brings new skins, gear, and surprises, is also live.
To celebrate 20 years of excellence in the gaming industry, Xbox knocked it out of the park.
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