Скачать или смотреть G4 Icons E25 - Microsoft Xbox

This episode of G4 Icons tells the dramatic, behind-the-scenes story of how Microsoft — a company known for office software and PC tools — took a bold leap into the world of console gaming with the creation of the Xbox.

Through firsthand accounts from the original team, the documentary follows how a small group of passionate developers convinced Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer to take on Sony, Nintendo, and the entire gaming industry — risking billions to prove that Microsoft could make a console gamers would love.

The story begins with Seamus Blackley, a physicist-turned-developer whose career stumbled after the failure of Trespasser but who found redemption at Microsoft. Inspired by the PlayStation 2’s success, Blackley proposed the “DirectX Box” — a console powered by PC technology that would bring high-end graphics and developer-friendly tools to the living room.

The episode explores:
• The midnight brainstorm that sparked the Xbox idea and the small group of “rebels” who rallied behind it.
• The tense internal debates with Microsoft executives — and how Bill Gates’s support turned the dream into a corporate mission.
• The fight to make Xbox distinct from a Windows PC, with a focus on performance, hardware design, and developer freedom.
• The creation of its massive controller (“The Duke”) and the sleek industrial design that symbolized raw power.
• The crucial partnership with Bungie, leading to Halo: Combat Evolved — the title that would define the console’s identity.
• The launch-day madness in Times Square, where Bill Gates personally handed out the first Xbox to fans.
• The birth of Xbox Live, bringing online gaming to consoles and forever changing how players connected.
• The challenges, risks, and triumphs that transformed Microsoft from an outsider into one of gaming’s dominant forces.

Without spoiling every twist, this episode captures how vision, passion, and stubborn belief built a console against all odds — turning a late-night idea into a gaming revolution.