TheMisterManGuy on 17 July 2019
When it comes to PC gaming, the Microsoft Corporation utterly dominated with its Windows Operating System being the primary choice for PC gamers, and Microsoft optimized it over the years to make PC more and more conducive to games with things like Direct X. When it comes to actually producing games, the company had less experience. Microsoft had published a few titles on PC before, most notably the Microsoft Flight Simulator and Age of Empires series, but by and large, gaming on Windows was carried by other companies. So when Microsoft began work on its first home gaming platform, the original Xbox, First party games needed to be a bigger priority in the company's business model. They acquired Bungie in 2000 to nab exclusive dibs on Halo, founded Microsoft Game Studios in 2002 to handle their publishing business, and with the Original Xbox, they basically threw a bunch of shit at the wall to see if anything landed. Because Microsoft was very new to console gaming, they basically had to start from scratch to give the Xbox an identity. This resulted in what is arguably one of the most unique and diverse First Party lineups of any Gaming platform, especially from that generation.
Aside from the Sleeper Hit Shooter, Halo. The Xbox Launch also brought Fusion Frenzy, sort of the Xbox's answer to Mario Party. A Party game that scraps the Board Game concept altogether, and just gives you the party games.
A year later, Blinx the Time Sweeper swept onto the console. Developed by Japanese Studo, Artoon, It was Microsoft's attempt to create an actual Mascot for the Xbox to rival Nintendo's Mario or Sony's Ratchet and Clank. While it failed to achieve the results Microsoft wanted, it still gave us a really unique, if a bit flawed 3D Platformer, centered around Time Manipulation.
Microsoft ended up publishing quite a few Japanese developed games on the Original Xbox. Aside from Blinx, there was N.U.D.E., or Natural Ultimate Digital Experiment. Unlike other First party games, this one was a Japan only release. It was a bizarre Virtual Pet/Simulation/Thingamajig that utilized the Xbox Live Headset to communicate with an take care of a Robot female assistant using Voice commands. The fact it was Japan only was even stranger, considering the Xbox's general unpopularity in the region.
Speaking of Xbox Live, one of the earliest titles to launch with the service was Wacked!. A third person death-match combat game with a Game Show motif. With Strange characters, and even stranger gameplay that changed themes on a whim very often.
After Microsoft acquired the British studio Rareware in 2002 from Nintendo, Grabbed By the Ghoulies was released as an Xbox Exclusive. A cell-shaded beat em' up with a similar comedic spooky tone as Nintendo's Luigi's Mansion. The main gimmick was that you needed to use the environment to beat the bad guys. It's often considered one of the few decent titles Rare developed under Microsoft.
Kung Fu Chaos was a 3D Party Fighter developed by Just Add Monsters, which later became Ninja Theory, which was ultimately acquired by Microsoft in 2018. It's one of the most notable First party games when people talk about the original Xbox. In a way, it's a spiritual predecessor to Ninja Theory's upcoming Bleeding Edge.
Finally, There's Voodo Vince, another attempt by Microsoft to find a mascot for the Xbox. A 3D Platformer that revolved around a Voodo Doll coming to life and mutilating itself to beat his enemies. Fun fact, this is actually Xbox Head Phil Spencer's Favorite game on the system.
That's just a sample of what Microsoft was up to on the original Xbox. Microsoft ultimately dropped most of its experimental focus for the Xbox's successor, the Xbox 360, focusing more on producing gritty shooters and Action games like Halo and Gears of War. With Microsoft Struggling to release compelling first party titles on the Xbox One, it's easy to look back at just how experimental and ambitious the company was on its first console. You had lots of Platformers, Party games, Fighters, Shooters, Action titles, and really weird and unique games come from them. I'd say it rivals the Dreamcast and Nintendo DS in terms of weird and unique first party support.
Aside from the Sleeper Hit Shooter, Halo. The Xbox Launch also brought Fusion Frenzy, sort of the Xbox's answer to Mario Party. A Party game that scraps the Board Game concept altogether, and just gives you the party games.
A year later, Blinx the Time Sweeper swept onto the console. Developed by Japanese Studo, Artoon, It was Microsoft's attempt to create an actual Mascot for the Xbox to rival Nintendo's Mario or Sony's Ratchet and Clank. While it failed to achieve the results Microsoft wanted, it still gave us a really unique, if a bit flawed 3D Platformer, centered around Time Manipulation.
Microsoft ended up publishing quite a few Japanese developed games on the Original Xbox. Aside from Blinx, there was N.U.D.E., or Natural Ultimate Digital Experiment. Unlike other First party games, this one was a Japan only release. It was a bizarre Virtual Pet/Simulation/Thingamajig that utilized the Xbox Live Headset to communicate with an take care of a Robot female assistant using Voice commands. The fact it was Japan only was even stranger, considering the Xbox's general unpopularity in the region.
Speaking of Xbox Live, one of the earliest titles to launch with the service was Wacked!. A third person death-match combat game with a Game Show motif. With Strange characters, and even stranger gameplay that changed themes on a whim very often.
After Microsoft acquired the British studio Rareware in 2002 from Nintendo, Grabbed By the Ghoulies was released as an Xbox Exclusive. A cell-shaded beat em' up with a similar comedic spooky tone as Nintendo's Luigi's Mansion. The main gimmick was that you needed to use the environment to beat the bad guys. It's often considered one of the few decent titles Rare developed under Microsoft.
Kung Fu Chaos was a 3D Party Fighter developed by Just Add Monsters, which later became Ninja Theory, which was ultimately acquired by Microsoft in 2018. It's one of the most notable First party games when people talk about the original Xbox. In a way, it's a spiritual predecessor to Ninja Theory's upcoming Bleeding Edge.
Finally, There's Voodo Vince, another attempt by Microsoft to find a mascot for the Xbox. A 3D Platformer that revolved around a Voodo Doll coming to life and mutilating itself to beat his enemies. Fun fact, this is actually Xbox Head Phil Spencer's Favorite game on the system.
That's just a sample of what Microsoft was up to on the original Xbox. Microsoft ultimately dropped most of its experimental focus for the Xbox's successor, the Xbox 360, focusing more on producing gritty shooters and Action games like Halo and Gears of War. With Microsoft Struggling to release compelling first party titles on the Xbox One, it's easy to look back at just how experimental and ambitious the company was on its first console. You had lots of Platformers, Party games, Fighters, Shooters, Action titles, and really weird and unique games come from them. I'd say it rivals the Dreamcast and Nintendo DS in terms of weird and unique first party support.
