Xbox ruined gaming

No, I'm not trying to rustle your jimmies but hear me out. I own an Xbox and have nothing against the system personally, so you may be asking yourself where this sudden inflammatory comment is coming from. But if you allow me to explain myself, you'll understand where I'm coming from and perhaps you'll see the my point of view.

Think back to the last generation of gaming, a little bit before the arrival of the Xbox at the start of the new era. At that time video games were ruled by platformers and quirky adventure games and new developers were rising up and becoming popular through experimentation. Developers were trying new ideas in an environment where anyone could be successful because the industry wasn't the juggernaut it is today. While games weren't making a huge impact or billions of dollars, they were still profitable and entertaining.

The Xbox came out a year after the PS2 and completely flipped the game industry upside down. Gamers started flocking to Microsoft's new console with the promise of a new gaming experience with revolutionary multiplayer experience unlike anything seen before. This was the system's main selling point, and while the PS2 had multiplayer it was not anything like the Xbox, who's system was years ahead of it's time. Naturally all the kids wanted to buy the system because it was cool and new, and all the adults wanted it because it offered a new hardcore experience. This is where gaming changed for the worse.

The release of Halo was the catalyst for what was to become the new gaming norm, a new industry over saturated with first person shooters. It was a million dollar blockbuster video game and it was something never seen before, the gaming industry practically changed overnight as publishers were jumping on the opportunity to produce the next great hit. The days of platformers were numbered. With a new rival, Sony and Nintendo had to evolve or die, something they did with ad campaigns and games that try to emulate the success of Halo such as Killzone. Nintendo was not really affected because it had an established fan base, something Sony did not have the luxury of acquiring at this stage in it's development. Of course now we know what the outcome of that was, most games did not have the success that Halo accumulated but a little game titled Call of Duty would learn from Halo's success and become the unstoppable force in the industry it is today.

Of course, if it weren't for the Xbox, video games would probably not be as popular as they are now, but is that what gamers really wanted? The original Xbox attracted a new fanbase which would embrace the FPS craze that was to come, a fanbase that would soon surpass the platformer/adventure obsessed fans of Sony or Nintendo. When the Xbox 360 was announced with another promise of revolution thanks to the new and improved LIVE, the fans flocked to the system like birds to a new shiny object.

The Xbox 360 continued being a trendsetter like it's predecessor, except that with a much larger fanbase that advertised itself with Xbox Live and 24/7 connectivity, it had no real competition. First person shooters found a natural home on the console, where even the worse shooter performed well thanks to the marketing potential of Xbox Live. Customers paid for the service and they were the ones with the power, after all isn't the customer always right? Xbox Live brought in revenue thanks to the paying customers as well as the advertisement that made gaming more mainstream. The producers now had more power than ever before because of this, instead of the customers like in the previous generation. Developers were no longer allowed to experiment because they understood that Xbox gamers would buy any FPS game as long as it had multiplayer. Games started tacking on multiplayer and before anyone knew what was happening every game had multiplayer for the sake of simply having it. Now the market was over crowded with First person shooters, multiplayer in games that didn't use it effectively, and soon DLC would become popular because of Live. Xbox popularized DLC as an acceptable form of extending a game, though at first this was rare and actually improved the game, more developers started exploiting DLC to make a quick buck. This is where we are today.

The game industry today is going downhill because of the lack of variety and media beasts exchanging quality for easy profit. Where might we be if the Xbox was never released? We'll never know. Would CoD be as successful without Xbox? Would there be more platformers and adventure games? Would gaming be nearly as popular? What do you think? Again, this article is not flamebait, it's my analysis on Microsoft's effect on the game industry. I own an Xbox because almost nobody I know has a PS3 or Wii, even though I play most games on those systems, I enjoy playing games with my friends too. Ask any Xbox owner and 90% of the time they'll tell you they got an Xbox because of Xbox Live. If you think I'm wrong, explain in the comments, this is just my opinion.

[Valenka]

Forgive my possible ignorance, but I have no idea what you're on about. There's no details in that blog that explain in what fashion(s) did the Xbox console "ruin" gaming.

Furthermore, there is way too much inaccurate information for me to take this seriously. Microsoft, upon releasing the original Xbox console never said anything about the console promising "a new gaming experience." I know a lot about consoles and just to be on the safe side, after reading your rant, I looked it up and I couldn't find any piece of textual evidence whatsoever that quotes the company promising such.

Next was your claim that "all the kids wanted to buy the system because it was cool and new" does not apply to the Xbox console only, but any new console ever released, and should not be acted as if it were.

Third, claiming that Halo was the harbinger for a future of oversaturated first person shooters is repugnant. First person shooters have been around since the Nintendo 64 era, if not earlier. Over time, there has been an increasing interest in them, as statistics show, and if you could be bothered to do your homework, any simple Google search would produce the evidence to back up that statement.

Lastly, saying that with a new competitor, Sony and Nintendo would have to "evolve or die" is just rubbish. Any and every company has to do that regardless, and should the Xbox have never come onto the scene, Sony and Nintendo would have been going head to head, and anyone with half a brain would have said the same thing about either company when one produced something more innovative and appealing.

With all due respect, and if I may be brutally honest, your opinion on the Xbox console ruining gaming is laughable, at best. There is absolutely no denying the fact that Microsoft was able to smash through the brick wall and into the gaming industry with something fresh, innovative, and different and their doing so caused Sony to up their game as well as Nintendo (even though Nintendo took on a more family oriented route and let the Playstation and Xbox have their own personal vendettas), and there's nothing wrong with that.

The Xbox console didn't ruin gaming, it changed it. Keep in mind, if Microsoft hadn't done it, someone else might've and you'd be saying the same thing about them.

[Jio]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, this is mine and I agree with some of what you say I will continue to believe that the Xbox contributed to the state of gaming today more than any other console.

[smashcrashbash]

Sorry but that is complete BS. Nintendo, Sega, the PC and Sony contributed more to modern gaming then Microsoft ever did. Microsoft's consoles haven't been around long enough to contribute much at all. Many of the things Microsoft's consoles have now are thanks to contributions by Nintendo, Sega, PC and Sony and other gaming companies. Xbox contributed but didn't contribute more then other consoles.That is fanboy rubbish.

@ Valenka. what was so fresh and new about the Xbox? It was no match for the PS2 and died out before it could even complete a console life cycle. How did it cause Sony to up their game when it wasn't even a proper threat? It didn't even sell half the amount of the PS2 and Microsoft had to practically buy their way in to get any developers to pay attention to them.

[GamingPerson]

Xbox is turning gaming consoles into casual media centers. If you need proof get an xbox. They even have people pay to play multiplayer.

[Ravenor]

I played Doom and Wolfenstein on the SNES, so yes...you are correct sir. FPS has been around for awhile, especially in the 3-4 years leading up to the release of the Xbox and Halo.

[Hufandpuf]

Valenka: "There is absolutely no denying the fact that Microsoft was able to smash through the brick wall and into the gaming industry with something fresh, innovative, and different"

Jio: "I will continue to believe that the Xbox contributed to the state of gaming today more than any other console. "

WTH, you're both saying the same thing!

OT: This blog is pointless.

[Jio]

So you're basically saying that everybody agrees with me, which is not true. Most people do not, and I made this blog to see what others think.

[Brosy]

This blog is a fountain of misinformation. Sony has never not been popular or had to fight an uphill battle until 360 hit the scene. 360 plays all genres of games trust me I have upwords of 80 games. Only a few are FPS.This guy is just a hater.

[Godmars290]

"Of course, if it weren't for the Xbox, video games would probably not be as popular as they are now"

???

If the PS1 hadn't sold 100 million, MS probably never would have gotten into consoles. Nevermind that Xbox1 sold around 20m, where the PS2 again broke 100m. That currently the industry is generally considered to be in a state of decline.

[Ravenor]

The console marketplace is in decline. ;)

[Captain Tuttle]

This GENERATION is in decline, more consoles have been sold this generation than any before. And PC gaming is bigger than ever. Xbox's most important influence imo was to bring Western game developers into the console space. It's called "Xbox" because of DirectX. This was a very conscious decision by MS.

[smashcrashbash]

He doesn't even know what he is saying. Gaming became more popular with the PS1 and the PS2. They brought 150 million people into gaming. Many gamers we have now are Ex-PlayStation owners. Xbox had nothing to do with how popular gaming is now. He is just an angry person writing. He has no idea what he is talking about. He PMed me talking the same crap.

'The Xbox came out a year after the PS2 and completely flipped the game industry upside down. Gamers started flocking to Microsoft's new console with the promise of a new gaming experience with revolutionary multiplayer experience unlike anything seen before. This was the system's main selling point, and while the PS2 had multiplayer it was not anything like the Xbox, who's system was years ahead of it's time. Naturally all the kids wanted to buy the system because it was cool and new, and all the adults wanted it because it offered a new hardcore experience'

The Xbox barely sold 20 million units. I wouldn't call that people flocking to it' It wasn't even close to PS2 numbers. He jumping between blaming the Xbox and kissing Microsoft's @$$. He is confused

[Godmars290]

I still wonder if Sega hadn't gotten out of consoles if MS would have ever gotten in. Especially because most if not all of the major/key Xbox people worked for Sega.

[Ravenor]

I was enjoying shooters and online multiplayer long before the DC dragged itself online on a screeching 56k modem. The weird thing is, and this might throw you for a loop...I enjoyed my N64 and Playstation at the same time, I know seems impossible. Warcraft 2 and Mario? Heresy.

Just curious, what was your experience like of the launch of the Xbox? Mine certainly included Halo, but also included things like Oddworld, PGR. Within a few months I had added, Blinx and Toe Jam and Earl, two platformers as well as Gunvalkyrie, Bloodwake and one of my favourites Wreckless: Yakuza Missions.

Where were all the shooters? I certainly don't remember spending oodles of time on XBL playing a FPS until H2 came out and even then it was always a toss up between H2 and SOCOM...on the PS2. So...is it the PS2's fault now?

Shooters have existed and have always been easy to come by, things didn't just change after November 2001.

[Jio]

I feel like I have to clarify since everybody is up and arms over some misunderstandings. I never said that Xbox invented the FPS, I'm just saying that Halo was the first FPS that became really mainstream. DOOM was popular, but the public hated it because they thought it was teaching murder. Goldeneye was popular, but nowhere near the levels of Halo. I'm not saying Microsoft invented anything, but because of their expertise in marketing they popularized a lot of it.

[Captain Tuttle]

You just can't say that the Xbox brand has been so successful because of marketing. Marketing is important but the quality has to be there.

[Godmars290]

The success of MS's marketing has proven that quality isn't a factor in selling a product. Not to beat a dead horse but RROD is evidence of that.

Its that example which is probably to blame for titles like COD and Skyrim selling well while having notable, game crashing bugs. That's MS's contribution to this gen

[hellvaguy]

@Godsmars290

"The success of MS's marketing has proven that quality isn't a factor in selling a product. Not to beat a dead horse but RROD is evidence of that."

Commendable psfanboy troll attempt, but u sir fail. This article is regarding the original xbox (didnt have rrod) and the game Halo 1. Also MS didnt publish Skyrim (which btw was far buggier on the ps3).

Have a fav console, thats fine, but at least use common sense and not such transparently false references.

[Ravenor]

But that isn't true, Doom used to be one of the most used Windows applications. Counter Strike was also an absolute phenomenon 2000-2001. Goldeneye was big and mainstream in my mind (I was actually there, you..I don't think so.) so was CS, they were known and they were big commanding lots of attention and in the case of Goldeneye INTRODUCING lots of people to FPS or games in general. You also seem to forget that Halo was the target of a lot of anti game vitriol just like Doom.

Seriously, the PS3 has some decent platformers and the Wii has also produced some fantastic platformers. Some of the downloadable sidescrollers have been amazing too. These downloadable titles didn't really have a platform for release before the 360 and the PS3 either. Hell, Rayman Origins and now Rayman Legends how many 2d platformers were on the PS2, Xbox or even Gamecube?

[Valenka]

You don't even know what you're saying. In your blog, you were bitching and moaning about how the Xbox console practically plagued gaming and that Halo was just the start of "oversaturated first person shooters." I suggest that you clear up your own opinions before deciding to share them with the community, because with all due respect, everything you said just sounds like a load of toss.

[Jio]

I was reading other blogs and I found a comment you posted.

"Glad to read an opinion on the subject that isn't riddled with vulgarity..."

You hate it when others use profanity, yet you can't disagree without resulting to vulgarity yourself. Instead of having a descent disagreement, you say I'm "bitching and moaning" adding the ironic "with all due respect" at the end so you don't sound like an jerk.

[Brownghost]

things change and everybody hates change but get used to it

[MrBeatdown]

"The release of Halo was the catalyst for what was to become the new gaming norm, a new industry over saturated with first person shooters."

I don't think that's true. I think it was the standardization of dual analog sticks which both the PS2 and Xbox had. Halo was just a push along the path the industry was already heading down. Just look at TimeSplitters or Red Faction.

[Wh15ky]

"Naturally all the kids wanted to buy the system because it was cool and new, and all the adults wanted it because it offered a new hardcore experience."

The Xbox sold around 20 million.

"Nintendo was not really affected because it had an established fan base, something Sony did not have the luxury of acquiring at this stage in it's development."

The N64 pretty much flopped as did the Gamecube. Original PS sold around 105 million and PS2 around 150 million and counting.

"Of course, if it weren't for the Xbox, video games would probably not be as popular as they are now"

I think the original PS, the PS2 and the Wii have more to do with the popularity of gaming today than the Xbox.

There is so much wrong with this blog. I think it's pretty obvious that you are relatively new to gaming.

[TheColbertinator]

Sega > All your trash console makers like Sony and Microsoft

Its up to Nintendo to continue a path for us gamers,not shareholders and analysts.

[Kingnichendrix]

Calls Sony trash, has a Hellghan as his display picture. Nice :)

[Ravenor]

or a NCR Legionnaire... but close enough.

[TheColbertinator]

@Kingnichendrix

Its an NCR Ranger from Fallout New Vegas.

Chump.

[caseh]

'Naturally all the kids wanted to buy the system because it was cool and new, and all the adults wanted it because it offered a new hardcore experience.'

Pretty much stopped reading at this point. I'm from the UK and the Xbox release was a joke. It was never cool, it was the size of a small TV and sounded like a hoover, the term 'hardcore' also boils my p*ss these days.

Hardcore is paying > $1000 for a copy of Metal Slug on the Neo-geo or learning some Japanese to play a game you paid ridiculous money to import as you just HAVE TO PLAY IT! It doesn't translate to playing a game like Halo that everyman and his dog plays.

Granted it offered easier access to online gaming but way before this point the PC was a MASSIVE minefield of FPS games.

Gaming has been ruined by the companies making the games, plain and simple. All too often complicated titles are watered down to cater for a bigger audience... = higher sales. In example: FPS game - oh lets add auto-aim, quick scoping and auto regenerating health as people these days are too lazy to aim and collect health.

In a word, meh.

[Amazingmrbrock]

If you had posted this a year ago I would have agreed whole heatedly. A lot can happen in a year though. I've personally made a majority shift to pc gaming. Only using my (non x360) console only seldomly for special exclusive games.

This shift was brought on by as you more or less describe a dirth of mediocre games the majority of which where multiplayer shooters. Which had neither very good single player nor very excellent multiplayer. Especially to my taste in multiplayer shooters.

Since I switched to using the pc more often I've experienced great games like red orchestra 2, heavily modified skyrim (it makes loads of difference when you can tweak gameplay to your own vision of the perfect challenge), and loads of interesting and fun indie games. Which are cheap and easily acquired in bulk.

There are even a large number of games in development which are both free to play and fairly experimental when you compare them to games on the consoles. Even just looking in the fps/shooter genre there are games like planetside 2, firefall, and tribes ascend which gameplay wise are pretty dissimilar to most console fps.

There's also all the games htat will be coming from kickstarter. Even if you allow for a few of them to fail. Things always kind of come back to a balance. Most mediums for art go through a back and forth between corporate manufactured stuff and uber artistic.

[MidnytRain]

You should have known better than to post this to N4G, lol.

[Nac]

Pfft, not true. Even the original Xbox had great titles that weren't just another FPS. If you want to blame something, blame Microsoft's direction post 2009, everything up til then was fine.

[Mac420]

Xbox never promised anything with the first Xbox.. It was out for almost 2 years before they ever brought LIVE. When the original Xbox came out, Dial up internet was still the standard in most homes lol what is this kid talking about. Was this post by a teenager that was like 8 back then?? PS2 had the first online console games Tribes Aerial Assualt an Socom 1 an was the first console with online service an a voice chat. Xbox came out with Halo at launch an that was about it. Ms def owns this Era but not that era. That was either casual ps2 gamers or hardcore pc gamers, somebody having an Xbox was the oddball.

[Garrison]

Microsoft is a company that has fucked up a thousand times yet continue to survive and be one of the biggest companies in the world.

And in my opinion they do this because at least they listen to their customers a whole lot more than most companies do. People complain all the time about their current direction on multimedia but it's evolve or die out there and if consoles don't adapt they will go the way of the dodo.

Go to your local best buy, hell even dvd players right now are coming with the option for netflix and hulu plus use. A lot of gamers will tell ya that they want more games but when you look @ their names when your online they are fugging watching netflix 70% of the time.

I love my ps3, it's my system of choice but thank goodness the xbox360 came out because if it wasn't for them this generation would truly be shit.

Shooters are just the "it" game right now man, they are big especially on xbox because they are most fun to play on that console. Sony fucked up. They fucked up bad, simple as that. The whole: release now and well fix it later mentality has got to fugging go for them, and it is little by little. They will do better next gen.

[Series_IIa]

Its idiots like you who ruin gaming for yourself.

[STARRHUNTER29]

it is what it is we are going to bitch on way or the other.i love my box and will be a fan i dont agree on evry thing they do. but over all 5 stars in my book . like the wii i have 2 kids 7 and 9 great for them but lacks the true gamer. and sony well its sony.......

[Conner6742]

I can understand and agree what you are fundamentally trying to say. With the popularity of the Xbox and the First Person Shooter genre, it has kind of thrown the gaming industry over its head.

I don't think there are completely factual things in this article however. For one thing, the Wii is an incredibly big hit, and the 360 and PS3 try to follow along with their motion controls. They're trying to gear towards people who casually play video games, but, this is an overall good thing though. It's not what is messing up the system.

What is, however, is how the industry views people who do seriously play video games. Other people and I(there was a Article on this once that, even if you don't agree with everything he says, it's something you're going to want to read. It's called "Reasons why it's still not cool to admit you're a gamer". It's an older article, but, a lot of it still holds true) get a sense that the industry all looks at us as 17 year old douche bags.

I think a lot of this can be blamed on the general gaming population, but there are issues coming from every where. But, we need to do our part. We need to start demanding for more quality games and we need to rid of this image of ourselves.