Sixth Generation Game Console - Dismantled for reference and curiosity
Released in 2001, the Microsoft XBOX was the first American company game console marketed since the unfortunately unsuccessful Atari Jaguar in the early to mid 90s.
The XBOX was in direct competition with Sony's Playstation 2, Nintendo's Game Cube and predominantly in software sales only with the Sega Dreamcast; as retail Dreamcast sales had ceased.
The console was firmly in the sixth generation game market sporting offering impressive sound and visuals, DVD playback and online services.
The XBOX offered access to a paid, online gaming experience called XBOX Live (XBL). Conceptually similar service were also available for Dreamcast and later Playstation 2 users. Of the three, XBL was hailed the greater service due to the implementation of features and superior server support. This accolade was achieved even though it was a paid service and required an ADSL connection at a time when many users were still on dial-up. In comparison the Playstation 2 and Dreamcast online services were offered free.
All that stale stuff out of the way, more culturally interesting is the almost immediate arguments as soon as the XBOX was released as to which was the better console, PS2 or XBOX. Not since the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis vs. SNES fan war had such bickering existing.
Before anyone starts throwing stones, the truth is that while arguably not necessarily the better console, the XBOX wiped the floor with the PS2 as far as hardware goes. For a game console in 2001 it was a beast of a thing as the abridged specs below the images show.
In addition the Playstation 2 proprietary 'Emotion Engine' was extremely difficult to code for vs. the XBOX's hybrid nVidia/Microsoft custom architecture.
However.... the Playstation 2 had something the XBOX could never compete with..... the Playstation 1.
Having been such an amazingly well received console, the Playstation had paved a clear path for its successor sporting a solid fan base that greatly impacted both console and game sales. So even while the PS2 was significantly inferior in many ways (no anti aliasing for example) and many games that looked poor on the XBOX being PS2 ports with anti aliasing added (Electronic Arts regularly did this) the Playstation 2 was better received.
Which was the better console? It's clearly th..ssshh.sss.sssshhh.. sor-ry... sssssh..sssssh... we seem to have a bad connection..ssshhhh!
