Despite being comparatively younger than game publishers like Sony and Nintendo, Microsoft and Xbox have had a rather storied history that spans several decades. With several different commercially released gaming consoles and numerous first-party and third-party titles populating each console's respective game library, the lineage of Xbox consoles is truly expansive. Now, as part of the platform's 20th anniversary, Microsoft has done something rather different to celebrate Xbox.
When the original Xbox console was released back in 2001, it turned quite a few heads. The design of the console was sleek, the UI had a more futuristic aesthetic, and the notable Duke controller still stands out as one of the most memorable video game controllers ever created. Xbox has since come a long way, with the publisher celebrating its 20th anniversary this year via an interactive, online museum for fans to digitally explore.
Over on Twitter, Tom Warren, a senior editor at The Verge, pointed out that Microsoft had launched a website that houses a digital museum for Xbox fans to interact with. The museum takes the user through the various facets of Xbox's history, from its various consoles, to Xbox users' personal history with the platform. There's even an entire section of the museum dedicated to Xbox's flagship series Halo.
The digital museum has quite a lot of meat on its bones. It even allows users to physically navigate a 3D space via a 3D character model, with installations similar to an actual museum. There are also various virtual models for users to interact with and admire, such as a climbable original Xbox and an original Warthog from Halo: Combat Evolved. It's clear that a lot of dedication and forethought was put into making this interactive museum.
It makes quite a lot of sense for Microsoft to make a digital Xbox museum as opposed to a physical one. In many ways, a physical Xbox museum is a bit too impractical. Considering the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, as well as Xbox fans living in various different parts of the world, it would be very limiting to have a physical museum for fans to visit.
Not to mention that a digital museum directly coincides with the fact that Xbox is first and foremost a video game brand. By creating a digital museum with user interactivity, it not only celebrates Xbox's 20th anniversary, but it also celebrates players' love and passion for video games. In any case, it will be interesting to see what direction Microsoft will choose to take Xbox once the Xbox Series X has run its course.