Xbox Live
For as prevalent as online console multiplayer is today, it was a completely different story a little over two decades ago. Sega had attempted to make inroads with the Dreamcast, launching Phantasy Star Online and pushing tech like a broadband adapter. Even if the adapter proved more popular (or accessible), the Dreamcast itself faced a quick death. With all of this in mind, Microsoft pushed to include broadband support in the OG Xbox, which is interesting given how accepted the tech had been at the time.
But that wasn’t enough and at E3 2002, the company unveiled Xbox Live, a proper online gaming network built for playing multiplayer titles on the Xbox. The console also shipped with a headset and voice chat support, further cementing the company’s commitment to online play. Xbox Live reached eight million subscribers in just eight years (in no small part thanks to Halo 2 and 3 with their multiplayer support). Though it’s been a long road with many changes, Xbox Live ultimately proved that an online multiplayer network and infrastructure on consoles was possible.
