I have been a PlayStation owner, with one exception, since the release of Sony’s venerable first console. I bought the glorious Dreamcast console on release day, but otherwise it’s been nothing but Sony for me, with very little time spent playing Xbox in any capacity.

自从索尼古老的第一个游戏机发布以来， 我 一直是PlayStation的拥有者，除了一个例外。 我在发行当天就购买了光荣的Dreamcast控制台，但对我而言，这不过是索尼，几乎没有时间花在任何容量的Xbox上。

With the recent Xbox Game Showcase event now completed, I’ve been looking back to learn about that which I have only casually observed, and want to share it with you. In order to understand the future, it is necessary to understand the past, so let’s look back at where Xbox has been all these many years, here on the precipice of the 9th generation of home video game consoles.

随着最近完成的Xbox Game Showcase活动的完成，我一直在回头了解我只是偶然观察到的内容，并希望与您分享。 为了了解未来，有必要了解过去，因此，让我们回顾一下Xbox多年来的发展情况，这里是第9代家用视频游戏机的绝壁。

的Xbox (Xbox)

The brainchild of a small team within Microsoft, the Xbox began development in 1998, likely spurred on by the success of Sony’s original PlayStation console. By 2000, Microsoft was ready to show off the console, and on March 10th, just six days after the release of PlayStation 2 in Japan, Bill Gates revealed his shiny new toy. It succeeded in catching the attention of the gaming world, boasting hardware that was twice as powerful as that of the PS2, and included an internal hard drive for the first time on any console.

Xbox是Microsoft的一个小团队的创意，于1998年开始开发，可能是由于索尼原始的PlayStation控制台的成功而推动的。 到2000年，微软已经准备好炫耀游戏机了。3月10日，即日本PlayStation 2发行仅六天后，比尔·盖茨就展示了他闪亮的新玩具。 它成功吸引了游戏界的注意，其硬件的功能是PS2的两倍，并且首次在任何控制台上都包含一个内部硬盘驱动器。

Microsoft understood that it needed a big game to launch with the console, and found it’s target at E3 2000 in the form of developer Bungie. They had been working on a 3rd person shooter called Halo: Combat Evolved, and it caught the eye of Microsoft’s team. Within months, Bungie was brought into the Xbox family, and Halo was being readied for the console launch, but as a first-person shooter.

微软了解到需要使用大型游戏才能启动该控制台，并以开发人员Bungie的形式找到了E3 2000的目标。 他们一直在从事名为Halo：Combat Evolved的第三人称射击游戏，这引起了微软团队的注意。 数月之内，Bungie被带入Xbox家族，Halo也准备好进行主机发布，但是第一人称射击游戏。

The Xbox launched into a crowded market in November of 2001, and had a rough initial go as it fought against PlayStation 2, Nintendo’s Gamecube and Sega’s Dreamcast consoles for market share. Though it was buoyed in the early days by the smashing success of Halo, Microsoft struggled to move units in Japan after it’s early 2002 release there.

Xbox于2001年11月进入一个拥挤的市场，并在与PlayStation 2，任天堂的Gamecube和世嘉的Dreamcast主机争夺市场份额的过程中起步艰难。 尽管Halo在初期获得了巨大的成功，但它受到了鼓舞，但在2002年初在日本发行后，Microsoft仍在努力将其业务转移到日本。

Determined not to lose ground to its rivals, Microsoft boldly slashed the price of the console to $199, ensuring it took a massive loss on each unit sold. The strategy worked, however, allowing Xbox to outsell the Gamecube for the generation, and cementing their status as a player in the console market. It was full speed ahead towards the future.

微软决心不让其竞争对手输钱，因此大胆地将游戏机的价格削减至199美元，以确保所售出的每台游戏机都蒙受巨大损失。 但是，该策略奏效了，使Xbox在这一代产品中的销量超过了Gamecube，并巩固了它们在游戏机市场中的地位。 迈向未来是全速前进。

Xbox Live (Xbox Live)

That future, as it turned out, was online. Microsoft debuted it’s Xbox Live online service on the console’s first anniversary, and it garnered 150,000 subscribers in it’s first week of availability. Allowing for game and media downloads, and of course online multiplayer, Xbox brought something to the table that was light years ahead of it’s competitors. SEGA had actually allowed online connectivity from the Dreamcast, but sadly that system was almost defunct by the time Xbox Live came out, so it wasn’t truly a competitor.

事实证明，那个未来是在线的。 微软在游戏机成立一周年之初就推出了Xbox Live在线服务，并在上市的第一周就吸引了15万订户。 Xbox允许进行游戏和媒体下载，当然也可以进行在线多人游戏，它为竞争对手带来了光明的未来。 SEGA实际上已经允许Dreamcast进行在线连接，但是可惜的是，到Xbox Live发行时，该系统几乎已经失效，因此它并不是真正的竞争对手。

Microsoft stood alone on the field of online multiplayer gaming, and it is this more than anything which has come to define Xbox over the years. Their Xbox Live Arcade was incredibly popular, and became a tremendous showcase for indie studio-developed games, not to mention making Xbox into the console of choice for multiplayer games. Even to this day, asking people why they are Xbox gamers instead of PlayStation will likely elicit a response along the lines of “I wanted to play online and that’s where my friends were”.

微软在在线多人游戏领域中独树一帜，这是多年来定义Xbox的重要因素。 他们的Xbox Live Arcade非常受欢迎，并成为独立工作室开发的游戏的绝佳展示，更不用说使Xbox成为多人游戏的首选控制台了。 即使到今天，问人们为什么他们是Xbox游戏玩家而不是PlayStation玩家，也可能会引起类似“我想在线玩游戏，而我的朋友就是这样”的回应。

Xbox 360 (Xbox 360)

Soon enough, the massive hardware advantage that Microsoft enjoyed at the beginning of the generation fell prey to the relentless march of technological progress. It was time for a new generation of hardware, and the Xbox 360 was their answer to the question of “what’s next?”. The original system wasn’t dead in the water just yet, with Halo 2 and Forza Motorsport debuting to huge acclaim and sales in 2005, but the cards were already dealt in that hand.

很快，微软在一代之初就拥有了巨大的硬件优势，这成为了技术发展无情前进的牺牲品。 是时候使用新一代硬件了，而Xbox 360是他们对“下一个是什么？”这个问题的答案。 最初的系统还没有被淘汰，Halo 2和《极限竞速》在2005年首次亮相并获得了巨大的赞誉和销售，但是这些牌已经被处理了。

This time, Microsoft would be first to market with their new system, debuting the Xbox 360 a few days before Thanksgiving 2005. The first home console with High Definition capability, as well as the juggernaut that Xbox Live! had become, positioned the new console superbly well against it’s competitors in terms of hardware. The sales proved to be fantastic, with Microsoft selling through more than a million and a half units by the end of they year. The proven quality of the Xbox combined with being first on the market proved to be a huge advantage, but there was troubled water ahead.

这次，微软将率先将其新系统推向市场，在2005年感恩节之前的几天推出Xbox360。第一个具有高清功能的家用游戏机，以及Xbox Live的佼佼者！ 在硬件方面，新控制台的位置已经使其与竞争对手的竞争非常出色。 事实证明，这种销售非常出色，到年底微软的销量超过了100万个半。 Xbox久经考验的质量与在市场上首发相结合被证明是一个巨大的优势，但是前面有很多麻烦。

As calendar pages began to turn in 2006, stories emerged about hardware troubles among the Xbox 360 consoles already in people’s homes. The usual green ring around the power button was turning red for many owners, with the console dead in the water. The so-called Red Ring of Death would haunt Microsoft for months, seeing them replace a significant number of systems and lengthen the warranty period for the system to calm gamers’ fears. Still, outside of Japan the system was an unqualified success, pushing big numbers through retail.

随着日历页面在2006年开始出现变化，人们在家中已经出现了有关Xbox 360控制台中的硬件故障的故事。 对于许多车主来说，电源按钮周围通常的绿色环变成红色，而控制台死在水中。 所谓的“红色死亡之环”将困扰微软数月，他们看到它们取代了大量系统，并延​​长了该系统的保修期限，以平息游戏者的恐惧。 尽管如此，在日本以外的地区，该系统还是取得了无与伦比的成功，它通过零售推动了大量的销售。

Alongside the 360, Nintendo had a massive hit on their hands with the Wii console. With their usual cadre of popular characters, and an innovative set of motion-based controls that let everyone and their grandmother play, the system would end up selling over 100 million units, and catching Microsoft’s eye in the process. Thus came the Kinect, a motion and voice-based control peripheral that was to be Microsoft’s answer to the Wii craze. Releasing in November of 2009, Kinect would play a major role in the late success of the 360, as well as what was coming next.

除了360以外，任天堂在Wii主机上也受到了很大的打击。 凭借他们一贯受欢迎的角色干部，以及一套创新的基于动作的控件集，所有人和他们的祖母都可以玩，该系统最终的销量超过了1亿个，并在此过程中引起了Microsoft的注意。 于是出现了Kinect，这是一种基于运动和语音的控制外围设备，将成为Microsoft对Wii狂热的回应。 Kinect将于2009年11月发布，它将在360的后期成功以及接下来的成功中扮演重要角色。

Xbox One (Xbox One)

With the 360 getting long in the tooth, it was no surprise to learn that the next big thing was already in the works. It had been an unqualified success, though, selling in the neighborhood of 75 million units and finishing the generation second only to Wii. Sony’s PlayStation 3 had a very rough start but rebounded well, finishing third by a margin of 5 million units. Understandably, Microsoft was riding high as it prepared to unveil the newest piece of Xbox hardware to the world.

随着360步入正轨，得知下一件大事已经开始进行就不足为奇了。 但是，它取得了无与伦比的成功，售出了约7500万台，并完成了仅次于Wii的第二代。 索尼的PlayStation 3起步非常艰难，但反弹良好，以500万台的销量名列第三。 可以理解的是，微软准备向世界推出最新的Xbox硬件时，它的表现非常抢眼。

This took place at 2013’s E3 show, and it’s hard to imagine a worse start to a console generation than what happened. Microsoft misread the tea leaves, and the conference did little more than anger their fans. They revealed that the new console, called the Xbox One, would require an always-on internet connection, which would also limit gamers’ ability to play used games. They also bet big on integration with television, spending much of their press conference talking about how a new and improved Kinect device could let you start your system with your voice, browse through cable channels, and find your favorite programs. Games seemed like an afterthought during the show, and combined with the announced $500 price, it left fans furious.

这是在2013年的E3展上进行的，很难想象游戏机一代的开始比发生的事情更糟糕。 微软误读了茶叶，会议并没有激怒他们的粉丝。 他们透露，名为Xbox One的新游戏机将需要始终保持互联网连接，这也将限制游戏者玩二手游戏的能力。 他们还押注与电视集成，并在新闻发布会上花费大量时间谈论新的和改进的Kinect设备如何使您以语音启动系统，浏览有线频道并找到自己喜欢的节目。 游戏在演出期间似乎是事后的想法，再加上宣布的500美元价格，令粉丝们大为恼火。

Things didn’t get any better when, later that night, Sony’s press conference announced the PlayStation 4 would have no restrictions on used games, would not require an internet connection, and would release at a much more palatable $400 price. Many Xbox watchers placed the blame for the debacle at the feet of Don Mattrick, then the Head of Xbox, who had seemed almost arrogant during their E3 conference. Despite walking back the online connection and used game policies that had been so onerous to fans, Microsoft was scrambling to fix it’s image before the generation had even begun. Mattrick was removed and replaced by Phil Spencer, who continues to hold the position to this day.

当天晚上晚些时候，索尼的新闻发布会宣布PlayStation 4对二手游戏没有任何限制，不需要互联网连接，并且以400美元的高价发售时，情况没有得到任何改善。 许多Xbox观察者将这场惨败的罪魁祸首推到了当时的Xbox主管Don Mattrick的脚上。 尽管退回了在线连接并使用了粉丝们非常辛苦的游戏政策，但微软还是在一代人开始之前就努力修复其形象。 马特里克(Matrick)被撤职，由菲尔·斯宾塞(Phil Spencer)取代，后者一直担任这一职务。

The Xbox One released in late November of 2013, just one week after Sony’s PlayStation 4 hit the market. Sony had done a poor job at the outset of the PlayStation 3 era, creating a system that was expensive and unwieldy for developers to work with in creating games. But after the missteps of E3, and despite the hardware and power advantages the new Xbox held, Microsoft was on the back foot trying to keep up with Sony’s machine.

Xbox One于2013年11月下旬发布，距Sony的PlayStation 4上市仅一周后。 索尼在PlayStation 3时代的开始就做得很差，创建了一个昂贵且笨拙的系统，供开发人员在创建游戏时使用。 但是在经历了E3的失误之后，尽管新Xbox拥有硬件和功能优势，但微软仍在与索尼的机器保持同步。

There are different takes on why Microsoft couldn’t continue the advantages it held at the end of the previous generation, but most people will tell you it’s about the games. Simply put, Sony had a much larger collection of first-party studios, putting out a vast array of popular and recognizable titles, exclusive to the PlayStation, which broached mainstream popularity in many cases.

对于微软为何无法延续其在上一代产品中所拥有的优势，人们有不同的看法，但是大多数人会告诉您这与游戏有关。 简而言之，索尼拥有更多的第一方录音室收藏，推出了PlayStation独有的大量受欢迎且可识别的游戏，在许多情况下，PlayStation赢得了主流的欢迎。

Games like the Uncharted series, God of War series, The Last of Us, MLB The Show, and others were PlayStation exclusives. Microsoft had not focused on acquiring talented developers in the same way as Sony, and their lineup showed that truth. Halo, Gears of War and Forza Motorsport were their main three franchises, with other titles of lesser renown filling in the ranks. Halo and Gears had some missteps along the way and were looking old and shabby at times compared to the Sony behemoths.

诸如《 神秘海域》系列，《 战神》系列， 《最后的我们》 ，《 MLB The Show》等游戏是PlayStation独占的。 微软没有像索尼那样专注于收购有才华的开发人员，他们的阵容表明了事实。 《光晕》，《战争机器》和《 极限竞速》是他们的三个主要特许经营权，其他次要荣誉头衔也占据了榜首。 Halo和Gears在此过程中有些失误，与Sony庞然大物相比，有时看起来有些破旧。

This wasn’t a new problem, but it seemed to gather momentum late in the previous generation, and came to a head in the early years of the Xbox One’s run. Microsoft announced updated versions of the One, releasing a smaller form factor, HDR support and a 4K Blu-Ray drive as the “One S”, with industry-first 4K HDR and beefed up specs making up the “One X”, but they still lagged badly in sales to Sony’s console.

这不是一个新问题，但它似乎在上一代产品的后期积累了动力，并在Xbox One上市的早期就达到了顶峰。 微软宣布了One的更新版本，发布了更小的尺寸，HDR支持和称为“ One S”的4K Blu-Ray驱动器，以及业界首创的4K HDR和完善的规格组成了“ One X”，但是索尼游戏机的销售仍然很差。

In the last few years, Microsoft has worked to remedy that imbalance, going on a spending spree of sorts by acquiring many big-name studios and even starting up their own, focused on developing AAA titles designed to go after Son’y dominance in that space. They started by acquiring Mojang, maker of the world’s most popular game Minecraft, in 2014. By the end of 2018 they had added several studios including Ninja Theory, Obsidian and Playground Entertainment, along with that AAA studio they created, dubbed The Initiative.

在过去的几年中，微软一直致力于纠正这种不平衡，通过收购许多大牌工作室甚至开办自己的工作室来进行大笔支出，专注于开发旨在追随Son'y统治地位的AAA游戏。空间。 他们开始通过收购Mojang提供，是世界上最流行的游戏的Minecraft的制造商，在2014年到2018年底，他们已经增加了几个工作室，包括忍者理论，黑曜石和游乐场游玩，他们创造了AAA工作室，被称为倡议一起。

Xbox系列X (Xbox Series X)

So that brings us to the current day, where Microsoft is poised to give fans what they want with a live-streamed gameplay reveal of the titles it will feature in the early days of their newest console, Xbox Series X. They have taken an interesting path over the last few years, making many of their games available to play on PC as well as their consoles. They have also put forward the Game Pass program, a subscription service that will see a catalog of games as well as brand new titles coming to the service on the day of their release, all for a monthly fee.

这样一来，我们到了今天，微软已准备好通过实时直播的游戏玩法向粉丝们提供他们想要的东西，以揭示其将在其最新游戏机Xbox Series X的早期推出的游戏。他们采取了一种有趣的方式在过去的几年中，他们的许多游戏都可以在PC以及游戏机上播放。 他们还提出了Game Pass计划，这是一项订阅服务，将在发布之日查看该游戏的目录以及全新的游戏，所有这些均按月收费。

In addition, they have created the Series X to be able to play any Xbox game ever created, fully backwards compatible. They are also betting big on a technology and service called xCloud, which will see them allowing gamers to stream games to devices such as cell phones and tablets. Their stated vision is to have all Microsoft games available for people to play wherever they want them, not locking them into the Xbox console itself.

此外，他们还创建了Series X，使其能够玩过以前创建的任何Xbox游戏，并且完全向后兼容。 他们还将赌注押在名为xCloud的技术和服务上，它将使游戏玩家将游戏流式传输到手机和平板电脑等设备上。 他们的既定愿景是让人们可以在任何地方玩所有Microsoft游戏，而不是将它们锁定在Xbox控制台本身中。

Phil Spencer has doubled down on this vision in recent weeks, seeming to criticize Sony for their decision to create games that can only be played on PlayStation 5, and stating that all Microsoft first-party games will be playable for both Xbox One and Series X for the first few years of the console’s life. The two game giants appear to be diverging in their paths to the next generation, with Sony pushing for gamers to migrate to the new console, while Microsoft focuses on getting their games in the hands of players no matter what console or device they own.

菲尔·斯宾塞(Phil Spencer)在最近几周将这一愿景加倍了，似乎在批评索尼决定开发只能在PlayStation 5上玩的游戏的决定，并指出所有Microsoft第一方游戏都可以在Xbox One和Series X上玩。在游戏机生命的头几年。 两家游戏巨头似乎在向下一代的发展道路上有所分歧，索尼推动游戏玩家迁移到新的游戏机，而微软则专注于让他们的游戏掌握在玩家手中，无论他们拥有什么游戏机或设备。

How will it all play out? We will find out how Microsoft will begin to compete on the exclusive game front in the next few days, but they certainly have the hardware designed to power those games. This generation will be a test of ideals, and begin to lay bare the truth of whether the future will be hardware-agnostic, or continue the status quo from past years. Stay tuned!

一切将如何进行？ 我们将了解微软在接下来的几天中将如何开始在独家游戏方面进行竞争，但他们无疑拥有旨在为这些游戏提供动力的硬件。 这一代人将是对理想的考验，并开始揭露未来是否将与硬件无关，还是延续过去几年的现状。 敬请关注！

For a comprehensive look back at 25 years of PlayStation consoles and generation-defining games, spend some time with this incredible article by James Burns and the SUPERJUMP team!

要全面回顾25年来的PlayStation主机和定义世代的游戏，请花些时间阅读James Burns和SUPERJUMP团队撰写的这篇令人难以置信的文章 ！