Xbox Live celebrates its 10th anniversary today, and according to Bungie, Microsoft owes much of its success to what they managed to pull off with the Halo franchise.
In an interview with GamesIndustry, Bungie's studio manager Harold Ryan explained why their sci-fi shooter franchise is the reason behind Microsoft's success in the online gaming space. “I think Xbox Live wouldn’t have made it. I don’t think the Xbox would be where it is today without Bungie and without Halo,” he said.
“As a group, we provided both technical and creative guidance and thought leadership that really pushed the limits," Ryan added. "We weren’t just a game developer using the service. We were integrated in the design of the service and how it worked. Systems for groups and matchmaking and skill ranking were all things that were pushed the furthest and the hardest by us.”
I'll never forget the first time I played Halo 2 over Xbox Live. It was truly a magical experience, even though I managed to get trounced by a bunch of people who were far better at the game than myself. Do you have a fond memory from the early days of Xbox Live? Please share it with us in the comments below.
