Microsoft Almost Called The Xbox 360 "Xbox 3"

[Steven Bogos]

Microsoft Almost Called The Xbox 360 "Xbox 3"

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Microsoft didn't want people to compare "Xbox 2" to "PlayStation 3".

Microsoft has a very... interesting history with names. While rival Sony likes to keep things simple (PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3...) each iteration of the Xbox so far has come with a completely new name, including the most recently revealed "Xbox One". If you thought naming the third console "One" was strange, then it may interest you to know that Microsoft considered naming the Xbox 360, the second console, the "Xbox 3".

"Certainly Xbox 3 was actually on the list because, well, you've gotta catch up," former Chief Xbox Officer Robbie Bach said on the latest episode of IGN Unfiltered [http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/02/04/ign-unfiltered-every-episode-ever]. "You don't want to be Xbox 2 compared to PlayStation 3. We actually talked about that," he added.

"You don't want to feel like you're a generation behind, so why not skip?" he continued, noting that "Microsoft has a long history of skipping numbers." Certainly, I'm sure the company's rather odd decision to skip Windows 9 and go straight to 10 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/137744-Microsoft-Windows-10-not-Windows-9] will be fresh in most of our minds.

It's certainly not the stupidest name for a console successor I've ever heard. At least it would have been clear that it was a new generation of the console, as opposed to the Wii U, which so many people thought was just an add-on for the Wii.

Source: IGN [http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/07/25/xbox-360-was-nearly-called-xbox-3-a-ign-unfiltered]

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[Blitsie]

I would've backed a name like that, it describes my time going through 3 of them due to RROD much better than 360 does.

 

[Parasondox]

Do those at Microsoft not understand numerical order.

Or are they from the South, fella.

Kidding kidding, Jesus kidding.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

It's certainly not the stupidest name for a console successor I've ever heard. At least it would have been clear that it was a new generation of the console, as opposed to the Wii U, which so many people thought was just an add-on for the Wii.

Or the Xbox One, which most definitely does not sound like a regression compared to a big fat number like 360.

I would've backed a name like that, it describes my time going through 3 of them due to RROD much better than 360 does.

Now you've made me imagine the horror of someone going through 360 360s. Shudder.

 

[Dornedas]

"You don't want to be Xbox 2 compared to PlayStation 3. We actually talked about that," he added.

"You don't want to feel like you're a generation behind, so why not skip?

They certainly seem to have much trust in their audience's intelligence if they think that people compare consoles based on their number.

But who am I to judge. I still use Windows 2000 and will continue to do so until consoles manage to catch up to the 2000th gen.

 

[vallorn]

Do those at Microsoft not understand numerical order.

Or are they from the South, fella.

Kidding kidding, Jesus kidding.

Judging by how poorly constructed their operating systems are I suspect that Microsoft employees on average don't even understand basic arithmetic.

 

[Hazy992]

Xbox -> Xbox 3 -> Xbox One

Go home Microsoft, you're drunk.

 

[NPC009]

I hope the people in charge of naming these consoles do not have any pets, or worse, children.

I would've backed a name like that, it describes my time going through 3 of them due to RROD much better than 360 does.

360 still works. Just look at it from a different angle. You should have turned around and walked away (180), but you kept coming back (360).

 

[Leg End]

Should have called it the 720.

I would've backed a name like that, it describes my time going through 3 of them due to RROD much better than 360 does.

Replace RROD with dead optical drive and you're me.

 

[moosemaimer]

well, yeah, bigger numbers are always better.

 

[NLS]

Not to be a dick about it, but these "news" are hardly new. This has been known for years.
Also "most recently revealed Xbox One". The Xbox One was revealed in 2013 and released later that same year.

 

[Janichsan]

Also "most recently revealed Xbox One". The Xbox One was revealed in 2013 and released later that same year.

Which still makes it the "most recently revealed" one, as in "no other Microsoft console has been revealed after that". (Not counting the Xbone variants S and Ssssscorpio.)

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

It's funny that Microsoft somehow feel that they have to come up with all these names for their consoles. After the Xbone, you'd think that they would have focus tested a bunch of names to see how easily they can be mocked.

 

[Nazulu]

I don't know that much about marketing, so maybe he has a point. However, haven't they brainstormed some other names just in-case? Seems pretty unorganised to me.

I don't know, what are some good names that go with 'Xbox'?
Xbox Neo, Xbox Chronicle, Xbox Storm, Xbox Kinnectless, Xbox Fuck You, Xbox Go Home.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

That's... A dumb name.

Also, ha, being terrified of being compared to the Playstation 2. Well, with the red ring issue, they were hated for a period of time anyway so whatever. We've got a console line that doesn't do conventional naming. Wiiiiiii!

 

[Adam3s]

People may say it's stupid but:

iPhone
iPhone 3s
iPhone 4

and they seem to have sold well.

 

[lacktheknack]

Still a better explanation than "We skipped Windows 9 to avoid old programs mistaking it for Windows 98."

 

[Steve the Pocket]

Should have called it the 720.

Then people might have thought it can only handle 720p. Which is only true most of the time.

People may say it's stupid but:

iPhone
iPhone 3s
iPhone 4

and they seem to have sold well.

Actually it was iPhone, iPhone 3G (for 3G wireless), iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4. It was only when they decided to keep putting out "S" models every other year that things went off the rails.

 

[K12]

... you could have just not used a number guys. XBox Neo, ZBox, MBox, XBox Prime, XBox Alpha, XBox Elite, OmegaBox/ ΩBox, XLBox, XXBox, XtraBox, neXtBox, XBox Revelations, XBox: Enemy Unknown, XBox with a vengeance, XBox: Wrath of Khan... or you know just a totally different unrelated name.

My understanding was that the reason for skipping "Windows 9" was that it was feared some programmes would get confused and think it was an earlier version of Windows 95 or 98... or something like that.

 

[wings012]

360 is kinda naff and how people use it. My life did a 360! Turn 360 degrees and you're right where you started. And maybe thats why we have the X-Box One.