Our Top 5 OMG! Xbox Moments

Like the rest of you we’re still reeling from the Grand Theft Auto 5 reveal trailer. We joined millions of fans all over the world on the internet yesterday to watch the event, and it was a really exciting experience to be honest. Call us sad if you like but that sort of thing is a big part of what being a gamer is all about – at least to our minds. As well as all the fantastic moments within games it’s the culture of announcements, shocking news, game reveals, sudden spoilers, beta’s, gaming conventions and a hundred other little things that make being a gamer so much fun. With that in mind we thought we’d do a little list of our Top 5 ‘Oh my God’ exciting moments on Xbox, and given the impact of yesterdays trailer it felt wrong to limit it to just in game moments. So here without further ado are our Top 5 ‘OMG’ Xbox moments.

5. The Final Fantasy XIII 360 Announcement

The Final Fantasy games had been  Sony exclusives (at least for the main series ‘proper’ numbered games) ever since they shifted from Nintendo consoles with Final Fantasy VII. It was almost unthinkable that they should ever appear on a Microsoft console, which was why an otherwise kind of so-so Microsoft presentation at E3 in 2008 was electrified when Square Enix president Yoichi Wada appeared on stage. His announcement that Final Fantasy XIII would be released on 360 the following year was met by a huge roar of approval – and sent tingle down our spines as we watched online. The 360 version of the game was a little disappointing compared to its PS3 counterpart, but nothing will ever rob that moment of its glory.

4. Playing Gears of War

You have to remember that Gears of War almost came out of left field for a lot of people in 2006. Sure Epic Games had always been a big name in the PC shooter market and its Unreal engine was already on the way to becoming one of the most used in gaming development, but they were largely unproven as far as big name console games went. That was why playing its beautiful looking, ultra gory, and tightly crafted third person shooter for the first time was such a revelation. We literally said, “ Oh my god this is amazing!” the first time we chain sawed a Locust in half and splattered blood all over the screen. The impact of Gears cover based gameplay was equally huge- which explains why it would be more or less adopted by the entire industry.

3. The Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta

Easily one of the most exciting moments ever for Xbox fans the Halo 3 Beta in 2007 was huge. It was the debut of the first Halo game on current gen systems and delivered with a combination style, passion, community love and marketing savvy unlike any we’ve ever seen in gaming. Microsoft was more than aware that every man and his dog who owned an Xbox would want to play it, so they stuck the beta on the d Crackdown disc, sending sales for its new franchise skyrocketing. We know people who never touched the game again after that beta. Playing the beta was a real community experience as fans on forums went wild, creating videos, songs and even guides to the stages and weapons online. Of course actually playing it was our first taste of one of the best Halo multiplayer experiences ever, and few will ever forget it.

2. The GTA IV on 360 Announcement

The Grand Theft Auto series had been the crown jewel in Sony’s exclusive collection for years, and was arguably responsible for a huge part of the PS 2’s phenomenal success. Xbox owners had been forced to wait, sometimes over a year, for previous GTA games, if they got them at all. We all knew that RockStar would eventually do it, but that didn’t stop Peter Moore’s famous announcement at E3 2006  (complete with classy fake arm tattoo) that GTA IV would be released on the same day for 360 as it did on PS3  from being a truly exciting moment.

1. Playing Halo: Combat Evolved

Top of our list and the second Halo entry in this run down playing Halo: Combat Evolved for the first time is number one for a plethora of good reasons – it also explains why we made this a top five Xbox moments rather than just 360 moments. Not only did it totally save the then very much flagging Xbox from failure, it changed console gaming forever. It might not have created the Space Marine shooter genre, but Halo totally defined it. It’s mix of amazing ( for the time) graphics, huge world, deep atmosphere and frankly astoundingly tight shooter mechanics – that melee, guns and grenades Halo formula has yet to be beaten – was mind blowing when we first saw it in 2001 Console shooters would have eventually evolved, but it’s arguable that we might not all be here in quite the way we are if it weren’t for Halo. Playing it was the OMG moment that pretty much started it all, and we’re looking very forward to reliving it in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.