Power on. It is hard to believe but Xbox has been around for 20 years. The Microsoft owned and created video gaming brand certainly wasn’t the first to get into the arena. But it’s been rather influential, raising the bar for online and wireless gaming. The Xbox took things to another level with its consoles going beyond gaming to allow for streaming and supporting apps. As always, any great staple in pop culture boasts a rich, interesting history. And Xbox history will come to light in a new documentary, Power On: The Story of Xbox, premiering on December 13, 2022.
This Xbox documentary will be a six-part miniseries telling the story of the console from its inception and beyond. The Story of Xbox’s trailer gives a peek into what fans can expect. It includes the people who were there for the early days when it was nothing more than a nebulous concept. There will be behind-the-scenes revelations and conversations about the snags and obstacles along the way. It will be a fascinating look into now-iconic games like Forza (a popular one in my household) and Halo, which is becoming a live-action series, among other things.
The word “chaos” pops up a few times in the trailer so there will be some drama sprinkled in for your curious pleasure. The documentary’s tagline is perhaps the most interesting: Four gamers, one idea, and a billion-dollar bet. Sure, Microsoft had the money but it certainly didn’t want a major flop on its innovative hands.
The Story of Xbox will be available to watch on a few platforms, including YouTube, The Roku Channel, IMDb TV, Redbox, and via Microsoft’s website, of course. It’s not immediately clear if all the episodes will drop at once or roll out in segments. But it will be a vital documentary for gamers. FanFest attendees will get an exclusive first look on December 12 if they sign up early.
It’s almost time to dig deep into the console’s past and see how it became a global giant.