Opening the Xbox: Inside Microsoft's Plan to Unleash an Entertainment Revolution

by Dean Takahashi

Focusing on the launch of Microsoft's new gaming console, the Xbox, a veteran journalist goes behind the scenes of the cutthroat video game industry and draws on exclusive interviews with Microsoft... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0761537082
• ISBN13: 9780761537083
• Release Date: April 2002
• Publisher: Prima Lifestyles
• Length: 370 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A great glimpse of the video game industry.

I don't like Microsoft. In fact, I bought a PS 2 just to spite them. But, I couldn't put this book down in the bookstore.The reader gets rare glimpes of the decision making processes for Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. The book provides good information on the specifications and history for all 3 systems. The book also gives good insight into the developer's point of view as well. The personalities of the people involved are very interesting, especially the ones from Microsoft. It's one of the best books I've read in a while. I found it very entertaining and informative.

Unprecedented Access

Dean Takahashi is quite possibly the finest reporter ever to dive into the video game arena. He has a shrewd understanding of the financial arena, does not take surface answers seriously, and digs. He is also a fine writer.And all of this is apparent in "Opening the Xbox," the deepest and best coverage ever dedicated to a single game console.I have always belonged to the "Phoenix," "Ultimate History of Video Games," "Supercade," "Arcade Fever" school of game coverage--these volumes seem dedicated to the idea that the book format is so vast that you need to cover the entire industry in it. David Sheff bucked that trend with "Game Over," dedicating an entire book to the history of Nintendo with exemplary results. Then Takahashi comes along and does an entire book on one console--ONE CONSOLE! The result is real depth."Opening the Xbox" does a great job of capturing the intrigue and excitement of Microsoft's boardrooms. Takahashi takes more than a fly-on-the-wall approach here, he is a genuine fixture--he is pervasive, making everybody explain what they did and why they did it."Opening the Xbox" offers a most thorough picture of the inside decision making process for one small segment of gaming; and doing so, it offers a big-picture view for any company in an analogous situation.

Informative yet riveting story...

Dean does a wonderful job of telling the fascinating story of the x-box from beginning to end while keeping the reader excited. I also liked the amount of detail the book went into and how it really makes the reader feel as if they understand the key characters in the x-box's development.

Terrific Book for Anyone in the Business of Technology

One only has to read Dean Takahashi's excellent work between the covers of Red Herring to know that he's plugged into the game industry in a way very few journalists are. He puts his considerable industry knowledge to good use in Opening the Xbox. Microsoft receives more than its fair share of analysis and it's refreshing to read something about the workings of the company that isn't mere speculation. From "The Valentine's Day Massacre" to absinthe laced parties with game developers - it's all here. Mr. Takahashi was granted access to the people and the process and shares it with us in a way that keeps you turning pages. The Xbox may very well be the biggest boondoggle in Microsoft's history and Opening the Xbox continues to show it's relevance in light of Microsoft's recently announced plans for "Freon." Read the book as an excellent case study in technology management or as a tell all featuring many of Microsoft's biggest players. Its well worth your time.

A must read for any XBOX fan or business professional!

This is a great book! Author Dean Takahashi gives a detailed insight as to the development and marketing of the XBOX from its early conception right up to its high profile launch! Being an XBOX fan, this was just the book to read to help dispel some of the myths that were floating around when the XBOX was being developed. You also get a good idea of how the Microsoft corporation thinks and operates not just in the video game market, but throughout all of their business ventures. Interesting theories as to why Microsoft entered the console market in the first place are discussed (one theory is that the XBOX is Microsoft's act of "revenge" against Sony when it looked elsewhere for it's PS2 development systems!).I highly recommend "Opening the XBOX" to anyone who enjoys video games in general or for someone who is looking for a book that's different than all the other business books currently in stores. Well worth the price and a very insightful look into the strategy and culture that is the Microsoft Corporation.