1st Generation Gaming Console
The design of the XBOX console is intended to convey strength, power and precision. The target audience, 14-22 year old males, wants a new video game system that is all about performance and they expect animation quality is what makes the gaming environment more “real.” The powerful “X” on top of the machine screams the “X” brand, while the tight ribbed cooling vents evoke images of high-end stereo amplifiers. The glowing green jewel give the product life and exudes the power of the 733 MHz CPU with 250 Mhz custom-designed graphics processor. The DVD tray, new to video game systems, takes users into a new realm with 1920 x 1080 animated graphics resolution.
Final product shots of the game console.
The elements of the XBOX brand were just coming to life as the game console were being conceived. It was important that the powerful, aggressive, explosive attitude of XBOX was exuded in the console hardware design.
Several designers contributed to the concept phase. The prominent "X" shape was explored in many different ways before settling on the treatment shown on the left. Originally concieved with a silver metallic finish on the X, it became all black in its final execution.
I built the final industrial design 3D CAD database in Solidworks. These files were used for producing models, high fidelity renderings, and were passed over to the Microsoft engineering team.
The final appearance model before moving into final engineering and production.
Although he game controllers were designed by another design firm, all of the physcial hardware elements needed to have a common look and feel to hold together as a system of components. The green jewel badge on the console also appeared on the controllers.
I worked with a local vendor in the Seattle area to design, source and produce over 1,000 software developer kits that were launched prior to the XBOX Gaming console launch so that developers could develop games for the new platform. These super-computers needed to exude the XBOX brand and many of the design language elements from the main console.
