Companies like Microsoft announced that it would release its first gaming console in November 2001. The company had predominantly been a software company since its inception, but the brand immediately proved to be a huge hit capable of competing with the biggest names in the market.
As with any entertainment industry, rumors have swirled throughout Xbox's twenty years of life. While many have proven true, even more have proven false. While some may seem like missed opportunities, others are better for never having come to fruition.
The Xbox 720 Console
Since Microsoft chose not to use a simple numbering system to name their consoles (they would always be a number behind PlayStation, which may confuse casual consumers), gamers didn't know what to expect from the follow-up to the Xbox 360. Some believed that the system would double the number to call itself the 720.
This rumor was fueled by the 2011 film Real Steel, which featured an ment for the Xbox 720 during one of its robotic fights. This name was proven false when Microsoft announced its new console would be the Xbox One.
Future Activision Games Will Be Xbox Exclusive
Microsoft surprised the gaming world when it revealed its acquisition of Zenimax, but this news was followed up by an equally shocking purchase: Activision Blizard. In addition to Call of Duty franchise could potentially become Xbox exclusives.
Microsoft put rumors and speculation to rest when it released a statement updating its game store policies. Among the information was the reassurance that not only would current contracts with Sony be honored, but that games like Call of Duty would continue to release on other consoles even after these agreements expire.
The Xbox/Zune xYz
MP3 players may still exist, but, like the Walkman or portable CD players before them, they've primarily been phased out due to technological advancements. Even in their heydey, though, the Microsoft Zune never reached the popularity of Apple's iPod line.
Team Xbox published an article in 2009 claiming that Microsoft was planning a crossover device to connect their waning MP3 player with their Xbox gaming brand. The device, codenamed xYz, was said to be a portable handheld capable of sharing movies, television shows, music, and Xbox Live Arcade games with home Xbox consoles. This rumor ultimately ended up being false.
Xbox Series X | S Release Delay Unitil 2021
Though Microsoft originally announced a November 2020 release date for the Xbox Series X | S consoles, rumors started to circulate before launch via websites like Forbes that the global chip shortage and Covid-related shipping delays would force Microsoft to move this back to 2021.
With how common it is for gamers to see popular games delayed for various reasons, it didn't seem farfetched that the same may happen to Microsoft's newest systems. This turned out to be false, though supply has still not caught up to demand and many gamers are still struggling to find Microsoft and Sony consoles.
The Series X Catches On Fire
There have been several rumored things in games that turned out to be false, but this hardware hoax almost did severe damage to the Xbox brand. Players were already wary about the consoles' launch after the "red ring" issues of the Xbox 360, so many believed a video posted to Twitter on November 11th, 2020 showing an Xbox Series X console going up in smoke and flames.
Microsoft quickly denied these allegations, and this video did indeed turn out to be fake. The most popular theory is that the poster simply blew smoke from a vape into the Series X's vents.
The Xbox Surface Tablet
Like the Zune before it, Microsoft's Surface tablets have failed to gain the brand recognition or popularity of Apple's iPads. The original Surface was released in October 2012, and rumors started to circulate in early 2012 that Microsoft was also working on a gaming-focused crossover version with its Xbox brand.
This rumor gained more steam when The Verge claimed it had multiple sources confirm the information. This information claimed that the Xbox Surface would boast a 7-inch screen and be capable of playing less-demanding Xbox games. The Surface tablet brand has seen a reasonable amount of success, but Microsoft has hitherto stayed out of the mobile gaming device market.
Microsoft Will Sell The Xbox Brand
With several popular games available on Xbox Game and major studio acquisitions coming in rapid succession, the Xbox name is currently sitting in a very positive place with fans. However, this wasn't always the case, and rumors circulated in the early 2010s that Microsoft was considering selling off the Xbox brand to a company such as Amazon.
While this particular rumor was false, Xbox head Phil Spencer somewhat recently opened up to ShackNews about Microsoft's consideration of abandoning or selling the Xbox brand altogether after the Xbox One's poor pre-launch marketing campaigns.
Microsoft Will Buy Sega
There were Fallout developer BioWare, in 2021, several sources stated that another big acquisition was coming soon.
Many believed that Sega was in a dire enough position to look for a buyer, and the famous Japanese brand may give Xbox a bump in a country dominated by Sony and Nintendo. This rumor didn't have a single source, but it was perpetrated by various media outlets. However, it was soon revealed that Microsoft's next big buy was to be Activision Blizzard, and no additional information has come to light about potential moves with Sega.
Hideo Kojima Is Making An Xbox Exclusive Game
The brain behind much of the Metal Gear franchise, Hideo Kojima went through a very public dispute with Konami as they restructured and refocused their game publishing methods and hierarchy. After Kojima's infamous split with his longtime publisher, both sides' enmity for the other was displayed frequently and publically.
After VentureBeat published an article in early 2021 about the deal, rumors swirled that the acclaimed game maker was planning an exclusive collaboration with Microsoft in an attempt to flex his newfound independence, but no further announcements or information have come to light since.
Microsoft Is Developing A Smash Bros. Competitor
The Super Smash Bros. franchise has been a popular competitive and social series for decades, and so far, no other entry in the genre has proven remotely as popular. When Sony took a shot at imitating the formula with PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, rumors speculated that Microsoft would try something similar.
Unfortunately for fans, head of Xbox Phil Spencer Gears of War, many believed the franchise would be more mature and violent than its cartoony counterparts, but Phil maintained that the Xbox team wants to focus on new experiences. However, Microsoft's recent and pending acquisitions of Zenimax and Activision Blizard IPs have refueled fan desires for a platform brawler.
