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Microsoft’s ‘naming guys’ wanted to call the company’s first games console 11-X or Eleven-X, but were overruled by Seamus Blackley and his launch team.Blackley was part of the team that built and launched the first Xbox, and in an excerpt from an archive Edge interview published online for the first time, he revealed to us the long list of suggested acronym-based names for what eventually became the Xbox.
“First, there were our code names, which were WEP – ‘Windows Entertainment Project’ – designed to make Microsoft executives comfortable, Midway – ‘Midway between a PC and a console or ‘Battle of Midway’ – you decide – and DirectX Box, which was shortened to xbox in email very early on.”
“When we got the first approval, Kevin [Bachus] was told we had to get a new name, because ‘xbox’ wasn’t legally sound, so against his judgment he did so, and got the phase two, or ‘car’ names. These were so bad we didn’t even save them, but I remember making fun of one of them by calling it the ‘Microsoft Bunduss’. Then we got the ‘acronym’ phase from the naming geniuses.”
Blackley was sent a huge list of potential acronym-based names, which were all “crap,” he says. The team decided to stick with Xbox. “Phase four was a battle between us and the naming guys, when we decided we just wanted to risk it and go with Xbox – since that’s what everyone called it anyway – and they wanted, for some unknowable reason, to call it ‘11-X’ or ‘Eleven-X’. Finally, we told them no, but still had to decide: X-Box, xBox, XboX, Xbox, X-box…”
You can read the complete list of the ‘naming guys’ various suggestions below, and read more from Blackley in our recent The Making Of: Xbox interview.
- MAX: Microsoft Action Experience (“Experiência de Ação da Microsoft”);
- AIO: All In One (“Tudo-em-Um”);
- MIND: Microsoft Interactive Network Device (“Dispositivo Interativo de Rede da Microsoft”);
- FACE: Full Action Center (“Centro de Ação Completa”);
- MITH: Microsoft Interactive Theatre (“Teatro Interativo da Microsoft”);
- XON: Experience Optimised Network (“Rede de Experiência Otimizada”);
- MVPC: Microsoft Virtual Play Center (“Centro de Jogo Virtual da Microsoft”);
- TAC: Total Action Center (“Centro de Ação Total”). Discos seriam chamados TACs;
- MARC: Microsoft Action Reality Center (“Centro de Realidade de Ação da Microsoft”);
- LEX: Live Entertainment Experience (“Experiência de Entretenimento de Vida”);
- M-PAC: Microsoft Play and Action Center (“Centro de Ação e Jogo da Microsoft”);
- RPM: Real Performance Machine (“Máquina de Performance Real”);
- MOX: Microsoft Optimal Experience (“Experiência Óptima da Microsoft”);
- E2: Extreme Experience (“Experiência Extrema”);
- MTG: Microsoft Total Gaming (“Jogatina Total da Microsoft”);
- VIP: Virtual Interactive Player (“Player Interativo Virtual”);
- PTP ou P2P: Powered To Play (“Produzido Para Jogar”);
- VIC: Virtual Interactive Center (“Centro Interativo Virtual”). Discos seriam chamados VICs;
- MARZ: Microsoft Active Reality Zone (“Zona de Realidade Ativa da Microsoft”);
- TSO: Three, Six, Zero (“Três, Seis, Zero”);
- EHQ: Entertainment Headquarters (“Quartel-General do Entretenimento”);
- O2: Optimal Ozone or Optical Odyssey (“Ozônio Óptimo” ou “Odisseia Óptica”);
- MIC: Microsoft Interactive Center (“Centro Interativo da Microsoft”);
- R&R: Reality and Revolution (“Realidade e Revolução”);
- MEA: Microsoft Entertainment Activator (“Ativador de Entretenimento da Microsoft”);
- AMP: Active Microsoft Player (“Player Ativo da Microsoft”);
- VPS: Virtual Play System (“Sistema Virtual de Jogo”);
- MAP: Microsoft Action Play (“Ação de Jogo da Microsoft”);
- MEGA: Microsoft Entertainment & Gaming Attendant ou Microsoft Entertainment & Gaming Assembly (“Assistente de Jogos e Entretenimento da Microsoft” ou “Montagem de Jogos e Entretenimento da Microsoft”);
- CPG: CyberPlayGround;
- VERV: Virtual Entertainment & Reality Venture) (“Aventura de Entretenimento e Realidade Virtual”);
- OM: Odyssey of the Mind (“Odisseia da Mente”);
- P2: PowerPlay (“Jogo do Poder”);
- IS1: Interactive System In One (“Sistema Interativo em Um”);
- MET: Microsoft Entertainment Technology ou Microsoft Entertainment Theatre (“Tecnologia de Entretenimento da Microsoft” ou “Teatro de Entretenimento da Microsoft”).
Fonte: Edge
