Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Golden Joystick Awards 2026
  • Join our monthly RPG Club
  • G+RLS Podcast
  • Game of the Week
  • Countdown to GTA 6
  • RPG Hub
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
  • Best gaming tech
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. Xbox

Original Xbox creator says launch made him "feel like an amateur"

News
By Ali Jones
Published 15 November 2021

20 years on, Seamus Blackley describes his Xbox "panic weekend"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Xbox
(Image credit: Microsoft)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

One of the creators of the original Xbox has been sharing his thoughts ahead of the console's 20th anniversary.

Seamus Blackley, who is credited with the idea of a dedicated Microsoft console, took to Twitter earlier today to say that Xbox's imagery attached to its anniversary celebrations - due to kick off later today - "just made me all verklempt," a Yiddish word for being overcome with emotion.

This stupid image just made me all verklempt. The panic weekend spent coming up with a boot up animation that would work, and implementing it, feeling like an amateur, like it all was all a failure, and now it’s a classic antique. All the feelings. ❤️❤️❤️ #Xbox20 pic.twitter.com/6ufEQAz2ikNovember 15, 2021

While the Xbox has now become a classic console, it wasn't always smooth sailing. In his tweet, Blackley outlines a "panic weekend spent coming up with a bootup animation that would work, and implementing it, feeling like an amateur, like it was all a failure." Fortunately, that hard work seemed to pay off, and now the original console is "a classic antique."

Latest Videos FromGamesRadar+
Watch full video here:

The Xbox 20th anniversary stream takes place today at 10:00 PST/ 13:00 EST/ 18:00 GMT. Microsoft has said that the focus will be on celebration and nostalgia rather than new game announcements, but some Halo fans are convinced that a surprise drop of the Halo Infinite multiplayer mode will be unveiled at the show. A number of recent reports have pointed to something happening later today, which would see the mode arrive almost a month before the rest of the campaign, including the revamped open-world campaign. Given the strength of Halo Infinite's betas, that would mean that shooter fans will have been well-served throughout November, with Call of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield 2042 both launching recently.

Taking a trip down memory lane? Here are the best Xbox games of all time. 

You may like
  • Xbox hardware blowout view "An Xbox that's only good for launching Steam is like subsidizing Valve's cash," says Microsoft vet
  • Composite image with screenshots of Modern Warfare 4, Spyro: A Realm Beyond, Gears of War: E-Day, and Fable in the wings of the Xbox logo "There has to be a reason for people to buy an Xbox": Making sense of Microsoft's messy return to console exclusivity
  • Mattel Brick Shop Xbox model and Duke controller on a dark table There isn't an official Lego Xbox, so Mattel said just said "fine, I'll do it myself"
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
Xbox Series X Xbox One Platforms Xbox
Ali Jones
Ali Jones
Social Links Navigation
Managing Editor, News

I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for news, shaping the news strategy across the team. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I've run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam's latest indie hit.

Read more
Xbox hardware blowout view
Games "An Xbox that's only good for launching Steam is like subsidizing Valve's cash," says Microsoft vet
 
 
Composite image with screenshots of Modern Warfare 4, Spyro: A Realm Beyond, Gears of War: E-Day, and Fable in the wings of the Xbox logo
Games "There has to be a reason for people to buy an Xbox": Making sense of Microsoft's messy return to console exclusivity
 
 
Mattel Brick Shop Xbox model and Duke controller on a dark table
Toys & Collectibles There isn't an official Lego Xbox, so Mattel said just said "fine, I'll do it myself"
 
 
Marcus being pinned to a wall by a Locust Drone during the Gears of War: E-Day trailer.
Games Xbox CEO says "a healthy Xbox could weather" this storm, but Microsoft's brand is anything but
 
 
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Xbox CEO says Xbox sees three to 10 times lower margins than comparable businesses
 
 
Halo 4
Games After 37 years at Microsoft, veteran who led Xbox Backward Compatibility program has been laid off
 
 
Latest in Games
A blocky buck-toothed monster cheers among his friends
RPGs Mr. Hytale is offering $15,000 to the first person to beat a new challenge in next month's update
 
 
Grand high Diablo NPC Deckard Cain sitting near lit candle
Diablo Blizzard says "sorry" for Diablo 4 season 15 woes by giving away the game's rarest crafting material
 
 
Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless screenshot shows a blonde girl with cat ears holding a gun.
JRPGs PlayStation is "hearing the feedback from customers" on discs, says JRPG boss
 
 
Sothis, a goddess, lounges in her chair in Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave
RPGs Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is too massive for How Long To Beat to have any useful results
 
 
Satya Nadella in a black shirt
Games Amid mass Xbox layoffs, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says the "streamlining" is "great to see"
 
 
A purple-haired human-like figure looks down lustfully at a blond-haired woman
RPGs Fire Emblem and Hades-inspired RPG flees from Ocarina of Time remake with a new release date
 
 
Latest in News
A blocky buck-toothed monster cheers among his friends
RPGs Mr. Hytale is offering $15,000 to the first person to beat a new challenge in next month's update
 
 
Grand high Diablo NPC Deckard Cain sitting near lit candle
Diablo Blizzard says "sorry" for Diablo 4 season 15 woes by giving away the game's rarest crafting material
 
 
Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless screenshot shows a blonde girl with cat ears holding a gun.
JRPGs PlayStation is "hearing the feedback from customers" on discs, says JRPG boss
 
 
Sothis, a goddess, lounges in her chair in Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave
RPGs Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is too massive for How Long To Beat to have any useful results
 
 
Satya Nadella in a black shirt
Games Amid mass Xbox layoffs, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says the "streamlining" is "great to see"
 
 
A purple-haired human-like figure looks down lustfully at a blond-haired woman
RPGs Fire Emblem and Hades-inspired RPG flees from Ocarina of Time remake with a new release date
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. A blocky buck-toothed monster cheers among his friends
    1
    Mr. Hytale is offering $15,000 to the first person to beat a new challenge in next month's update
  2. 2
    Blizzard says "sorry" for Diablo 4 season 15 woes by giving away the game's rarest crafting material
  3. 3
    PlayStation is "hearing the feedback from customers" on discs, says JRPG boss
  4. 4
    Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is too massive for How Long To Beat to have any useful results
  5. 5
    Avengers: Endgame may be the only Marvel movie you need to rewatch before Doomsday, and here's why

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...