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Showing content from https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/07/08/rejected-names-for-the-original-xbox-revealed below:

Rejected Names for the Original Xbox Revealed

A list of potential acronym-based names pitched for the original Xbox have been revealed for the first time. In an interview with Edge, Seamus Blackley has revealed a long list of names that were floated to him and the rest of the console's launch team.

"First, there were our code names, which were WEP – ‘Windows Entertainment Project’ – designed to make Microsoft executives comfortable," he revealed. "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.

Phase four was a battle between us and the naming guys, when we decided we just wanted to risk it and go with Xbox.

"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.

"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…"

The complete list of suggested names are below and it's safe to say we think Blackley made the right call...


What do you reckon, do any of the above names hold a torch to "Xbox"? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Junior Editor. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

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