L’Xbox original was launched 20 years ago and, on the occasion of the next anniversary, the designer of the console apologized to the engineers of AMD and with its CEO for the last minute decision of Microsoft to abandon AMD for the rival Intel.
Seamus Blackley apologized on Twitter to AMD engineers who worked with Microsoft to create the prototype Xbox console that the company used ahead of its November 2001 release. To AMD CEO Lisa Su, Blackley said: “I ask for mercy.”
“I was there on stage for the announcement, with [Bill Gates], and they were right there, in the front row, looking so sad“he said of the AMD engineers in the room.”I’ll never forget it. They had helped so much with the prototypes“.
“I felt like a bitch“Blackley said.
As we approach @Xbox 20th, I feel a need, once again, to apologize for the literal last second, @AMD engineers-who-helped-us-make-the-prototype-boxes-sitting-in-the-front-row-for-the-announcement switch to an Intel CPU. It was Andy calling Bill. Not me. @LisaSu I beg mercy.
– Seamus Blackley (@SeamusBlackley) October 12, 2021
I was standing there on the stage for the announcement, with BillG, and there they were right there, front row, looking so sad. I? Ll never forget it. They had helped so much with the prototypes. Prototypes that were literally running the launch announcement demos ON AMD HARDWARE.
– Seamus Blackley (@SeamusBlackley) October 12, 2021
Microsoft ditched AMD in favor of Intel for “pure politics“Blackley added in another tweet.
AMD may have lost the supply of chips for the original Xbox, but AMD chips are now used for both Xbox Series X / S and PlayStation 5. Right now the electronics world is facing a shortage of components due to the pandemic and game consoles are among the many products that have been affected.
Despite the shortages that are expected to occur in 2022, AMD made a profit of $ 710 million in the last quarter, up 352% year-over-year.
2021 is the 20th anniversary of Xbox and Halo, and Microsoft is celebrating it with a special edition Xbox controller and headsets with various nods to the original Xbox. Halo Infinite, meanwhile, will launch on December 8, just weeks after Xbox and Halo’s 20th anniversary.
Source: Gamespot.