Why my first go on an Xbox 360 become a cherished gaming memory – Reader’s Feature

Do you remember your first time?

A reader recounts his first experience with the Xbox 360 at a special industry event where he got free beer and a chance to play Wheelman before anyone else.

I’d like to talk about one of my greatest memories in gaming. I had not long left school in 2000 and was studying software design at college. I had a part time job at a mobile phone shop, that also did things like web design and telephone networking, etc. I quickly learned the business of mobiles and at that time the industry was booming. So I set up a little company and started doing website design and mobile phone sales online via eBay and all the other auction sites (that no longer exist) for myself, which was proving quite lucrative.

So I expanded into gaming consoles and quickly built up a relationship with some suppliers who I got my consoles and games from. Then one day I was ordering some stock when the guy said to me, ‘Phil, you’re in Birmingham aren’t you? We have two tickets to an event held by Xbox at the Custard Factory tonight, do you want them?’ ‘Erm, yeah’, I said. So I called my friend, who I had grown up playing games with, and off we went.

Now, I was only around 16 or 17 at the time, so this type of thing wasn’t normal for me, but as we walked in I was directed to an open bar and me and my friend (who was a few years older) grabbed some free Budweisers (which blew my mind) and couldn’t believe what we’d been invited to. Thankfully, I was still suited and booted, so I looked the part and a little older then I was, but looking around at everyone else in attendance I definitely felt a little out of place, especially with my mechanic friend.

Then we were directed to a room where they had a multitude of Xbox 360s to play. I remember being in complete awe of the games being shown, with Halo and Wheelman being especially amazing. Pretty sure Dead Or Alive was there and a few others that I cannot remember. We got to spend a good hour or two playing and then we were given a full presentation, which really got the excitement going and to top it off we were all given an Xbox goody bag of which I really can’t remember the contents of. Then it was back to the free bar.

Now, maybe it’s because it was so long ago, or that free bar, but that’s kind of where my memory of it all runs out. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to have been to a fair few mobile phone seminars, where I got to see the newest tech and concepts before anyone else (pre-iPhone days), but I genuinely have never been more excited about one than I was that day.

My friend will now and again turn to me and say, ‘Remember when we got to go to that Xbox thing, it was amazing’ and it really was. And to top it off I was given a discount on the first 100 Xboxes I ordered, so me and my friend kept one each (at my cost price) and got them at least one week early, maybe more. I no longer do mobiles or games and stick to the software side of things, but I’ll always remember the day Lady Luck smiled on me and I got to be on the hype train for what was a fantastic console.

By reader Philly B

Wheelman starred Vin Diesel – it wasn’t very good (Ubisoft)

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

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