XSN Sports

Last updated
XSN Sports
XSN Sports Logo.jpg
Genre Sports
Developer Various
Publisher Microsoft Game Studios
Platform Xbox
First release NFL Fever 2004
26 August 2003
Latest release Rallisport Challenge 2
17 May 2004

XSN Sports (also known as Xbox Sports Network) is a series of sports video games published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox over 2003 to 2004 using an online service hosted on a web page of the same name. The series reflected an attempt by Microsoft to appeal to the sports market, focusing on first-party development of games with online features facilitated by Xbox Live. Commencing on 28 August 2003, XSN Sports titles with an Xbox Live subscription were able to use a web-based service to access additional features, including an online leaderboard of scores, as well as organize tournament leagues.

Contents

Despite generally favorable critical reception of XSN Sports titles, commercial performance was not as strong as those from competitors including EA Sports and Sega Sports 2k Sports series, and Sony Sports games, leading to development of games in the series being put on hold in June 2004. Following a distribution deal for EA Sports titles to support Xbox Live, Microsoft made the decision to cease in-house development of sports titles in August 2004. The XSN Sports website was shut down in September 2006.

Features

The XSN Sports service featured a web page where players with an Xbox Live gamertag could see leaderboards of player scores and statistics from online matches of compatible games, and could set up tournaments and leagues with others. [1] The service was free for subscribers to Xbox Live. [1] [2] Once logged in, players could create or join competitions with other players in the form of seasons or tournaments. Seasons were team-based competitions that followed regular season schedules, customisable from four 4 players with 6 season games to 32 players with 16 season games and additional playoffs depending on series length. Tournaments were single elimination rounds, customisable from 4 players over two games to 32 players over five games. Players could also use their Xbox Live friends list to invite players to join these events. [3]

History

XSN Sports was introduced during a period of innovation for online sports gameplay, competing with services offered by simulation sports focused publishers such as Sony's 989 Sports, EA Sports, and Sega's ESPN 2k sports, and the arcade game focused Midway Sports. [4] [5] [6] XSN Sports manager Kevin Browne stated that XSN Sports was conceived during development of NFL Fever 2004 to develop ways to establish online leagues, so that players of sports games could play more regularly with others over multiple matches. [7] The brand was revealed by Microsoft Game Studios at E3 in May 2003, with Microsoft demonstrating the use of cell phones to access game data at the event. [8] The service coincided with the development of various improvements to Xbox Live that would facilitate the functionality of XSN Sports, including mobile device integration and improve voice chat. [9] [8] [10] [11] Microsoft signed several athletes, including Peyton Manning, Shaquille O'Neal and Anna Kournikova to contribute to the packaging and advertising of the brand. [4]

XSN Sports went live on 28 August 2003, shortly after the release of its first title, NFL Fever 2004 . [12] In February 2004, Microsoft held a month-long XSN Sports World Championship, with entrants competing in a tournament of each of the six XSN Sports titles available at the time. [13] The finals at the House of Blues in Los Angeles and awarding a $25,000 cash prize. [14] Browne stated ambitions for XSN Sports to expand in 2004 to appeal to a broader audience by expanding the communication features, statistics, and integration with gameplay features, such as live commentators. [7] The final game released was Rallisport Challenge 2 in May 2004, the first and only racing title in the series. [15]

In June 2004, Microsoft announced that development of its annually planned XSN Sports titles for the NHL, NBA and NFL would be postponed until 2005. [16] [17] [18] Browne stated that the decision came from poor market performance compared to competitors, [16] and feedback from consumers for better games on the service. [17] Despite initially announcing that the development teams would be retained to release titles in 2005, [16] [17] Microsoft closed most of its internal sports division in August 2004, resulting in the layoff of 76 staff. [19] [20] Further, following long-term aspirations to secure a publishing deal, [21] Microsoft established a partnership with Electronic Arts for Xbox distribution in May 2004, including Xbox Live compatibility for its EA Sports titles. [22] [19] [23] This partnership, and the growth in third-party support for the console, led Microsoft to see first-party development of Xbox sports titles as unnecessary. [20] [19] [24] The XSN Sports website was shut down in September 2006.

Games

Microsoft published seven titles under the XSN Sports brand, exclusively for first-party sports titles. [25] These included:

TitleRelease date
NFL Fever 2004 26 August 2003
Amped 2 28 October 2003
Top Spin 28 October 2003
Links 2004 11 November 2003
NBA Inside Drive 2004 18 November 2003
NHL Rivals 2004 18 November 2003
Rallisport Challenge 2 17 May 2004

Reception

Aggregate review scores
Game Metacritic
NFL Fever 2004 74% [26]
Amped 2 80% [27]
Top Spin 89% [28]
Links 2004 80% [29]
NBA Inside Drive 2004 71% [30]
NHL Rivals 2004 65% [31]
Rallisport Challenge 2 87% [32]

The features of the XSN Sports service were mostly praised. Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the "seamless co-ordination" of the service between console and web, although critiqued the "archaic" message board and method of scheduling games. [33] Describing the service as the "online experience to beat", NBC News praised the ambition of the service and the "easy interface". [34] However, GameSpot had "mixed experiences" with the service, encountering issues locating leaderboards and network performance. [35]

Most of the XSN Sports titles received average or positive reviews, to review aggregator Metacritic. Some reviews considered the service improved the game, [36] with some describing the additional features as a highlight. [37] However, some critics found the XSN games lineup limited or not as strong as their competitors. [33] [34] [35] Many XSN Sports titles were less successful than their counterparts, [16] with Eurogamer stating that "whilst the last run of XSN Sports offerings boosted the service's profile, rival offerings from EA and Sega trounced them both on the scorecard and at retail". [18] Retrospectively, Retro Gamer expressed that XSN Sports was "key in the early years of the Xbox, before EA built Xbox Live support into its own sports games". [38] Game Informer considered the series "had all the life sucked out of it with the dearth of Microsoft's first-party sports lineup". [39]

References

  1. 1 2 "Xbox Builds Online Sports Network". Game Informer. No. 123. July 2003. p. 18.
  2. ↑ "XSN-Tial Gaming". GMR. No. 9. October 2003. p. 16.
  3. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". XSN Sports. 2003. Archived from the original on 16 December 2005. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  4. 1 2 Lefton, Terry (12 May 2003). "Microsoft Video Game Initiative Includes Athlete Signings". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  5. ↑ Hendrix, Air (November 2003). "Online Sports Goes Pro". GamePro. No. 182. p. 22.
  6. ↑ "Being A Good Sport". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 170. September 2003. p. 97.
  7. 1 2 Robinson, Jon (19 September 2003). "XSN Sports Interview". IGN. IGN. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Xbox Live 2.0". Xbox Nation. No. 11. January 2004. p. 30. At the Electronic Entertainment Exposition 2003, Xbox executives demonstrated the use of mobile devices and cell phones to received XSN Sports scores, stats and tournament results.
  9. ↑ "'X' Marks The Box". Digit. June 2003. p. 20.
  10. ↑ "E3 2003". Play. No. 19. July 2003. p. 35.
  11. ↑ "Online This Month: New features make Xbox Live livelier". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 172. November 2003. p. 96.
  12. ↑ "Microsoft Ushers in a New Era of Sports Video Gaming With XSN Sports". Microsoft. 28 August 2003. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  13. ↑ Boyle, Colin (6 February 2004). "XSN Sports Championship Finalists Revealed". IGN. IGN. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  14. ↑ "XSN Finalists Announced". Hyper. No. 126. April 2004. p. 79.
  15. ↑ "Online Mud In Your Eye". Game Informer. No. 127. November 2003. p. 28.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "XSN Goes AWOL". Xbox Nation. No. 15. June 2004. p. 45.
  17. 1 2 3 Robinson, Jon (30 March 2004). "Game Over". IGN. IGN. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  18. 1 2 Bramwell, Tom (30 March 2004). "MS rests XSN Sports line-up for a year". Eurogamer. Eurogamer. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  19. 1 2 3 Dudley, Brier (20 August 2004). "Microsoft laying off 76, cuts production of own Xbox games". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  20. 1 2 Jenkins, David (20 August 2004). "Microsoft Closes XSN Studio". Game Developer. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  21. ↑ "Microsoft Gives Xbox More Game". CBS News. 13 May 2003. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  22. ↑ "Battle for the NFL". GameSpot. GameSpot. 16 December 2004. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  23. ↑ "EA Sports Goes Xbox Live!". Tips & Tricks. No. 113. July 2004. p. 93.
  24. ↑ Adams, David (21 August 2004). "Microsoft Closes Sports Division". IGN. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  25. ↑ Goldstein, Hilary (13 May 2003). "E3 2003: XSN Sports". IGN. IGN. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  26. ↑ "NFL Fever 2004 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  27. ↑ "Amped 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  28. ↑ "Top Spin Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  29. ↑ "Links 2004 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  30. ↑ "NBA Inside Drive 2004 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  31. ↑ "NHL Rivals 2004 Reviews". Metacritic. 18 November 2003. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  32. ↑ "Rallisport Challenge 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  33. 1 2 "A League of Their Own". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 174. January 2004. p. 75.
  34. 1 2 Loftus, Tom (3 September 2003). "Are you ready for some football (video games)!". NBC News. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  35. 1 2 Colayco, Bob (21 November 2003). "NBA Inside Drive 2004 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  36. ↑ "Links 2004". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 173. December 2003. ...and logging onto the XSN Sports website to check out stats or join user-created tournaments really adds to the fun.
  37. ↑ "NBA Inside Drive 2004". GamePro. No. 182. November 2003. Inside Drive's greatest asset may turn out to be its inclusion in the XSN Sports line, which means support is assured for advance online leagues, custom tournaments, and stat tracking.
  38. ↑ Drew Sleep, ed. (2023). "Inside The Xbox". Retro Gamer. No. The History of Video Games (4 ed.). p. 123.
  39. ↑ "Forza Motorsport: The Study of Speed". Game Informer. No. 40. December 2004. p. 82.
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