The original Xbox launched on November 15, 2001. The person largely responsible for how audio worked in that original Xbox and what the Xbox would “sound” like was Brian Schmidt. We’ve had Brian on the show in the past, most recently to talk about Game Sound Con, which he runs in LA every October.

In the late 1990s, Brian was working for Microsoft and began working on the Xbox right away as he’ll tell you, and achieved many technological breakthroughs in this work.

One of the launch games for Xbox in that winter of 2001 was Halo: Combat Evolved, with music by Marty O’Donnell. And that was an audio achievement as well, as Marty will tell you.

We are so honored Brian and Marty wanted to share these stories on Level!
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PLAYLIST
00:00 Opening Suite from Halo: Combat Evolved by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori
1:37:12 Rock Anthem for Saving the World from Halo: Combat Evolved by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori
1:37:54 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 240: Brian Schmidt and Marty O’Donnell on Xbox and Halo: Combat Evolved originally appeared on Level With Emily Reese on September 29, 2023.