The soundtrack CD also comes with a bonus DVD, featuring some NHL highlights from the 2002-03 NHL season, some Wayne Gretzky promo videos, and some DVD-ROM exclusive features. NHL Rivals 2004 was the featured soundtrack for Volume 1, and what turns out to be the only volume, as there was no Volume 2 that I could find online. The XSN service itself was later shut down in 2006, presumably to shift focus onto the then-new Xbox 360.Īs a promotional tie-in for these games, they released a soundtrack, under the “XSN Sports Soundtrack CD Series,” featuring various songs that come from the game’s soundtrack. Sadly, they couldn’t make a dent in the competition, and the XSN Sports brand was folded one year later, with only Amped and Rallisport Challenge lasting beyond the brand. Microsoft’s sports games debut included XSN Sports titles like NFL Fever 2004, Links 2004, and Rallisport Challenge 2.
Under the XSN Sports banner, Microsoft’s sport-focused games featured tournaments and leagues that players could make in-game to share on the respective website. They introduced XSN Sports as their flagship sports game brand, to make sports games for their exclusive Xbox console, much akin to what their competitors were doing.
In 2003, Microsoft tried to make their own sports brand to rival then-competitors EA and Sega. This time, we’re gonna briefly talk about Microsoft’s failed attempt at a sports video game brand called “XSN Sports.” Other times, some of this competition falls flat and ends up in the annals of obscurity, like the many times Midway tried to re-invent the wheel by making stuff like NHL Hitz. For example: Sony with their MLB The Show series are considered by many to be the gold standard for baseball video games. While EA and 2K Sports have become the big-name players for sports games these days, there are many companies willing to throw their hat in the ring and try to carve their own niche.
They’re not particularly exciting these days, unless you’re like me and like cataloging every time Snoop Dogg’s been in something. Nowadays we tend to gloss over it, being just another thing about these games that exist. For a good while in the 2000s, there was a sense of hype if your song got into the next Madden NFL or NBA 2K title. It’s really fascinating how popular licensed music in sports video games have become.
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