TeamXbox
TeamXbox launched in 2000, built by two fans who went by online handles: Brent "Shockwave" Soboleski and Steve "Bart" Barton. At a moment when Microsoft's first gaming console was still a year from reaching store shelves, they staked their site on a platform the world hadn't yet played.
The site carved out a niche as a dedicated home for Xbox coverage. While it focused primarily on Xbox and Xbox 360 news, it occasionally drifted into general technology and broader video game topics. For anyone searching for Microsoft's console ecosystem in the early 2000s, TeamXbox was a destination worth bookmarking.
In 2001, Sol Najimi, who ran a rival community called MSXbox, agreed to merge the MSXbox forums with the TeamXbox news site. That combination produced one of the largest Xbox-focused fan sites on the web at the time.
IGN Entertainment, Inc. purchased TeamXbox in 2003, folding the fan site into a growing media empire. Two years later, in 2005, News Corporation bought IGN Entertainment, which brought TeamXbox under the umbrella of one of the world's largest media conglomerates.
For the site's original founders and community, these ownership shifts marked a significant transition. A site born from fan enthusiasm had become a commercial property traded between major corporations. The editorial direction and brand continued under successive owners, maintaining the Xbox-centric focus that had built the audience in the first place.
In August 2012, TeamXbox stopped publishing new content. The site did not shut down immediately; it shifted into archive mode, preserving its years of news, reviews, and forum activity as a static record.
The timing placed the shutdown just ahead of Microsoft's announcement of the Xbox One, the platform TeamXbox had listed in its own description. The site that had covered two generations of Xbox hardware would not be around to cover the third. As of the 1st of March 2018, the domain became inaccessible entirely, closing the final chapter on a site that had been active for roughly twelve years.
Common questions
What was TeamXbox and what platforms did it cover?
TeamXbox was a gaming media website dedicated to Microsoft's Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One platforms. It focused primarily on Xbox and Xbox 360 news, though it occasionally covered general technology and other video game topics.
Who founded TeamXbox and when was it created?
TeamXbox was founded in 2000 by Brent "Shockwave" Soboleski and Steve "Bart" Barton. In 2001, Sol Najimi of MSXbox merged the MSXbox forums with the TeamXbox news site, helping create one of the largest Xbox-focused fan communities online.
Who bought TeamXbox and when did the acquisition happen?
IGN Entertainment, Inc. purchased TeamXbox in 2003. News Corporation then acquired IGN Entertainment in 2005, bringing TeamXbox under its ownership.
When did TeamXbox stop publishing new content?
TeamXbox ceased regular updates in August 2012, transitioning from an active news site into an archive of its previous content.
When did the TeamXbox domain go offline?
The TeamXbox domain became inaccessible as of the 1st of March 2018, marking the complete end of the site after roughly twelve years of operation.
What was the MSXbox merger with TeamXbox about?
In 2001, Sol Najimi of MSXbox agreed to merge the MSXbox forums with the TeamXbox news site. The combined community became one of the largest Xbox-focused fan sites at the time.
All sources
3 references cited across the entry
- 1webIGN Entertainment Acquires TeamXbox WebsiteIGN Entertainment, Inc — October 21, 2003
- 2magazineNews Corp. Acquires IGN for $650 MillionSeptember 11, 2005
- 3inlineTeamXbox