Microsoft marketing executives absolutely hated the name Xbox when it was first pitched, viewing it as a clunky abbreviation for the Direct X Box project that sounded completely unprofessional.

A closer look

Microsoft marketing executives absolutely hated the name Xbox when it was first pitched, viewing it as a clunky abbreviation for the Direct X Box project that sounded completely unprofessional. They generated dozens of expensive alternatives like the Face or the Eleven, but focus groups kept enthusiastically rejecting their corporate suggestions in favor of the original working title. The executives eventually surrendered to the public's demands, proving that millions of dollars in market research can easily be defeated by a simple geometric shape attached to a cool letter. It just goes to show that consumers do not want high-concept synergistic branding, they just want a glowing green box that lets them scream obscenities at strangers over a plastic headset!