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| '''The Xbox consoles suck monkey balls. Don't buy them. Someone smashed his with a guitar. | |||
| {{Infobox VG system | |||
| ''' | |||
| |name = Xbox | |||
| |logo = ] | |||
| |image = ] | |||
| |caption =Xbox console with "Controller S" | |||
| |developer=Microsoft | |||
| |manufacturer = ]<ref name=Wired2011>{{cite web|last=O'Brien|first=Jeffrey M.|title=The Making of the Xbox|url=http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.11/flex.html|work=Wired|publisher=Condé Nast|accessdate=17 April 2013|month=November|year=2011}}</ref> | |||
| |family = ] | |||
| |type=] | |||
| |os= Custom (Based on ] architecture and ] (through Xbox LIVE) | |||
| |generation=] | |||
| |lifespan={{vgrelease new|NA|November 15, 2001<ref name=NA_Rel_Date/>|JP|February 22, 2002|EU|March 14, 2002}} | |||
| |discontinued = {{vgrelease new|JP|June 4, 2006|EU|March 11, 2007|NA|May 18, 2008}} | |||
| |GPU=233 MHz nVidia ] | |||
| |media=], ], ] | |||
| |storage=8 or 10 GB internal ] (Formatted to 8 GB with alloted system reserve and MS Dash), 8 MB ] | |||
| |controllers=4× Xbox controller ports (proprietary ] interface)<!-- Changed to four due to lack of citation for six. If you wish to change it back please provide citation. --><!-- Wireless controllers not supported directly - third-party wireless controllers require a wired base unit. --> | |||
| |connectivity=] | |||
| |online service=] | |||
| |CPU=Custom 733 MHz ] "]" processor | |||
| |RAM=64 MB of ] @ 200 MHz | |||
| |units sold=24+ million <small>(as of May 10, 2006)</small><ref name="gamers_catch">{{cite web |url=http://www.xbox.com/zh-SG/community/news/2006/20060510.htm |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080621155352/http://www.xbox.com/zh-SG/community/news/2006/20060510.htm |archivedate=2008-06-21 |title=Gamers Catch Their Breath as Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Reinvent Next-Generation Gaming |accessdate=2009-03-30 |date=2006-05-10|publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
| |units shipped= | |||
| |top game='']'', 8 million <small>(as of May 9, 2006)</small><ref>{{cite web | url=http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/09/technology/e3_microsoft/index.htm | publisher=CNN | accessdate=2008-07-16 | first=Chris|last= Morris | title=Grand Theft Auto, Halo 3 headed to Xbox 360 | date=2006-05-09}}</ref><ref name="halo2sales"/> | |||
| |successor=] | |||
| }} | |||
| The '''Xbox''' is a ] developed by ]. It was released on November 15, 2001, in North America, followed by Australia and Europe in 2002.<ref name=NA_Rel_Date>{{ cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2001/nov01/11-14midnightmadnesspr.aspx |title=Xbox Arrives in New York Tonight at Toys "R" Us Times Square |publisher=] |date=November 14 2001 |accessdate=August 12 2013}}</ref> It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market. The ] competed with Sony's ], Sega's ], and the Nintendo ]. It was the first console produced by an American company since the ] ceased production in 1996. | |||
| In November 2002, Microsoft launched ], a fee-based ] service that enabled subscribers to download new content and connect with other players through a ] connection.<ref name="gamerscoreblog1">{{cite web|url=http://voices.yahoo.com/microsoft-ends-xbox-live-original-xbox-games-and-5424369.html |title=Microsoft Ends Xbox Live for Original Xbox Games and Owners - Yahoo! Voices |publisher=voices.yahoo.com |date= |accessdate=2013-04-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://majornelson.com/2010/02/05/xbox-live-being-discontinued-for-original-xbox-consoles-and-games/ |title=Xbox Live's Major Nelson » Xbox LIVE being discontinued for Original Xbox consoles and games : |publisher=Majornelson.com |date=2010-04-15 |accessdate=2013-04-22}}</ref> Unlike other online services from ] and ], Xbox Live had support in the original console design through an integrated ] port. The service gave Microsoft an early foothold in online gaming and would help the Xbox become a relevant competitor to other sixth-generation consoles. | |||
| Xbox's successor, the ], was launched in November 2005. The Xbox was soon discontinued beginning with Microsoft's worst-performing market, Japan, in 2005. Other countries would follow suit in 2006.<ref name="Story of Xbox - VG247">{{cite web|url=http://www.vg247.com/2011/08/02/the-xbox-story-part-1-the-birth-of-a-console/|title=The Xbox Story, Part 1: The Birth of a Console|last=Garratt|first=Patrick|date=August 5, 2011|publisher=vg247.com|accessdate=June 26, 2013}}</ref> The last Xbox game in Europe was '']'' released in June 2007, and the last game in North America was '']'' released in August 2008. Support for out-of-warranty Xbox consoles was discontinued on March 2, 2009. Support for Xbox Live on the console ended on April 15, 2010.<ref name="gamerscoreblog1"/> | |||
| ==History== | |||
| In 1998, four engineers from ]'s ] team, Kevin Bachus, ], Ted Hase and DirectX team leader Otto Berkes, disassembled some ] ] computers to construct a ] ]-based ]. The team hoped to create a console to compete with the ]'s upcoming ], which was luring game developers away from the Windows ]. The team approached ], the leader of Microsoft's game publishing business at the time, and pitched their "DirectX Box" console based on the DirectX graphics technology developed by Berkes' team. Fries decided to support the team's idea of creating a Windows DirectX based console.<ref name=seattletimes_20110525>{{cite news |title=Last of Xbox Dream Team, Otto Berkes Is Moving On |first=Brier |last=Dudley |date=2011-05-25 |newspaper=The Seattle Time |publisher=Seattle Times Co |page=A12 |quote= Berkes and Hase were among a group of four who first pushed Microsoft to develop a Windows-based gaming system to compete with Sony's PlayStation 2, which was luring game companies from the Windows platform in the late 1990s. The other two were Seamus Blackley, who left in 2002, and Kevin Bachus, who left in 2001.}}</ref><ref name=seattletimes_20110524>{{cite news |title= Exclusive: Microsoft loses last Xbox founder, mobile PC visionary |first=Brier |last=Dudley |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2015137144_its_the_end_of_an.html |newspaper=The Seattle Times |publisher=Seattle Times Co |date=2011-05-24 |accessdate=2011-05-25 |quote= In 1998, Berkes and his team ordered a few Dell laptops, took them apart and built the first prototypes of a Windows gaming console. In order to appeal to young people, the name zBar (pronounced zed-BAH); laterm Ed Fries was leading Microsoft's games publishing business when the four Xbox founders pitched a "Direct X Box" based on the Windows DirectX graphics technology that was developed by Berkes' team. |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5yxFmYCBa |archivedate=2011-05-25}}</ref> | |||
| During development, the original DirectXbox name was shortened to Xbox. Microsoft's marketing department did not like the Xbox name, and suggested many alternatives. During focus testing, the Xbox name was left on the list of possible names to demonstrate how unpopular the Xbox name would be with consumers. However, consumer testing revealed that Xbox was preferred by far over the other suggested names and "Xbox" became the official name of the product.<ref name=gamasutra_2009-08-14>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24831 |title=Interview: Former Microsoft Exec Fries Talks Xbox's Genesis |first=Leigh |last=Alexander |date=2009-08-14 |work=Gamasutra |publisher=UBM TechWeb |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5yxGkLXlW |archivedate=2011-05-25 |accessdate=2011-05-25 |quote=Direct X-Box, of course, was truncated to 'Xbox,' -- and "marketing hated the name," says Fries. "They went off and created this whole, long list of better names for the machine." In focus testing, the marketing team left the name 'Xbox' on that long list simply as a control, to demonstrate to everyone why it was a horrible name for a console. "Of course, 'Xbox' outscored, in focus testing, everything they came up with. They had to admit it was going to be the Xbox."}}</ref> | |||
| The Xbox was ]'s first video game console after collaborating with ] to port ] to the ] console. Microsoft repeatedly delayed the console, which was first mentioned publicly in late 1999 during interviews with Microsoft's then-] ]. Gates stated that a gaming/multimedia device was essential for multimedia convergence in the new times. He has even been quoted as saying "if we do not advance, to the next generation, we will most surely fall behind our competitors (Apple)". <ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2000/03-10Xbox.mspx |title=Xbox Brings "Future-Generation" Games to Life |publisher=Microsoft |date=March 10, 2000 |accessdate=2009-05-03}}</ref> | |||
| The Xbox was officially announced at the ] on March 10, 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/2000/03-10xbox.aspx |title=Xbox Brings "Future-Generation" Games to Life |publisher=] |date=March 10 2000 |accessdate=August 12 2013}}</ref> Audiences were impressed by the console's technology. At the time of Gates' announcement, Sega's Dreamcast sales were diminishing and Sony's PlayStation 2 was just going on sale in Japan.<ref name="xboxtimeline1">{{cite web|first=Steven L. |last=Kent |url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/january04/Xboxtimeline/ |title=Xbox Timeline |publisher=GameSpy.com |date=2004-02-16 |accessdate=2009-05-03}}</ref> The Xbox was officially unveiled to the public by Gates and guest professional wrestler ] at ] 2001 in ] on January 3, 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/2100-1040-250632.html |title=Microsoft got game: Xbox unveiled |publisher=] |work=CNET News |date= January 6 2001 |accessdate=August 12 2013 |first=David |last=Becker}}</ref> Microsoft announced Xbox's release dates and prices at ] 2001 in May.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/e3-2001-microsoft-delivers-xbox-launch-details-2761182 |title=E3 2001: Microsoft delivers Xbox launch details |publisher=] |work=GameSpot.com |date=May 16 2001 |accessdate=August 12 2013 |author=Lauren Fielder, Shane Satterfield}}</ref> Most Xbox launch titles were unveiled at E3, most notably '']'' and '']''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.giantbomb.com/e3-2001/3015-3433/ |title=E3 2001 (Concept) |publisher=] |work=Giant Bomb}}</ref>{{unreliable source|date=August 2013}} | |||
| Due to the immense popularity of gaming consoles in Japan, Microsoft delayed the release of the Xbox in Europe to focus on the Japanese video game market. Although delayed, the European release proved to be more successful than the launch of the Xbox in Japan. | |||
| Some of Microsoft's plans proved effective. In preparation for its launch, Microsoft acquired ] and used '']'' as its launch title. At the time, '']'' for the ] had been one of the few hit ] games to appear on a console, some of other ones being '']'' and '']''. ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' proved a good application to drive the Xbox's sales.<ref name="xboxtimeline1"/> In 2002, Microsoft made the second place slot in consoles sold in North America. | |||
| Popular ]s for the console included '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''. | |||
| ===Promotion=== | |||
| In 2002 the ] (ITC) banned a television advertisement for the Xbox in the ] after complaints that it was highly distasteful, violent, scary and upsetting. It depicted a mother giving birth to a small boy who was fired like a projectile through a hospital window and who aged rapidly as he flew through the air yelling. As he soared across a large area, he passed quickly through stages of his life as though time was passing him by. After aging into an old man, he crash-landed into his own grave. Dust and smoke poured from the grave. The advertisement ended with the slogan ''Life is short. Play more.''<ref>{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2028725.stm|title='Shocking' Xbox advert banned|accessdate=2007-07-18|date=2002-06-06|publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
| ===Discontinuation and successor=== | |||
| {{Main|Xbox 360|List of Xbox games compatible with Xbox 360}} | |||
| The Xbox's successor, the Xbox 360, was officially unveiled announced on May 12, 2005 on ] and released in North America on November 22, 2005. ] ceased production of the Xbox's GPU in August 2005, which marked the end of brand-new Xbox production.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/08fce29a-c334-11d9-abf1-00000e2511c8.html |publisher=Financial Times |title=Nvidia ends shipments of chips for Xbox |accessdate=August 12 2013}}</ref> The Xbox was discontinued in Japan in 2007 immediately after 360's launch, due to poor sales in the country. Sales were much better throughout Europe and North America where the console was discontinued in late 2008 and early 2009, respectively. | |||
| The Xbox 360 supports ] if the player has an official Xbox 360 Hard Drive. Xbox games were added up until November 2007. Xbox game saves cannot be transferred to Xbox 360, and the ability to play Xbox games through Xbox LIVE has been discontinued since April 15, 2010. It is still possible to play Xbox games on the Xbox 360 with a ] between the two consoles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.xbox.com/en-GB/games/xbox-games/play-original-games|title=Play original Xbox games on an Xbox 360 console|publisher=]|accessdate=January 15, 2012}}</ref> | |||
| ==Hardware== | |||
| {{See also|Xbox special limited editions}} | |||
| The Xbox was the first video game console to feature a built-in ], used primarily for storing game saves and content downloaded from Xbox Live. This eliminated the need for separate ]s (although some older consoles, such as the ] used internal flash memory and others like the ], ] and ] had featured built-in battery backup memory prior to 2001). An Xbox user could ] music from ] to the hard drive, and these songs were used for the custom soundtracks in some games.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://support.microsoft.com/kb/909942 |title = Xbox: Description of custom soundtracks |accessdate = 2008-01-13 |date = 2007-04-25 |publisher = Microsoft Knowledge Base}}</ref> | |||
| The Xbox was the first gaming product to feature Dolby Interactive Content-Encoding Technology, which allows real-time Dolby Digital encoding in game consoles. Previous game consoles could only use Dolby Digital 5.1 during non-interactive "cut scene" playback.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.dolby.com/assets/pdf/press_releases/841_co.pr.0104.xbox.pdf |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060219162524/http://www.dolby.com/assets/pdf/press_releases/841_co.pr.0104.xbox.pdf |archivedate=2006-02-19 |title=The Xbox Video Game System from Microsoft to Feature Groundbreaking Dolby Interactive Content-Encoding Technology |date=2001-04-18 |publisher=] |accessdate=2008-07-03 |format=PDF}}</ref> | |||
| The Xbox is based on commodity PC hardware and is much larger and heavier than its contemporaries. This is largely due to a bulky tray-loading ] drive and the standard-size 3.5 inch hard drive. The Xbox has also pioneered safety features, such as breakaway cables for the controllers to prevent the console from being pulled from the surface it rests on. | |||
| Several internal hardware revisions have been made in an ongoing battle to discourage ] (hackers continually updated ] designs in an attempt to defeat them), to cut manufacturing costs, and to make the DVD-ROM drive more reliable (some of the early units' drives gave Disc Reading Errors due to the unreliable Thomson DVD-ROM drives used). Later generation units that used the Thomson TGM-600 DVD-ROM drives and the Philips VAD6011 DVD-ROM drives were still vulnerable to failure that rendered the consoles either unable to read newer discs or caused them to halt the console with an error code usually indicating a ]/] identification failure, respectively. These units were not covered under the extended warranty. | |||
| In 2002 Microsoft and ] entered arbitration over a dispute on the pricing of Nvidia's chips for the Xbox.<ref name="eetimes-chip-dispute">{{cite web|url=http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4094562/Microsoft-takes-Nvidia-to-arbitration-over-pricing-of-Xbox-processors|title= Microsoft takes Nvidia to arbitration over pricing of Xbox processors|accessdate=2006-06-29|date=2002-04-29|publisher=]}}</ref> Nvidia's filing with the ] indicated that Microsoft was seeking a US$13 million discount on shipments for NVIDIA's fiscal year 2002. Microsoft alleged violations of the agreement the two companies entered, sought reduced chipset pricing, and sought to ensure that Nvidia fulfill Microsoft's chipset orders without limits on quantity. The matter was privately settled on February 6, 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4090108/Microsoft-and-Nvidia-settle-Xbox-chip-pricing-dispute|title=Microsoft and Nvidia settle Xbox chip pricing dispute|accessdate=2006-06-29|date=2003-02-06|publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
| Launch-era Xbox gaming units were made in ] and the controllers made mostly in ]. | |||
| The Xbox includes a standard AV cable which provides ] and ] or ] to TVs equipped with ] inputs. European Xboxes also included an RCA jack to ] converter block as well as the standard AV cable.{{clear}} | |||
| An 8 MB removable ] ] can be plugged into the controllers, onto which game saves can either be copied from the hard drive when in the Xbox dashboard's memory manager or saved during a game. Most Xbox game saves can be copied to the memory unit and moved to another console but some Xbox saves are digitally signed. It is also possible to save an Xbox Live account on a memory unit, to simplify its use on more than one Xbox. | |||
| ===Technical specifications=== | |||
| {{main|Xbox technical specifications}} | |||
| ===Controllers=== | |||
| {{Main|Xbox Controller}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| The Xbox controller features two ]s, a pressure-sensitive directional pad, two analog triggers, a Back button, a Start button, two accessory slots and six 8-bit analog action buttons (A/Green, B/Red, X/Blue, Y/Yellow, and Black and White buttons).<ref>{{cite web| url = http://euc.jp/periphs/xbox-controller.en.html |title = Inside Xbox 360 Controller}}</ref> The standard Xbox controller (also nicknamed the "Fatty"<ref name="nickname">{{cite web|title=Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Tour |url=http://gear.ign.com/articles/613/613588p1.html |publisher=IGN |accessdate=2011-07-02 |date=2005-05-13 |quote=the original "Fatty" Xbox controller didn't have a specific public name}}</ref> and later, the "Duke"<ref name="nickname2">{{cite web |title=Xbox's original beast of a controller making a comeback? |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20071383-1/xboxs-original-beast-of-a-controller-making-a-comeback/ |publisher=CNET |accessdate=2011-10-16 |date=2005-06-15 |quote=Anyone who purchased the original Xbox during its launch window quickly came to know its behemoth of a controller, now nicknamed "Duke."}}</ref>) was originally the controller bundled with Xbox systems for all territories except Japan. The controller has been criticized for being bulky compared to other video game controllers; it was awarded "Blunder of the Year" by '']'' in 2001,<ref>Games of 2001. '']'' (January 2002, pg. 48).</ref> a Guinness World Record for the biggest controller in ] 2008, and was ranked the second-worst video game controller ever by ] editor Craig Harris.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 10 Tuesday: Worst Game Controllers |url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/690/690449p1.html |publisher=IGN |accessdate=2009-08-07 |date=2006-02-21}}</ref> | |||
| The "Controller S" (codenamed "Akebono"), a smaller, lighter Xbox controller, was originally the standard Xbox controller only in Japan,<ref>Ninja Beach Party. '']'' (October 2002, issue 11, pg. 44).</ref> designed for users with smaller hands.<ref>{{cite web|author=Christopher Buecheler chrisb@gamespy.com |url=http://archive.gamespy.com/hardware/march02/xboxcontrollers/ |title=GameSpy.com - Hardware: Xbox Controller S |publisher=Web.archive.org |date=2008-06-24 |accessdate=2010-11-11 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080624085615/http://archive.gamespy.com/hardware/march02/xboxcontrollers/ |archivedate = 2008-06-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamer20.com/features/150/4 |title=Xbox Retrospective: All-Time Top Xbox News |publisher=Gamer 2.0 |date= |accessdate=2010-11-11}}</ref> The "Controller S" was later released in other territories by popular demand and by 2002 replaced the standard controller in the Xbox's retail package, with the larger original controller remaining available as an accessory. | |||
| ==Software== | |||
| ===Operating system=== | |||
| The Xbox runs a custom ] which was once believed to be a modified version of the ] ]. It exposes ]s similar to APIs found in ], such as ] 8.1. The system software may have been based on the ] architecture that powered ]; it is not a modified version of either.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.msdn.com/xboxteam/archive/2006/02/17/534421.aspx|title=The Xbox Operating System|work=XBox Team Blog|accessdate=2008-07-03}}</ref> | |||
| The ] for the Xbox is called the Xbox Dashboard. It features a ] that can be used to play music CDs, rip CDs to the Xbox's built-in ] and play music that has been ripped to the hard drive; it also let users manage game saves, music, and downloaded content from Xbox LIVE, and lets Xbox LIVE users sign in and manage their account. The dashboard is only available when the user is not watching a movie or playing a game. It uses many shades of green and black for the user interface, to be consistent with the physical Xbox color scheme. When the Xbox was released in 2001 the LIVE service was not online yet, so the dashboard's LIVE feature was unusable. | |||
| Xbox LIVE was released in 2002, but in order to access it users had to buy the Xbox LIVE starter kit containing a ], a subscription, and supplemental{{what|date=August 2013}}. While the Xbox was still being supported by Microsoft, the Xbox Dashboard was updated via Xbox LIVE several times to reduce cheating and add features. | |||
| ===Games=== | |||
| <!-- ]'', Xbox's best selling game]] image has no rationale for this article --> | |||
| {{Main|List of video game console launch games#Microsoft Xbox|List of Xbox games|l1=List of Xbox launch games}} | |||
| {{See also|List of Xbox games compatible with Xbox 360}} | |||
| The Xbox launched in North America on November 15, 2001. Its most successful ] was '']''.<ref> at ]</ref> Its sequel, '']'', is the ] worldwide.<ref name="halo2sales">{{cite web | author=Asher Moses | date=2007-08-30 | url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/prepare-for-allout-war/2007/08/30/1188067256196.html | title=Prepare for all-out war | publisher=] | accessdate=2008-07-16 | quote=Combined, the first two Halo games have notched up sales of more than 14.5 million copies so far, about 8 million of which can be attributed to Halo 2, which is the best-selling first-generation Xbox game worldwide.}}</ref> Although there were several more popular second-party launch titles, including '']'',<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox/472134-nfl-fever-2002/index.html|title=NFL Fever 2002: Summary|accessdate=2007-09-30|publisher=]}}</ref> '']'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox/472137-project-gotham-racing/index.html|title=Project Gotham Racing: Summary |accessdate=2007-09-30|publisher=]}}</ref> and '']'',<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox/475251-dead-or-alive-3/index.html|title=Dead or Alive 3: Summary |accessdate = 2007-09-30|publisher=]}}</ref> the early public reputation of the Xbox was damaged by the failure of '']'' and other games designed and marketed by Microsoft.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox/472133-azurik-rise-of-perathia/index.html| title=Azurik: Rise of Perathia: Summary|accessdate=2007-09-30|publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
| Although the console gained strong third party support from its inception, many early Xbox games did not fully use its powerful hardware, with few additional features or graphical improvements to distinguish them from the PS2 version, thus negating one of the Xbox's main selling points. Sony countered the Xbox for a short time by temporarily securing PlayStation 2 exclusives for highly anticipated games such as the ] and '']''. | |||
| In 2002 and 2003, several releases helped the Xbox gain momentum and distinguish itself from the PS2. The ] online service was launched in late 2002 alongside pilot titles ''MotoGP'', '']'' and '']''. Several best-selling and critically praised titles for the Xbox were published, such as '']'', '']'' and ]' '']''. ]'s exclusivity deal with ] was amended to allow '']'' and its ] to be published for the Xbox. Many other publishers got into the trend of releasing the Xbox version alongside the PS2 version, instead of delaying it for months. | |||
| In 2004 '']'' became the highest-grossing release in entertainment history, making over $125 million in its first day<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/Halo-2-clears-record-125-million-in-first-day/2100-1043_3-5447379.html| title='Halo 2' clears record $125 million in first day|accessdate=2007-09-30|last=Becker|first= David|date=2004-11-10| publisher=News.com}}</ref> and becoming Xbox Live's first ]. That year Microsoft made a deal to put ]'s popular titles on ]. | |||
| The last game released on the Xbox was '']'', on August 12, 2008. | |||
| ==Services== | |||
| ] | |||
| {{Main|Xbox Live}} | |||
| On November 15, 2002, Microsoft launched its Xbox Live online gaming service, allowing subscribers to play online Xbox games with other subscribers around the world and download new content directly to the system's ]. The online service works only with a ] Internet connection. Approximately 250,000 subscribers signed up within two months of Xbox Live's launch.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://games.ign.com/articles/381/381618p1.html|title= Xbox Live Subscriptions Double Expectations|accessdate=2007-09-30|author=Coleman, Stephen|date=2003-01-07|publisher= IGN}}</ref> In July 2004, Microsoft announced that Xbox Live had reached 1 million subscribers; in July 2005, membership reached two million, and by July 2007 there were more than 3 million subscribers. By May 2009, the number had ballooned to 20 million current subscribers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/28/microsoft-touts-30-million-xbox-360s-sold-20-million-xbox-live/ |title=Microsoft touts 30 million Xbox 360s sold, 20 million Xbox LIVE members |publisher=Engadget |date= |accessdate=2010-11-11}}</ref> On February 5, 2010, Marc Whitten posted on gamerscoreblog that Xbox Live support for the original Xbox games would be discontinued as of April 14, 2010.<ref name="gamerscoreblog1"/> Services were discontinued on schedule, but a group of 20 gamers continued to play for almost a month afterwards by simply leaving their consoles on connected to ''Halo 2''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/people-still-playing-halo-2-somehow|title=People still playing Halo 2 somehow|date=2010-04-26|accessdate=2010-06-04|publisher=]}}</ref> APACHE N4SIR was the final user to play on the original Xbox's Live Service and was finally disconnected on {{date|2010-05-11|mdy}} at 01:58 ] (UTC-4).<ref>{{cite web|first=Brian |last=Warmoth |url=http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2010/05/11/apache-n4sir-outlasts-every-other-halo-2-player-on-xbox-live/ |title=Apache N4SIR Outlasts Every Other ‘Halo 2′ Player On Xbox Live |work=MTV Multiplayer |publisher=MTV Networks |date=May 11, 2010 |accessdate=2010-09-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Owen |last=Good |url=http://kotaku.com/5535672/the-last-man-to-play-halo-2-on-xbox-live |title=The Last Man to Play Halo 2 on Xbox Live |publisher=Kotaku.com |date=2010-05-10 |accessdate=2010-09-13}}</ref> | |||
| ==Sales== | |||
| {| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin:0 0 0.5em 1em;" | |||
| |- | |||
| ! Region | |||
| ! ] <br /><small>(as of May 10, 2006)</small> | |||
| ! First available | |||
| |- | |||
| | North America | |||
| | 16 million | |||
| | November 15, 2001 | |||
| |- | |||
| | Europe | |||
| | 6 million | |||
| | March 14, 2002 | |||
| |- | |||
| | Japan | |||
| | 2 million | |||
| | February 22, 2002 | |||
| |- | |||
| | '''Worldwide''' | |||
| | '''24 million''' | |||
| |} | |||
| On November 15, 2001, Xbox launched in North America and quickly sold out. Its launch in that region was successful, selling 1.53 million units three months after launch, which is higher than its successor Xbox 360, as well as the ], ], ], and even the ] and ].<ref></ref> | |||
| The Xbox has sold 24 million units worldwide as of May 10, 2006, according to Microsoft.<ref name="gamers_catch" /> This is divided out to 16 million units sold in North America, six million units in Europe, and just two million units sold in Japan. | |||
| The Xbox was almost always behind the PlayStation 2 in terms of sales, although in April 2004, the Xbox outsold the PS2 in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/xbox-officially-outsells-ps2-in-us-6099369 |title=Xbox officially outsells PS2 in US |publisher=] |work=GameSpot.com |date=May 26 2004 |accessdate=August 12 2013 |first=Tor |last=Thorsen}}</ref> Despite lagging far behind the PlayStation 2's sales, the Xbox was overall a success (especially in North America), keeping a steady second place in the generation sales. | |||
| ===Japan=== | |||
| Despite a strong promotion in Japan,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thegia.psy-q.ch/sites/www.thegia.com/news/0202/n22a.html |title=Xbox launches in Japan |publisher=The Gaming Intelligence Agency |date=February 22 2002 |accessdate=August 12 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/02/22/Japan-xbox.htm |title=Xbox unleashed in Japan |publisher=The Age Company Ltd. |date=February 22 2002 |accessdate=August 12 2013}}</ref> the country saw poor sales, with only 2 million units sold there. Some analysts already believed that the Xbox would have trouble competing with Sony and Nintendo before its Japanese launch, claiming that the Xbox would be competing against its local counterparts and that the console does not fit well with Japanese people's society (e.g. console size), as well as the lack of Japanese-appealing launch titles, such as ]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worldbiz/archives/2002/02/21/0000124876 |title=Game-over for Xbox in Japan? |publisher=] |date=February 21 2002 |accessdate=August 12 2013}}</ref> For the week ending April 14, 2002, the Xbox was by far outsold by its Sony and Nintendo rivals, as well as the ] and even the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2002/04/18/japan-gcn-sales |title=Japan GCN sales |publisher=] |date=April 18 2002 |accessdate=August 12 2013}}</ref> In November 2002, the Xbox chief in Japan stepped down, leading to further consolations about Xbox's future, which had by then sold just 278,860 units in the country since its February launch.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pinoyexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124138 |title=Japan Xbox chief steps down |publisher=PinoyExchange Forums |date=November 10 2002 |accessdate=August 12 2013}}</ref>{{unreliable source|date=August 2013}} For the week ending July 18, 2004, the Xbox sold just 272 units, which was so poor that even the PSone outsold it by four.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox/games/news/37034.shtml |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040817075442/http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox/games/news/37034.shtml |title=Xbox Outsold by PS one in Japan |publisher=] |work=GamePro.com |date=July 23 2004 |accessdate=August 12 2013 |archivedate=August 17 2004 |author=Funky Zealot}}</ref> The Xbox did, however, outsell the Nintendo GameCube for the week ending May 26, 2002.<ref>{{dead link|date=August 2013}}</ref> Despite Microsoft's struggles, some Japanese-appealing games were released exclusively for the Xbox, such as '']'' or '']'', which hugely contributed to the sales of Xbox in Japan. Its successor ] sold even fewer units; 1.6 million units as of June 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=585901 |title=Media Create Sales: Week 23, 2013 (Jun 03 - Jun 09) |publisher=NeoGAF Forum |date=June 6 2013 |accessdate=August 12 2013}}</ref>{{unreliable source|date=August 2013}} | |||
| ==Modding== | |||
| {{main|Xbox modding}} | |||
| The popularity of the Xbox, as well as (in the United States) its comparatively short 90-day warranty, inspired efforts to circumvent the built-in hardware and software security mechanisms, a practice informally known as ]. | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{Portal|Microsoft|Xbox}} | |||
| {{Reflist|30em}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{Commons category|Xbox}} | |||
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| <!--=============================================--> | |||
| * {{official website|http://www.xbox.com/}} | |||
| * {{dmoz|Games/Video_Games/Console_Platforms/Microsoft/Xbox}} | |||
| * {{Wayback|url=http://www.xbox.com/default.htm|title=Xbox|date=20010730111322}} | |||
| {{Xbox}} | |||
| {{Microsoft}} | |||
| {{Microsoft operating systems}} | |||
| {{Sixth generation game consoles}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 19:34, 1 January 2014
The Xbox consoles suck monkey balls. Don't buy them. Someone smashed his with a guitar.