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The Beginning
In 1998 Microsoft announced that a console was in the works. Originally to be called the "DirectX Box," the name was shortened to "XBox" as we know it today. -
The First Reveal
Bill Gates unveiled the XBox at the Game Developer's Conference of 2000. MS showed off as much as it could, hoping that everyone would love it. They did. -
The Electronic Entertainment Expo
A few months after the GDC, MS did more at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. It was there that they connected with Bungie, the creators of Halo. -
Getting Bungie
After the Electronic Entertainment Expo MS decided to just buy Bungie. They payed $30,000,000 to buy out the company, and began working together on the next games in the Halo series. -
The "Official" Reveal
About a year later Bill Gates, along with Dwayne Johnson, revealed the final design of the XBox to the public at the 2001 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. -
The Release
On November 14, 2001, the XBox was released. It cost $299, and over 1,000,000 units were sold in the first three weeks after launch. MS's step into gaming was a success. -
Marketing Genius
On April 18, 2002, MS cut the price of the XBox down $199. While the high cost of manufacturing meant that it was hard to make a profit, the publicity and the amount of "on-the-fence" buyers who finally decided to buy made this a good idea. -
It's Alive!
On the console's first birthday MS announced a new online gaming platform, XBox Live. It was a huge success, and yet another "publicity stunt" for the XBox. -
The End is Near
By 2003 the XBox was nearing the end of its cycle. MS had begun work on the next generation, currently named "Xenon," and EA had decided not to release XBox versions of Madden games, (until MS and EA made a deal one year later) which, of course, didn't help. -
Not that Near, I Guess
There was one thing other thing before the XBox died: Halo 2. It sold 2,500,000 copies in the first day of being released. This may be the sole reason the Xbox "survived" until 2005.
