REDMOND, Wash. – Nov. 15, 2011 – It’s hard to believe, but 10 years ago today, Microsoft introduced the world to Xbox, noting that the gaming system was “erupting” on the scene. The gaming system set sales records, with 100,000 units per week shipping to retailers in the first weeks after its launch. According to NPD Group, Microsoft sold 1.5 million Xbox units in North America between the Nov. 15 launch and the end of calendar year 2001, making Xbox the best-selling video game console launch on record.
A decade later, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE and Kinect for Xbox 360 are hits around the world. Xbox LIVE currently has 35 million members worldwide who spend 2.1 billion hours a month on the service. Introduced a year ago, Kinect for Xbox 360 set a Guinness World Record as the fastest-selling consumer electronic device, selling 8 million units in 60 days.
Here are just some of the highlights from the past 10 years of Xbox.
