| The official launch of the Xbox 360 was on May | | | | end of 2005, 1.5 million units had been shipped out |
| 12, 2005 on MTV and information was then | | | | to customers. |
| released later at the Electronic Entertainment | | | | Microsoft had a years jump on the competition, |
| Expo in regards to the actual machine launch. | | | | and promised to have 10 million units out by the |
| Once the machine was available for purchase, it | | | | time the other companies were out on the |
| was sold out everywhere but in Japan. As of | | | | market. The Xbox 360 was the market leader |
| January 2010, there have been 39 million of these | | | | until 2007 until the Wii was released. With the |
| console machines sold worldwide. There are two | | | | launch of Halo 3 in October of 2007, Microsoft |
| different versions of the 360 - the Arcade and | | | | was able to take back the lead in the home |
| the Elite which each have a different demographic. | | | | gaming system, selling approximately 30,000 more |
| The launch of the Xbox 360 took place in the | | | | units than the Wii. |
| desert with thousands of gamers there to | | | | The console currently has approximately 1,000 |
| celebrate this new machine. Many consoles were | | | | titles for gamers with a variety of titles. The |
| setup with high definition displays and surround | | | | most popular games have several features that |
| sound speakers to allow everyone to try out the | | | | appeal to the people that play them such as eye |
| new machines. Live entertainment was also | | | | catching graphics, storylines that immerse the |
| provided and there was a special gift handed out | | | | player into them, and enough of a challenge to |
| for all that attended this event. Many of the | | | | make a gamer want to play them repeatedly. |
| attendees did not make use of the hotels, | | | | There are a wide variety of games so that |
| preferring to sleep in the bean bags that were | | | | everyone can find something that will appeal to |
| provided for them to use if they did choose to | | | | them. |
| sleep. Games were being played at all hours, and it | | | | The original console was dreamed up of in 2000, |
| felt like one large LAN party. | | | | and five years later, the Xbox 360 came out to |
| Due to the fact that Microsoft only started | | | | replace it. It was to be a brand new generation of |
| production of the Xbox 360 a few months before | | | | gaming machines. Some people had their doubts |
| the launch, they were not able to provide enough | | | | about this system, but once it was released and |
| units initially. As a result, there were many | | | | they had a chance to try it out, they were won |
| disappointed customers at the launch. But by the | | | | over. |