[UPDATE] Xbox designer Seamus Blackley has shared some images to celebrate the anniversary.
It’s wonderful, the feeling when an idea and some friends become a global THING. So, thanks everyone, Xbox was a dream we made real TOGETHER pic.twitter.com/78ELcaQzae
— Seamus Blackley (@SeamusBlackley) November 15, 2016
The original story is below.
November 15, 2001. That was the day that Microsoft released the original Xbox, with a launch lineup that included a game called Halo: Combat Evolved from Bungie.
Today is November 15, 2016, meaning the console and Halo are now 15 years old.
Microsoft is celebrating the milestone in a few ways. First, Xbox marketing director Aaron Greenberg is taking over the Xbox Snapchat account today to celebrate the anniversary. Additionally, Halo developer 343 Industries will hold a livestream today, beginning at 3:43 PM PT to mark the event.
The Xbox brand was not always successful on a level that it is today. Former Xbox director Robbie Bach said earlier this year that the console was a huge money-loser to the tune of $5 billion. The brand survived, he said, due to the successes of Xbox Live and the original Halo, both of which remain cornerstone’s of the Xbox business today.
Microsoft followed up the Xbox with 2005’s Xbox 360, while the Xbox One came out in 2013. The next Xbox console, Project Scorpio, is slated to hit shelves in holiday 2017. The Xbox One has been on a win streak, as it’s been the top-selling console in the United States for four straight months, outselling the PlayStation 4 since July.
What are some of your favorite Xbox and Halo memories from over the years? Let us know in the comments below.