On this day in 2005 the Microsoft Xbox 360 was first released in the United States and Canada. The 360 was the second console in the Xbox series, and competed with the Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3 as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. Its release was preceded by a viral marketing campaign and intense hype, mainly revolving around its new online service, Xbox Live. Xbox Live allowed users not only to play and download games online but also stream music, watch films and TV shows, and access third-party content services through media streaming apps. This helped make Xbox grow from a gaming-only brand to one that encompassed all multimedia.
In June 2014, 84 million Xbox 360 consoles had been sold worldwide, making it the sixth highest-selling video game console in history and the highest-selling console made by an American company. It was deemed to be one of the most influential consoles because of its emphasis on digital media distribution and multiplayer gaming through Xbox Live.
The Xbox 360 was succeeded by the Xbox One, which was released on this very same day in 2013.
The Xbox 360 – Image taken from Wikipedia