Eight: Xbox 360 Turns it Around

Just when you thought it was kaput

I know all about the early struggles of the Xbox 360. As an owner of the original Xbox, I was pretty disappointed when my console died in 2002. It took some frustrating time with Microsoft support and a little generosity from a retailer (who agreed to replace it) in order to resurrect my gaming life on the big black n' green machine. So, you could understand how blown away I was when my Xbox 360 was infected with the dreaded Red Circle of Death a few months ago.

It was this shoddy manufacturing that led to the Xbox 360's struggles during the first few months of its release last year. To me, it seemed like almost everyone with a launch edition of the console had to send the system in for repairs (or in my case, a complete replacement). The problem became so rampant that by the time mine died - in October - Microsoft had established a unique address for the issue on its call support line, 1-800-4MY-XBOX.

How surprising then, that the console could rise from the ashes and establish itself, arguably, as the next-gen console to own? How could that even happen?

Quite simply, it came from games. For those new to console gaming, that's essentially the reason any system finds itself a success. Although the Xbox 360 launched with no apparent "killer app" (unlike the original Xbox which came preloaded with Halo, some seriously heavy firepower), the 2005 console eventually began to release some excellent titles as 2006 progressed. First came Project Gotham Racing 3, then Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, then The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and finally Gears of War. Each contributed to the success of the Xbox 360 and prepared Microsoft for the release of its major competition from Sony and Nintendo in November.

Finally, some excellent online gaming also helped MS. Xbox Live remains the online community with the most online members, and boasts some fantastic extras, like downloadable demos, trailers, and even HD movies and TV. Until Wii and PS3 can match that kind of support, they'll have a tough time trying to make up for that lost year; the year that was the rise of the Xbox 360.