The Xbox 360 is 15 years old: Here are 15 facts about the gaming console you probably didn’t know

The Xbox 360 launched in 2005 to take on the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii in the home console market. Due to some manufacturing issues, Microsoft had a year head start over Sony in the seventh-generation console war. It succeeded the original Xbox, which didn’t see the kind of success the PS2 saw, but it laid the foundation to give the Japanese gaming giant a run for its money. On its 15th anniversary, let’s look back at some of the interesting and fun facts you probably didn’t know about the Xbox 360 and the Xbox brand. 

1. Information suggests that every Xbox 360 owner purchased 7.5 games. That may not sound like a lot, but users should know that the Xbox 360 could be modded to play pirated games. 
2. The Xbox 360 supported HD-DVD in the HD-DVD vs Blu-ray format war. While the format war was won by Blu-ray, users needed to purchase an external HD-DVD player to watch HD-DVDs on the console.
3. Before finalizing on the Xbox 360 as the name for the console, Microsoft contemplated calling the console Nextbox, Xbox Next, Xenon, and Xbox 2.
4. The reason the Xbox logo is green is that the designer only had 'the green nobody wanted' marker left when it was time to colour the design.
5. The Xbox 360 was available in a number of configurations called Xbox 360 Core, Xbox 360 Arcade, Xbox 360 Premium, Xbox 360 Elite, Xbox 360 Slim, and Xbox 360 E.
6. The Xbox 360 let users change the faceplate making it easy for gamers to put custom faceplates on the console. 
7. In 2006, Gears of War became the best-selling game for Xbox 360 when it sold 3 million copies.
8. During the launch, Microsoft didn’t think Halo would be as successful as it was. 
9. The Kinect motion controller launched for the Xbox 360 in November 2010, five years after the launch of the console. 
10. The seventh console generation is considered one of the longest console generations spanning about 8-9 years.  
11. Peter Moore reportedly tattooed the release date of Halo 2 on his arm to make the release date announcement. We wonder if anyone at Microsoft would take such a risk today considering the number of delays we see. Yes, we are looking at you Halo Infinite. 
12. The original batch of Xbox 360 consoles was plagued with a problem called the Red Ring of Death.
13. The Red Ring of Death cost Microsoft 1.15 billion dollars. Microsoft extended the warranty of the console from 1 to 3 years. 
14. The TV commercial for the Xbox 360 in India featured Akshay Kumar and Yuvraj Singh.
15. It is estimated that the Xbox 360 sold a mere 150000 units during its 2006 to 2013 period in India.

Sources: (1)(2)(3)(4)

Follow Us

Sameer Mitha

Sameer Mitha lives for gaming and technology is his muse. When he isn’t busy playing with gadgets or video games he delves into the world of fantasy novels. View Full Profile