Xbox

Microsoft entering the console market in 2001 was one of the most significant disruptions in gaming history. The original Xbox was essentially a PC in a black box — it used standard Intel and NVIDIA hardware, ran a modified Windows kernel, and even included a standard hard drive, a first for consoles. Xbox Live, launched in 2002, permanently transformed online gaming — where Sony's online features were optional and fragmented, Xbox Live created a unified, paid service with voice chat, friends lists, and automatic updates that set the standard the entire industry eventually followed. Halo: Combat Evolved was not just a system-seller — it redefined the first-person shooter genre on consoles, proving that a complex, story-driven shooter could work perfectly with a controller. The infamously large 'Duke' controller became a cultural touchstone, and a revised smaller version was released in response to feedback. Microsoft lost money on every unit sold but had launched one of gaming's great dynasties.