Xbox 10th Anniversary in Europe

The Xbox Official Website has updated its timeline to accommodate today’s anniversary in Europe.

The timeline stretches back to 2000, when Bill Gates unveiled the Xbox at GDC 2000. “I’m announcing the Xbox, which we’re modestly titling The Future of Console Gaming,” said Gates at the time.

Gates unveiled the console a year later at CES 2001. He was joined on stage by wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. “They wanted a guy like The Rock,” said The Rock at the time, “powerful, exhilarating, cutting edge – that’s everything that the Xbox is.”

So, 10 years ago on this day – 14th March – Microsoft launched Xbox in Europe.

Xbox was more than a console – it was the beginning of Microsoft’s entire console gaming campaign. Bill Gates’ company spent bucket-loads of money wedging a foot in a door near slammed shut by PlayStation.

Today, a decade later, more Xbox 360 consoles (65.8 million as of end of December 2011) have been sold worldwide than PlayStation 3 (62 million as of end of December 2011). Microsoft has led the way with online console gaming, and made steps towards a controller-free experience with Kinect.

Microsoft even yesterday hired former Sony man Phil Harrison, whose keynote speeches were synonymous with PlayStation 3 and the games it could offer.

Microsoft will enter the eighth and next generation as Sony’s equal – perhaps more.

To celebrate 10 years of Xbox in Europe, Microsoft launched a 10th anniversary Xbox 360 bundle, which contains a 250GB Slim console, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo: Reach, Fable 3, Gears of War 3 and three months of Xbox Live Gold membership.