The Xbox had a record-breaking launch in North America, selling 1.5 million units before the end of 2001, aided by the popularity of one of the system's launch titles, Halo: Combat Evolved, which sold a million units by April 2002. The popularity of killer app blockbuster titles such as Bungie's Halo 2 contributed to the popularity of online console gaming, and in particular first-person shooters. The console also was built with direct support for broadband connectivity to the Internet via an integrated Ethernet port, and with the release of Xbox Live, a fee-based online gaming service, a year after the console's launch, Microsoft gained an early foothold in online gaming and made the Xbox a strong competitor in the sixth generation of consoles. The Xbox was the first console to feature a built-in hard disk. Whereas most games consoles to that point were built from custom hardware components, the Xbox was built around standard personal computer components, using variations of Microsoft Windows and DirectX as its operating system to support games and media playback, and featuring a 733 MHz Intel Pentium III CPU and a 233 MHz Nvidia GeForce 3-based NV2A GPU, the latter two making the Xbox technically more powerful compared to its rivals. With the release of the PlayStation 2, which featured the ability to playback CD-ROMs and DVDs in addition to playing games, Microsoft became concerned that game consoles would threaten the personal computer as an entertainment device for living rooms. It was also the first major console produced by an American company since the release of the Atari Jaguar in 1993. It is classified as a sixth-generation console, competing with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube. It was released as Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market on November 15, 2001, in North America, followed by Australia, Europe and Japan in 2002. On April 20, 2016, Microsoft announced that it would end the production of new Xbox 360 hardware, although the company will continue to support the platform.The Xbox is a home video game console and the first installment in the Xbox series of video game consoles manufactured by Microsoft. The Xbox 360's successor, the Xbox One, was released on November 22, 2013. Although not the best-selling console of its generation, the Xbox 360 was deemed by TechRadar to be the most influential through its emphasis on digital media distribution and multiplayer gaming on Xbox Live. Xbox 360 is the sixth-highest-selling home video game console in history, and the highest-selling console made by an American company. Microsoft released two redesigned models of the console: the Xbox 360 S in 2010,and the Xbox 360 E in 2013. The earliest versions of the console suffered from a high failure rate, indicated by the so-called "Red Ring of Death", necessitating an extension of the device's warranty period. Launched worldwide across 2005–2006, the Xbox 360 was initially in short supply in many regions, including North America and Europe. The release of these additional services and peripherals helped the Xbox brand grow from gaming-only to encompassing all multimedia, turning it into a hub for living-room computing entertainment. Several peripherals have been released, including wireless controllers, expanded hard drive storage, and the Kinect motion sensing camera. In addition to online multimedia features, it allows users to stream media from local PCs. Available in free and subscription-based varieties, Xbox Live allows users to: play games online download games (through Xbox Live Arcade) and game demos purchase and stream music, television programs, and films through the Xbox Music and Xbox Video portals and access third-party content services through media streaming applications. The Xbox 360 features an online service, Xbox Live, which was expanded from its previous iteration on the original Xbox and received regular updates during the console's lifetime. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information announced later that month at the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft.
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