Xbox
The business is how many players are playing the games that they buy, how they play.
Xbox is a video gaming brand owned by Microsoft. The brand was first introduced in the United States in November 2001 with the launch of the original Xbox console. The original device was the first video game console offered by an American company after the Atari Jaguar stopped sales in 1996.
- Platform
- Xbox
- Developer
- Rare Ltd.
- Protagonist
- Conker the Squirrel
- Genre
- Action-Platformer
- Release Year
- 2001
- Rating
- Mature
- Predecessor
- Conker's Bad Fur Day
Lore & Background
The Xbox brand was originally derived from a contraction of 'DirectX Box,' a reference to Microsoft's graphics API, DirectX. The brand was formerly used as Microsoft's digital media entertainment brand from 2012 to 2015, replacing Zune. In 2022, Microsoft expanded its gaming business and reorganized Xbox to become part of its newly formed Microsoft Gaming division. Under Microsoft Gaming, Xbox's first-party publishers include Xbox Game Studios, ZeniMax Media (Bethesda Softworks), and Activision Blizzard. The head of Xbox remains Phil Spencer, who continues to lead the division.
In Their Own Story
The neon sign buzzes overhead as Conker leans against the bar counter, bottle in hand. Shadows stretch across the wooden floorboards of the dimly lit tavern. He looks directly at the viewer with a weary grin, surrounded by the chaos of his latest adventure.
The air smells of stale beer and gunpowder, capturing the essence of his chaotic life on screen—a world where hangovers are a gameplay mechanic and every tavern brawl ends with someone losing a tooth.
Reader's Guide
The original Xbox was released in North America on November 15, 2001. Microsoft's second console, the Xbox 360, was released in 2005. The third console, the Xbox One, was released in November 2013. The fourth line of Xbox consoles, the Xbox Series X and Series S, were released in November 2020. The Xbox 360 featured an expanded Xbox Live service and later updates added the ability to purchase and stream music, television programs, and films through Xbox Music and Xbox Video services. Microsoft also released Kinect, a motion control system for the Xbox 360.
Did You Know?
- The original Xbox reached over 24 million units sold by May 2006.
- The Xbox 360 sold 86 million units as of October 2015.
- The Xbox One sold 58 million units.
- The Xbox branding was formerly, from 2012 to 2015, used as Microsoft's digital media entertainment brand replacing Zune.
- In June 2025, Microsoft announced it was partnering with AMD to produce the next generation of Xbox hardware.
More in Development & Legacy
Elsewhere in the Conker universe
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