NOTE: This is a timeline for the Xbox and the Xbox 360
- March 10, 2000: Bill gates unveils the Xbox at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose, California.
- Nov. 15, 2001: Xbox is released by Microsoft in North America. The first games released are Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2x, Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding, Nascar Thunder 2002, Transworld Surf, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Project Gotham Racing, NFL Fever 2002, F1 2002, Madden NFL 2002, Dead or Alive 3, and Halo.
- Dec. 2001: Four games are released: Blood Open 2, Max Payne, NHL 2002, and SSX Tricky.
- Jan. 8, 2002: At the 2002 International Consumer Electronics Show, Microsoft announces that the Xbox had one of the most successful launches in the history of video games, selling approximately 1.5 million units between November 2001 and the end of 2001.
- Feb. 22, 2002: Xbox is released in Japan.
- March 14, 2002: Xbox is released in Europe.
- April 2002: FIFA World Cup 2002 is released.
- May 2, 2003: A limited edition, translucent green Xbox is released in Europe.
- April 6, 2004: Microsoft releases a limited edition (only 200,000 produced) called Halo Xbox in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. It is translucent green like the special edition released in Europe and comes packaged with Halo: Combat Evolved.
- July 2005: A Cambridge University graduate is convicted under the EU Copyright Directive for selling modified and upgraded Xbox consoles. He is sentenced to 140 hours of community service and a fine of £750.
- Nov. 22, 2005 - 12:01 am: After waiting 12 hours in line to buy the game, which was to go on sale at 12:01 am, a crowd of approximately 300 people fights over the Xbox 360 consoles at a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Maryland when the manager announces the consoles will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis rather than a number system the customers had come up with themselves while standing in line. After some customers are trampled and minorly injured, police order everyone to leave and the sale is called off.
- Nov. 23, 2005: Reports of possible glitches in the Xbox 360 spring up on the Internet. Reported problems include systems crashing, locking up, and overheating. However, an Xbox senior product manager says: "The vast majority of Xbox 360 owners are having an outstanding experience with their new consoles."