Microsoft launched the Xbox, its virgin foray into the home console market, on 15 November 2001 in North America, 22 February 2002 in Japan, and 14 March 2002 in Europe. The launch of the Xbox marked the arrival of Halo, a first-person shooter that has since become of the most popular pieces of software ever released.
Like the PlayStation 2, the Xbox had a built-in DVD drive (though the Xbox player was far superior to that included in the PS2), and it also saw the introduction of an online service for multiplayer gaming called Xbox Live, which now has more than 6.0 million subscribers and more than 24 million content downloads.
As of 2005, the Xbox has shipped 22 million units worldwide, which is still someway short of the PlayStation 2 but a solid second place between Sony's PS2 and Nintendo's GameCube.
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