Happy 10th Birthday, Xbox!

It’s hard to believe that it was a full decade ago that Microsoft changed video gaming forever with the launch of the original Xbox console. Of course, it’s been five years since that model was superseded, but at least we now get to play Halo: Combat Evolved in HD, right?

On November 15, 2001, Microsoft founder Bill Gates unveiled the original Xbox console. It was big, black and ugly, but introduced a number of features that gamers expect as common place today. Things like online services, in built hard drives and playback of multiple media files are all now commonplace thanks to the advances of the original Xbox console.

Of course, the original controller was a behemoth from the netherworld, but it was quickly replaced with a more comfortable and usable model.

A large part of the console’s original success can be placed solely at the feet of Halo: CE. Developers Bungee were poached from developing for the Mac, and created an iconic game that set the bar for first person shooters on consoles. Despite its standard definition graphics, it formed the foundation for not only a franchise, but an entire generation of console games. It has been lovingly recreated in HD to commemorate the 10 year birthday of Xbox, complete with Kinect support.

So Happy Birthday, Xbox. While you may spend your time gathering dust under bedroom TVs around the world now, your younger brother is continuing to build on your success. And we still love you.