Developer: Microsoft Release: 2005 Notable Games: Gears of War, Halo 3, Saints Row The Xbox 360 is the console that solidified modern home gaming as we know it now. With its high definition output and full online integration, console gaming became a wholly different entity than ever before. Much of the success of the Xbox 360 lies with the Xbox Live service. Gamers were more than prepared to pay the recurring fee, in exchange for reliable online matchmaking, a downloadable market filled with cheap 'arcade' titles and demos, and easy ways to connect with friends. Multiplayer gaming transitioned from something that involved everyone sitting together in the same room, to something that could be achieved from different sides of the world. The impact of the Xbox 360 will be felt for decades to come, and the current generation hasn't strode far from the template that Microsoft originally set.
