Microsoft hails Xbox’s 10-year achievement

Xbox execs around the world were celebrating this week as Microsoft’s console reached its tenth birthday.

Tuesday (November 15th) marked the anniversary of the device’s roll-out in the USA.Although technically the UK birthday is in March 2012, Microsoft has been toasting the console’s event-packed life.Tuesday was also the launch of commemorative remake Halo: Anniversary.

In just ten years, the firm says, it has helped turn the industry on its head” by introducing now-standard ideas like an internet connection out of the box and built-in HDD storage.

MCV spoke to UK retail sales and marketing director Jonathan Grimes in his first major interview since being promoted this summer.

When I first joined Microsoft we were in the PC games market and titles like Flight Sim and Train Sim defined us – we used to be the guys in the corner of the room at the retailer conferences,” he said.

So when we launched into games fully there was a huge level of excitement – we knew we had to work hard, and get our feet on the ground. But all of us believed this would work.

There aren’t many industries where someone has claimed a leadership position so quickly. We’re really proudof what we’ve achievedto date.”

He added: The traditional console cycle is something we have put on its head. The new dashboards and online updates have helped us keep reinventing our platform and maintain its relevancy.”