The Xbox: Where it started, where it is, where it may be going

By Tim Martin  

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console developed by and produced for Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 was released on November 22, 2005. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.

So how is a 7+ year old console gaming system doing today?

According to Microsoft:

There are over 76 million Xbox 360 consoles around the world. That's three times the number of original Xbox consoles sold. And a Kinect sensor now sits next to roughly one third of those Xbox 360 consoles; the company has sold 24 million Kinect sensors since launch.

Social has been an important part of Xbox from the beginning, and that's true today more than ever. The Xbox LIVE community has grown to 46 million members, a 15 percent growth since last year.

2012 also marked the Xbox's biggest year for entertainment and games usage. Users enjoyed more than 18 billion hours of entertainment in 2012, with entertainment app usage growing 57 percent year over year globally. Last year in the United States, Xbox LIVE Gold members averaged 87 hours per month on Xbox, an increase of 10 percent year over year.

What's next for Xbox?

Piggy backing off the previous year's momentum, Microsoft is planning to launch more than 40 new voice-controlled, customized TV and entertainment apps on Xbox in 2013.

There are rumors that Microsoft is working on the next generation of the Xbox. Sources say that the console will have a 500gb hard drive, it will have an advanced version of the Kinect hardware that will be required to be hooked up to the system. The new Kinect will be able to track 6 players, as the current Kinect only tracks 2. It is also rumored that it will be able to track thumb and even facial muscle movements. Rumors also speculate that players can suspend one game and play another, and then go back to their first game without having to have a special "save" file set up beforehand.

Tim Martin is a Technology Specialist, Follow him on Facebook at facebook.com/tsmartin75 or on Twitter @tsmartin