It might be hard to believe, but tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of the midnight launch of the Xbox 360.

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I mainly posted this topic because I have a weird story related to all of this, and I warn you, it's kind of long. I actually waited in line at a local Wal-Mart on launch night to get a 360 (the only time in my life I've ever done this), and the whole thing took a pretty bizzare turn. Just to ensure that we'd be first in line, my cousin and I arrived at just before 6 PM on November 21, 2005. Yes, we waited for over 6 hours, and yes, it sucked.

At any rate, the thing that caused all the the controversy that night was over the number of "Premium" 360s the Wal-Mart had in stock. They'd told all of us in the line that they had four Premiums, and the rest were cheaper "Core" editions, but, when they began to hand out ticket vouchers that would let us get out of line and still hold our spots until midnight, they suddenly announced that they only had three Premium bundles. Understandably, the guy fourth in line (behind my cousin, me and another guy) was angry because, by that point, he'd already waited for 3 hours under the impression he would get the last Premium (for those that don't remember, the Core's were $100 cheaper, but didn't include an extra controller and were not HD compatible).

This was when things started getting out of hand. The guy protested, but was told by a cashier that the fourth Premium had been dropped in the storage room and was broken. Skeptical, the guy demanded the broken Premium be brought out so he could see it, but an Assistant Manager appeared and and refused his request. By that point, the rest of us in the line had gathered around the scene and were chiming in about how we thought the guy was getting screwed, and that Wal-Mart was lying about the broken console. The manager asked the guy to leave, but he refused to do so until he'd seen the broken console. By this point, it was right at midnight, and my cousin and I were back in line getting ready to pay for our consoles. Just as I was checking out, to our shock, four police officers turned the corner and stormed into the electronics section! That's right, the manager called the cops on the guy! The cops told him to leave the Wal-Mart right away, but he yet again refused and tried to explain the situation. The cops were having none of it, though. Just as I finished paying for my console, the cops started trying to put the guy in handcuffs, and he was resisting.

At that point my cousin and I, afraid that a huge scene was about to break out and we might get caught in the middle of it, took our brand new 360's and started running out of there. We tried to leave through the garden section (where his truck was parked), but since this was after midnight it was closed shut, so we ran back to first entry doors which were also closed. Because of this, we had to run all the way down to the doors by the grocery section. Now, out in the parking lot, we were clear on the opposite side of the store from where we'd parked, with about $1000 worth of brand new consoles and equipment, in a neighborhood that was known to have a crime problem. Needless to say we ran across that lot faster than we ever had in our lives. Believe or not, though, the drama still wasn't over. After we finally left the Wal-Mart, a car followed us out of town for over 20 miles in the direction of my cousin's house, where I was staying for the night. Even though he lived out in the boondocks, that car took every turn we did for nearly the whole way! Worried that someone might've spotted us at the launch and was planning to knock us off to get the 360s, once we hit an open stretch of road, he hit the gas and topped out around 90 MPH, before finally losing the car in the distance just before we pulled into his garage.

Still, to this day, we have no idea whether or not that car was following us, nor whether or not that guy wound up getting arrested. For obvious reasons, I've never attended another console launch since. ;D

Alright, that's enough of my rambling. Did anybody else get a 360 on launch night? Regardless, what is your overall take on this landmark console 10 years later?

Wow you really had a night!  This is why I don't black Friday shop. Too many people go mad. People even accidentally get hurt even. Like one year a worker was trampled. Its too dangerous. Plus I don't like crowds. Not my thing.

But back on topic. I've played a friends but never had my own. I always preferred play station consoles but I haven't even played them in a super long time

Even though I didn't get an updated black version of it until my 16th birthday in 2012, which was a year before the XBOX ONE came out. Kinda like how I didn't get the original XBOX until Christmas 2004, a year before this 360 came out!

Very interesting, hilarious, and bizarre story. The first console I got on day one was the Wii U, the second was the PS4.

I personally didn't own a Xbox 360 until Christmas of 2011 and by then I wall already so adjusted to the Wii and PS3 ecosystem that I barely played it  :P

Wish I did it though since it was a really good console. Anyways it's the only console of the Xbox brand that I own, plus being more of a fan of PlayStation and Nintendo might be the reason I might have a slight bias  ;D

Its release date will be equidistant from that of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, which is about to turn 20.  It's hard to believe how long a lifespan the XBOX 360 has had as its developer's newest console.

I always preferred play station consoles but I haven't even played them in a super long time

I prefer my Playstation 3 over anything else.

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NOPE. This is why I don't fool with "Black Friday". People act entirely too crazy for me. I mean, I've seen people get trampled behind stuff like that. I have no temper for it. And for what? You get bumped, banged and bruised--and maybe killed or arrested--to spend your money? To spend up your money? Naaaah man. I've already got my Christmas gift to myself and it's on it's way from New York to me as we speak. (for only $10.60) It may even get here before Turkey Day.  :) I'll pay retail and keep my face beautiful instead of banged up. LOL

Hard to believe!!! :o  Also similar to ocarnia, I didn't get the XBOX 360 until I was 13 in 2008. :-[ ;D  As a matter of fact I didn't get the original XBOX until Christmas of 2006. ;D  The first console I got on time was the PS4 Christmas of 2013.  The first game system I got on time ever was the Gameboy Advanced in 2001 for my 6th birthday, due to me getting my N64 in 1999 and gameboy color in 2000.

I have seriously never understood people's desire to have something the moment it comes out. I work nights in a supermarket and the new Call of Duty game was released here in England about two weeks ago and we had to open the store again at midnight just because a few people wanted to come in and buy this game at midnight for some reason. Like, why do you need it literally the minute or hour of it's release? Can't people wait until the morning? Or the next day? Or the next week? Or even a few months until it gets discounted? Never understood the need myself. I am an avid PC gamer myself but I get bargains on Steam by the bucket load.

But that was a very funny story and I bet that is a good memory to put in the nostalgia scrapbook! There was an incident here in England in Nov 2013 when Asda (owned by Walmart) did a Black Friday sale and similar mayhem ensured as people rushed like mindless savages to secure discounted HD TVs. People were trampled in that and police were called. I believe the English consensus afterwards to that particular American import was a firm "no thanks" :P

On another note, I remember these events like they were yesterday; the Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii, iPhone, iPad, they defined my generation. Hard to believe it is really becoming history. Although I do think that it shows how that generation is not really out of date yet considering those consoles are still on sale now, apart from the original Wii. I find a lot of what we had back then doesn't look dated even now, which is why I think that the 00s were just right, at the sweet spot compared to the 10s.

I've only done that sort of thing maybe 4 times, but it was for cds back in the day--Black and Blue by the Backstreet Boys (I had a thing for Howie) and Invincible by MJ. Today actually makes exactly 15 years since Black and Blue was released! I didn't go to the mall at midnight, it closed at 9pm, but I was "sick" and went to get it.
But the line was out the door at Sam Goody for the BSB album, and I remember I was one of only four Black girls buying the album. LOL. For Invincible the next year, I had my heart set on the Blue cover of the album.. (it had five different colored covers) Sam Goody was mad house and they had ONE blue cover left. I really hope I didn't break that chick's ribs when I elbowed her and doubled her over for the Blue cover. I also have the actual display poster than hung in Sam Goody on my wall. The clerks knew I frequented for MJ and just gave it to me.
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My dad was mad because he thought I paid for the poster extra with the album and sacked me outuntil I said it was FREE.  ;D
I flew into SG for the Ultimate MJ collection and spent my graduation money on it--65 dollars. When the Visionary set came out, i was at Best Buy the minute the doors opened. And they only had TWO copies! (it was a 20 disc set of all Michael's singles and videos) It was my single most expensive MJ purchase at 150 dollars. And as I checked out, another woman saw it and asked about it, and as I left she was going to buy the other copy.  ;D

The only thing I really get nervous about is the annual makeup case that Ulta puts out for the Christmas season. Those move like they got legs and if you don't get one you're SOL. I still have my big one from last year, but I'm gonna get the new next month.  ;D
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Every picture I post here of myself, I'm wearing this makeup--and that whole box was only 20 dollars. LOL.