In 2005, there was a moment when the history of game consoles moved quietly, yet decisively. At the center of that movement was the “Xbox 360,” a home console released by Microsoft. Launched earlier in North America and arriving slightly later in Japan, this console debuted alongside the PlayStation 3 and Wii, which were then called “next-generation consoles,” leading the charge of the era. Most notably, its recognition as the world's first “High-Def (HD) console” was highly symbolic. For game fans at the time, the word “high-def” itself resonated with hope. While visual evolution continues today with HD, and then 4K and 8K, the beautiful world the Xbox 360 showed us back then was truly a “different dimension” experience.

The Xbox 360 was not just about beautiful visuals. It was equipped internally with a multi-core CPU co-developed with IBM and a then-advanced 512MB of memory, significantly boosting performance compared to the original Xbox. Furthermore, it also featured backward compatibility, allowing some original Xbox software to be played (though not all), which gave users the peace of mind to progress to the next generation without letting go of past masterpieces. This grounded design beautifully balanced Microsoft's characteristic rationality and challenge.

One reason the Xbox 360 garnered particular attention in the Japanese market was its collaboration with renowned creators. For example, titles like “Blue Dragon” by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Akira Toriyama, and “Lost Odyssey,” featuring Takehiko Inoue and Nobuo Uematsu, lined up, creating an irresistible selection for Japanese RPG fans. Since these titles were “Xbox exclusives,” there is no doubt that they became the trigger for many users to pick up an Xbox for the first time. The console conveyed the strong enthusiasm of Microsoft's serious attempt to challenge the Japanese market.

Another strength of the Xbox 360 was the ability to quickly enjoy popular overseas titles. For example, many people must have purchased the console because they wanted to play massive RPGs like “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion” as fast as possible. Furthermore, the fact that the beautiful graphics of “Final Fantasy XI” could be experienced on a home console was astonishing at the time. In an era when the barrier to “Western games” was higher than it is now, the Xbox 360 was an attractive gateway for “people seeking authentic games.”

It wasn't just RPGs that created buzz in the Japanese market. “THE IDOLM@STER,” which appeared in 2007, was also initially launched as an Xbox 360 exclusive title and gained many fans. Though it might be hard to imagine from its subsequent explosion in popularity, back then, quite a few people “bought the console just for this.” Furthermore, there were resort experience games like “Dead or Alive Xtreme 2,” which seemed far removed from its fighting game spin-off origins, and its over-the-top presentation was full of controversial appeal.

Finally, I want to touch upon the Xbox 360 controller. This controller gained overwhelming support as a gamepad for PC due to its ease of use and feel. Even after the console itself underwent a generational change, many gamers continued to use this controller without letting it go. It achieved a balance between sophisticated design and functionality. It was not just a peripheral device, but a “completed tool” that has continued to support the gaming lives of many people.