The life of a games console is brutish and short, but some live longer and brighter than others. Launched in 2005, the Xbox 360, which has recently been discontinued by Microsoft, will be remembered as a classic games machine. Powerful and well-supported by publishers, the console was also perfectly set up for the coming era of online multiplayer gaming – via the robust XBox Live infrastructure. Xbox 360 introduced the concept of Achievement Points to encourage greater player exploration of game worlds, and – through the Gamerscore - invented a way to rate every individual user, effectively turning the whole ecosystem into a giant high-score table. Sure, the Red Ring of Death fiasco will cast a long shadow over the machine's history and reputation, but this remains one of the most important and influential launches in the console timeline.