• The Xbox is a multipurpose video game console developed by Microsoft. It was originally released in 2001 but was discontinued by the manufacturer in 2006 because of the arrival of a new model, the Xbox 360. Nonetheless, the original Xbox remains popular among gamers across the world, having become an iconic machine. The Xbox was the first game consoles to offer services such as voice communication and online multiplayer gaming, bringing a new range of accessories to the market.
  
  

Controller

• The first thing to master with the Xbox is its unusually shaped controller. Radically different from previous generations of controllers, such as that of Nintendo or PlayStation, the controller is large and curvaceous, and may not be entirely comfortable at first. Initially, play around with the analog stick -- it is the most important tool. In most platform and first-shooter games, the two analog sticks becomes vital for navigating quickly, one being used to look and the other to move. The other essential components are the two triggers on top of the controller, often used for action moves such as shooting or throwing. Learn to use them simultaneously or how to switch between the two.
  
  

Live

• Xbox Live is a paid monthly subscription service available on the Xbox. On it you can connect your game, if it has an online option, to players across the world and compete in tournaments and cooperative play. For perfecting your skills on sports and shooting games, this is the highest level of gaming. No matter how good you think you are, there will always be someone better online. It is a platform to train up your abilities against human players as opposed to the artificial intelligence of the computer. You can also download games through the Live system, as well as try out numerous demos for free.
  
  

Games

• The Xbox itself is cheap because of its obsolete status, but the used game titles are cheaper still. You can pick up almost any game for around $5 (as of October 2010), either on line or from secondhand departments in gaming stores. There remain a whole number of award-winning games that were originally developed for the Xbox, with many then transferred to the 360. Titles such as "Halo," "Max Payne," "Silent Hill" and "Winning Eleven" are all still available for purchase.