The
Xbox (commonly known today as the
original Xbox) is a
home video game console and the first installment in the
Xbox series of consoles manufactured by
Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001, in North America, followed by Australia, Europe and Japan in 2002. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market. The
sixth-generation console competed with Sony's
PlayStation 2, Sega's
Dreamcast, and the
GameCube. It was also the first console produced by an American company since the
Atari Jaguar ceased production in 1996.