They dumped a ton of money into it. They literally bought game developers to make sure Xbox would get good games. And then Xbox Live basically redefined online

They dumped a ton of money into it. They literally bought game developers to make sure Xbox would get good games. And then Xbox Live basically redefined online gaming. But the other thing is that Microsoft has a surprisingly strong hardware game for a software company. Most of the hardware they push out has solid fundamentals, even if the overarching idea or business model has flaws. Examples: - Keyboards (they're consistently good middle-tier, budget keyboards) - Mouses (again, nothing to write home about, but they'll last you many years) - Zune HD (amazing hardware, no traction) - Xbox (other than the controversial huuuuge controllers and then RROD problem on the 360) - Phones (again, solid hardware even if the software leaves something to be desired)