It was bound to happen. With the success that Sony, Sega and Nintendo have had in the video-game console business, Microsoft had to grab for a share of the pie, too. Next Thursday -- after a year of slowly increasing hype -- the Redmond, Wash., software titan makes its play in the market with the Xbox, a $299.99 black-and-green set-top box. The Xbox launch couldn't come at a busier time in the game industry. The new console will be competing with Sony's year-old, well-established PlayStation 2 -- with 5 million units already sold in North America -- and Nintendo's upcoming GameCube, which arrives only three days after the Xbox's debut. In terms of hardware, the Xbox has plenty to brag about. Its developers did their homework, meeting with key game developers to quiz them about their dream game system.
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