Bungie & Halo

Bungie released Halo in 2001 exclusively for Xbox, bundled with every console sold. It was a first person shooter where players fought aliens with motion tracked viewpoints. Halo wasn't revolutionary as game mechanics, it was revolutionary as cultural gathering and social infrastructure. Playing Halo meant you owned the right console, had the right friends, bought the right hardware. The game generated 800 million in direct revenue and 3 billion in hardware attachment. Every player became marketing, because playing together required friends to buy identical consoles. Microsoft bought Bungie in 2000 for $50 million and kept Halo exclusive to Xbox.