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The line of people is already huge more than half an hour before the 12:30 a.m. opening of Toys 'R Us in New York's Times Square. When it comes to doing product launches Microsoft never does go the low-key route, so it is no surprise that the company essentially took over New York's Times Square and even managed to pull a few strings to get the brand new Toys R Us flagship store to open a week early for one night only. But this isn't any normal day and it isn't like the Redmond software giant enters the video game console arena every day but few could have expected that Bill Gates, the company's founder, would even be on hand behind the counter to personally sign a few boxes for those lucky enough to get one in their hands!  Xbox advertisements were plastered all over Times Square. With Xbox logos, images and even game footage on more than half the buildings' giant electronic jumbotron-sized screens it was hard not to notice that this new console had arrived. Even causal pedestrians, on their way home from a late supper or a Broadway show, took notice and if they hadn't known what Xbox was before they certainly know now! Even the famous, or perhaps infamous, coffee and donut carts that haired New Yorkers rely on for their daily breakfasts were set up around Toys R Us, but this time they offered free coffee and chocolate covered Krispy Kreme donuts appropriately covered with green sprinkles.
To help maintain crowd control and as part of a backup plan for foul weather a staging area was set up at the WWF theme restaurant across the street - and gamers were able to sample the machine that they hoped they be going home with, but for many there was no question. "I was the second person in line," tells New York native Amanda who simply summed it up that she had to get one, "I had to!" Lines had been gathering throughout the day. Danny from Brooklyn and his friends had arrived more than 15 hours early for the midnight sale to guarantee that they'd be going home happy and while he was forced to wait outside, he held out hopes that his friends inside would make sure he did get his machine. "I went to the store," he explains and laughs, "and they were in. Now I just have to wait."
 Those waiting for an Xbox gathered inside the WWF themed restaurant across the street from the toy store.
Times Square seemed like an obvious choice to launch their new system and Ed Fries, vice president, Microsoft Games Studios, stated that he couldn't have imagined the first sales of the system being anywhere else in the world. The excitement for the Microsoft team who had been working on Xbox for more than two years culminated at 12:00am as the first customers rushed to the counter. That exhilaration even carried on beyond gaming as Seamus Blackley, Xbox technical officer and one the brains behind the box, proposed to Wired magazine writer Van Burnham - with a little reported help from Bill Gates.
Seamus Blackley and new fiancee Van Burnham.
And while the mood was a little somber just a block away at the nearby Software, Etc. you could still all but feel the anticipation in the air. Here unlike at Toys R Us would-be Xbox owners had to pre-order and while the line was shorter the fan's dedication was just as strong.
"We pre-ordered November 14, 2000," said Zachery, and Anthony, both of whom work in midtown Manhattan. "We pre-ordered back as soon as they started taking them." Zachery even admitted to being there to pick up a machine for himself and one for his boss but did admit that while he'd manage to get in a few hours of gaming, he'd somehow make it to work the next day. Peter Suciu
gamespy.com
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