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Windows Central

Technology

Adam Hales

Two decades later: the Xbox 360 games that shaped culture, community, and a generation of play

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The Xbox 360, arguably Microsoft’s best attempt at a console, turned twenty years old recently, and it definitely makes me feel old. I remember getting mine in primary school as a reward for good behavior, which turned out to be quite ironic, as I was expelled from school the same day and sent home.

I still managed to talk my way into unboxing it and setting it up. For those first couple of years, the Xbox 360 was mainly an offline experience for me, and it didn’t really come alive until 2007.

Halo 3 changed everything once it launched, and it was my first authentic taste of what Xbox Live could be. I even got the game a little early because my mom was friends with one of the clerks at our local gaming shop, and at the age of 10, wanting everyone to come around my house to play Halo 3 felt pretty magical.

A look through the top selling Xbox 360 games in the US

List of top 20 best selling games on Xbox 360 in the US (Image credit: Circana Retail Tracking Service)

In remembrance of the Xbox 360, and thanks to Circana Retail Tracking Service, we have a clear look at the top-selling games on the platform in the US. Outside of the heavy presence of Call of Duty, some interesting sales patterns highlight how versatile the console was at the time.

Here is the full list in order of sales:

Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Halo 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Grand Theft Auto V
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Halo: Reach
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Halo 4
Rock Band
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Grand Theft Auto IV
Minecraft
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Battlefield 3
Red Dead Redemption
Gears of War
Gears of War 3

It warms my heart to see Halo 3 sitting so high on the list, and it is not surprising to see it eclipsed by Call of Duty three times. Back then, Call of Duty was often viewed as more closely associated with Xbox than any other platform. Timed DLC map exclusivity and a far stronger Xbox Live infrastructure compared to PlayStation Network played a big part in that perception.

Interestingly, another detail revealed was that the Xbox 360 headset accessory sold an impressive 11.4 million units in the US. It shows how central voice chat and party communication were to the experience for most players.

A total of 42.7 million Xbox 360 consoles were sold in the US, marking the last time Xbox truly dominated the American market. It was also a strong period in other parts of the world, especially in the UK, where Xbox felt like it was everywhere.

That said, twenty years later, the Xbox 360’s legacy is less about sales figures and more about the memories, friendships, and late-night sessions that shaped how we played. These games helped define an era of gaming and community that still resonates today (see all the latest on Halo, for instance).

Now it’s your turn: which Xbox 360 game left the biggest mark on you? Share your favorite and tell us how it shaped your gaming journey!