This article is an interesting read that touches a little on the history of Microsoft's XBox console.  Its an excerpt from the book Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution.  Definitely sounds like an interesting read. 

I found the motivational aspect of fear to be intriguing while reading this excerpt.  Wonder how often a new product comes around simply because a business is afraid they are "missing a piece of the pie."  Certainly this has played out in the MP3 player space...the IPod has spawned dozens of off brand competitors.  In fact, my Creative Zen Xtra was a MUCH better value compared to the IPod equivalent and has served me well this past year.

[via Joystiq]