The Xbox One, the last of the eighth generation consoles, will hit shelves in North America this Friday, a week after Sony's PlayStation 4.
The Microsoft gaming device was first rumored to be called the "Xbox 720" in late 2011 until its official name was announced on May 21.
See also: 9 Things You Should Know Before Buying an Xbox One
Our timeline, below, details the developing news of the console as it was released, everything from the first rumors to launch day, even the outrage surrounding Microsoft's initial policy on used games.

Ending years of rumors and speculation, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One, the successor to the Xbox 360, on May 21, 2013. The price will be revealed closer to launch (expected holiday), but the new console has superior processing power, comes bundled with the Kinect sensor and has new abilities for watching TV and movies more conveniently.
The Xbox One console comes bundled with the Kinect and a controller.
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The Kinect is said to be much improved, capable of detecting subtler body movements, such as rotating joints.
The controller got a revamp, too, with dozens of tiny modifications, although the overall shape stayed the same.
With superior processing power, avatars can look more detailed than in Xbox 360 games.
The Xbox One can perform four times the number of calculations per second as the Xbox 360.
EA is a key Xbox One partner. The company is launching a new gaming engine with the console: EA Sports Ignite.
Forza Motorsport 5 is another EA game coming to Xbox One.
Steve Spielberg will be lending his talents to an upcoming live-action TV series based on the Halo franchise.
The new installment in the Call of Duty franchise will make use of the Xbox One's hardware to tell a more engaging story, with lifelike graphics.
The Xbox One will allow for much more realistic animation.
Even the dogs will look better in Call of Duty: Ghosts. This one has realistic scarring and a tattoo in the ear.
The next generation Xbox will be able to deliver movie-like experiences in games.
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Image: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty; Mashable infographic