12:01 a.m.: New day for Xbox lovers

"Patient gamers ready for 360's midnight release

Grayson Beras knows something that many other gamers will have to wait until midnight tonight to find out: The new Xbox 360 video game console is really cool.

"It's really fun. It looks really great," said the 15-year-old from Lathrup Village, who got one through a contest. "I don't even have a high-definition TV and it looks really good."

Others who weren't as lucky will be waiting tonight in line at big-box stores all over Michigan.

The buzz over the Xbox 360 has risen to a fever pitch, and for good reason: Microsoft's Xbox is one of the three consoles that dominate the $11 billion-a-year video gaming industry, and it's the first to hit the market with its next-generation version.

The majority of video games are rung up during the holiday season, and retailers are hoping that the brisk pre-sales of the Xbox 360 -- and its games, which typically sell for $59.95, $10 more than current generation titles -- will give an extra boost to the industry. Gamers spend more money on their entertainment than people do for movies at the theater or music on CD.

The 360 video game console offers gamers some enticing new features: high-definition graphics, more computer power to show more realistic games and an intelligent online gaming system that can deliver a game invite from a friend even when you're playing offline." [more]