One of the jewels of Microsoft's current crown is the Xbox gaming system (with Xbox Live being a prominent part of Windows Phone). As part of the ten year anniversary of the system, Dean Takahasi takes a look back at the platform's first decade. There's a lot in here about how Microsoft works, and I'm sure a lot of the knowledge learned on the home console front is being applied to Windows Phone.

Take this part, detailing the transition from the first Xbox to the second. THnk how it applies to the mobile phone ecosystem:

He knew the battle for the living room would play out over two decades, not just four years. Microsoft earned credibility with game developers and consumers by breaking the chokehold of the Japanese game giants. On a consumer level, Microsoft generated its most passionate fans. Gamers loved new titles such as Halo. In this arena, Microsoft was an underdog that had the power to upset the status quo and invigorate a market with new competition. In any other market it entered, Microsoft was always seen as an anti-competitive gorilla. Here, it was the good guy. Microsoft marketer Pete Parsons was able to joke about “world domination” without getting hauled off to court.

Microsoft’s entry into the console industry also had a broader effect on the industry. It strengthened a lot of American game developers, from Epic Games to Electronic Arts. And it forced Sony and Nintendo to come up with more innovations for their own consoles. Nintendo in particular had to move outside its own comfort zone to come up with its own risky console, the Wii.

Part one and part two can be found on Venture Beat's Games Beat section