The next-generation game console wars officially begin. Score so far: Sony sells 1 million, Microsoft 1

The Xbox One went on sale in North America tonight as gamers thronged thousands of stores at the stroke of midnight.

The launch events on both the West and East coasts were pure hype. But these mark the beginning of a new Xbox One economy. Microsoft sold more than 80 million Xbox 360 systems and generated billions of dollars in sales for Microsoft — and billions more for third-party video game publishers, making video games one of the most important and lucrative industries in the world.