In what could be his last interview as Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer revealed to ZDnet reporter Mary J. Foley through a Fortune feature how much of an influence he had over the launch of the original Xbox and why he considers the approval of the device a defining moment of his career.

　　One of Ballmer's first big-time decisions as Microsoft CEO surrounded the launch of the original Xbox. Though Bill Gates was reportedly "all-in" on the idea, it was Ballmer who ultimately spearheaded the effort.

　　Bringing Microsoft into the living room with the Xbox "was my decision, my accountability," Ballmer said. "I believe in accountability. I'm in. I'm accountable. I'll make this work--not that I had to drive it--but we had some bumps on the road. And it was important that I stay accountable, stay patient, and stay behind the decision that we made."

　　Before he gave his stamp of approval for the original Xbox, which would launch in 2001, he spent six months conducting a "thorough" business review to determine if the gaming market was an attractive enough opportunity to get into, former Xbox boss Robbie Bach said.

　　"He was willing to step out into a space that Microsoft had never been in, look at a business model, and say this is something we need to try," Bach said.

　　The Xbox brand is now a juggernaut in the console gaming space, spanning two successors--the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One--and accounting for billions in revenue for Microsoft. As fans know, however, Microsoft's vision and execution in the gaming space has not been without issue, none possibly more pressing than the infamous "red ring of death" glitches that Microsoft spent more than $1 billion to fix.

　　But throughout all the problems, Ballmer remained a staunch supporter of the Xbox platform, Bach said. Former Microsoft strategist Charles Fitzgerald added that the monetary hit Microsoft took for these issues was just part of doing business.

　　"When you look at it as a hedge to keep Sony or any game console from undermining the Windows PC, it is chump change compared to the hundreds of billions in Windows profits banked during that time," he said.

　　In his final shareholder address last month, Ballmer defended the Xbox business after some have suggested that it would be wise to sell of this unit in an effort to boost profitability. The Xbox One launched on November 22 and sold more than 1 million consoles during its first day.

　　Ballmer announced his resignation in August, saying at the time that he would step down within the next 12 months, but not before a successor was named

　　ZDnet and GameSpot are both owned by CBS Interactive.

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