Game on! Xbox One is here

REDMOND -- Arieo Gonzalez had been waiting for an Xbox One since 1 p.m. Thursday. Brian Miller, in his own way, had been waiting since June.

Both walked away from a Best Buy in Timonium, Maryland, early Friday with one of the newly released, next-generation gaming consoles from Microsoft.

The box hit shelves a week after rival Sony's PlayStation 4, marking the official start of the latest battle in gaming's console wars.

Miller, 40, who pre-ordered the Xbox One in June, said he loves everything Microsoft does. The Sparks, Maryland, resident prepared by playing his Xbox 360 "into the ground" with his 8-year-old daughter, Laci.

"We play co-op all the time whenever there is a chance," he said. "I'm picking up 'Ryse' for myself. I'm getting 'Just Dance' for her. I can't wait to try out the new entertainment set up for it."

Arieo waited outside the store with his dad, Jose. The 13-year-old missed out on pre-ordering but didn't want to lose his chance for an Xbox One after making good grades in school and earning the right to get the console.

"I've only played Xbox 360 and didn't have the Kinect," Arieo said. "This will be my first time, and I'm really looking forward to using it. Xbox One On!"

The Xbox One, which sells for $499, continues Microsoft's move toward making the console not just a gaming device but a central entertainment hub, too. With the Kinect voice and motion controller, users can call out favorite television shows or movies, split the TV screen between two different applications, or even record and share their gameplay with friends.

Marc Whitten, corporate vice president of Xbox Live, said it's only the beginning of how Microsoft thinks people will use their consoles as home entertainment centers.