No Euro-X04 in 2004

After months of vaguely hinting that the event had been called off, Microsoft confirmed to GameSpot that it will not hold an X04 event. "There will not be an X0 event this year," said a company rep, who did not give a reason for the cancellation.

From 2001 to 2003, Microsoft held a yearly "X0" event in a different European location each year to show off the latest Xbox games to the continent's industry insiders. Traditionally, the events have been held at particularly swank locales, including Pierre Cardin’s bubble villa in Cannes, France (X01), a massive Spanish theme park (X02), and the Juan Les Pins beach club in Nice, France (X03).

Instead of a glitzy spectacle, Microsoft plans a lower-key, nation-specific approach to Xbox promotion across the pond. "We’re going to be focusing on individual country activity that showcases the incredible and award-winning lineup of games for Xbox this Christmas and beyond, like Halo 2, Fable, Forza Motorsport, and Jade Empire," an American Microsoft spokesperson told GameSpot. However, the spokesperson could not supply details on the events as of press time. "I don't believe we've announced anything yet," the rep said.