Microsoft will release its next-generation console in Japan a month after North America.TOKYO--Talking to the press today, Yoshihiro Maruyama, the general manager of Microsoft Japan's Xbox division, disclosed that the Xbox 360 will be released in Japan in December. It marks the first time the software giant has officially announced a specific month for the 360's launch in any territory. When the console was first unveiled on May 12, chief Xbox officer Robbie Bach would say only that "we will be launching the next generation in North America and Europe and Japan this holiday season." Even now, the official Xbox site lists the 360's release date as "Holiday 2005" for North America, Europe, and Japan and "calendar year 2006" for Asia Pacific and Latin America.
The December Japan date also means the Xbox 360 will likely arrive a month after its North American debut. Numerous unofficial indicators--including a listing for the Xbox 360 MTV special and chatty executives at the console's Canadian quality-assurance company--indicate the console will hit the US market by Thanksgiving, right around the fourth anniversary of the original Xbox's launch.
Microsoft's plan to release the Xbox 360 in Japan in December is logical. Releasing the console in Japan a month after North America would allow Microsoft to concentrate its shipments to US retailers in November. And while Japan doesn't celebrate Christmas in religious terms, consumers do traditionally purchase gifts for the occasion. December is also when Japanese workers receive their winter bonuses and when children get a traditional present of New Year's money from relatives, usually totaling around 24,000 yen ($220). While no Japanese price has been hinted at, Microsoft executives have said the console will be "in the neighborhood" of $300 in the US.
"We believe we have the chances of winning [the next-generation console war in Japan]. We will release our console earlier, and we have significantly focused on game software and a [console] design targeted towards Japan," commented Maruyama to the press.
Even with the later-than-expected December date, the Xbox 360 will still be the first next-generation console on the Japanese market. The PlayStation 3 is slated for release early next year in the US and Japan, while Nintendo has said its Revolution console will arrive sometime in 2006 on both sides of the Pacific.
By Hirohiko Niizumi, Tor Thorsen -- GameSpot
POSTED: 06/14/05 08:29 AM PST
Well, that certainly informative (at last)
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