Topic: 360 Launch Date announced...

[UncleBob]

http://www.macworld.com/news/2005/09/15/xbox360/index.php

November 22nd...

[blackfootsteps]

...in every region but Australia. w00t!

Ok correction: Dec 2 for Europe and Dec 10 for Japan.

[couchmonkey]

Congratulations to Microsoft for the almost-simultaneous launch.  Even if Australia didn't get it until March, that would be heads-and-tails above any other game system launch, including the DS.

Still, I really have to wonder how the games are going to turn out.  It feels really rushed, and to do it in multiple countries at once seems even more insane.

[blackfootsteps]

Yeah it would be like here's 10 000 copies of game 'y' for the US, 8 000 copies of game 'y' for Japan, oh and Europe here's...ummm..let's see, how about 3 copies for you. Supply troubles ahoy!

That being said Australia does not get Meteos until December, some 4 months after the US release. Wha-?

[Flames_of_chaos]

In japan their only getting whats the equivalent of the US premium package but at whats the yen to USD conversion of 50 dollars less.

[Toruresu]

"MASSIVE X360 SELLOUT!!!!!" - Microsoft

[Spak-Spang]

Microsoft has to get in all regions as fast as possible.  Even if they don't have product numbers to do a successful and proper launch, the presence must be felt to get that proper headstart they need this generation.

The biggest concern is the games.  Very little actual media has been shown for the Xbox 360.  If they don't have near complete games at the Tokyo Game Show that blow everything else away then Microsoft is in trouble...and really I haven't seen anything to blow me away yet.

Something tells me that there is going to be a small launch lineup, and several delayed games that won't make it out before Christmas, or will be buggy as hell when released.

I also predict something like this:

1 million hardware units for Japan
1 million hardware units for Europe and Australia
2-3 million hardware units for United States (split between the different packages)

So microsoft will sell out and announce big successes.  

[vudu]

They'd be much better off going

50,000 for Japan
1 million for Europe
3-4 million for United States
None for Australia

[Ian Sane]

vudu's right.  It would be pretty stupid to give too many units to Japan.  50,000 is a pretty low but MS should avoid a PSP scenario.  With the PSP the Europe launch got delayed so that North America could get more units.  However the PSP didn't take off very well in the States and it didn't sell out it's initial shipment.  So there were Europeans that wanted a PSP but couldn't buy one because they were collecting dust on American store shelves.

The X360 is very likely going to sell out at launch in North America.  There's going to be people left in the cold that will have to wait.  Meanwhile 900,000 out of a million Xboxes sent to Japan are gathering dust.  Ideally you want to allocate the units so that they sell out everywhere.

MS does have the advantage that people can't just buy a PS3 or Rev right away if an X360 isn't available but there's going to be some buzz regarding the competition especially the PS3.  Microsoft's best strategy is to get impatient games to buy the X360 instead of waiting.  They can't do that if all of their available units are in a region where no one wants them.

[stevey]

"1 million hardware units for Japan"

ha if more than a 1000 are sold a launch week I'm put my balls in a chessgrader.

[KDR_11k]

The "Chessgrader" will give you an F.

[Dirk Temporo]

This almost makes me wish I was getting a 360, since that's four days before my birthday. Kinda like the Gamecube launch on November 21st in 2001.

[IceCold]

Well Nov 22 is my mum's birthday, and my dad's is May 23 (same as Bill's)

[kirby_killer_dedede]

Quote
Originally posted by: Dirk Temporo
This almost makes me wish I was getting a 360, since that's four days before my birthday. Kinda like the Gamecube launch on November 21st in 2001.

Really?  I wasn't aware that the DS launched exactly 3 years after the GC...

[NotSoStu]

Hmmm, interesting. The DS most certainly launched on Nov 21st, and I do seem to remember going to Toys 'r' Us on November 19th or so (I was a wee lad back then!) to buy a GameCube.....

And didn't N64 come out in October or November as well?

[ThePerm]

september 26th?

[couchmonkey]

I think ThePerm is right about N64.  It was definitely September.

They showed quite a bit of new media at TGS, but I've heard that the demo version of DOA 4 that was shown to the press was only 50% complete!  It's likely that the "in progress" version is a little further along than that, but for the demo version to be 50% complete with only two months until launch is terrible.  There's also no new info on Perfect Dark 0, I smell a delay.

I think Microsoft may be looking at a DS-style launch, which is probably fine for North America, but I think it's going to really hurt them in Japan and possibly in Europe.  There is one RPG in the works that looks like it might be quite far along, but if it's not ready for launch day in Japan, I think the system is going to look pretty boring and "American" over there.  Not the impression MS needs to make.

[Ian Sane]

The Cube didn't launch on Nov 21.  It was Nov 18.  I remember because the 17th is my friend's birthday and for his party we had to go to some God forbidden farm in the middle of nowhere for a model rocket club launch thingy.  This place was like six hours away from where I had pre-ordered my Cube so I had to send my Dad to pick it up for me which really pissed me off because waiting in line and picking up the console yourself is part of the experience and I missed it for an event I really didn't want to go to but did for my friend.

Now that we've seen the Rev controller the 360 launch date introduces a new deadline.  I think Nintendo should show us a real game before then.  We've seen the concept, so let's see what ideas they had cooked up for it.  There's not as much pressure to show things in time as there was before because the controller was the most important part but it would be nice if when people go to EB to pick up an Xbox 360 they can see a trailer for real Rev games on the monitors.

[Ymeegod]

Xbox was launched on the 21st, Nintendo launched three days ahead so it was the 18th.  Since then MP and MP2 both launched on those days as well (Nov 18th).

[The Omen]

I think I'll pick up a 360, but trade it in for the Rev when I know the launch date.  This would be the first console other than Nintendo's since the PC Engine.  

[PaLaDiN]

Yeah, Nintendo needs to get cracking on game and developer lists now.

Didn't the DS have a couple of lists by this time after it was unveiled?

And Nintendo said they wouldn't show the games until the controller was unveiled... so now is the time.

[Artimus]

The DS was unveilied only like 10 months before release. Revolution is like 12.

[Arbok]

" I think I'll pick up a 360, but trade it in for the Rev when I know the launch date. This would be the first console other than Nintendo's since the PC Engine."

Arr, why not just pick up a regular Xbox or PS2 instead o' purchasin' a console for top dollar with t' intention o' sellin' it soon matey? Unless ye be interested in t' launch titles, generally speakin' I ain't.

[The Omen]

Quote
Arr, why not just pick up a regular Xbox or PS2 instead o' purchasin' a console for top dollar with t' intention o' sellin' it soon matey? Unless ye be interested in t' launch titles, generally speakin' I ain't.

Because I can play the best Xbox games on the 360.  (Or my PC, but that's another story....)

Seriously, it's more of an impulse buy.  I have some extra cash...why not buy a new console?  If the REV were coming out by Christmas, I would just wait, like I normally do, for Nintendo.  But I figure I have a good year of in between time.