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XBox 360 Launching Nov 22

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the microsoft-bad-video-games-good-i'm-so-torn dept.

EGSonikku writes "Microsoft has released an official press release regarding the XBox 360 world wide launch just prior to the Tokyo Game Show. Looks like the US will be getting it just prior to Thanksgiving on November 22nd. Europe will get it on December 2nd, and Japan on December 10th."

51 of 406 comments (clear)

  1. November 22 by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


    Microsoft's marketting gurus will come up with a slogan like "Celebrate the 42nd anniversary of JFK's assassination with a brand new XBOX 360!"

    --
    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:November 22 by CleverNickedName · · Score: 5, Funny

      I take it "Silent Scope 360" will be a launch title so.

      But will it be single-player, or a squad-based multiplayer???

      --


      Unfortunately, I am not Wil Wheaton
    2. Re:November 22 by Ced_Ex · · Score: 5, Funny

      I take it "Silent Scope 360" will be a launch title so.

      But will it be single-player, or a squad-based multiplayer???

      I believe it will have multiplayer capabilities, with a camping spot located on a grassy knoll.

      --
      Live forever, or die trying.
    3. Re:November 22 by thatguywhoiam · · Score: 2, Funny
      I take it "Silent Scope 360" will be a launch title so. But will it be single-player, or a squad-based multiplayer??? I believe it will have multiplayer capabilities, with a camping spot located on a grassy knoll.

      The developer has not yet announced whether they are going with the multiplayer option, or the revolutionary 'Magic Bullet' feature.

      --
      If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
    4. Re:November 22 by identity0 · · Score: 2, Funny

      But then I'm sure Sun will fly a plane over their headquarters with a banner saying, "Hey Microsoft: WE SHOT JFK. FUCK YOU"

      and totally trash the X-Box by comparing it to their high-send servers. "X-Box? Yea, that's what yo' momma does! Try the Sun Fire E20K, it's smaller, cooler and cheaper than that suck-ass X-Box 3-shitty, yo."

      And then Scott McNealy's head will explode from the insanity!

  2. That's a first by darkjedi521 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Holy cow. Europe's getting a major console release before Japan. That's got to be a first.

    1. Re:That's a first by dancingmad · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It is interesting.

      Japanese consumers aren't stupid, they know the machine's coming out everywhere else before Japan. It's going to look like MS snubbing the country. They're not going to like it and the 360 is going to suffer from a draught of good Japanese games, I think (the titles reported to be in development is the bare minimum it needs and I doubt even those titles are going to buoy the machine too much in Japan).

      --
      "There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter," Jeeves, (Jeeves and the Impending Doom)
    2. Re:That's a first by dividedsky319 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That's probably becuase the Xbox sold pretty horribly in Japan. Microsoft's priorities are probably to get it out to the places that actually care, THEN release and put out an effort in places they've struggled.

    3. Re:That's a first by popcultureicon · · Score: 3, Insightful

      And I would assume they will also notice that they are getting the cheapest price in the world for the xbox 360. Joystiq says that they are getting the equivalent of the $400 package for $350. They may have to wait a couple extra weeks, but that's still a pretty sweet deal.

    4. Re:That's a first by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Funny
      It's going to look like MS snubbing the country.

      Bill's just letting them know that he hasn't forgotten Pearl Harbor.

      -Eric

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    5. Re:That's a first by PePeBoTiKa · · Score: 2, Informative

      Yes, bue the japanese edition is A LOT less expensive

    6. Re:That's a first by badasscat · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It would seem to be in Microsoft's best interests to get any many S-E games as possible to come out for the 360.

      It would have been in their best interests last time around too, but it didn't happen.

      Don't assume all this stuff happens in a vacuum. Sony is actively trying to thwart all of MS's moves in Japan and they have the advantage of playing on their home turf - they know the guys as S-E, they work with them all the time, they literally speak the same language. They also run their businesses the same way - the Japanese way. They understand each other, and know they can work together... especially if a bit of extra cash for an "exclusive" is thrown around.

      MS was not able to get the offline FF series on the original Xbox and I doubt they will get it on the Xbox 360. This is still Square's bread and butter (as far as FF goes) and Sony knows it's what sells systems. I also doubt you'll see a Dragon Quest on Xbox 360 either - which is arguably even more important in Japan, where DQ outsells FF.

      Square-Enix may throw MS a bone every once in a while, but it will likely be old games like FFXI that have run out their exclusivity deals, and crap like Drakengard that nobody really cares about anyway. All so MS can count S-E as a development partner and use it in their marketing.

  3. Last by coolnicks · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well at least were not last to get it.

  4. YES! by RealityMogul · · Score: 5, Funny

    I honestly can't wait for this thing to hit the shelves. I will be first in line... to pick up a discounted original XBox.

    1. Re:YES! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      are there any good XBox games?

      Are you kidding? There are *tons* of great XBOX games:

      - Halo
      - Halo 2

      What more could you want?

    2. Re:YES! by Loonacy · · Score: 2, Funny

      You're a Nintendo fangirl, but you don't have a GameCube yet? You need to hand in your fangirl certification, I'm afraid. Come back when you're a real fan!

  5. I am not excited by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I purchased the PS2 and the XBox on release, but the XBox 360 does not have me excited. It doesn't use HD DVD, but standard DVD, costs 400 with hard drive. Wireless is extra, extra controllers are a lot extra. Games are 60 dollars and it doesn't play XBox games.

    Where is the advantage in buying this thing? It's not really a huge leap in technology and it's not much to get excited about.

    The PSP I bought (v1.5) is a much more interesting device, especially since I have to fly so frequently.

    1. Re:I am not excited by Spaceman+Spiff+II · · Score: 5, Interesting
      I know what you mean, but hey, at least it looks pretty cool. ;-)

      One console that I am excited about, though, is the Nintendo Revolution due out probably some time next year. The president of Nintendo is going to do the keynote at this year's Tokyo Games thing, and will most likely reveal a giant mystery about it: what the controller is going to be like! Speculation is wide, and a lot of people are thinking it might use gyroscopic technologies to sense the moving of the controller. Also, the Revolution will be able to play every Nintendo game ever made all the way back to the NES!

      Tune in at 7PM tonight to see what his announcement is.

      --
      I understand that life's not fair, just why is it never unfair in my favor?
    2. Re:I am not excited by bynary · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I have small children. Wireless controllers are perfect because when they walk between me and the TV they don't trip over my cables and A) yank the cable out of the console or B) yank the console off the entertainment center.

      --
      http://www.bynarystudio.com
    3. Re:I am not excited by thatguywhoiam · · Score: 4, Insightful
      One console that I am excited about, though, is the Nintendo Revolution [wikipedia.org] due out probably some time next year. The president of Nintendo is going to do the keynote at this year's Tokyo Games thing, and will most likely reveal a giant mystery about it: what the controller is going to be like! Speculation is wide, and a lot of people are thinking it might use gyroscopic technologies to sense the moving of the controller. Also, the Revolution will be able to play every Nintendo game ever made all the way back to the NES!

      Don't take this the wrong way. But...

      How can you be so excited about a console you know practically nothing about?

      I see this come out in every Xbox 360 / PS3 forum. You know nothing! Revolution may not even be the name of the bloody thing?

      So - seriously - wft is there to be excited about? I like Nintendo, they do some neat stuff, but we don't know about the specs, the controller, the format, the lineup... anything!

      (flicking holy water) The power of brand compels you! The power of brand ..... compels...

      --
      If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
    4. Re:I am not excited by supabeast! · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I agree, the Xbox 360 launch is pretty bland. I think that the biggest problem is a lack of hyped games - there was the big crazy launch party where they showed a bunch of CGI rendered on Powermacs and claimed it was what we'll be playing, and then went into hiding. Due to this big lack of important press, if I got an Xbox 360 for launch, I don't even know what the hell I'd be able to do with. If Microsoft wants to avoid stores with huge overstocks of Xbox 360s on December 26, they really need to shut up about the hardware and show us the games.

    5. Re:I am not excited by ColdForged · · Score: 5, Informative
      Amazing that essentially a "yawn" gets an "Interesting" moderation.

      It doesn't use HD DVD, but standard DVD

      Does anything? Should they hold up the release date and tack on another $100 -- at least -- to the price for HD-DVD when no one else has it and there's no software for it aside from games?
      Wireless is extra, extra controllers are a lot extra.

      A wireless controller is included in that $400 you just mentioned with the hard drive. And since when are extra controllers ever included?
      Games are 60 dollars and it doesn't play XBox games.

      Really? The first-party ones I've seen are still $50. And it will support Xbox games if you have the hard drive, though precisely which Xbox games is still a matter of confusion.
      --

      -"I seem to be having tremendous difficulty with my lifestyle." - Arthur Dent

    6. Re:I am not excited by lurker4hire · · Score: 5, Informative

      Well, I can't speak for the grandparent poster, but here's why I'm excited for the revolution.

      1. Known company with proven (to me, through personal experience) commitment to keeping games fun and trying interesting things with hardware (some fails sure, but at least they're trying)

      2. Ability to play every nintendo console game! I missed N64 so I'm really looking forward to that. (btw this is a feature announced at E3)

      3. A feeling that they'll try to keep the cost to consumer down. They've pretty much got the low cost thing down, and I'm hoping it'll be a console I don't have to think too hard about picking up. The 360 and PS3 are too expensive to 'just buy' I need to wait and see which is better before making a purchase of that size.

      Put all that together and I'm excited... I'm also excited about both the 360 and ps3, but more so to determine which of the two I will buy. I was actually hoping for a more media centre type function from the 360, so it's making me lean more toward waiting and seeing rather than buying anyways.

    7. Re:I am not excited by jiushao · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Knowing that there is nothing special of interest in a new console (the xbox 360 and PS2) is a lot less exciting than not knowing what will happen with another. So I think "excited" is a good word here. It does not however imply that one should think that it is a sure buy or anything.

      To me at least the things we know about the Revolution is that the hardware will be roughly similar to the xbox 360 in the common metrics (give or take 50% it is the same basic CPU, memory and graphics technology). However there is still the possibility that Nintendo has something up its sleeve that might make this generation actually interesting.

      I don't want to be one of the grumpy old people complaining about new things, but really, this generation seems to be a very incremental improvement. In some areas even a step back since no console will have a harddrive in their basic configuration. While one can surely upgrade to one of the new ones it is more or less like moving from a GeForce FX to a 7000-series on the PC; you'll get the same basic thing, just a bit more of it.

      Don't compare this to the PSX -> PS2 step, sure it just added more power, but the difference is that the PSX were too weak for a lot of gameplay possibilities. There does not seem to be much new gameplay possibilities on the PS3 as of yet (though I'd love to be proven wrong), just a bit more polish and glitz.

    8. Re:I am not excited by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Specs: better than the current generation, that's all the matters. Flops, texture fill, etc. are all pointless numbers that mean nothing if they aren't used in interesting ways, and are generally presented as unrealistic numbers to give the impression of a major advantage over competitors.

      Format: 12cm optical disc. The system is supposed to be capable of playing DVDs with a dongle, so likely DVD discs. Or am I misunderstanding what you mean by format?

      Lineup: There will be a new Zelda and a new Mario, and likely a new game from most of the Nintendo franchises. Which, really, isn't much less than what I know about some of the games that have been announced for the PS3 and 360.

      Controller: Isn't this what he's getting excited about? Personally, I'm sort of excited too. It has, based on the comments of some developers, been seen by some 3rd-parties, and they seem to be impressed. Besides, I'd like to see a controller that isn't essentially a SNES with sticks (PS3), or a Saturn 3D controller (360) that's been modified slightly to match the system stylings.

    9. Re:I am not excited by JourneyExpertApe · · Score: 2, Funny

      I have small children. Wireless controllers are perfect because when they walk between me and the TV they don't trip over my cables and A) yank the cable out of the console or B) yank the console off the entertainment center.

      Note the missing option:
      C) fall and hurt themselves

      --
      If you can read this sig, you're too close.
    10. Re:I am not excited by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Don't compare this to the PSX -> PS2 step, sure it just added more power, but the difference is that the PSX were too weak for a lot of gameplay possibilities. There does not seem to be much new gameplay possibilities on the PS3 as of yet (though I'd love to be proven wrong), just a bit more polish and glitz.

      HD game play. While it could be written off as "glitz", being stuck with NTSC (or PAL) is IMO horrendous. I can't imagine a serious gamer saying they want VGA level resolution when they can get so much better, up to 6x more pixels. I tried playing the demos of the current console on a standard TV at a store, and it just looks awful. It's a pain shooting down a blob when it could actually have some detail.

  6. Re:XBOX 360 by cmossell · · Score: 5, Funny

    Correction, it is 120 times better, and exactly 357 better. I thought I'd clear that up for you.

  7. Re:XBOX 360 by richie2000 · · Score: 2, Funny

    How much is that in VW Beetles?

    --
    Money for nothing, pix for free
  8. A new age for PPC by Saven+Marek · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What I am excited about is not that this is a new console, but that it is a new age for the PPC chip. And just when Apple has dropped it. Some technologies have all the luck?

    While apple might not have the chance to use the version of the G5 with three cores and 3.2GHz or faster speeds I wonder if the price drop on those with microsoft buying millions and millions will cause IBM to build normal motherboards with PPC power. A 3.2GHz G5 motherboard built by IBM and guaranteed by them to work with linux by IBM writing the kernel modules for them would be a really great solution for a desktop if you want to get away from x86!.

    again what a pity steve didn't wait to hear about this one. I bet the top G5 powermac will still be 2.7GHz when the xbox comes out at 3.2ghz and with one extra core and better graphics. and be cheaper. Apple could have benefited from that cost drop due to microsoft. Thats a pity

  9. games at release by Red+Flayer · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "Tokyo Game Show marks the first time that consumers will be able to experience the power of Xbox 360 firsthand. A number of key titles will be on display at the Xbox 360 booth: "

    The press release goes on to list a bunch of games. Curiously, there is no mention of which of the games will be available at release... only that the titles 'will be on display'.

    --
    "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    1. Re:games at release by Hast · · Score: 3, Informative

      There is a launch title list at the main site.

      Just look for it - or perhaps, use Google.

  10. Re:Official MSRP? by Splork2 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ah yes, the XBoX 360 will come if 36 different flavors ranging in cost from $36 bucks to a full $3600. This will be the test bed for the Windows Vesta launch. Microsoft if holding their fingers and hoping for a good lanuch. I'm not holding mine.

  11. Re:Official MSRP? by Andy_R · · Score: 2, Informative

    Try reading the last paragraph...

    Microsoft also announced Japanese pricing of Xbox 360... Xbox 360 system, ... 20GB detachable Xbox 360 Hard Drive [hype] an Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, an Xbox 360 Media Remote control, an Xbox 360 Headset, a Component HD-AV Cable ... an Ethernet cable and batteries, at 37,900 JPY.*

    * Actual retail prices may vary.

    At today's rates, that's $343.332 US or 190.090 GBP

    --
    A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
  12. Re:Great! by Ryz0r · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You sound like a Sony zealot..

    Now, this is a question I ask you all... Which are worse, the playstation fanboys or xbox lovers?

    We all know the specs, mainly because you obsessives have been creaming yourselves posting them on forums arguing why x is better than y

    There is no better console(of the same generation), it all boils down to which has the best games - that's all i care about, anyway: what's the point in spending shitloads of your hard earned cash on something that can do amazing things, but the only thing you can play on it is a glorified version of pac man?

    --
    Peace, Love, Unity, Respect
  13. Re:Official MSRP? by Morgon · · Score: 5, Informative

    US:

    Xbox 360 "Core System" (no HDD, wired controller only) $299.99
    Xbox 360 "Premium" (HDD, Wireless, headset, remote) $399.99

    Japan:
    Xbox360 Premium Edition, $349.99

    So MS screwed the USA twice on this deal.. first by contridicting every single one of their interviews and announcements since before E3 ("one sku only", "wireless and hdd", "around $300"), but the ONE thing that the US wants (one sku for a decent price), they're giving to Japan.

    The Xbox/MS Games team was the only part of MS that "got it"... now it seems like the business practices plaguing the rest of the company are slowly infecting the last bastion of customer appreciation.

    --
    [DISCLAIMER: This post is a work of satire and should not be misconstrued as a holy text upon which to base a religion.]
  14. Re:Too Much! by CDLewis · · Score: 2, Funny
    You'll catch me holding out for the $59.99 used Revolution in 3 years.

    But by then, everyone else will have been playing 15-year-old NES games on their Revolution for 3 years. Aren't you afraid of spoilers?

  15. Re:Bah 11/22/05??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    They could always delay it until June 6th, 2006. Call it "The Number of the Console".

  16. Re:haha japan!!! by Red+Flayer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "more seriously, we know these huge publishers can do a simultaneous worldwide release, why don't they?? wouldn't that discourage a little bit of piracy by people who want to get things early?? i'd think they'd be all about that.... "

    Well, in this case:

    (1) They'd have to delay the release in the US, and possibly Europe. Producing the machines takes time and production capacity, which is not cheap. You don't want machines sitting in inventory if you can help it.

    (2) They want to make sure they time the release with a major consumer purchase period. In the US, Thanksgiving weekend is the biggest retail sales weekend of the year. Not so in Europe or Japan.

    (3) Multiple releases creates a psychological effect that encourages 'late' adopters to buy. More press. More games. "Holy crap, if people in Europe can buy it, should I have one by now?" By 'late', in this case, I mean the people who don't buy it at release -- not people like me, who will be buying in 2008.

    --
    "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  17. Preorders? by DanthemaninVA1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Too bad the only preorders you can get for it online are for $600 and up bundles. Anybody know where you can preorder the vanilla $400 bundle?

  18. Re:Geek Card Revoked! by dividedsky319 · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Okay, you've never had a console, but admit to playing Dance, Dance Revolution? I suspect your either a girl or gay.

    This is the problem with gamers today. If it doesn't involve killing or violence, it's not worth their time. What ever happened the concept of "gameplay"? It's been overshadowed by graphics and "mature content".

    I've personally never played DDR, but I wouldn't mind eventually picking up a copy of one of them and a dance pad. I imagine it would be a lot of fun to get together a few friends, have a few drinks, and see how badly we can "dance".

    Oh, and I'm a 23 year old straight (engaged, actually) male.

  19. Re:Too Much! by jbarket · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Then your point is that you're not their target audience, making your opinion more than a little irrelevant.

    Thanks for admitting that you're a troll.

    --

    -----
    jonathan barket
  20. Re:Geek Card Revoked! by Reapy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Along these lines, I picked up ddr for myself and my wife to play. I actually got much better at the game then she did due to previous video game experience.

    The game has nothing to do with dancing and everything to do with rythem and timing. It's like tapping out a 10 hit combo in tekken with your feet if you want to think of it.

    Anyway, I love the game. It is different then what is out there, and any new experience is a fun experience. Since I've started playing my "dancing" at weddings and such has improved tremendously to the point where people complament me (rythem and timing goes a long way when dancing).

    I know it is odd for the grandparent to hear, but practicing something actually makes you get better at it. I don't know why people think if you are "geeky" you aren't capable of learning something. I find it to be quite the opposite actually.

    Anyway, to the parent, grab DDR and a good pad, it is a ton of fun. This is from a long time "hardcore" gamer whos been bored with the lack of new gaming generas to explore the past few years.

  21. Re:Geek Card Revoked! by m4dm4n · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I believe the GP said "red-blooded male American".

    That cliché always seems to be used when denigrating people who don't like violence.

    --

    No France
  22. Pretty Good Timing by blueZhift · · Score: 4, Informative

    Coming out on Nov 22 is actually pretty good timing. The weekend after Thanksgiving is generally one of the biggest shopping days in the U.S.. So with smart marketing, they should move a fair number of Xbox 360s just on the wave of shopping. The two questions I would have are, what new games will be available, and what current popular Xbox titles will run on it?

    If they do well enough, Xbox 360 will be considered the hot item of the holiday season and sell even better. As always though, the games will tell the tale.

    --
    To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
  23. Re:Geek Card Revoked! by NitroWolf · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Okay, you've never had a console, but admit to playing Dance, Dance Revolution? I suspect your either a girl or gay. And I don't say that demeaningly. Its just I can't imagine a red-blooded male American (including Canadians) who would play it, except maybe in secret, and definitely true geeks don't have the coordination for it. Geezus what is Slashdot coming to?!?!

    What world have you been living in? DDR is actually quite fun... I'm a 30 something male and straight. So that shoots your theory to shit.

    DDR is decent exercise, and it's a fairly hard game. I've never played it in the arcade because I don't want to look like an idiot in front of people, so I opted for the home version both on the Xbox and the PC (Stepmania) and ended up buying some Red Octane Afterburner pads (wish I had went with Cobalt Flux in retrospect).

    If you fancy yourself good at video games, I suggest you give DDR a try and see how much you truely suck at coordination. I can whip your ass up one side and down the other at any fighter you care to mention, but a 12 year old girl can kick my ass at DDR playing backwards and blindfolded. I will admit, though, that DDR is a lot about patterns and memorization... kinda like Mortal Combat.

  24. Halo 3 ships the day the PS3 comes out.. by cybrthng · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Simple as that. Microsoft is holding Halo3 to ship the day the PS3 is shipped.

    Good plan if you ask me :)

  25. Re:haha japan!!! by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 2, Funny
    "Holy crap, if people in Europe can buy it, should I have one by now?"

    I can definitely say I have never had that thought.

  26. Who is going to buy it and why? by DrXym · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The mentality of owning something first when its overhyped, unproven, expensive and has a dearth of games strikes me as very peculiar.

    Why does anyone do it? What's wrong with waiting 4 or 5 months to gauge the scene? At that point the prices might have lowered a little, the hype will have been replaced with more level headed criticism, and there will certainly more games.

    I just don't understand why anyone would do it. I certainly don't understand why on November 22nd / 23rd the news will be filled with clips of losers queuing up and streaming into stores to buy a console at midnight.

  27. Re:XBOX 360 by identity0 · · Score: 2, Funny

    You think that's bad?

    I bought a GameCube, and it was exactly 63 worse than my old N64 :(

  28. Re:Never Owned a Console by KillShill · · Score: 2

    you mean executing arbitrary code?

    homebrew = gives the wrong impression and is in essence incorrect.

    you own the chips in the machines you buy but the manufacturers of the devices prevent you from having full access.

    think about that while you're standing in line buying one of these computers they affectionately call consoles.

    geeks loves shiny things and so do i but i hate DRM and loss of property rights far more.

    i'll be sitting this one out.

    we cannot afford to reward companies who behave in a manner such as this.

    there are other ways of preventing copied games from being played. there's no legitimate reason to prevent the lawful access to those chips that customers paid for.

    i know lots of people will buy them but what i want, at least, is that people think about these issues. even when you're playing those new fangled games on your closed DRM systems, give it some thought.

    --
    Science : Proprietary , Knowledge : Open Source