dellite
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Sep 19, 2005, 6:52 PM
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Xbox 360 Coming 6 Months Before pS3
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The Xbox 360 will be released 2 days before American thanksgiving and well in advance of both the Christmas shopping season and 6 months before their competition. The console will hit the shelves in North American stores on Nov. 22, followed by a Dec. 2 launch in Europe and a Dec. 10 release in Japan, the software giant announced.
Microsoft is touting the platform as a multipurpose home-entertainment device that will play CDs, DVDs, MP3s and digital content from all kinds of devices, including portable-music players and digital cameras as well as Windows XP PCs.
Redmond will roll out two versions of the Xbox 360: a basic unit listing for an estimated $299 and a deluxe edition for $399. The deluxe edition includes a 20-GB hard drive and wireless controller, among other accessories. Being first to market also gives Microsoft an advantage throughout the product lifecycle, Goodman suggested, with the company in position to reduce the price of its gaming platforms during the 2006 holiday season before Sony and Nintendo have had their own next-gen platforms on the market long enough to reduce the pricing on them.
Even if Sony cuts the price of PlayStation 3 to meet the challenge, said Goodman, Microsoft could have the edge in the market with a gaming console that has been rebuilt from the ground up. "Xbox 360 is a significantly more powerful system than previous models and every game can be played in high-definition audio and video," he said.
A revamped Xbox Live online gaming service will be more user-friendly for the mass market, said Goodman, who added that Microsoft has enjoyed much success with its online offering. According to Yankee Group, Xbox has an installed base of 20 million customers, 10 percent of whom are playing online. Sony boasts some 75 million PlayStation users and 3.5 million online players.
More than 40 publishers in Japan, including Bandai, Capcom, Koei and Sega have committed support for Xbox 360.
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