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Xbox 2 To Launch In Europe Before Xmas?

Eighthours

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Eighthours

Eighthours

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Microsoft is on course for a dramatic end-of-year hardware roll-out in the West - with its next generation Xbox successor thought to be on track for launch in both the US and Europe by Christmas.

MCV believes that the Redmond giant is keen to seize the time advantage it currently appears to have over Sony and the PlayStation 3.

Senior US sources have revealed that third-party publishers are working towards a simultaneous launch for the new format in both key Western territories in time for the crucial holiday season.

The move will surely be warmly welcomed by the trade, with most undoubtedly expecting the launch to follow the pattern established by the current model – i.e. the Euro roll-out several months after North America.

However, Xbox 2 - which is codenamed Xenon - is expected to arrive this side of the Atlantic within weeks of the US launch, MCV can exclusively reveal.

A glance at software schedules highlights exclusive titles for the current Xbox format drying up beyond Q1. And, with hardware still in short supply at retail, the signs suggest that both Microsoft and its third-party publishing partners are increasingly channelling resources into preparing for the next-gen unit.

Microsoft is almost certain to remain silent on the matter until its E3 conference in May.

And Xbox, despite hardware shortages, does have strong momentum; the company’s refusal to speak about Xbox 2 at next month’s Game Developer Conference suggests it wants to maximise sales of the current machine while the last raft of blockbuster titles hits retail.

Xbox 2 has been widely predicted for a Q4 2005 release in the US for some time, with Electronic Arts having already announced that ‘Xenon’ skus of its biggest franchises will ship alongside the next current-generation versions.

PlayStation 2 had a huge lead on Xbox, but Microsoft execs have repeatedly stated that the company will not be beaten to market next time around.

With PS3 looking unlikely to launch in Europe before the autumn of 2006 at the earliest, Microsoft is powerfully placed to seize the initiative right across the West and finally offer a serious challenge to Sony’s next system.

http://www.mcvuk.com/html/news/story.jsp?newsId=1930051

As far as I'm concerned, this would be fantastic news if true, but what do you all think? Good move to get a Xmas's worth of market share before PS3's release? Dumping the Xbox 1 too early?

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K

K

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This seems daft, if you ask me. The Xbox seems to have positioned itself in the market as a kind of luxury PS2- less popular, but higher-spec. The BMW of consoles, if you will.

If they launch Xbox 2 by the end of this year, I can't help thinking of the phrase "A snack between Playstations". The hype for PS3 is going to kill it, because people are going to assume the new Playstation is going to be better, whether Sony have released any specs or not.

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Zathras

Zathras

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I can see Microsoft wanting to be first to market this time round. They certainly cannot be 2 years late, like before. Launching at the same time as Sony will be difficult, since they'll have to compete with the ps3 hype. So I guess launching first is their best shot at the next-gen.

Whatever happens, I won't buy one unless it has some phenomenal launch game(s), or at the very least Xbox1 compatibility.

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HappyCat

HappyCat

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If they launch Xbox 2 by the end of this year, I can't help thinking of the phrase "A snack between Playstations". The hype for PS3 is going to kill it, because people are going to assume the new Playstation is going to be better, whether Sony have released any specs or not.

So they're damned if they do (release early) and damned if they don't (like the last time)?

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Hawkeye

Hawkeye

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As far as I can see there is no good time to lauch some hardware that's going up against Playstation.  Go early and everyone waits to see what Playstation is like.  Go late or at the same time and everyone buys Playstation anyway.

Although if the software is as poor for the PS3 in the first year as it was for the PS2, then any actual competition about could stand a chance of taking some of the market away from it.

I for one feel Sony got let off the hook with the PS2, had there been any real competition about at the time of it's launch I don't think that console would be in the position it is now.

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MK-1601

MK-1601

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The advantages of this strategy are questionable. I doubt many people are going to rush to buy an Xbox2 (presumably with little software available at launch and a comedy early-adopter price tag) with the prospect of a technically superior and more widely supported PS3 a few months down the line. It's a gamble that has historically never (or hardly ever) paid off.

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HappyCat

HappyCat

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The problem they have is that it might turn out to be less powerful than the PS3/Rev like the PS2 was. The draw of the Xbox for most was the fact that it had more power and could do things the others couldnt.

But surely the one thing MS have learned from the current gen is that power isn't eveything?

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K

K

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So they're damned if they do (release early) and damned if they don't (like the last time)?

Well, no, obviously. I'm just saying that launching after the Playstation may not necessarily be a bad thing, especially given the market niche the Xbox has carved out. I mean, the launch software for the PS2 was awful, whereas the Xbox had a very strong launch line-up indeed- it was arguably the best period for Xbox software in the consoles lifespan. If Microsoft could contrive it so they could launch Xbox 2 during the quiet period after the PS3 post-release frenzy has died down, they could capitalise on the market they've built up already.

It's just a thought, I'm not an analyst or anything.

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Zathras

Zathras

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The advantages of this strategy are questionable. I doubt many people are going to rush to buy an Xbox2 (presumably with little software available at launch and a comedy early-adopter price tag) with the prospect of a technically superior and more widely supported PS3 a few months down the line. It's a gamble that has historically never (or hardly ever) paid off.

MS have already said they won't launch with a high price for the next console. I do think that now the XBox is an established brand, they have a better chance next time. Still won't be easy for them though.

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El Pibe

El Pibe

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It's a tricky one.

If they market it right they could steal some thunder. They need a sure fire 'MUST HAVE' game at launch. A game that pretty much force people to buy the console.

I doubt I'd buy another console at launch following the dreadful PS2 launch line-up and the custom of price-cutting initiated by Microsoft with the Xbox.

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hub2

hub2

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Has there been any word as to whether MS are still going ahead with 3 different versions of the console? I feel that might confuse the market a little.

Also, as bad as last Christmas was for Gamecube, can you imagine what going up against PStwo, XB1 & XB2 is going to be like for Nintendo? It looks like their only hope is a big hitter for the holiday season which could mean Zelda much later than we had anticipated.

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HappyCat

HappyCat

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It's just a thought, I'm not an analyst or anything.

I'm not actually meaning to defend an early launch - I feel like I've only just got my XB (just over a year now) and I think it's waaay too early. It just sometimes seems that nothing anyone (apart from Sony) ever does is right. You know, they put a hell of a lot more money and thought into these decisions than we do, so maybe - just maybe - they might know what they're doing?

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Eighthours

Eighthours

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The problem they have is that it might turn out to be less powerful than the PS3/Rev like the PS2 was. The draw of the Xbox for most was the fact that it had more power and could do things the others couldnt.

Microsoft, though, think it was their late launch that lost them the first round of the war before they'd even put the Xbox on the shelves. Clearly they think that launch time > lower spec. With the Xbox's current momentum, they could be proved right. Or it could be a disaster. Either way, it'll be interesting.

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TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap

TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap

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If they market it right they could steal some thunder. They need a sure fire 'MUST HAVE' game at launch. A game that pretty much force people to buy the console.

Perfect Dark Zero? I can't imagine Rare spent the last 3 or 4 years on just Grabbed by the Ghoulies. Maybe there will be an avalanche of high-quality titles when the Xbox 360/2/Xenon comes out*

* Or maybe one or two disappointing games and then nothing for another 4 years.

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