Microsoft’s Xbox One was suppose to be released on September 23 in China, but it seems like that won’t happen. The company has announced that it will be delayed, but will still be available “by the end of this year”. Below is the Official Press Release…
Update on Xbox One’s Journey to Launch in China
The Xbox team has been counting down the days to an exciting launch in China and on Monday 22nd September we will host our fans at the Oriental Pearl Tower to celebrate our journey, as we work hand-in-hand with our partners to bring console gaming and entertainment experiences on the biggest screen in the home. The launch of Xbox One will be a historic moment for gamers and families when Microsoft and BesTV bring the first console of its kind to China.
“We are excited to bring game and entertainment innovation to China,” said Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft. “We have an ambitious vision and we’re working hard with our partners to deliver Xbox One and great games and entertainment to China. We are thrilled with the response we’ve seen in China, including pre-orders beyond our expectations and growing anticipation of our launch. Ultimately, our commitment is first and foremost to our fans – and we want to deliver a world-class experience to our fans in China.”
Despite strong and steady progress, we are going to need more a bit more time to deliver the best experiences possible for our fans in China. At Xbox, we pride ourselves on delivering first rate gaming and entertainment experiences and to allow us to deliver on that promise we need to reschedule the launch of Xbox One. Working with our partner, BesTV, we look forward to launching in China by the end of this year.
“We’re working with over 25 leading third-party global and local developers to bring forward for consideration over 70 games for Xbox One fans in China to enjoy, along with incredible entertainment experiences from our partners,” said Mehdi. “While finalizing our launch line-up, we’re also working with more than 4,000 retail locations in 37 cities throughout the People’s Republic of China to finalize our launch plans for both purchase and digital download of games.”
“We are grateful for Microsoft’s commitment to game and entertainment fans in China and we’re pleased with the progress we’re making,” said Zhang Dazhong, Senior Vice President of Shanghai Media Group and Chairman of the Board, E-Home Entertainment, BesTV. “Together, we are working hard to deliver experiences to China which will delight our customers.”
On Monday, September 22, the Xbox team will celebrate its journey toward launch at the Oriental Pearl Tower with fans and partners. Fans will be able to enjoy gameplay, great music and entertainment, and a celebration with employees from Xbox China and around the world.
“We have one opportunity to launch Xbox in China and we want to deliver a world-class experience for our fans,” said Enwei Xie, General Manager, China. “For our first fans who have pre-ordered, we are committed to ensuring you are the first to receive Xbox One, along with an added bonus. We also promised our fans a great party and we’re committed to delivering. We can’t wait to see many of you on Monday at the Oriental Pearl Tower, where we will give-away 100 Xbox One consoles*, and we look forward to our official launch soon.”
*Consoles will be delivered once available at Xbox One launch date
