back to article Microsoft cuts number of countries that will have Xbox One by Christmas

Microsoft has said it won’t be able to meet its initial goal of launching the Xbox One in 21 countries before Christmas, and some European buyers won’t see the console until 2014 at the earliest. At the console's coming-out party at the E3 conference this year, Microsoft said it was planning to get the console out in 21 …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. rcorrect
    Unhappy

    Xbox Two

    Sadly, most of this will be forgotten by the next Xbox release. Just as we no longer hear about Sony's crackdown on installing Linux onto the PS3. These evils will certainly resurface and I fear they will eventually become a standard.

    1. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge
      WTF?

      Re: Xbox Two

      The loss of OtherOS affected only a very small subset of PS3 owners.

      It wouldn't be a huge exaggeration to say the ongoing nonsense surrounding the Xbox One affects every single user.

      1. andreas koch
        Meh

        I can't see that a shortage

        or even a no-show would matter all that much. I'm not a gamer, but the way that most reg readers react to anything Microsoft lately, I don't expect that anybody would actually want to have one.

        It appears that they'd all gladly pay for MS stuff to be scrapped before it gets to the market.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Xbox Two

        Let's hope Microsoft manage to translate it from American to English in time....

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Xbox Two

      In other news. Microsoft now advertising a new Xbox One feature: It will get really noisy when it gets hot.

      http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-08-14-xbox-one-built-to-automatically-tackle-overheating

      Sounds like they are setting user expectations after increasing the GPU speed to try and keep up with the PS4 specs. But hey, at least it might not RROD this time (maybe), or perhaps it will, to ensure users go forth and buy replacements in 14 months time.

    3. Daniel B.
      Boffin

      Re: Xbox Two

      I am one of those affected by the OtherOS brouhaha, in so much that I still have my original phat PS3 stuck on 3.15 because of that. I eventually caved in and bought another PS3 for updated games & stuff, because I have always had more distrust at MS than Sony. And I was proven right by MS themselves with the Always Online requirement!

      So it isn't quite that everyone has forgotten the OtherOS thing, but that we all are more pissed off at Microsoft and that Sony does seem to have had a change of heart on key issues. They could've easily gone down the same MS route, but they didn't.

      1. dan1980

        Re: Xbox Two

        With the disclaimer that I don't own a PS3 and wouldn't have used the OtherOS feature if I did own one, I think their scrapping of it was a good idea. Over all.

        Why?

        Because they have made their platform infinitely more secure than Microsoft's offering and, in doing so, virtually eliminated piracy from the console. No need to make any drastic, unpopular moves to always-online DRM and mandatory game installs, just make the console more resilient to pirated games.

        That Sony have effectively stopped piracy on the PS3 shows us that MS's claims of activation to stop piracy are bunk. There is no need to resort to such measures and there is proof through Sony's success.

  2. Antony Riley

    Pre-Order

    What? People pre-order something which seems to change specs and delivery dates every week?

    Nutters.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Pre-Order

      "People pre-order something which seems to change specs and delivery dates every week?"

      It will be a sell out. You don't get charged until shipment. You can cancel a preorder....

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ah well, That's my choice made. Was hanging on for reviews, but I live in Sweden...

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Psssst - wanna buy a Surface?

    Going cheap?

    I can't help but think that this is nothing more than a marketing ploy.

    There will also be reports of shortages coming from paid for shills.

    All to drum up interest in something that .... well most certainly isn't being waited for with baited breath.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Psssst - wanna buy a Surface?

      Now there's an idea - give a free Surface to all those who have pre-ordered in the second class countries. Might kill two birds wih one stone.

      1. seven of five
        Coat

        Re: Psssst - wanna buy a Surface?

        Or rather "swat a second fly on the same surface" ... <- Ha, see what I did there...

        sorry, wheres me coat?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So in other words....

    ... we completely screwed up. Our marketing monkeys made promises before talking to the tech guys.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: So in other words....

      More than likely it's along the lines of.

      "Hey guys we're promising you ALLL THIS at E3"

      *Removes online requirements*

      *Removes used game requirements*

      *Removes some other stuff*

      *Plays with drivers*

      *Plays with clock speeds*

      "So billy, how's the new xbox coming along?"

      "Well we made the changes you asked for sir but..."

      "Excellent, now people are sure to buy our console"

      "Yeah but sir, we still need to run some tests, these changes affect a lot of areas of the system, we'll need to test pretty much everything again, and with teh clock speed change our life testing is pretty much out the window"

      "So what are you saying?"

      "Well we'll need another month to test it before going into production"

      "But we won't meet our deadlines, can't you just skip all that testing stuff?"

      "You mean like we did with the RROD? And Windows 8 interface? Adn Vista? And market feedback for XBONE?"

      "Okay I get your point, do the hardware tests while you can, you have 2 weeks, after that we start production. We can fix the software bugs in a day 0 patch"

      And so on the release of the xbone the manufacture was rushed, leading to shoddy build quality for many, the software was untested, leading to many a bugs being found, and something similar to RROD will likely crop up. This is why you don't make big sweeping changes right before going to market. This is also why you don't buy a first release of a new console and wait for a few months for initial stock to run dry.

      And I can only say this with any confidence because the exact same thing happens where I work. Oh what's that you're working on something that could speed up our product? A new hardware option? Great, I just sold 4, they want the machines within the next 3 months... fuck you marketting, fuck you.

    2. RyokuMas
      Thumb Up

      Re: So in other words....

      That makes Microsoft no different from anywhere else though...

  6. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Meh

    I can't help wondering which are the unlucky countries that will still have this thing dumped on them.

  7. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Trollface

    Pumping the price, are they?

    Isn't there a law against that?

    1. Thomas 4

      Re: Pumping the price, are they?

      Well, I know a few eBay resellers that are going to have a very merry Christmas with this.

      1. Michael Strorm Silver badge

        Re: Pumping the price, are they?

        "Well, I know a few eBay resellers that are going to have a very merry Christmas with this."

        You mean like all the PS3 scalpers attempted to do when it launched, thinking they were going to make lots of money, and ending up with piles of unsold (and very expensive) PS3s?

        What a pity ;-)

        1. TheVogon
          Mushroom

          Re: Pumping the price, are they?

          "and ending up with piles of unsold (and very expensive) PS3s?"

          And just sent them straight back again via the distance selling regulations...

  8. Tom 260

    Switzerland and about half of Belgium speak languages that are already covered by countries it is launching in (french/german/italian & french respectively), so going by their other official reason, they're not launching there because they want to have a few apps on the console first? Guess they're still not focussed on games being the main selling point of a gaming console...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      More likely with all the changes they've made they had to push the initial production date back. This means less console on launch.

      Less consoles on launch means they have to cut a few counties until they have the stock.

    2. Anonymous Custard

      @Tom260 - that was my thought as well, although I'd also add the Dutch to the list too as they usually (at least the several Dutch colleagues I have, and most of the populous I met whilst working over there) speak at least English, French and German fluently and in many cases a few other languages besides.

      1. MJI Silver badge

        Dutch

        Well since a PS4 launch game is from their biggest games studios - no point MS bothering.

  9. jai

    But why?

    It can't be because the demand is so great that all their inventory is going to be taken up by those countries that are getting it on release, surely?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: But why?

      hey jay no. their is no demand. nobody wants to have a xbox anyway. doesnt matter if its new or old.

      PS4 RULEZ!!1!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: But why?

        "nobody wants to have a xbox anyway"

        Preorder demand was higher than for the PS4 once they removed the DRM stuff...

        The Xbox One has an HDMI input and can control / integrate with STBs. Major advantage in the living room....

        1. tmcd35

          Re: But why?

          "The Xbox One has an HDMI input and can control / integrate with STBs. Major advantage in the living room...."

          If you live in America and one of the supported STBs. Why can't I see Sky, BT, TalkTalk, Virgin Media or YouView going along with this?

          Xbox One: £450 voice controlled TV remote.

          PS4: £350 games console.

          Wii-U: £200 door stop (sorry couldn't resist ;))

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: But why?

          "Preorder demand was higher than for the PS4 once they removed the DRM stuff..."

          No it wasn't. You were misled. Xbox had one SKU on Amazon (Launch-day edition), PS4 had 8 (with different bundled games). The PS4 SKU's were all counted separately.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: But why?

            No, Amazon have 2 Xbox SKUs and One PS4 SKU:

            http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-7UV-00019-Xbox-One-Console/dp/B00BE4OUBG/ref=sr_tr_sr_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376648155&sr=8-1&keywords=xbox+one

            http://www.amazon.co.uk/Xbox-One-Console-Day-Edition/dp/B00BM2LLB2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1376648155&sr=8-3&keywords=xbox+one

            http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-PlayStation-4-PS4/dp/B00BE4HOIM/ref=sr_tr_sr_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376648205&sr=8-1&keywords=ps4

        3. MJI Silver badge

          Re: But why?

          An HDMI input, I suppose it could be used for a PS4.

          Actually HDMI shortage is a little worry for me. Will have to move a (SD) PVR from HDMI to RGB Scart.

          Audio is more of a worry lack of sockets on my amp.

  10. Anonymous Custard
    Facepalm

    Make up for the disappointment?

    ...but those who preordered the console will get a free game to make up for the disappointment

    So they'll be less disappointed at not having the console by being given a shiny new game that they can't play because they haven't got the console?

    Can anyone think of anything Microsoft have actually done right recently?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Make up for the disappointment?

      Why would they just give the game out without a console? I know micro$oft arent exactly flavour of the month at the moment but I think that the free game will likely come with the console when its released in the countries its being delayed for...

  11. VinceH

    Optional

    "While we could launch Xbox One simultaneously in these markets, there are many factors that determine the timing of specific market launches," said the Xbox leadership team in a blog post.

    "This includes work to promote an Xbox One dash, by making it look like we are unable to meet demand. We understand that everyone is familiar with the usual approach of faking this by limiting the numbers we supply to resellers, so we are doing everything we can disguise this cunning old hat marketing technique by limiting the countries into which it will be initially supplied."

    There. Fixed it for them.

  12. MJI Silver badge

    Sony need SOME competition

    To keep them honest - PS2 and PS3 were both esoteric architectures, PS3 really sorted out the programmers as you had to be able to code multithreaded.

    If the 360 had not provided such opposition would we have ended up with such a good PS4?

    It is not games I am worried about as the PS2 era had some fantastic ones, but features and prices.

    BTW I have my preorder, and it is for the console made by the same company as my current console, my hand held, my video camera and my TV. And Sony had to earn these.

    Video Camera - HDV, so Canon or Sony, Found a HC9 at an affordable price.

    TV, W series so no contest

    Handheld, Uncharted or Mario, I'm a grown up!

  13. kyza

    So if I were, for some reason, to want to buy an Xbone, I've got to pay £80 more for a peripheral that now doesn't have to be used by anyone anymore, which means that like the PS Eye2, no-one will develop for it.

    This is all kinds of genius on MS' part.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "I've got to pay £80 more for a peripheral that now doesn't have to be used by anyone anymore, which means that like the PS Eye2, no-one will develop for it."

      Every console will have one and therefore the vast majority of games will develop for it....That's the main reason Microsoft have forced it's inclusion.

      imo it could be a very smart long term move. If Kinect 2 actually delivers, Microsoft could have the new fad factor of the kind that was responsible for people buying tens of millions of Wiis (even though they were complete crap).......

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like