Microsoft Rep: Importing Xbox One an Option

[Jamash]

All high school graduates in India are fluent in English. Given that India has a rapidly growing economy (that's 9th largest in the world), MS is missing out on a huge opportunity here (and elsewhere).

Being fluent in English and speaking English flawlessly without a heavy accent aren't the same thing, at least where the voice recognition in Kinect is concerned.

I get lots of spam calls from India by people who are fluent in English, but they're very hard to understand because of their heavy accents and bizarre way of pronouncing English words.

Unless they're classically trained actors who can perfectly mimic a British or American accent without any trace of their Indian accent, most Indian high school graduates will have great difficulty using Kinect's voice commands, despite being fluent in English.

I'm sure it's the same for other countries which speak the same base language as supported regions, but who's differing accents would prove difficult for the voice recognition software, e.g the multitudes of different accents in mainland Spain aren't the same as the Spanish spoken in Mexico, or the French spoke in Switzerland, Belgium or parts of Africa isn't the same as mainland French.

I'm sure once the Xbox One launches in the UK, we'll hear of lots of Scottish people experiencing difficulty with the Kinect's voice recognition, despite them speaking English and the UK being a supported region.

 

[Roxas1359]

Actually, Microsoft already have a product for those countries that won't be getting an Xbox One this year. It's called Xbox 360.

Ah, Mattrick, how we miss thee...

Don't worry, there are still others there that can make us laugh. Plus we at least get to see him crash and burn Zynga to the ground. But hell, at least this console is region free and in this case is actually a good point for Microsoft; plus with the Xbox One being region free it means now only one console out of the big three is still region locked, but with hope they will soon stop that too, if that company listens to the cries from the Miiverse:

Spoiler

 

[testiou]

But, Swiss French is not the same as French French, as I once found out to my cost. Speaking French in Martigny can end with people staring at you like you're an alien when all you asked was what time the lifts were running, which in Les Gets two days before everyone understood. Trying to buy food is even worse, ask for a snail in Switzerland and you get a delicious pastry, ask for a snail in France and, well, you know, France.

Snail is a bad example... that is just the name of a pastry and has still the other meaning - but in a bakery it's obvious what you mean. In German it's even worse... snail = "schnecke" which could refer to the pastry, a girl or a snail.

Also I have no idear what you mean with "what time the lifts were running". Lift = Elevater... they are always running... you just have to press the button???

The only diffrence I know are the numbers. They made own words for the numbers 70, 80 and 90:

swiss: septante 70
french: soixante-dix 60+10

swiss: octante 80
french: quatre-vingt 4*20

swiss: nonante 90
french: quatre-vingt-dix 4*20+10

Romansh?

About 60'000 people. You say it's their fault why the other millions don't get a Xbox One?

 

[Jamash]

Being fluent in English and speaking English flawlessly without a heavy accent aren't the same thing, at least where the voice recognition in Kinect is concerned.

That's a good point I hadn't considered.

But accents are going to be a problem regardless of the region in which the XB1 is launched. Just like you mentioned with the probable issues in Scotland.

Anyway, voice recognition is kind of a minor issue now that the Kinect is no longer required, yes?

Kinect may not be required to functions, but the accents aren't really a minor issue.

The voice recognition interface is still a big part of the Xbox One and a major selling point, or at least it's being presented as a major selling point, so it would be improper for Microsoft to officially release the console in a region if the voice recognition didn't recognise their accent.

It's one thing releasing the console and giving individuals the choice to use Kinect or not, it's another thing releasing it in the knowledge that a large aspect of Kinect's functionality is broken for that region.

You also have to consider the kind of message it would send if Microsoft did release the Xbox One in regions before they go the voice recognition to work with their language. It would be like saying "We want you money, but if you want to use the Kinect that you paid for, then you best learn to speak a proper language, not that jibber-jabber you call a language in Bongo-Bongo Land".

Using India as an example, it would be far worse if Microsoft officially sold the Xbox One in that region, but forced Indians to speak perfect English like it was the British Raj again, rather than delay the release until they got the voice recognition software to work.

Selling something in another country, then forcing the users to mimic a mainstream English or European accent in order to use what they paid for, that has unfortunate Imperialistic undertones which I'm sure Microsoft are keen to avoid...

Spoiler: ...apart from in Scotland, where it's going to hilariously rile up Nationalistic sentiments.

 

[N2O]

Except half the features are internet based and that part most certainly will be region locked, any game using your cloud shit will thus most likely be useless to anyone outside predefined regions.
That is the main reason only 13 countries get the damn thing, everyone else would plainly get fucked.

Nope

All XB1 digital games&DLC are no ip lock anymore
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=76585635&postcount=24

 

[fix-the-spade]

Also I have no idear what you mean with "what time the lifts were running". Lift = Elevater... they are always running... you just have to press the button???

Chair lifts up the mountains, some run all year round from early morning to late evening, some run only in the winter (and are no good to a cyclist there in summer) and some run for only a couple of hours a day so you have to get up and get on before the operator goes home for beer.

 

[tdylan]

"You want it? Come and get it!"

That's what I imagine MS saying right now. Also:

"We don't think it's worth our time to launch it in your country, but we'll still gladly take your country's money if you're able to go spend it in a country that we do think is worth while."

 

[Steve the Pocket]

The online store will be region free, huh? I wonder how that's gonna work. Like, if someone wanted to download a game that was banned or censored in their country, could they do it? Would they have to route through a proxy in another country but then be able to switch back and still have a playable game in their library? On Steam, for example, you can be gifted a foreign version of a game, but if you're caught faking your IP you can be banned. I don't know if it's ever actually happened, but that's what the mods always say on the forums before they unceremoniously lock the thread asking about it.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

It would be like saying "We want you money, but if you want to use the Kinect that you paid for, then you best learn to speak a proper language, not that jibber-jabber you call a language in Bongo-Bongo Land".

I dunno... I mean, it would be good to see Prince Philip out there earning a wage as a spokesperson at his age.

Selling something in another country, then forcing the users to mimic a mainstream English or European accent in order to use what they paid for

Bloody hell, don't they even use VocRec software that can be calibrated to accent? I mean, that shit's only been around for like 30 years... Hell, why not just make it so that every time you don't speak perfect RP English it's fires a hardcover Emily Post at your head?

Also, the fact that they're launching in Australia and New Zealand means there's a fair bit of wiggle room, at least when it comes to people who do Strange Things With Vowels.

 

[Callate]

Sigh.

Remember when Microsoft used to deal in hardware and software, rather than confusion and mixed messages?

 

[shirkbot]

Romansh?

About 60'000 people. You say it's their fault why the other millions don't get a Xbox One?

Not at all. It's nobody's fault except Microsoft's for not realizing what they were getting in to when they committed to the voice commands, and doubly so for their general failures with this particular product launch. I was just being facetious. Terribly sorry for not being more clear on that.

Edit: Just so I'm understanding this properly: Are we really arguing because I made an off hand joke about a minority language in Switzerland?

 

[weirdee]

I think it's largely because the Kinect hasn't been programmed to accept alternate language commands yet, because it sounds exactly like the thing Microsoft would avoid launching because the precious Kinect baby that they've been slaving for demands specific and unyielding tribute which does not allow for the rest of the console to be released

since they don't want to misrepresent their product by selling it "officially" incomplete, they're willing to put the burden on the consumer in order to avoid claims of a substandard product that isn't made for that region by pointing at it and saying "well that's what you should expect when you buy an import"

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Sigh.

Remember when Microsoft used to deal in hardware and software, rather than confusion and mixed messages?

Trick Question. MS were doing confusion and mixed messages well before they got into hardware.

 

[search_rip]

Ooh ooh, hire me MS, I have a solution to your problem with languages at launch...

Launch it in English initially, then... update it with language options when the translation work is done?
Damn I need a break now, that thinking lark is hard work.

"prapeh to me ya doom !!!" being only english to start sounds like an easy solution but I wonder if is it capable of work with different kinds of pronunciation?

 

[Joriss]

I live in Belgium, one of the country that is being left out for getting Xbox ones on launch day.

I really enjoy my xbox 360 but everything news about the Xbox one makes me not only not wanting to have one, but also makes me starting to hate the company. One freaking game is what keeps me interested and that's Killer Instinct. But oh wait, I can't get a Xbox one anytime soon...hmmm, what's next? When it actually launches it will even more expensive? (oh yeah, it's the same price as in $ except euro have more value so we're already paying more...great...)

 

[Jesse Billingsley]

Seriously, if there has to be a running theme with MS's PR at the moment, it's telling people that their cock ups won't cause any trouble for the consumer when they blatantly will.

I the problem is, is that no one is running their PR...I'm pretty sure that chair has been empty since last year

 

[Davey Woo]

I feel like each week, Microsoft are explaining yet another feature that seemed completely ludicrous, but further information makes it seem very reasonable. If they'd just been more comprehensive with their information during and immediately after E3, I think there'd be nowhere near as much hate for the Xbone as there was/is now.