Xbox One Limited To 21 Countries At Launch

[iniudan]

Are they just looking to have a good enough excuse to bow out of the console business? They've already pissed off a large number of gamers in their own back yard, now they're taking the hate train international. Silly, silly moves.

They don't need a excuse to bow out of it, quite a few of their shareholder wanted them to get rid of xbox division even when xbox360 was at it best, has the division is not profitable enough compared to the rest of their business, has it require too much investment.


captcha: peg out, I don't think I even need to explain that one. =p

 

[Entitled]

The 360 never sold well in Japan

Compared to the other two. It still sold 1.6 million units. That's what they are now throwing away in this one country alone, because they can't be bothered to set up store there.

 

[CriticalMiss]

So that's one more thing for Sony to announce in one of their press conferences and piss all over Microsoft.

"The PS4 will not be available in the following countries at launch: ...Only kidding! We're not twats. trolololol"

 

[wolf_isthebest]

Well you can preorder it in Romania. Don't know anybody who would want to do that and they may end up with a 500$ blu ray player that only plays american region disks. Then again PSN doesn't support Romania so if anyone from Sony asks I live on 10 Downing Street. In other news I'm getting a PS4.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Well at least I can get it if I go crazy some day. But I'd have to go really fuckin' bonkers to consider it.

 

[rofltehcat]

Of course, can't have that TV nonsense working everywhere at once because nearly every country has their own system.

They sure as hell aren't positioning themselves well with that though.

 

[Mr. Omega]

So, at least in terms of the global market, this console generation is purely between Sony and Nintendo. I don't have a problem with that.

 

[croc3629]

You know, I know its pretty much standard for Africa to be the butt monkey of the world in all things, but really, couldn't even throw South Africa a bone? Not even?

Well, I wasn't going to buy it anyway, but it still urks me just a little. Silly, I know, but there it is.

 

[starhaven]

I do suppose an imported american console will still play in, say, germany?
And what about imported games anyway?

no it wont. they are sasying there will be no xbox live support. that means you cant connect to the servers every 24 hours like the xbone requires. you will have simply imported a door stop for all the use you will get from it.

 

[Proverbial Jon]

Hey, Microsoft! Looks like you're gonna need this:

Ya know, for all them holes your digging.

 

[Ukomba]

That's ok. That's about 21 more than is needed.

 

[Colt47]

Huh, no Japan means no games from their studios on the console unless they are foreign studios. Considering the fact I actually play those games, I've now got yet another reason not to buy this natural disaster of a product.

 

[TiberiusEsuriens]

I just realized something else. Microsoft has officially just stated that 2/3rds of the world's population is incapable of using this system. Wow.

 

[VanTesla]

I know Microsoft has never had a strong presence in the Asia market, but by completely ignoring it instead of say fixing the problem they are losing millions apon millions in possible sales right there... In today's global economy this is one of the dumbest things any major Corporation could possibly do to themselves... Microsoft truly wants the Xbone to fail it seems.

 

[TheEvilCheese]

"Omits nations like Portugal, Japan, Ukraine, Greece and Poland." I dont know if you guys follow the news, but the populations of Greece and Portugal do not have much disposable income at the moment, businesses are fleeing both countries and youth (the people most likely to buy these consoles) unemployment is at record levels of 65% and 40+% respectively. The 360 never sold well in Japan and Ukraine is one of the poorest countries in Europe. You can criticise Microsoft for a lot of things relating to the xbone, but this just seems like a smart business decision to me in that they are focusing their resources on the areas where they are actually going to make reasonable returns.

Oh it may well be a good business decision, but it's more about the implications of an online console. Add up all the people in all the countries it's not supported in who would have bought it and it comes to millions of sales, all because they wont let us buy single player games and then actually play them.

It emphasizes the fact that it's down to microsoft to decide if you're allowed to play your games and in a decade when the servers are turned off in at least SOME countries you will have a $500 blu-ray player.

 

[Hannes Martinsson]

Seriously? This is not a joke? Am I living in a Monty Python sketch? This can't be real.....

This is real... I actually laughed out loud reading this.

I'm kinda expecting John Cleese suddenly apearing in my living room and saying "And now for something completely different"

 

[ritchards]

Hmm... my country is on that list... but what about a list of countries that can take advantage of all their media hook ups (like Netflix and Hulu)... that's a lot smaller than 21.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

Well isn't this just peachy. I'm sure this is a result of the way the Xbox is reliant on the network, but that list is so very small. They've basically covered the minimum of their markets.

The lack of any Asian countries is astounding. I get the 360 didn't sell well in Asia, but the response should be "how can we increase our sales in this extremely lucrative market?" And not "well fuck 'em".

From what I've seen of the Xbox so far it is a perfect alignment of shortsighted technology and arrogant business practices. Heck the Wii U is looking like a breath of fresh air now.

 

[frizzlebyte]

I think I just figured it out.

Once everyone buys the PS4, Jack Tretton will pull off his mask, reveal himself to be Don Mattrick in disguise, and announce that Sony will be retroactively enabling online check-ins and used game restrictions for the PS4.

That's the only explanation I can think of for MS's epic amounts of epic fail coming out from this console.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I just realized something else. Microsoft has officially just stated that 2/3rds of the world's population is incapable of using this system. Wow.

Not to mention all the people that absolutely hate the restrictions that come along with it, people without internet access or without good enough internet access, people not wealthy enough to afford it, people who don't know shit about gaming and will simply choose a cheaper console and Sony fanboys.

Who's the fuckin' target demographic for this thing? And who's in charge of their business plan because this is a disaster. There is no way in hell that this console can succeed as well as Microsoft hopes. It's not even a matter of opinion anymore. It's just not possible.