Xbox One Will Launch In Just 13 Countries

[SeventhSigil]

Mmmm can we just say now official that the Xbox One Launch is worse then the PS3 launch. I mean those who remember 7 years ago that was pretty horrible. But this is worse!

Only 13 countries get it at the start. Only 13.. that is painful. I mean we don't know how long it takes them to also launch their product in other countries. And with the stories going, well pre-order numbers at Nedgame and Gamemania from holland being 4:1 slanted to Sony they might lose Holland. We haven't heard about other european countries yet of course.

But this might very well be the time that microsoft loses the majority even in america. How are the pre-order numbers there?

There really isn't much information on a wide scale for the United States. The closest approximation would be Amazon's pre-order listings, As they seem to actually keep a record both of hourly sale trends throughout their site and overall sales for the year in progress. That being said, there are dozens of other retailers from which you can acquire both consoles, and as a result, one site isn't necessarily going to be representative for the entire country. Also, there aren't any specific numbers, just relative placements to each other, a bestseller's list.

That being said, in the US site, the placements are as follows;

Current hourly sales have the PS4 standard edition at 7, and the Xbox One standard edition at 40. It should be noted, both consoles sold out on their launch editions awhile ago, those are just the Whenever preorders.

Overall 2013 bestseller list, PS4's launch edition is at 3, standard is at 32, and launch game bundles are at 68 and 69.

Xbox One's launch edition is at slot 7; its standard edition hasn't made it to the top 100 list yet so I have no clue.

Like I said, there aren't exact figures. However, given the placements, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to speculate approximately a 2:1 ratio? A sizeable lead, at the very least. I've been occasionally glancing at the hourly figures, Usually whenever Microsoft announces something positive to see if it impacts sales, and Sony's lead has been consistent in them for awhile now, so it's a gap that only continues to widen, even if slowly.

 

[Caiphus]

Not hugely buying the language excuse. They've excluded Switzerland, where they speak French and German. France and Germany are still getting the games at launch, so. Yeah.

I'm surprised we in New Zealand made the final 13. Impressive. English speaking master race for the win?

Still, if you could also stop charging both us and Australia so much for games that would be fantastic. We're clearly 2 of the top 13 most important gaming countries, time to start throwing our weight around!

Word.

EDIT: http://www.sadtrombone.com/?play=true

 

[Godhead]

I still think that the XBOX 180 is the best possible name barring Xbone.

OT: On the plus side, this should allow people to not get one with even more ease. By taking away the possibility of having it!

 

[masticina]

There really isn't much information on a wide scale for the United States. The closest approximation would be Amazon's pre-order listings, As they seem to actually keep a record both of hourly sale trends throughout their site and overall sales for the year in progress. That being said, there are dozens of other retailers from which you can acquire both consoles, and as a result, one site isn't necessarily going to be representative for the entire country. Also, there aren't any specific numbers, just relative placements to each other, a bestseller's list.

...

Like I said, there aren't exact figures. However, given the placements, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to speculate approximately a 2:1 ratio? A sizeable lead, at the very least. I've been occasionally glancing at the hourly figures, Usually whenever Microsoft announces something positive to see if it impacts sales, and Sony's lead has been consistent in them for awhile now, so it's a gap that only continues to widen, even if slowly.

Mmm I see so even in america, home of Microsoft. A land where "buy american" still beats in the heart of many americans the PS4 is leading. Not by as much as maybe in europe but still.

Mmm well at least it isn't dreamcast launch levels of bad. I mean I do hope to see the xbox one survive and thrive. We need more then one console maker on the market after all! But yes it seems Microsoft has picked up the loser stick from Sony. 3rd time no charm!

I mean I get that the xbox one is more targeted to americans, with the Television Integration and all. Services that work in america.. but not outside america. The Xbox One would be more fitting for american usage in the end.

And yet.. Playstation seems to be selling more pre-orders. Wow!

 

[Oly J]

well I was never going to bother with it anyway, as funny as this stuff is I'm finding it difficult to care anymore, nothing Microsoft does surprises me these days

 

[SeventhSigil]

There really isn't much information on a wide scale for the United States. The closest approximation would be Amazon's pre-order listings, As they seem to actually keep a record both of hourly sale trends throughout their site and overall sales for the year in progress. That being said, there are dozens of other retailers from which you can acquire both consoles, and as a result, one site isn't necessarily going to be representative for the entire country. Also, there aren't any specific numbers, just relative placements to each other, a bestseller's list.

...

Like I said, there aren't exact figures. However, given the placements, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to speculate approximately a 2:1 ratio? A sizeable lead, at the very least. I've been occasionally glancing at the hourly figures, Usually whenever Microsoft announces something positive to see if it impacts sales, and Sony's lead has been consistent in them for awhile now, so it's a gap that only continues to widen, even if slowly.

Mmm I see so even in america, home of Microsoft. A land where "buy american" still beats in the heart of many americans the PS4 is leading. Not by as much as maybe in europe but still.

Mmm well at least it isn't dreamcast launch levels of bad. I mean I do hope to see the xbox one survive and thrive. We need more then one console maker on the market after all! But yes it seems Microsoft has picked up the loser stick from Sony. 3rd time no charm!

Mhm; However, there are still a few months to go. Microsoft went from having the high ground going into its reveal to pretty much being lambasted by the week after E3; They aren't likely to just lie back, and so it is possible they will at least be able to secure the American market. That being said, at this rate they are probably going to have to make a sizeable announcement at some point if they want to recover from this. If they find out a way to undercut the competition in price, things could get very interesting again.

In any case, the more these two companies work to earn our money, the more benefits come to the consumer. So I say bring on the race.

 

[masticina]

Mhm; However, there are still a few months to go. Microsoft went from having the high ground going into its reveal to pretty much being lambasted by the week after E3; They aren't likely to just lie back, and so it is possible they will at least be able to secure the American market. That being said, at this rate they are probably going to have to make a sizeable announcement at some point if they want to recover from this. If they find out a way to undercut the competition in price, things could get very interesting again.

In any case, the more these two companies work to earn our money, the more benefits come to the consumer. So I say bring on the race.

I agree, whenever one is the defacto winner they get lazy. And with a market that at least is close to equal it will force game developers to make sure games run good on both platforms. THAT already is a big step up from the situation around the PS3. Few times did the PS3 get the "better" version of a game. Many times it did get the worse one

So giving game developers reason to do their best possible is worth something.

 

[Sir Shockwave]

I imagine that even as we speak, the CD Projekt people are glaring and clearing their throats.

And dusting off their pointy swords, and grabbing their torches and pitchforks.

OT: One step forwards, two steps to the side and falling down into a room full of rusty surgical needles for you, Microsoft.

 

[TomWiley]

Getting real tired of your shit, Microsoft. You know what? Do us all a favor, and cut United States out of that list. We. Don't. Want. It. ANYMORE!

Hope you aren't serious.

Pre-orders would indicate that people in the US do indeed want the Xbox One. Quite a lot actually. And why wouldn't they? It's a great console which really can do just about everything the PS4 can.

By all fair measurements, those are totally equal systems in their value proposition. So let's just skip the whole "Oh xbone suckz" mentality because it's getting a bit old.

One of the two companies is actively working with the consumer. One of the two companies is treating the consumer behind the advertisers, the publishers, and the developers. Guess which one is which?

Oh that dualism makes absolute sense, ignoring the fact that Microsoft's recent changes to their policies, in direct reaction to consumer complaint, is probably the biggest and most rampant examples of a company responding quickly to consumer views in the history of this video game industry.

But yeah, you're absolutely right. I mean, it's not like Microsoft actually listening to consumer has to say counts as listening to consumers because it's Microsoft, right?

If you do something horrible, and then undo what you did, you don't GAIN anything. All you did was go back to zero. And people haven't forgotten that, nor should they. They were ready and willing to bend over their customers and shove as much anti-consumer BS up their rears as they could. Just because they stopped doesn't mean we should just forgive them for it.

Firstly, regarding the anti-consumer BS Microsoft tried to shove up your asses as you so persuasively put it, you make it sound like Microsoft forced it upon you. Rather than, you know, adding the policies they think are respectable on their machine which you can choose whether you want to purchase or not. That's not anti-consumer behavior.

Anti-consumer behavior would be intentionally lying about the capabilities of a product, promulgating misleading advertisement or shipping dangerous or hazardous products. Microsoft has done none of these things with the Xbox One.

Microsoft's original policies weren't anti-consumer or in any way forced upon anyone. It was a value proposition; like "we are offering a system which has new capabilities when it comes to digital sharing and distribution but requires internet connection".

Secondly, the original Xbox One's supposed restrictions weren't anywhere near as restrictive as all gaming websites and their respective user bases collectively decided they were. Contrary to popular belief, the original Xbox One would allow you to sell and buy used games, and when it comes to digital sharing, you would be able to share and even give your full games to people on your friends list. Add to that the advantages with digital distribution such as the ability to buy games digitally from your home day one, having your entire game's library available in the cloud and the fact that games would potentially also be cheaper once the market grows interdependent of retailers.

With other words, you would have all the advantages of Steam but it would be way less restrictive as you in difference to Steam would be able to share and give away your purchased digital games.

Factor in all these advantages in your equation and suddenly the original Xbox One doesn't seem anywhere near as nasty as the entire population of Reddit would have you believe.

But all this require online capabilities, which was the big disadvantage. With other words, the original system had it's advantages and disadvantages, much like any system. The new Xbox One model/PS4-model also has advantages and disadvantages. But as with everything on this market, it all comes down to your choice as a consumer. Just let companies know what you want and they will provide, as Microsoft undoubtedly has.

And thirdly, you said yourself that Microsoft is back to 0. So if they are now neutral, why all the passive-aggressiveness? Shouldn't their efforts to do right by their consumers at least warrant some approval rather than a sea of comments competing in their ability to announce their hatred for everything Microsoft? Even if it doesn't make you want to buy their console, should it at the very least just dampen that hatred just a little bit? Maybe?

Or is any thread, article or news where Microsoft is even tagged for the upcoming few months doomed to be met by the same plethora of piousness attitude?

This whole Microsoft shitstorm was stupid to begin with, and now as it still rages on after Microsoft desperately submitting to user complaint, the situation has gone from stupid to fucking retarded.

 

[Sight Unseen]

I still think that the XBOX 180 is the best possible name barring Xbone.

OT: On the plus side, this should allow people to not get one with even more ease. By taking away the possibility of having it!

At this point, Microsoft has done so many 180's that I'd almost prefer to call it the Xbox 1080, but that would imply that they are now moving forward again in their intended direction, which I'm not completely sure is the case.

 

[ThunderCavalier]

So, Microsoft, any more backpedaling and simultaneous buttfucking you want to do, or are you content with this?

Because as it stands, you've probably turned the Xbone into the biggest laughingstock since the Sega 32X or the Virtual Boy, and at the very least, THEY were released first before the entire gaming community shunned them.

 

[AuronFtw]

Wait.

No, seriously, I just figured it out.

Microsoft has so much money they decided to take a break from the console war for a gen. Instead, they focused all their efforts on a series of thought experiments. They tried to see just how much shit people can take. It's the only logical explanation for revealing a daily online check-in, required 24/7 kinect, used game restrictions + fees, etc. They weren't actually trying to do anything with those, they were just seeing if people would buy into it (I mean, on the whole, the average consumer is still pretty stupid - entire economies revolve around stupid people spending money on shit they don't need). They found a surprising amount of seriously mentally ill people to support them despite all their profit-centered, customer-rights-stripping DRM schemes, but the backlash from everyone else was pretty over the top. So they scaled back each "restriction" one by one to gauge the responses!

Well, then I guess they went full retard and forgot to translate a few words on the dashboard and decided to ship to even fewer countries at launch. Yeah, maybe they're just fuckin dumb. Nevermind.

 

[SeventhSigil]

Getting real tired of your shit, Microsoft. You know what? Do us all a favor, and cut United States out of that list. We. Don't. Want. It. ANYMORE!

Hope you aren't serious.

Pre-orders would indicate that people in the US do indeed want the Xbox One. Quite a lot actually. And why wouldn't they? It's a great console which really can do just about everything the PS4 can.

By all fair measurements, those are totally equal systems in their value proposition. So let's just skip the whole "Oh xbone suckz" mentality because it's getting a bit old.

One of the two companies is actively working with the consumer. One of the two companies is treating the consumer behind the advertisers, the publishers, and the developers. Guess which one is which?

Oh that dualism makes absolute sense, ignoring the fact that Microsoft's recent changes to their policies, in direct reaction to consumer complaint, is probably the biggest and most rampant examples of a company responding quickly to consumer views in the history of this video game industry.

But yeah, you're absolutely right. I mean, it's not like Microsoft actually listening to consumer has to say counts as listening to consumers because it's Microsoft, right?

If you do something horrible, and then undo what you did, you don't GAIN anything. All you did was go back to zero. And people haven't forgotten that, nor should they. They were ready and willing to bend over their customers and shove as much anti-consumer BS up their rears as they could. Just because they stopped doesn't mean we should just forgive them for it.

Firstly, regarding the anti-consumer BS Microsoft tried to shove up your asses as you so persuasively put it, you make it sound like Microsoft forced it upon you. Rather than, you know, adding the policies they think are respectable on their machine which you can choose whether you want to purchase or not. That's not anti-consumer behavior.

Anti-consumer behavior would be intentionally lying about the capabilities of a product, promulgating misleading advertisement or shipping dangerous or hazardous products. Microsoft has done none of these things with the Xbox One.

Microsoft's original policies weren't anti-consumer or in any way forced upon anyone. It was a value proposition; like "we are offering a system which has new capabilities when it comes to digital sharing and distribution but requires internet connection".

Secondly, the original Xbox One's supposed restrictions weren't anywhere near as restrictive as all gaming websites and their respective user bases collectively decided they were. Contrary to popular belief, the original Xbox One would allow you to sell and buy used games, and when it comes to digital sharing, you would be able to share and even give your full games to people on your friends list. Add to that the advantages with digital distribution such as the ability to buy games digitally from your home day one, having your entire game's library available in the cloud and the fact that games would potentially also be cheaper once the market grows interdependent of retailers.

With other words, you would have all the advantages of Steam but it would be way less restrictive as you in difference to Steam would be able to share and give away your purchased digital games.

Factor in all these advantages in your equation and suddenly the original Xbox One doesn't seem anywhere near as nasty as the entire population of Reddit would have you believe.

But all this require online capabilities, which was the big disadvantage. With other words, the original system had it's advantages and disadvantages, much like any system. The new Xbox One model/PS4-model also has advantages and disadvantages. But as with everything on this market, it all comes down to your choice as a consumer. Just let companies know what you want and they will provide, as Microsoft undoubtedly has.

And thirdly, you said yourself that Microsoft is back to 0. So if they are now neutral, why all the passive-aggressiveness? Shouldn't their efforts to do right by their consumers at least warrant some approval rather than a sea of comments competing in their ability to announce their hatred for everything Microsoft? Even if it doesn't make you want to buy their console, should it at the very least just dampen that hatred just a little bit? Maybe?

Or is any thread, article or news where Microsoft is even tagged for the upcoming few months doomed to be met by the same plethora of piousness attitude?

This whole Microsoft shitstorm was stupid to begin with, and now as it still rages on after Microsoft desperately submitting to user complaint, the situation has gone from stupid to fucking retarded.

Tom, not to seem like I'm having a go at ya (we do keep bumping into each other) But the idea that the Xbox One's digital policies were intended to provide the same benefits of Steam were only concretely Extended by someone posting an anonymous text dump on Pastebin claiming to be an anonymous Xbox engineer. Ironically, the exact same circumstances and even site where that whole Timed Demo claim occurred. If you're bringing it up because you read about the potential in an article, you should know the source was about as reliable as that Demo guy. Even when questioned directly about the possibility, the response from a majority of Microsoft spokespeople were positive but in no way to be interpreted as a committed confirmation. "Certainly possible!" "That could work!" Etc etc etc. Basically, the sort of replies that don't discount that possibility, but don't actually require them to do anything like what is being asked about if they choose not to. Steam had other things going for it then simply digital distribution, and as you have probably heard 1000 times, one of the biggest contributing factors is extensive competition from other software distributors on the same platform. It just bears repeating, because generally speaking competition will drive better deals for the customer, not simply lowering overhead costs; The only competition Microsoft has to worry about is getting you on the platform in the first place. If there was any time they intended to drop digital prices, before launch would have been ideal when Sony was annihilating them.

And frankly, the fact that so many people swear by Steam is in no small part due to its highly competitive pricing. Microsoft might not have been restricted like Steam, but it certainly was far less beneficial in terms of the impact on gamer's wallet. I seem to recall that before steam actually started making these crazy price drops, People complained all kinds about it too.

But there is the argument that they cannot lower digital prices because they are somehow beholden to game stores, and it would have negative consequences of some sort to undercut them. This has always struck me as an odd justification, because what we're talking about is shutting out the same distributors altogether in the long run. Are we looking for a way to throw them out of the supply chain without hurting their feelings or something? Now, while I could be inclined to believe that becoming independent from physical media and by extension conventional distributors could lead to lower pricing, something that should be kept in mind is that this console wasn't going to be independent any more than the last. There were still going to be disk-based titles for major releases, and Microsoft wasn't just going to suddenly drop disk-based games halfway through the generation. If they had any serious expectation that their consumer base would move to digital distribution in numbers overwhelmingly large enough to drop disc-based retailers, they would have dropped discs day one just to avoid backlash from 'Surpriiise!' halfway through its lifespan.

If they can't lower prices because of interference by physical media distribution, nothing was going to change this time around. They were just going to continue to be tied to whatever restrictions kept them from lowering digital media prices in the first place; so if they couldn't lower their prices by launch, why would they be able to do it two or three years down the road?

At the very most, it would have been paving the way for an all digital distribution system next-next-generation. But for this generation, the way they had things organized, they weren't going to have any more of an opportunity to lower overall prices three years later then they would have on day one.

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

Does this even matter? When I lived in the middle east in Dubai it said that Xbox Live was not supported in my region. I just lied on my account and said that I live in the UK so I had a UK xbox live account working from the middle east.

This is really the same thing. The other countries will probably get the Xbox One anyway and can just do the same thing? Then just create profiles for your respective countries if/when that is released. lol.

So what is the big deal?

I'm at Uni right now and I got a lot of awkward stares when I laughed out loud at your comment. That really is bloody stupid...

OT: So what are these 'factors', exactly? Silly Microsoft, still trying to be vague as possible while putting a positive spin on all their bad news.
Really, the fact that MS tries to spin all the stupid shit they do is enough reason for me to have no interest in the Xbone. If they bullshit about all the bad stuff, why wouldn't they be over-exaggerating the few good things? (Looking at you, Kinect 2.0, I've heard such wonderful things about you, yet seen so little!).

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

I honestly don't care what the specifics are as far as excusing this. Accents difficult to work with? Failure to provide localised TV content? Translation? All of these things should have been thought of well in advance.

 

[TomWiley]

Tom, not to seem like I'm having a go at ya (we do keep bumping into each other)

So it would seem, but I don't mind the reading.

But the idea that the Xbox One's digital policies were intended to provide the same benefits of Steam were only concretely Extended by someone posting an anonymous text dump on Pastebin claiming to be an anonymous Xbox engineer.

Those anonymous Xbox engineers are everywhere these days. In regards to my Steam comparison, the two benefits that Steam provides are:

A - The ability to download games directly from their servers on release day
B - Cloud storage for your games

Both of these benefits were confirmed by Microsoft on their webpage, which is where I got the information.
http://news.xbox.com/2013/06/license

There were still going to be disk-based titles for major releases, and Microsoft wasn't just going to suddenly drop disk-based games halfway through the generation.

I believe I used the word "potentially" when I mentioned how games on the Xbox One could be cheaper, but yeah let's discuss it anyway. You are right in that we can't say for sure that's what would happen, but let's again compare it to Steam. Keep in mind that it's fully possible to buy a disc based game in a retail store and then play it via Steam. Technically, the PC hasn't dropped disc-based games either, much like the Xbox One.

Yet we're seeing all around cheaper prices on the PC. So where's the difference that would keep prices from dropping on the Xbox One as well?

Note also that retailers have more power of publishers than the platform (Xbox, Steam). The reason why retailers have been able to push publishers around is because they can always say "fine then, we're not gonna stock your game!" whereupon the developer would been more or less extorted into accepting the retailers demands which more than often are bad for consumers.

Retailers can even force developers to make DLC (see Metro Last Light).

However, my point is that if more and more people prefer digital distribution over retailers, the retailers will inevitably lose power of publishers. What has happened on the PC is that the dependency on publishers has decreased, and I would like to see the same thing happen on the Xbox One. So I think there's a very real possibility that the Xbox One's prices for digital distribution would indeed grow cheaper over time, had people given the system a chance.

With the original Xbox One, I saw the potential to replace the old, in my opinion, broken distribution system with a fresh online-based solution which would bring me the convenience and benefits that lead me to PC many years ago. The digital distribution is inevitable, physical discs don't really provide any guarantee of ownership (as developers can still put whatever DRM, online passes and restrictions they want on the disc) and I have zero sympathy for the retailers who, in my opinion, are just parasiting (is that a verb?) on the industry.

Microsoft obviously had the same vision, but they decided to implement these changes to soon, and to many, the disadvantages (online requirement) outweighed the benefits.

And while I can understand that, I still think it's wrong to describe Microsoft's vision as a sneaky attempt to screw over gamers with "anti-consumer BS". That was the main point of my original reply, and I'm pretty sure you share my opinion on that.

 

[TomWiley]

I honestly don't care what the specifics are as far as excusing this. Accents difficult to work with? Failure to provide localised TV content? Translation? All of these things should have been thought of well in advance.

Unless it has to do with production volumes. I don't think Microsoft want to release after Sony in said countries. If it was a way to avoid it, they would.

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

I honestly don't care what the specifics are as far as excusing this. Accents difficult to work with? Failure to provide localised TV content? Translation? All of these things should have been thought of well in advance.

Unless it has to do with production volumes. I don't think Microsoft want to release after Sony in said countries. If it was a way to avoid it, they would.

Didn't we hear ages a while ago that the Xbone would be selling in higher volumes than the PS4 or something like that? Either that or they've stopped taking PS4 pre-orders while Xbone orders were still going strong or something. Feel free to tell me if I'm just talking out of my ass.

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

Not hugely buying the language excuse. They've excluded Switzerland, where they speak French and German. France and Germany are still getting the games at launch, so. Yeah.

I'm surprised we in New Zealand made the final 13. Impressive. English speaking master race for the win?

Still, if you could also stop charging both us and Australia so much for games that would be fantastic. We're clearly 2 of the top 13 most important gaming countries, time to start throwing our weight around!

Word.

EDIT: http://www.sadtrombone.com/?play=true

Seconded.

If we're so goddamn important to your success, Microsoft, and since you're so cozy with the publishers to a fault (i.e. forgetting about the customers), why not ask them to stop charging us extra just because they can? It would certainly get me off the Xbone hate train at the very least.

 

[Kaymish]

i am frankly shocked and surprised that my native New Zealand is going to be in the launch cue we never get anything good and when we do its delayed by a year is it because NZ is an English speaking country and able to tag along on the coat tails of AUS and the UK or is it something more sinister??
also at first glance i do not see any common points between the launch countries and some that would be paired up because languages are not in there