Asian gamers will have to wait a year longer than their American counterparts to get their hands on Microsoft’s Xbox One, which will only be available in the region in late 2014, a year after its U.S. launch this November. Xbox One, with the Kinect motion sensor and controller. Describing it as a “staged approach” to marketing the new videogame console, Alan Bowman, Microsoft’s regional vice president for sales and marketing in Asia, said the company was working on ensuring a “great experience for customers” in the region, including offering localized content. The new device will only be available in select Asian markets – Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and India – pegged as high-growth markets for the region’s booming gaming industry. This year, the Xbox became the top-selling console in Asia, according to Mr. Bowman, with revenues growing 20% year-on-year. “We are focusing on delivering games people want to play,” said Mr. Bowman in a telephone interview following the E3 trade show in Los Angeles, which would include launching new versions of Fifa football games and the popular Assassin’s Creed and Final Fantasy. Meanwhile, Microsoft will focus on marketing the Xbox 360 in the region, including expanding the offerings of games available for the console. The company hopes that the global media coverage of Xbox One’s upcoming launch will create a “halo effect” for Microsoft’s consoles generally, ideally enough to keep the Xbox 360’s sales strong until the launch of the newest device. Asian gamers can look forward to upgrades in the Xbox One made specifically with them in mind, even if they can’t get their hands on the console just yet. For example, the Kinect motion sensor – which will come standard with Xbox One – can work within “dramatically reduced” room sizes, particularly useful for many across cities like Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong, where flats tend to be smaller. “We listened to the feedback, not everyone in Asia has living rooms,” said Mr. Bowman. “The field of vision required for Kinect is much smaller.” Microsoft, though, admits that it will face some challenges in licensing issues with content, particularly when it comes to the Xbox One, which justifies a higher price point by the ability to watch live and on-demand television. In Asia, television programs and standards are different, with restrictions differing across the markets. “The perimeters around licensing apply globally,” Mr. Bowman said, adding that the key is to find the appropriate balance between global content and local licensing. The company hopes to leverage its relationship with Japanese and Korean game makers, crucial to the success of the console’s devices in these markets. “We have deepened our relationship with Japanese publishers,” Mr. Bowman said. “This is absolutely key to our business.” Source: blogs.wsj
