Xbox 360 to launch in India before Diwali
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Jul 31st 2006 at 12:25PM }
Diwali, known more commonly as the "Festival of Lights," is a celebration of hope, of the victory of good over evil. Diwali is also a time to rekindle relationships with loved ones. But this year, on October 21, when Diwali begins, Microsoft is hoping that Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs alike, will spend time during the 5-day celebration to invest in an Xbox 360.Microsoft is poised to grab hold of India's soon-to-boom gaming market, announcing that Xbox 360 will launch before the end of October. Two SKUs will be offered for retail, including the 'Xbox 360 Core System,' bundled with a "leading title" (19,990 rupees; about $430), and the 'Xbox 360 System,' featuring a 20 GB HDD, wireless controller, media remote, component HD-AV cable, Ethernet cable, and batteries (23,990 rupees; about $515).
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Storm9 @ Jul 31st 2006 12:43PM
Thats really good for MSFT, becuase Sony and Nintendo have not entered the market. Which means MS has a total control of the video game market..atleast for now.
LaughingTarget @ Jul 31st 2006 12:48PM
Maybe, but Microsoft has to also realize they've just priced themselves out of the market. India, while rapidly developing, isn't well known for having great incomes. Those who do command incomes large enough to buy a 360 usually end up moving to the United States and working here under guest engineer programs. I figure Microsoft is wasting their time launching this thing now. They'd be better off waiting until the manufacturing costs drop to a point where they're not charging someone in India MORE than someone in the United States.
mykie @ Jul 31st 2006 12:52PM
Hey, as long as they're SUPPORTING them over there, might as well SELL them over there as well, right?
Tush @ Jul 31st 2006 12:52PM
rs.23,990 is a ton of money though, I'm not sure if Indians will be able to support such an expensive entertainment device.
Granted there is a quickly growing amount of young people with money. Video games haven't been all that popular with people in India. Not to mention the complete lack of HD in the market.
My family in India is pretty well off economically, and I still cannot imagine them spending that much money for an Xbox360. My cousins and I are still happy playing the Samurai (NES).
Tush @ Jul 31st 2006 12:55PM
I forgot to mention that most people don't have fulltime access to the internet, and if they do, the majority is dialup.
I'm pretty sure the Xbox Live or whatever it's called now will not do so hot there.
Abbas @ Jul 31st 2006 1:07PM
Microsoft is just trying to ship a few extra units to give their PR something to work with
texas_school_girl @ Jul 31st 2006 1:36PM
Wow, they have rupees in India? Just like in Hyrule! :p
Shashwat @ Jul 31st 2006 1:37PM
while all of the above comments are true..i wud jus like to point out that indians love spending money on gsms(cellphones to u non europe living ppl)..ive been here on holiday at my cousins place and was shocked to c that EVERYONE has a cellphone..and not jus any cellphones..everyone is running around with 6600s communicators, RAZRs, Ngages and N series phones...indian ppl spend a shi*load on their phones;.i dunno why..i think Msft jus hopes thell do the same with the x360 which is unlikely because indians do not spend money on consoles..they all go to the local arcade and play ther fr an hour for 10 rupees (about 20 eurocents!!!)..and untill the x360 is properly hacked with pirate games being sold.(although i think it already is..currect me if im wrong i dont own a x360..waitng fr the ps3 then gnna choose the best system outta them).its only gnna sell to the 1337 indians out ther who roam around in mercs in the "crorepathi" mansions in mumbai!!
lothar @ Jul 31st 2006 1:56PM
In India the family is a closely knit group. It wouldn't be far fetched for a number of family members pitching in for a single unit. The number of technical jobs that have moved to India is rather high so I'd expect a number of units to sell.
Kev Archie @ Jul 31st 2006 2:04PM
... but to really crack the indian market, you need to splice Halo or Half Life 2 with Dance Dance Revolution!
Everyone knows heros in India celebrate every small victory with singing and dancing in huge numbers!
Loque @ Jul 31st 2006 2:14PM
sashwat, basic grammar for the love of god.
The extra letters you missed? Would have taken you an extra 5 seconds to type, and saved me from an eternity of pain.
menu @ Jul 31st 2006 2:26PM
-texas_school_girl...i actually thought zelda copied india
scsa @ Jul 31st 2006 2:30PM
not a surprise since the ps2 and psp are officially available in india and the ps3 coming has already been announced...
but the price point is a bit high and hdtv penetration i s nil/.0000001%
one problem the 360 faces is the BRAND playstation,hell its so popular that every video game system is termed as a playstation
ms has been countering that these days by sponsoring parties at popular clubs with maxim and creating awareness
the xbox1 was never launched here officially{though there is a HUUUUUUGE grey market present here in the country}
THE PS3 LAUNCH INFO--
" PlayStation 3
Mumbai, March 16, 2006 – Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) announced today that it would launch PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3) in early November 2006 in Japan, North America and Europe simultaneously. With a monthly production capacity of one million units, SCEI will push forward a powerful product launch to spread the platform rapidly throughout the world, together with a strong and attractive lineup of PS3 game titles.
PS3 incorporates the final specifications of BD (Blu-ray Disc), and with the overwhelming computing power of PS3, it enables to playback BD software at a high bit rate. With a maximum storage capacity of 50 GB (dual layer) and robust security, BD is a highly anticipated storage medium that delivers digital entertainment content such as games and movies at an unparalleled level of image quality.
PS3 is compatible with a vast lineup of television sets currently out in the market, from standard-definition TV to full high-definition TV.
Users can also connect PS3 to high-speed broadband network through Gigabit
Ethernet and comfortably enjoy a wide-range of rich and exciting content and services over the network.
SCEI, together with the support and cooperation of game content creators around the world, will strongly promote the creation of a new world of computer entertainment available on PS3."
link--http://milestoneinteractive.com/Proto/Pages/Format.asp?format=pressroom
general ps2 and psp related official stuff that the world doesnt know about---
http://milestoneinteractive.com/Proto/Pages/Index.asp
the market is there but the perception of a game price is considered 2usd{100rs}..and the ps2 games are sold for 2999{60usds}
but a good step by ms to counter sony nonetheless
Tush @ Jul 31st 2006 2:30PM
Wow, those Indian Rupee and Hyrulean Rupee jokes just never get old, do they?
Wait...
Sidd @ Jul 31st 2006 2:44PM
no offense intended but if you didn't know that India uses rupees you need to stop playing video games and read an encyclopedia and learn something other than combo movies in tekken 5 (or whatever number they are on, I hate tekken)
And about the post
I doubt anyone india would buy the 360 or any other game system, its just too much money. When i went to india in 2002, they were selling the dreamcast as the cutting edge graphics. Maybe if there is a Cricket game for the NES/SNES people would buy it. :)
Sidd @ Jul 31st 2006 2:46PM
combo moves*
sorry
epobirs @ Jul 31st 2006 3:02PM
There isn't much MS can do about the pricing. India imposes some stiff tariffs on imports to encourage native manufacturing businesses. A lot of the higher prices paid by gamers in other countries are directly traceable to such tariff as well as various regulatory fees. I wouldn't be surprised if some european country adds a 'corruption of youth' fee for supposedly funding the later rehabilitation of the gamers.
They've got this clinic...
djphatjive @ Jul 31st 2006 4:59PM
My wife just got back from bombai or Mumbai, depending on where you look it up. She said it was the most disturbing thing she has ever saw. She said the people she worked with over there make like 200 a month. And she makes that in less than a day. So for anyone in India to buy one of these. They have to sell there first born.
She had a driver from her hotel to her work that made 100 dollars a month. And that was good money. She gave him a 10 dollar tip each day. :)
xaviertooth @ Aug 1st 2006 12:46AM
I think indians are very aware of videogames as well as we do. So I think they are aware that the king of videogames is the Playstation the same way they think about their Nokias.
Avinash_Tyagi @ Aug 1st 2006 1:15AM
Wii will take India
Price FTW!!!
(Also the Singing and dancing only happens in Bollywood ;) )
Tush @ Aug 1st 2006 10:16AM
djphatjive,
I guess your wife forgot that she measured the rupee vs the dollar. Most commodities in India aren't set by America's prices. So, that Taxi driver might not have been that poverty stricken. He probably lives like what people expect a Taxi driver to live like here, relatively speaking.