Xbox One Coming To 26 More Markets This September

By Ishaan . March 18, 2014 . 6:19am

The Xbox One will be released in 26 additional markets this September, Microsoft announced this morning. The list of markets is as follows:

Argentina
Belgium
Chile
Colombia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
Greece
Hungary

India
Israel
Japan
Korea
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Russia

Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
South Africa
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
UAE

More information on the launch of the Xbox One in these territories will be shared sometime during April, Microsoft said. At its launch back in November 2013, the platform was released in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand.

Read more stories about Xbox One on Siliconera.

Audie Bakerson

September? Even I didn’t expect MS would take THAT long to launch it in other countries.

This thing really is an embarrassment.
- Ishaan
  
  Maybe they just want their ducks in a row before they launch in specific territories. Launching PS4 in Japan with such little software is doing very little for PS4 sales, so I can understand why Microsoft might want to hold off on launching in territories where they feel they aren’t prepared to launch yet.
  
  Keep in mind that there’s also a lot of server-side processing involved with XB1, so the logistics of getting that set up across the globe must be quite the challenge.
  
  Also, I don’t quite understand the “really is an embarrassment” comment. As of now, of all three next-gen platforms, XB1 has the most popular exclusive content. If you fancy one console maker over the other, that’s fine. But when you make remarks like this, there needs to be some sort of reason for it, beyond just trying to act flippant and snarky.
  - Six
    
    You post an article about the Xbox One on a site that caters almost exclusively to hardcore fans of Japanese games.
    
    I’m surprised that “flippant and snarky” is all you get.
    - Ishaan
      
      That’s just it. A large portion of our readership plays games on Xbox and PC, and are fans of western games. It’s just really annoying that some of the crazier fans can’t keep their constant need to be snide in check.
      - Six
        
        Because for some people it’s not about enjoying video games. It’s about winners and losers and us versus them.
        
        I’ve had people explain to me why they believe that everything wrong with the Japanese gaming industry is the fault of Halo and the Xbox brand.
        
        People who honestly believe that if Call of Duty and Battlefield go away, then Konami will make Suikoden games again.
        
        It’s equal parts embarrassing and fascinating.
      - Audie Bakerson
        
        Well they did start DLC which has done MANY bad things to the industry world-wide and is something many Japanese devs have embraced completely…
      - Six
        
        No one forced them to embrace it. No one makes Japanese devs do all the stupid things that they do.
        
        It’s not Activision’s fault. It’s not EA’s fault. It’s their own fault.
      - Audie Bakerson
        
        No one forced them to, yes. But I highly doubt we would get DLC that costs more than the game if MS didn’t show that people buy that and provide support for it (forcing Sony to follow suit).
      - Ishaan
        
        DLC can be used in both good ways and bad. You’re complaining about someone that helped open up digital distribution in a big way for publishers in general. Without Xbox Live, all the advances that have been made in the space of downloadable games may not exist.
      - Audie Bakerson
        
        Except you know, Steam, which I’m pretty sure sold DD games before Live did (or at least was not influenced by XBL’s choice to do so)…
      - Ishaan
        
        Steam is on PC. Xbox Live paved the way on consoles. I’m not sure why you’re so insistent on hating a platform. Are you that in love with the competition?
      - Audie Bakerson
        
        And? The idea that somehow Microsoft can be credited with doing something that ALREADY EXISTED (by at least two separate companies making major money off digital distribution in 2003) and this somehow means they haven’t done more harm than good is silly.
        
        Hell, I’m not sure (not that the “Xbox One” name helps when searching for any info on the original Xbox…) you actually could get any full games, as opposed to arcade titles, off XBL till 2007 (it wasn’t through as a search though. Feel free to correct me on this).
        
        I’m an idort. I own consoles for exclusives, not games I can already play.
      - Ishaan
        
        A well-rounded, fully-functional online network for consoles already existed before Xbox Live? A space specifically meant for indie games already existed on consoles before XBLA? That’s news to me.
        
        You sound incredibly desperate now, so I suggest you stop talking. As it is, this entire discussion thread has been a waste of time.
      - Audie Bakerson
        
        “A well-rounded, fully-functional online network for consoles already existed before Xbox Live?”
        
        SegaNet? (Dreamcast version at least, can’t speak for the Saturn one).
      - Ishaan
        
        Now I’m convinced you’re delusional. Stop typing. I see Miau has already warned you once in the other post. I suggest you take his warning seriously.
  - Altin
    
    That aside, might wait for further announcements, i.e. games that might cater to Japanese Gamers, since I think Crimson Dragon could be the only title that Japanese players might care about. That again, this is just an assumption.
  - Audie Bakerson
    
    ” XB1 has the most popular exclusive content”
    
    Titanfall isn’t an exclusive to the Xbox line, in-fact, it has the worst version by far, running at half the resolution (with no enhancements) with no AA or other enhancements. Plus worse controls.
    - otakumike
      
      I don’t really understand his statement either. Xbox has never catered to the Japanese audience and giving time to “get their ducks in a row” doesn’t really make sense to me. They aren’t magically going to get the support of Japanese devs and bust out a whole bunch of savory exclusives that appeal to the east in the next couple of months. They are already trailing behind in their home country, of course all efforts are going to go to trying to damage control back home. These other territories are an afterthought to them, that’s the reason for the delay.
      
      I would go so far to say that I’m actually surprised they are even releasing the thing in Japan in the first place. Look at the 360’s horrid lifetime sales over there. Downright pitiful. I expect a repeat with the One and expecting anything else…just wouldn’t make much sense. Then again…Titanfall.
      - darke
        
        They’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t. If they do release in Japan, they’ll get the same sales numbers and ridicule that they get with the last generation; if they don’t, they’ll be mocked for not releasing for the entire generation.
        
        They’ve already had to deal with the former case, to little effect outside of certain markets (aka, those who like Japanese games; which is a relatively small slice of the pie), but not even releasing at all is a completely different “I know I can’t win so I won’t even bother” humiliation. :( You can guarantee that Sony’s marketing arm will take that and run with it and beat MS over their head with it at every opportunity.
    - CozyAndWarm
      
      Well maybe “popular” wouldn’t apply here, but Sunset Overdrive and D4 are two exclusives making me consider an Xbox. It’s cool that Microsoft is starting to fund games like those now. And everyone I know with a PS4 only got it for FIFA or Call of Duty, “Japanese gaming fanbase”, my foot. It’s baffling.
      - Audie Bakerson
        
        Note the present tense of that. It’s “has”, not “will have”.
      - Ishaan
        
        XB1 will have FFXV, Kingdom Hearts 3, MGS5. For a large majority, that’s the kind of Japanese support they look forward to. Quit living in the PS2 era.
      - Audie Bakerson
        
        I’m not the one who said “exclusive”…
      - Ishaan
        
        I’m talking about future Japanese content here, not exclusive content. That reply was meant for the comment below yours.
    - Ishaan
      
      Dead Rising, Forza and Killer Instinct don’t exist? That’s a better and more varied line-up than anything PS4 has at the moment.
- darke
  
  Aren’t they still missing a few too? At least in comparison to the PS4 anyway. I recall it launched in nearly 50 countries (48?), and I only count 26 in that list, so that will total up to 39 for the XB1… by September. :(
  
  Granted the missing countries are probably rounding errors in the grand, console-war, scheme of things. But if you’re living in one of those countries you’ll probably still be rather irritated about it.
Pyrofrost

Good luck Microsoft~
Anime10121

Wonder if this will give them any significant boos in hardware sales…

Not that it really matters, as even though it is behind PS4 in sales right now, its still not doing “bad” by any stretch, nor would I want it to, a close competition is good for all gamers!
- Pyrofrost
  
  I feel like it would be a bit more of a good for gamers competition if the XBox and Playstation libraries weren’t near identical.
  - Thatguy
    
    And full of shooters.
    I need more JRPG. Or that Japan only exclusives on PS4.
  - Anime10121
    
    So true… I miss the days when exclusives were more about trying to push hardware instead of pushing a wallet or other “benefits”…
    - Pyrofrost
      
      Exactly! Now we have consoles with near equal specs and near equal libraries.
      While we have a more diverse selection of games than we’ve ever had in the industry; the diversity between XBox and PlayStation is near nonexistent, outside of the niche area.
      - darke
        
        But the XBox has the Kinect!
        
        Meh. There was going to be a joke here, but then I realised I can’t think of a single thing that it’s being used for currently that isn’t mirrored by the implemented functionality of the optional PS Eye (that is apparently flying off the shelves…). It’s kinda depressing now that one of the things that MS is getting most of the flack for actually doesn’t have a game that uses it seriously so that it’s a selling point for the system. :(
    - Fallen_Persona
      
      Games are expensive now to make to demand and also everybody buys games used. Can you blame them?
      - Anime10121
        
        Not everybody/
        The only way I’d buy a game used is if it cant be found anywhere else or if its more expensive now for a new release, than it was when it was actually a new release. I like to support the people/companies who make the games I enjoy.
        
        Now I know not everyone thinks that way, but its not everybody. Most folks are just tired of companies refusing to make the games like they used to (making the games the devs want, instead of making games chasing CoD/GTA sales)..
      - Fallen_Persona
        
        It’s kind of a scary cycle, though. Assuming you’re correct, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that that very tiredness is what’s making people not want to branch out and create new IPs in the first place; they could be concerned that unique IPs won’t sell. Personally, I want to go into development…and even I ask myself sometimes “What’s the point of making a well-crafted game when I could make a generic FPS and sell many more copies for no reason?”
        
        Isn’t it sad that’s a serious concern for creators?
      - Steven Higgins
        
        I buy all my games new,
    - 罪罰
      
      they were always about pushing wallets.
      - Anime10121
        
        I worded that wrong, I meant a company pushing THEIR wallet or other “incentives” from console manufactures for exclusivity when the game could just as easily be multiplat. I know games are made for OUR money :P
        
        I mean, sure games like FFX could have been done on XBox, but the game was made around the PS2’s unique architecture. Its just like how Tales of Symphonia was made for Gamecube even though the PS2 was a MUCH higher selling platform, and because of that exclusivity (at the time), it was made 60FPS and with less framerate issues than its later port of a PS2 version (and in effect, PS3 one).
- Kaien
  
  “Significant boost” 10 months after in tier 2 country? Nah
  
  Competition is good, but the “moneyhat/parity clause/kinect/rebooting old IP” Microsoft deserves a good beating. As a persone who skipped (a proper) dinner to watch the XB1 reveal almost a year ago, I think so.
Jerry Hu

Where is Taiwan…..
Shady Shariest

Yup. If dropping some countries from the launch window felt bad… Moving them to September with all the others is just a slap to the face :x
Yggdr5

MS is just adjusting the time gap between the release of the Xbox One and the PS4 to be as big as the performance and price gap, so in that regard it’s very fitting.
Thatguy

Edit: well, jokes on my sighting

It’s embarassing, just kill me.
- Herok♞
  
  Just because a country doesn’t get the newest shiniest toy on day one doesn’t make them a Third World country by any stretch of the imagination. Like Japan didn’t get the PS4 the same day as the US, it got its months after. Even the WiiU came out about a month after it did in the US. Just because some companies take more time than others doesn’t mean they are wrong for their approach.
Chon Pak

I love how China is always ignored. Anyway, good luck Microsoft!! GG!!
- Anime10121
  
  Didnt China JUST recently legally allow consoles to be released there though?
Six

Hopefully Microsoft brings the goods in Japan. While a lot of people say MS shouldn’t even bother, the Xbox does have a pretty passionate little following there.

And I hope MS continues to work with JP developers who could use the leg up and doesn’t start buying up JRPGs for an audience that doesn’t want them.
- 罪罰
  
  lol giving money for exclusives and end up backfiring. Lets do that again.
  - Six
    
    As much as I’d love to see the bitter tears of angry fanboys, I really don’t MS to waste their time and money with that stuff again.
    
    Which means they are totally going to do it.
- Kaien
  
  There’s almost no one buying xbox games in Japan currently.
  - Six
    
    Hence why I said “little following”.
- DanielGearSolid
  
  I don’t mind if they go to Japan, but if they pay to keep Japanese games off of Ps4, I’d be pissed
  - Six
    
    I agree. They should partner up with Japanese developers to make games from the ground up.
    - Pyrofrost
      
      I would honestly be supportive of MS and Sony both trying to “money-hat” exclusives over and out from under each other. In my opinion, that’s the kind of competitive nature the industry need again. Either that, or Sony or MS needs to leave the console business and find another venture.
      
      As they are now, they are practically the same machine, and they have nearly the same library. So both consoles aren’t needed. One of them can be flushed out and then Sega can come back. YAY!
      - Six
        
        Bu bu bu… THEY STOLE MAH GARMES.
        
        I’d happily throw either Microsoft or Sony under the bus to get Sega back in the race.
      - Pyrofrost
        
        I can’t help it man xD
        
        Call me crazy, but as a gamer, I want to be able to distinguish the difference between the competition. I want the consoles to have libraries that give them an identity.
        
        I mean, depending on how you see things; in the eighth gen we basically have 2 Playstations and a Nintendo, or 2 Xboxes and a Nintendo (depending on who you ask).
        Almost like the question, “Is the glass half empty or half full?”
      - Six
        
        I agree. I’d kill for it to go back to Sega and Nintendo, with both brands having their distinct identities and feel.
        
        An industry with competitors who are always neck and neck while providing their own, hugely unique libraries.
        
        Sadly, game development is just too expensive, so everything has to be on everything, unless you are a niche developer.
      - Pyrofrost
        
        Yeah, and seriously, it’s shit like this that has me hoping another gaming industry crash will happen again. :/
        
        Maybe it would somehow set things right.
      - Six
        
        Yeah, I can see the appeal in the idea. I’d love to see these major AAA publishers get broken back down into mid-tier devs and indie studios.
        
        Where a game can be made that doesn’t require six million sales to break even.
      - Pyrofrost
        
        Yeah, the whole AAA mentality of devs, publishers, and gamers does way more harm than good. IMO, the industry would be better off without it.
        *old man rant*
        #rabblerabblerabble
      - Six
        
        I don’t think AAA development should completely go away, but it should just remain in the hands of those who can handle it.
        
        Rockstar and Bethesda can take 5+ years to make a game and sell 20+ million copies. Most can’t, and they need to quit trying. Failing at that is what killed Irrational, and I don’t want that to happen again.
        
        I hope that once one of the big four (EA, Acti, Ubi, T2) go under, it’ll wake people up so the whole thing doesn’t have to fall apart for habits to change.
      - Pyrofrost
        
        Yeah, I can see your point.
        
        While one of the Western big four may not really be in danger of that, as THQ was lost last gen. One out of the Japanese big 5 is most definitely in immediate danger, Capcom. Their value has literally plummeted into the dirt.
      - Six
        
        While Activision and Ubisoft are pretty much guaranteed to be around for a while, I’m less certain about Take Two and EA.
        
        Especially Take Two. Outside of Rockstar’s stuff and Borderlands (which they don’t own the IP for) they don’t have a lot going on, and they are always losing money.
        
        As for Japanese publishers, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Capcom or Square Enix fall in the coming years. Resident Evil and Final Fantasy aren’t the powerhouse franchises they used to be, and development isn’t getting any cheaper.
        
        And Square Enix isn’t getting any quicker at it.
      - Pyrofrost
        
        I was really wondering how SE would fair for quite some time, as their numbers had been plummeting for the past several years. However, after E3 last year and their rebound with FFXIV, their numbers have been on the incline. So we could, in fact, be seeing a rebound for them.
        Somehow, they haven’t fallen as far as Capcom by that time. I’m guessing a lot of that has to do with their other ventures besides gaming, and mobile gaming.
        
        In any case, the release of FFXV and KH3, how they continue to use Eidos, and their continued direction afterwards will make things easier to read concerning them.
        
        And with that said, I’m headed to bed. I’m about to pass out xD
      - CozyAndWarm
        
        Meanwhile Nintendo is doing things like funding two Platinum exclusives without dumbing them down, but they’re getting ridiculed for it. Sony is spending tons of money on marketing at the cost of games (shuttering studios, firing devs, etc), and people love them for it. Ugh… console wars.
      - Pyrofrost
        
        Exactly! Nintendo honestly has the right idea. They decided to money-hat a game that would otherwise be dead, because people loved it. Not only do people ridicule Nintendo for it, they’ve also sent Platinum death threats. This being the face of the gamer community makes me ashamed to be part of it. I mean seriously, death threats, over a game, WHAT THE FUCK!
        
        Here is my vision of what a ‘console war’ should be. The console companies, money-hatting and snatching big 3rd Party exclusives over and out from under each other, left and right.
        
        What we have right now is not good for gamers, or the industry in my opinion.
      - darke
        
        Sony? Marketing? What marketing? I don’t think I’ve seen one of their ads yet that hasn’t been on PSN or at a games store, but Titanfall’s marketing has been bloody everywhere! >.<
      - CozyAndWarm
        
        http://ps4daily.com/2013/10/playstation-4-marketing-campaign-is-the-biggest-in-sonys-history/
        
        Straight from Sony’s mouth
      - darke
        
        Wow. Guess it was just mostly in the US/EU then. I didn’t really see much of anything down in poor little Australia, and I walk through the central business district end-to-end here every day of the work week. :(
        
        Then again, 100million is a drop in the bucket compared to most of MS’s advert campaigns (wasn’t the surface, and Win Phone 8 both a billion marketing each?)
  - Learii
    
    I would too MS just pay to keep others games for theirself
artemisthemp

I guess this means Xbox One will see some quality exclusive JRPG in September since, they releases the Xbox One in Japan
- darke
  
  Unlikely. The pre-release info for JRPGs tends to be out ages in advance of a release. There’s only, what five months until september? You’d think we’d have some information about it by now if there was a JRPG to be released at launch.
nonscpo

Wow I thought Playstation gave Japan a cold shoulder with the later launch but Xbox isnt releasing till September.
hazelnut1112

I would say too damn late for this, but I’m not sure if other countries are even remotely interested in either console. The PS4 only has three titles going for it counting InFamous already coming out.
Xbone only has Forza, Ryse and Dead Rising 3. Neither of these consoles have any appeal to them at the moment. The Wii U is being highly ignored despite being one of the three consoles with actual games to it.
- Wesley Kenneth Houpt Mattingly
  
  Outside of Mario and MH3U, the Wii U has nothing to offer to most people, and both of those games are a tad old now. Granted none of the consoles outside last gen have anything to offer outside of mediocre indies. Ryse is a failure, Forza is pretty, but there are better racing games on last gen. Dead Rising, like it always has, gets old quickly. I hopped on the hype train for all 3 consoles, and they all 3 gather dust most of the time. Granted I did box the Wii U up and put it in my closet untill Brawl. In the past I waited 2 years for the next gen consoles, but I was victimized by the hype train and having buyers remorse on all 3 now. PS2 I bought when FFX and Armored Core 2 came out,
  and ps3 when soul calibur 4 and Disgaea 3 were out. 360 was purchased because ot was the only hd system out and Armored Core 4 was amazing and voice chatting while playing games was amazing.
  - hazelnut1112
    
    So far the Wii U has 3D World, Wonderful 101, Zombi U, Tropical Freeze, Monster Hunter and Mario Kart 8 is around the corner, Bayonetta and Smash are also on their way.
    - Wesley Kenneth Houpt Mattingly
      
      3 of those are old and launch titles. Wonderful does not appeal to the masses, never heard of TF, Bayonetta is a niche title and Smash and MK8 are not a reason to buy a system. The system has been out for nearlyna year and a half and has no games. This is why it sells poorly, not because the systwm sucks. If it had games like Wii, it would sell like hot cakes. But its sales arw testament to its lack of titles. Heck a used Wii U is $199 or less now, it should be selling better…but swlling used doesnt help Nintendo.
DS23

Weird to have some Euro territories have it now and others wait nearly a year. Huh.
Naryoril

if they don’t change their mind again and only release it in half these countries. Seriously, so the countries where they announced the console was to be launched last November and where they changed their minds 2 months before that have to wait until September? I guess all the people that wanted to by one at launch in these countries will be pissed all over again.

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