Microsoft announced on Tuesday its entry into next generation video gaming and entertainment system by showcasing Xbox 360 to be launched later this year and will set up a retail network for its distribution across seven cities.
Xbox 360 will be available for consumers before Diwali. However, the pre-order of the product will start in June, Microsoft entertainment and devices division global retail sales and marketing group corporate vice president Mitch Koch told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The company would set up 1,200 retail centres across seven cities, including four metros, in the country, he said.
The Xbox system would have 20 titles at the launch and henceforth, seven to 10 titles would be added to it every month, Microsoft entertainment and devices division India country manager Mohit Khanna said.
"The gaming community in the Indian market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming few years. Xbox will definetely act as a catalyst to fuel this growth and expose Indian gamers to next generation gaming experiences," he added.
Microsoft has tied up with Adidas for its pre-order promotion, which would provide the users Xbox 360 core system with a 10 per cent discount at Rs 19,990.
It has extended its global partnership with MTV and Samsung in India for the launch, he said.
By June 2007, the company is expected to connect six million Xbox live members across the world and the system would be available in about 40 countries, he said.
Corporate vice-president global retail sales and marketing Microsoft Entertainment and Devices division, Mitch Kotch (L), country manager Mohit Anand (2L), chairman Microsoft India Ravi Venkatesan (2R) and general manager Asia-Pacific and Greater China Alan Browman (R) pose with the newly launched Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming system
Photograph: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty
Inputs: PTI
