Xbox One launch in 8 European countries pushed to 2014

Microsoft said Wednesday it was delaying the launch of its new Xbox One console in eight countries, while moving ahead with a November release in 13 others.

In June, Microsoft said it would start selling the new videogame and entertainment console in 21 countries, but on Wednesday acknowledged their plan had been too ambitious.

(Also see: Xbox One not coming to India, other Asian markets until 2014: Report)

The delays affect Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland. The company said it hoped to launch the device in those countries "as soon as possible in 2014."

The 13 markets to get the Xbox One in November will be Australia, Austria, Brazil, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the United States and New Zealand, according to a statement from the Xbox team.

"At Xbox, our goal is to provide the best games and entertainment experience possible and the team continues to make great progress on delivering Xbox One," the statement said.

"While we wish we could launch Xbox One simultaneously in these (21) markets, there are many factors that determine the timing of specific market launches. This includes work to localize the Xbox One dash, incorporate additional voice and languages, and build partnerships to bring apps and meaningful local content to each country."

The beefed-up console is powered by software that allows for instant switching between games, television, and Internet browsing. Microsoft-owned Skype was also integrated for online group video calls.

Kinect motion and sound sensing accessories accompanying the consoles recognize users; respond instantly to commands spoken in natural language, and even detect a person's pulse.

Microsoft's new console will compete against Sony's new PlayStation 4, which also promises to combine its film, music, television and games in a home entertainment box. It is due to be released later this year as well.

Xbox One not coming to India, other Asian markets until 2014: Report

Microsoft launched Xbox One recently carrying a price tag of US $499/ £429/ AUD$599/ 499 Euro (approximately Rs. 29,300). While the release came with the announcement that the console will go for sale in 21 countries in November this year, the list did not contain any countries in Asia.

Now, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Asian gamers will have to wait for another year, as the console will enter the Asian market only in late 2014, a year after its launch in other regions. Even in Asia, the console will be available initially only in select markets including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and India. However, there's no clarity of markets such as Japan and Korea.

Answering that apprehension Famitsu reported that Microsoft confirmed an Xbox release in Japan but without mentioning any prospective date. A Microsoft representative told the website that "Microsoft plans to release Xbox One as new-gen all-in-one system in Japan. Release date and more details will be announced at an appropriate time."

Alan Bowman, Microsoft's regional vice president for sales and marketing in Asia told WSJ that this year, Xbox was the topmost selling gaming console in Asia. He also stated that the possible delay was because the company wanted to give Asian users a 'great experience' by including elements such as localised content. The report also stated that Microsoft admits that content licensing issues will surely be challenging.

We believe adding to that, the fact that Xbox works as an entertainment centre with television support will also add its own hurdles with television having different standards in Asia.

With Sony also unveiling the PlayStation 4, the success of the two consoles would partially depend on pricing and availability. With Sony already trumping Microsoft on the price front by pricing the PS4 a full 100 dollars cheaper, Microsoft could've at least done with being available in all markets on launch. Having said that, Sony is yet to share any kind of availability details about the PlayStation 4, other than saying its coming this holiday season, so one doesn't know yet how exactly this will play out.

The Xbox One comes with a 500GB hard drive, an 8-core Jaguar CPU, 8GB RAM, a Blu-ray player, built-in Wi-Fi, the new Kinect and the Xbox One Wireless Controller. With the Xbox One, Microsoft has aimed at creating a living room solution integrating gaming with entertainment. However, the restrictiveused games policy and the heavy dependence on the Internet has been quite a let down for most gamers.