Xbox One India release delayed till 2014

Gamers in India might have to wait a year longer to get their hands on Microsoft’s much-hyped next-generation gaming console, Xbox One. The Wall Street Journal has reported that the console will only be available in Asia in late 2014—a whole year after it is launched. 

Though this move comes as a surprise for many in India and other parts of Asia, Alan Bowman, the Regional Vice President for Sales and Marketing in Asia for Microsoft has described it as a “staged approach” by the company. He states that the company wants to ensure a better user experience for its customers by including support for regional languages and other local features. However, when the new console does makes its way to the region, it will only be available in select Asian markets which includes Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and India.

The next-gen console will only be available in 2014 in India

“We are focusing on delivering games people want to play.” said Bowman in an interview. This would include launching new versions of games like FIFA, the popular Assassin’s Creed and Final Fantasy, which are in great demand in the Asian market. Users do have the option of buying the console in the US and the games released for it there, and then use it in India, but this would be an highly expensive proposition.

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To soften the blow of the delayed launch, Microsoft says its Kinect peripheral will work better in Asian living rooms. The Kinect motion sensor, which will come standard with Xbox One, is better suited for smaller living room sizes, like the ones found in most Indian flats. “We listened to the feedback, not everyone in Asia has living rooms,” said Bowman. “The field of vision required for Kinect is much smaller.”