Xbox One… Launch! – Hugh's News

Microsoft’s big green marketing machine announced that the Xbox One video game console is hitting the streets today in 13 markets around the world.

For more information visit: www.xbox.com

Unedited press release follows:

Worldwide launch of Xbox One sparks global celebration for a new generation in games and entertainment

Built for today and the future, Xbox One brings together the best games, the best multiplayer experiences and the hottest entertainment offerings.

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 21, 2013 — Xbox One hits store shelves and becomes available online Friday, delighting millions of fans participating in global launch celebrations, watching a live broadcast on Spike TV and lining up at retail stores to be among the first to grab an Xbox One. The hotly anticipated, new-generation games and entertainment system from Microsoft Corp. brings the best games, live TV, Skype, sports, fitness, music and more to one single device at the center of the living room, all available at the command of your voice, powered by Kinect and Bing.* Xbox One is available now in 13 markets worldwide, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland and Austria.

An epic night around the world
From New Zealand to Los Angeles, fan excitement reached a fever pitch around the world. In New Zealand, fans partied at Shed 10 in Auckland as the iconic Sky Tower pulsed green, and one fan made the world’s first official Xbox One purchase. Across the world in London, Xbox One turned entertainment epicenter Leicester Square into Xbox One Square with a glowing, green nexus and fan festivities throughout the day. In New York, zombies, Roman soldiers and jaw-dropping supercars converged on Times Square. As billboards glowed green, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis helped 1,000 fans count down to midnight with an electrifying performance at Best Buy Theater, while thousands more celebrated in Times Square. Across the country in Los Angeles, Hollywood’s biggest gamers walked the green carpet and mingled with fans who came out to try Xbox One games and enjoy beats courtesy of deadmau5. Similar spectacular celebrations also occurred in the other Xbox One launch markets.

“We have the best community of gamers around the world, and this was on full display last night,” said Marc Whitten, chief product officer, Xbox. “The launch of Xbox One is truly Day One. Today is the beginning of the future of entertainment, and we could not be more proud to deliver Xbox One to fans around the world.”

All-in-one games and entertainment system
Xbox One brings together the best games, the best multiplayer experiences through Xbox Live and the hottest entertainment offerings in a system built to deliver best-in-class experiences for the future, today and every day after. The new-generation Kinect offers improved voice and motion control, seamlessly responding to your commands and gestures and making new gaming experiences possible.

Xbox One also brings you the best, exclusive games lineup that won 111 awards at E3, the top industry trade show, including “Forza Motorsport 5,” “Dead Rising 3,” “Ryse: Son of Rome,” “Killer Instinct” and “Zoo Tycoon.” In addition, popular third-party blockbusters will be available on Xbox One with early exclusivity for downloadable content in “Call of Duty®: Ghosts,” “FIFA 14,” “Battlefield 4” and more. Expect more huge launches as well, with the release of next-generation experiences, such as “Titanfall,” “Project Spark” and “Sunset Overdrive” in 2014.

Thanks to the power of the cloud in more than 300,000 servers, Xbox Live on Xbox One makes gamers better. The multiplayer experience has evolved to include features such as Smart Match, which finds the perfect match for you and is supported by a new community-powered reputation system. Starting with “Xbox Record That,” you can also record, edit and share your favorite gaming moments like never before through Game DVR and Upload Studio.* All these new features mean you get more value for your Xbox Live Gold Membership, which seamlessly transfers over from Xbox 360. Xbox Live remains the place where all your friends play, with more than a decade of high-quality service and 48 million members on Xbox 360 — and they’re all invited to jump into new experiences on Xbox One.

“We believe a truly next-generation system must deliver not only incredible games but also all of the entertainment you love in one device,” said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of Marketing, Strategy and Business, Xbox. “From your favorite games, to the hottest TV shows, movies and music, to surfing the Web, to Skype conversations with your family and friends, only on Xbox One can you instantly switch between all of your entertainment and snap them together — all with the sound of your voice.”

Xbox One’s innovative architecture means you no longer have to choose between your games and entertainment. Get multiplayer alerts while you watch TV, and keep watching TV while you play. Snap your NFL fantasy football stats next to the game. Jump instantly from a game to TV, movies, fitness, music, sports, the Internet and Skype video chat with the sound of your voice. With Xbox One, you never have to stop playing to talk to a friend, surf the Web or watch live TV. You also have access to a new generation of TV experiences, and starting in the U.S. and coming to many markets soon, OneGuide will allow you to access your favorite shows, channels, apps or games with the Bing natural language voice search.

Xbox One sells for $499.99 (ERP) in the U.S., and quantities are limited. For the latest on Xbox One availability in your market, visit Xbox.com.

About Xbox
Xbox is Microsoft’s premier entertainment brand for the TV, phone, PC and tablet. In living rooms or on the go, Xbox is home to the best and broadest games, as well as one of the world’s largest libraries of movies, TV, music and sports. Your favorite games, TV and entertainment come to life in new ways through the power of Kinect, Xbox SmartGlass and Xbox Live, the world’s premier social entertainment network. More information about Xbox can be found online at http://www.xbox.com.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

The information contained in this press release relates to a pre-release product that may be substantially modified before its first commercial release. Accordingly, the information may not accurately describe or reflect the product when first commercially released. The press release is provided for informational purposes only, and Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the press release or the information contained in it.

* Advanced TV hardware required. Initial setup and some games and features require broadband Internet; ISP fees apply. Xbox Live Gold membership (sold separately) and/or additional requirements apply for some features, including online multiplayer, Xbox Music, Xbox Fitness, Skype, Game DVR, The NFL on Xbox One and Upload Studio. Game DVR and Upload Studio available in supported games. Multiplayer between Xbox 360 and Xbox One not supported. Kinect voice support only available in supported locales and languages. See http://www.xbox.com/xboxone/kinect-speech-recognition.

Xbox One launch begins a new generation of games

Visionary game developers and creators of all sizes partner with Xbox One to deliver the richest and most varied games lineup in Xbox history.

REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 22, 2013 — The launch of Xbox One Friday signals the beginning of a new era for gaming and interactive entertainment. Boasting the deepest and most varied launch lineup in Xbox history, the new games and exclusive titles look and feel like nothing else, tapping the incredible power of new hardware and the cloud, as well as advanced software tools and exclusive features such as Xbox Live, Kinect and Xbox One SmartGlass that will bring an entirely new world of gaming to life.

The award-winning launch lineup of games on Xbox One features 22 titles from some of the world’s most respected developers, as well as 10 exclusive games you won’t find anywhere else. Whether it’s experiencing the vivid realism of the racetrack to the visceral brutality of ancient Rome, from the zombie apocalypse to a wildlife utopia, the lineup of Xbox One exclusives launching Friday offers new immersive worlds for every kind of gamer to explore:

• “Forza Motorsport 5” is a cinematic automotive journey starring the world’s greatest cars and tracks. Built from the ground up to take advantage of Xbox One and the vast power of the cloud, no game better delivers the wide-eyed thrill of racing.

• “Ryse: Son of Rome” is an immersive action-adventure story of struggle, brutality and heroism, following a fearless Roman soldier named Marius Titus as he seeks to avenge the death of his family and save the Roman Empire. “Ryse: Son of Rome” presents a cinematic recreation of the ancient Roman Empire and its people, conflicts and landscapes, in breathtaking detail that represents the graphical benchmark for the new platform generation.

• “Dead Rising 3” delivers a blockbuster open-world action experience that will define a new generation of zombie-slaying mayhem. Featuring intense action, incredible weapon and character customization, and immersive Xbox SmartGlass and Kinect integration, “Dead Rising 3” delivers a heart-pounding experience unlike any other as players fight for survival in a massive, open world teeming with the undead.

• “Zoo Tycoon” is back and fully reimagined for Xbox One. The wildly popular franchise cranks up the challenge and fun of building the ultimate zoo and allows players to seamlessly switch between controller and Kinect play to interact with ultrarealistic animals. Supported with next-generation technology, the Xbox One version will have greater visual fidelity, larger zoos, more animals, Game DVR capability, Skype chat and four-person multiplayer over Xbox Live.*

• “Kinect Sports Rivals” Preseason is a free trial experience of “Kinect Sports Rivals” wake racing, available for download on launch day. Monthly challenges and exclusive in-game rewards let players get ahead of the competition before the full game launches in spring 2014. The all-new, re-engineered Kinect in Xbox One puts you in the game like never before, tracks your movements and expressions with incredible accuracy, and offers never-ending competition with your friends and competitors.

• Digital games on Xbox One feature next-generation graphics and entertainment. “Killer Instinct” brings the classic fighting action and popular characters of the original franchise exclusively to Xbox One. With its enhanced combat system, players will enjoy intense gameplay and stunning next-generation graphics. Fly through the skies in “Crimson Dragon,” a rail shooting game that takes place on a recently colonized planet populated by dragons. Use the power of Kinect to dodge enemies and communicate with your partner dragon. In “LocoCycle,” try your skills in the immersive combat racing game that takes you on a thrilling ride with I.R.I.S., a weaponized motorcycle, as she drags her mechanic, Pablo, through highways, canyons and waterways while battling Big Arms and the deadly counter-assault motorcycle, S.P.I.K.E. Or test your talents on the green in “Powerstar Golf,” a fun, animated sports game that challenges you against one of six unique characters with special golfing abilities. With the power of the cloud, you can set course records and play against your friends’ best scores in Rival Mode while they sleep.

In addition to the blockbuster titles created by Microsoft Studios, Xbox One will be home to the world’s best games. Fan favorites including “Call of Duty®: Ghosts,” “Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag,” “FIFA 14,” Madden NFL 25″ and “Battlefield 4” will all be available on Xbox One at launch. Highly anticipated exclusives including “Titanfall,” “Sunset Overdrive” and “Quantum Break” guarantee a rich pipeline of new games to look forward to after launch, as well as multiplatform games including “Final Fantasy XV,” “Kingdom Hearts III” and “Watch Dogs.” Xbox One will also be the first place to get new map packs and other add-ons, with early exclusivity on downloadable content for “Call of Duty®: Ghosts,” “FIFA 14,” “Battlefield 4” and more. The games portfolio will only continue to grow with ID@Xbox, with many independent developers already on board to deliver innovative experiences in the coming months.

This is the full list of Xbox One games available Friday:

• “Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag” (Ubisoft, Ubisoft)
• “Battlefield 4” (DICE, Electronic Arts)
• “Call of Duty®: Ghosts” (Infinity Ward, Activision)
• “Crimson Dragon” (Grounding/Land Ho!, Microsoft Studios)
• “Dead Rising 3” (Capcom Vancouver, Microsoft)
• “FIFA 14” (EA Sports, Electronic Arts)
• “Fighter Within” (AMA Ltd., Ubisoft)
• “Forza Motorsport 5” (Turn 10 Studios, Microsoft Studios)
• “Just Dance 2014” (Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft)
• “Killer Instinct” (Double Helix, Microsoft Studios)
• “LEGO® Marvel™ Super Heroes” (TT Games, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
• “LocoCycle” (Twisted Pixel, Microsoft Studios)
• “Madden NFL 25” (EA Sports, Electronic Arts)
• “NBA® 2K14” (Visual Concepts, 2K)
• “NBA LIVE 14” (EA Sports, Electronic Arts)
• “Need for Speed Rivals” (Ghost Games, Electronic Arts)
• “Powerstar Golf ” (Zoe Mode, Microsoft Studios)
• “Ryse: Son of Rome” (Crytek, Microsoft Studios)
• “Skylanders SWAP Force” (Vicarious Visions, Activision)
• “Xbox Fitness” (Microsoft Studios)
• “Zoo Tycoon” (Frontier Developments Microsoft Studios)
• “Zumba Fitness World Party” (Zoë Mode, Majesco)

For the latest on Xbox One availability in your market, visit Xbox.com. For more details about Xbox One, visit http://news.xbox.com.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

* Online multiplayer, Skype and Game DVR require an Xbox Live Gold Membership (sold separately).