At Xbox Summit 2005 in Japan today, Microsoft confirmed that the Xbox 360 will be launching at the end of the year as scheduled in Japan, Europe, and North America, putting to rest any rumours that the console's release in Japan may be delayed until next year. Despite the fact that the Xbox has captured only a small segment of consumers in the Japanese market, Microsoft reaffirmed its commitment to bring the new Xbox to the Japanese.
"We all know that Japan is the world's first gaming superpower, and this country remains the gold standard for success in the industry," said Moore. "This time, the rest of the world is starting to realize that the Xbox 360 is a real contender, right here in Japan. That is a very important point, because I know that success in this country is the ultimate tribute to the compelling power of our new platform."
Meanwhile, at the same Xbox Summit 2005, Microsoft has demonstrated a mock-up of the Xbox 360's retail packaging - basically a simple white and green box that is not dissimilar to the console's colour scheme. Microsoft also confirmed that bundled accessories would include a hard drive, wireless controller, Xbox Live, headset, and Ethernet cable. The company also demonstrated auxiliary accessories that will be available for purchase separately from the console, including faceplates, a memory unit, a rechargeable battery pack and a wireless network adapter.
The Inquirer is also running a story about "a hastily translated final list of the launch titles for the Xbox 360", which would seem to include Call of Duty 2, Tony Hawk American Waste, Quake 4, Need For Speed Most Wanted, NBA Live, Wrestle Kingdom, Ghost Recon 3 and much more.