I’ll be the first to admit it: I didn’t expect it to happen. But now, Microsoft has proven me wrong. The Xbox One is China’s first official video game console in 14 years and, as of today, it is officially on sale.
Originally slated for release last Tuesday, the console was delayed for six days. There was a launch party set up, but due to poor weather, the party was canceled. Microsoft also provided statements, saying that haven’t been any new celebrations planned for the console’s launch.
Despite the lack of official plans, the Xbox One’s launch wasn’t without fanfare. One of Microsoft’s retail partners organised a midnight launch for eight of its retail outlets across China. Sure, it’s not like a midnight release at a GameStop, but Sunning electronics had a store in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shenyang, Wuhan and Chongqing open at midnight. That’s pretty much the major Chinese cities.
The following video and photos are of the midnight launch in Shanghai.
Just look at those photos of the Shanghai midnight launch! It doesn’t look as bad as what happened in Japan. Then again, Japan’s had gaming consoles since forever.
The lines outside of the Beijing store
Unfortunately, it appears most of photos of the launch were photos of the Beijing and Shanghai locations. Some of the photos were taken this morning, and not at the Midnight launch event. In Beijing, one of the Xbox launch partners even enlisted the help of Chinese professional gamer Cao Mei.
A guy in an Xbox T-shirt plays a game with Professional League of Legends player Cao Mei at a Sunning electronics store in Beijing during the Xbox One Launch.
So far, there haven’t been many posts of the other six stores on Chinese social media.
Gamers who purchased the Xbox One on launch day received special controllers in their boxes. The controllers have the words “China Day One” inscribed above the Xbox button.
Microsoft hasn’t said how many Xbox’s in China sold will be considered a success, one can only wonder how much of a head start the Windows company really got being the first to launch a home console in China. Kotaku will have more on the Xbox’s launch in China as the weeks go on.
Pictures: Sina Weibo
, Sunning Sina Weibo, TV Gamer Asia Weibo, Microsoft Xbox Sina Weibo
Comments
13 responses to “People In China Actually Lined Up For The Xbox One”
Why so surprised? The demand has always been there, it’s just never been this legal before. On a more deeply political note, capitalism and democracy always seems to break ground in entertainment.
Game on China 😀
It was to be expected i guess… this is a major milestone for China getting a legitimate gaming console legally released in their country. I would go ape shit for it haha 🙂
I think it was the logical expectation but the XBox One has had such a shaky launch that I guess a lot of people expected it to simply flop regardless.
I have to wonder though if an eagerness to adopt the XBox One is at all connected with the popularity of the Playstation brand in Japan.
Yeah I wonder how the Japanese brands would do in China; there seems to be animosity between the two countries
Interesting point.
I’m sure MS are happy with the idea that they might have an easier time in a market with around 19% of the worlds population. Little bit sad that racism of sorts might be the reason why and not just that MS was the first to step up and launch there.
wow, they really have to learn how to smile more, those MS staff looked depressed
They are probably paid less than the sweatshop workers in China making the damn thing.
I think any console after 14 years would of had a queue if it was the first of the 3. Sure they could get illegit ones etc but that does not have the same child like excitement.
I think the “China Day One” controllers was a cool touch assuming if you really only got one if you did day 1 not unlike the first month of stock in Aus.
I hope Nintendo and Sony release there consoles there. The huge install base means good things for all 3 companies.
With the animosity between china/japan after thousands of years of one invading the other, comfort women and live human anthrax testing during WW2 (don’t forget japan only made photographed child pornography illegal there this year, and drawn stuff lives on freely) the PS4 is gonna bomb there.
lol what does the child pornography thing have to do with China? also, don’t equate drawn lolita porn to actual child porn, that’s offensive to everyone that’s suffered from it. I understand you must not like Japan, but come on.
I don’t really think people of any country has such deeply entrenched hate that even after the past is done, they’re still bearing grudges. It’s not any of this generations fault.
I have quite a number of chinese friends who bought consoles but never spent a cent on games…