Today, Microsoft and BesTV announced Xbox One will launch in China on September 23 with a lineup of blockbuster games and entertainment starting at ¥3,699 RMB. Xbox One is the first gaming and entertainment console approved for sale in China coinciding with the Shanghai Free Trade Zone one-year anniversary.
At the Xbox One media briefing, Microsoft and BesTV detailed their plan to launch the Xbox One in China. Demonstrating a strong ecosystem of support, more than 25 developers are building more than 70 games for Xbox One including exclusive content, free to play games, and blockbuster titles. In partnership with BesTV, Xbox One will bring hundreds of thousands of hours of entertainment content including blockbuster movies, sports, documentaries and on-demand TV programs, fitness and exclusive, locally developed applications. Finally, Xbox One is bringing unique value to the Chinese market including innovative pricing models for games, compelling console bundles, local customer support and two year warranty.
“We’re honored that Xbox One is the first console approved for sale in China through the Shanghai Free Trade Zone,” said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice-president, marketing, Devices and Studios, Microsoft. “We’re dedicated to earning millions of fans in China by working with BesTV to deliver an all in one games and entertainment experience starting September 23.”
“We’ve been working together with Microsoft for more than a year to prepare for the launch of Xbox One and our organizations share a vision for bringing entertainment and gaming innovation to our consumers,” said Zhang Dazhong, senior vice president of Shanghai Media Group and chairman of the board, E-Home Entertainment. “We are excited to start delivering on that promise and are committed to fostering China’s original game development.”
Xbox One unveils gaming portfolio roadmap for China
Recognized for the best games lineup of 2014 at the E3 trade show, Xbox will bring its long history of delivering blockbuster titles from Microsoft Studios and the industry’s most visionary creators to deliver a rich lineup of games to Xbox One in China. Xbox One will launch in China with an innovative pricing model including free to play games, and blockbuster games such as Forza Motorsport 5: Racing Game of the Year available at suggested retail prices of ¥99 RMB to ¥249 RMB. Xbox One will offer fans unique cinematic-like experiences with sports, action and adventure, shooter, dance, karaoke and racing games not available on any other device in China, including:
- Exclusive titles from Microsoft Studios: Expected to launch on Day One are popular titles from Microsoft Studios including, Forza Motorsport 5: Racing Game of the Year – the highest-rated racing franchise of this console generation, Kinect Sports Rivals, Powerstar Golf, Zoo Tycoon, and Max: The Curse of Brotherhood among others. Beyond launch, the Xbox One games portfolio will continue to grow with titles like Sunset Overdrive and Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which will bring the complete story of Halo’s legendary hero, the Master Chief, to life on one console for the very first time.
- Games from the world’s leading developers: Twelve of the world’s largest developers including Electronic Arts, Ubisoft and 2K are working to bring their gaming favorites to China.
- Premium content from Chinese developers: Thirteen of China’s best developers are already working to bring new IP and fan-favorite games to Xbox One, starting with Neverwinter Online from Perfect World and games from Gamebar and Yingpei Games. Additional games and experiences are in development from Snail Games, NetEase and Tencent to name a few.
“We are excited and honored to be among the first publishers in China bringing games to Xbox One,” said Robert Xiao, chief executive officer of Perfect World. “We have three studios working on Xbox games including Neverwinter Online, Celestial Sword and Project X and we can’t wait for Xbox fans in China to get their hands on them. For the six months following Xbox One’s launch, Neverwinter Online will be available only on Xbox One. Offering unlimited possibilities to developers, the launch of Xbox One in China will help take the game development industry to a whole new level.”
Rich ecosystem for innovation and independent developers
Xbox One creates opportunities for independent developers to bring their creative content to life both at home and abroad through the ID@Xbox program, which officially launches in China today. With this expansion, local Chinese developers have the opportunity to bring their creative content to life both at home in China and around the world. In addition, this expansion opens up the opportunity for developers around the world to publish their games in China.
In addition, as part of E-Home Entertainment, BesTV, Microsoft and the local government are opening two innovation centers in China – the first, in Shanghai. These innovation centers will be dedicated spaces driving local innovation initiatives in game and app development supporting entertainment content, original design and research and development in China. They will provide access to some of the world’s top innovators, helping to accelerate entertainment content industry growth in China, to foster the creation of a world-class team and human capital, and expand local original content to the world. They will be built on continuing investments from the government and Microsoft.
The best in premium entertainment – only on Xbox One
At launch, Xbox One will not only be home to a spectacular lineup of games but also a suite of entertainment experiences all on one box, including:
- TV and Movies: BesTV will bring hundreds of thousands of hours of entertainment content including blockbuster movies, sports, documentaries and on-demand TV programs – all in high definition. Owners of Xbox One in China will receive access to this content in addition to two free movies per month.
- Sports: BesTV will unlock access to premium sports games such as English Premiere League (EPL) – free for the first year.
- Xbox Live: Access to Xbox Live’s advanced multiplayer gaming experience, which opens up a pipeline of content that is always being updated and refreshed and connects users with a network of gamers.
- Fitness: Xbox will bring the full Xbox Fitness library to China including a new fitness experience, Tai Chi, which is coming first to China.
- Apps: Exclusive locally-developed apps will bolster a growing catalog of entertainment and other experiences on Xbox One, led by Tencent’s QQ Music, Douban FM, GameFY and Karaoke Master.
“We have made significant investments in China to deliver a tailored Xbox One experience for our fans,” said Enwei Xie, general manager of Xbox China.
Bringing unique value to the China market
Starting at ¥3,699 RMB, Xbox One will deliver tremendous value in China as the ultimate all-in-one gaming and entertainment system. In addition to blockbuster games like Forza Motorsport 5 being offered at ¥249 RMB, Xbox will offer additional value with Xbox Live Gold subscriptions available at ¥199 RMB. In addition, every Xbox One console will include:
- Powerstar Golf and Neverwinter Online with a Special Edition Pack
- The BesTV entertainment experience
- Free access to Xbox Live Gold through March 2015
- A localized Chinese interface, translated content and local payment methods
- A two-year warranty and local customer service support from Microsoft and BesTV.
Microsoft and BesTV are also delighted to offer a special Day One limited edition console which includes Kinect for Xbox One, more games and exclusive offers such as:
- A limited-edition commemorative China Day One controller;
- Day One Achievement for your Xbox Live profile;
- Kinect Sports Rivals, Forza Motorsport 5: Racing Game of the Year as well as the Neverwinter Online Commemorative Edition Pack, and Powerstar Golf with in-game credit
Starting today, fans can reserve their special edition Day One Xbox One with Kinect, for ¥4,299 RMB while supplies last.
