Xbox 360 launch continues into Eastern Europe and beyond

The Xbox 360 is to be released in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South Africa within the next 18 months as Microsoft continues the worldwide release of its next-gen console.

Microsoft, which launched the Xbox 360 in the US over four months ago, hopes to gain a significant head start over main rival Sony, who will not be releasing the Playstation 3 until around November.

Chris Lewis, head of Xbox in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, told Financial Times that pushing into these new territories was a crucial part of the battle for supremacy in the home console market.

Lewis said Microsoft would be paying particular attention to the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Russia as they were the key targets in the Eastern European region.

To assist with the launch of the Xbox 360 into the new territories, Lewis said the Xbox division was planning to set up a local Xbox Live internet service and helplines so gamers would be able to interact and play with others from their own country.

The Xbox 360 will be sold through local specialist game retailers, along with multinational groups with whom Microsoft has a partnership with.

Unlike with the original Xbox, Microsoft has put in a concerted effort to reach gamers outside of the US by employing both European and Japanese game developers to help in the design of both the Xbox 360 console and game titles.

Microsoft has also recently taken over UK based game studio Lionshead, developer of the highly successful Fable.

Lewis said Microsoft may even consider producing content on a country-by-country basis to further attract gamers to the Xbox 360.

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