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Playstation/Gaming Discussions => Gaming Discussion => Topic started by: Hawke on March 15, 2002, 01:16:14 AM

Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: Hawke on March 15, 2002, 01:16:14 AM
Ookkkay, some tidbits of the finnish launch, focusing in Helsinki, our capital, where the very first XBoxes were unveiled. Article from Ilta-Sanomat (finnish newspaper). If someone needs the link, I could provide it, but i think not many people can understand finnish here... :

Quote

14.1.01

Microsoft\'s new XBox console didn\'t to much to arouse the gamers in Helsinki, when it was launched last midnight.

The XBox is released in europe today, and Microsoft tried to get the consumers\' attention by promising that the 500 first applicants would receive their consoles right after midnight (which would make them the first europeans to officially get their consoles).

The consoles were sold from a truck parked at Keskuskatu, but there were only about a dozen people waiting for the doors to finally open.

The first free XBox in Europe was awarded to Joonas Kantola, who won a raffle held along the launch, at 00.03 GMT+2.

"I wouldn\'t have bought one anyway.", Kantola commented upon receiving his Xbox.


So that\'s the "truckloads of \'Boxes" I heard about. Ouch. Later on today I\'ll do some research on if it\'s doing any better now after that initial farce...


Now, how about other European countries? Articles, sales figures? Anything?
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: pstwo on March 15, 2002, 01:27:53 AM
Quote
The consoles were sold from a truck parked at Keskuskatu, but there were only about a dozen people waiting for the doors to finally open.


Wha?:laughing:   That\'s the saddest launch ever!!
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: ooseven on March 15, 2002, 01:58:24 AM
piss poor in Scotland !

Little to No publicity or Intrest !

no Queues and about the same as Hawke with the only a hand full sold with about 2 consoles still to be picked up !
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: Samwise on March 15, 2002, 02:34:47 AM
Well, the launch was mentioned in the news; just like PS2 was back then. And I\'ve seen a few commercials, but besides that... not much. I\'ll see if I can find some figures later.
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: Hawke on March 15, 2002, 02:58:48 AM
Just for the record; when the PS2 launched here, there were hundreds (not sure if thousands) of people queuing up for theirs in Helsinki, with many hugging and kissing their new beloved possession.

I did a little round downtown again, and now it seems there are 4 stores selling the XBox here in my hometown. Received units and sales figures go something like this :

Prisma - Shipment : ~10 units, Sold : 2 units
Citymarket - Shipment : ~10 units, Sold : 1 unit
Sokos - Shipment : ~5 units, Sold : 0 units
Musta Pörssi - Shipment : 8 units, Sold : 6 units (all that were sold were also pre-ordered they say. Few days ago they said nobody had made pre-orders, hmm)

Hummm...
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: Metal_Gear_Ray on March 15, 2002, 04:06:19 AM
xbox crashed and burned here, but so did the ps2 in the beginning.

time will tell if it will be a sucess.
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: fastson on March 15, 2002, 05:20:44 AM
DoA - Dead on Arrival..

Bom... crash.. *screams*

DEAD!
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: Bobs_Hardware on March 15, 2002, 07:10:20 AM
did ok here..

wont last long though..
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: nO-One on March 15, 2002, 07:28:31 AM
heh not much publicity here, a little blurp on the news and only one company really advertized it. Hell I work for the biggest electronics store here and I can tell you it hasn\'t really been selling like crazy.
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: macabre on March 15, 2002, 08:31:40 AM
It was on TV here aswell, but in the stores I went in the afternoon there was nearly no interest. One of the big stores in my area had a special offer for € 399. But that didn`t help much... there were plenty of units left.
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: Bossieman on March 15, 2002, 08:57:54 AM
I haven´t even noticed the launch of the x-box here in Sweden. LOL almost 500 US$!!! LOL
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: GmanJoe on March 15, 2002, 10:39:50 AM
Hehehe! This is quite amusing for me! :D

I don\'t know why....;)

I recall the PS2 launch coverage in Paris.....good gravy! It looked like a damn riot in one of the stores!

I was in the all-nighter-line in the US....man, remember those who showed up too late, they were soooo angry at us for lining up all night and accused us of "cheating"! BWAHAHAH!

I said to her, "YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE!" and I even got a pat by some the guys who stayed there all night with me.

Later that evening, PS2 Launch Day Oct 26 2000, the news was repeating the lines of people the night before waiting for their PS2s! And there were robberies....pathetic ones too! Like this one girl who got her PS2, she waited at the store entrance while her mom went to get the car....this man showed up and grabbed the bag from the girl containing the PS2 and ran off!

He wasn\'t caught, unfortunately.
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: GigaShadow on March 15, 2002, 10:52:55 AM
Yeah in Germany some stores have lowered the price so they really aren\'t making any profit on the consoles in the hope those people will buy more accessories and games.  The only problem with that is:

1)  The only absolutely necessary accessory is another controller.

and

2)  The Xbox doesn\'t have a huge library.  Too many crappy games right now.  Besides Halo, DOA3, PGR and Odd - there isn\'t much...  Is Halo even being sold in Germany?  I know they have some hang up with FPS over there...
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: mm on March 15, 2002, 10:57:07 AM
it should be fine

green blood already and no shooting alive humans
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: ooseven on March 15, 2002, 11:01:10 AM
Quote
Originally posted by mm
it should be fine

green blood already and no shooting alive humans



:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: Terry Bogard on March 15, 2002, 11:19:53 AM
Quote
Originally posted by ooseven



:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:






Heh, I think MM means, no Xbox zealots killing over an Xbox:confused:
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: ooseven on March 15, 2002, 11:24:06 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Terry Bogard






Heh, I think MM means, no Xbox zealots killing over an Xbox:confused:



oh right !

i get thanks :D

yeah hes right, infact here in Scotland (due to the responce) i douth very much that there is such a thing as a Scottish X box Zelot !

its just not possible !

or if it is they are Pob Hibernating for the winter or something
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: GigaShadow on March 15, 2002, 11:45:23 AM
Actually he is referring to my post.  I said something to the effect that Germany has problems with FPS...  meaning the government has strict rules about selling them in the country.  He replied by saying since there was no "red" blood and in the game you are only killing "aliens" it shouldn\'t be a prob...

Thought that might help clear things up...
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: ooseven on March 15, 2002, 11:49:34 AM
Quote
Originally posted by GigaShadow
Actually he is referring to my post.  I said something to the effect that Germany has problems with FPS...  meaning the government has strict rules about selling them in the country.  He replied by saying since there was no "red" blood and in the game you are only killing "aliens" it shouldn\'t be a prob...

Thought that might help clear things up...


Thanks mate

anyway i am glad for M$$$$$ Sake that i don\'t live in Germany .

the only Launch titlethat tickles my Fancy is HALO.

i just know knowing my luck that i would be in a region where they refused to sell it or something.
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: GigaShadow on March 15, 2002, 11:51:58 AM
No problem hey ooseven fix your signature your second Samwise is spelled Samwsie:)
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: ooseven on March 15, 2002, 12:01:18 PM
Quote
Originally posted by GigaShadow
No problem hey ooseven fix your signature your second Samwise is spelled Samwsie:)


i would if i could but sometimes when he as his mouth full it sounds like he\'s saying

"Hello Mmmmmy name is Samwsie Mmmmm Mmmmm" :o

also he says

"bloody hell seven get that thing away from me you Pervert "
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: fastson on March 15, 2002, 12:01:28 PM
Now a quote from a guy who works in a store. (translated by me.. hihi)

"I work in one of Swedens biggest toy shop (Americans might call it electronics stores), and I have some nice facts now when the first day of the Xbox release is over. I can only say (as a comparison) that we got 12 PS2s on its release. They were sold in 35 seconds. (We did not allow preorders) And now when the Xbox was released we got 60 units. Neither this time did we allow any preorders.

We did not sell any Xboxes today!

Not one single phone call or one single question about the system at all. For me (who thought we would have a record breaking sale today) this day is a major flop. That’s what I think the xbox will be.. One big flop. Not that its a bad system, but people do not want to shell out 5000SEK ($470) when you can get a PS2 for 3000SEK ($290)"
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: GigaShadow on March 15, 2002, 12:21:39 PM
Quote
Originally posted by ooseven


i would if i could but sometimes when he as his mouth full it sounds like he\'s saying

"Hello Mmmmmy name is Samwsie Mmmmm Mmmmm" :o

also he says

"bloody hell seven get that thing away from me you Pervert "


:laughing:
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: Bossieman on March 15, 2002, 12:27:10 PM
This new console x-box, is it going to sell tons more than Playstation 2 has?
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: seven on March 15, 2002, 12:27:18 PM
Halo shouldn\'t be a problem in Germany. The BPjS (Bundes-Prüfstelle-für-Jugengefährdete-Schriften) only take games off the shelve once they have seen it or people get offended. It\'s pretty stupid actually. Quake aswell as Resident Evil 2 and many others have been taken off the shelves in Germany and can only be bought in special shops or behind the shelves. Magazines aren\'t allowed to show anything on games that have been taken off shelves.

If a game gets "banned", automatically all the sequels get "banned" aswell. Since halo is a new game and doesn\'t have all too much blood in it, it really shouldn\'t be a problem to sell it.
Title: How did the XBox launch go in your country?
Post by: GmanJoe on March 15, 2002, 12:34:19 PM
Quote
Originally posted by fastson
people do not want to shell out 5000SEK ($470) when you can get a PS2 for 3000SEK ($290)"


I\'m sure that will be the most common sentence (as well as common sense) most Europeans will be saying...with or without translation. :p