Microsoft sets date for Chinese Xbox One release
Yesterday's delays push launch back by a week
Microsoft's has rescheduled its launch date for Xbox One in China, issuing a revised date of September 29th.
The machine was initially due to launch yesterday, but Microsoft was forced to delay the event by unspecified circumstances.
A statement from Xbox China GM Enwei Xie, released today and reported by Kotaku, has now pinned that delay on the Chinese government - historically not always the easiest bureaucracy to deal with.
"After receiving government approval for the first wave of games, we will launch with the first ten games now and continue our work to bring more blockbuster games and a broad offering of entertainment and app experiences to the platform in the weeks and months to come," said Xie. "With extraordinary effort and seamless cooperation across parties, we are incredibly excited to deliver Xbox One to fans in China and we welcome them to the Xbox family."
Those ten games are Forza Motorsport 5, Kinect Sports Rivals, Powerstar Golf, Zoo Tycoon, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, Dance Central Spotlight, Neverwinter Online, Rayman Legends Trials Fusion and Naughty Kitties - the only game on the list to come from a Chinese studio.
Global head of Xbox Phil Spencer also made a statement, acknowledging some of the difficulties of the process.
"This milestone is significant for both our partnership with China and our global expansion plan," said Spencer. "Every new market launch is unique and we're grateful to our fans for their patience and enthusiasm throughout the process."
The console will be the first to launch on Chinese mainland in 14 years, marking a new chapter in a market which has sadly been predominantly associated with copycat machines and IP infringement.