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| http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/630/630788p1.html
Microsoft Plans E3-Level Unveiling in Japan
Excitement... rising.
by Anoop Gantayat
July 1, 2005 - It's no secret now that Microsoft plans to reveal a large
chunk of its upcoming Xbox 360 plans some time this month at a press
conference to be held in Japan. So what can we expect to see at the event?
Quite a bit, it seems.
Speaking with Famitsu Xbox, Xbox General Manager Yoshihiro Maruyama states
that the press conference will reveal launch titles for the system as well
as the games to follow. "We expect it to be a product unveiling on the scale
of E3," he offers. Microsoft's partners will show titles that have already
been announced along with some brand new ones. We can also expect some big
surprises.
While it's unclear if the press conference will feature playable demo units,
Maruyama does reveal that the Japanese public will get its first hands-on
experience with the system at the September Tokyo Game Show. This will be
followed by demo units being installed in retailers throughout Japan a month
prior to the system's launch.
Maruyama still won't give a final release period for the 360, although most
reports point to a December launch in Japan, quickly following the system's
stateside debut.
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http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=9935
"E3-level" unveiling planned for Xbox 360 in Japan
Rob Fahey 11:21 05/07/2005
Major event later this month will flesh out details of Japanese software
support
Microsoft's planned Xbox 360 event in Japan later this month will be a
"product unveiling on the scale of E3," according to Xbox Japan boss
Yoshihiro Maruyama, with a number of new first- and third-party games
expected to be revealed.
The much-rumoured event is now something of an open secret, after former
Square executive Maruyama discussed it in a number of Japanese publications
last month, but just what will be shown off is still unknown.
A number of new deals between Japanese developers and Microsoft Game Studios
are expected, building on the existing relationships that the company has
announced with Mist Walker, Game Republic and Q Entertainment.
Perhaps even more importantly, several Japanese publishers are expected to
announce their early titles for the Xbox 360 at the event. Although most
publishers in the region have suggested that they will support the console,
few have yet announced any original titles for the system.
Maruyama certainly seems confident that the event will be a major one,
telling Famitsu Xbox last week that "we expect it to be a product unveiling
on the scale of E3" and promising a few big surprises among the
announcements.
Xbox 360's next big Japanese appearance will be at the Tokyo Games Show in
September, when the console will be present in playable form. PlayStation 3
is also expected to appear at TGS, although it seems unlikely that any of
its titles will be playable.
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