The Tokyo Game Show (TGS) kicked off last night in Tokyo, but big news came late Wednesday night, when Microsoft held a pre-TGS press conference in Japan. Microsoft announced information that had long been anticipated on the release of the Xbox 360 - the system's American release date.The 360 will arrive in North America first. It will officially be on shelves Nov. 22, according to Microsoft. Release dates were also announced for Europe (Dec. 2) and Japan (Dec. 10).Industry insiders speculated that the console would be released on Nov. 15 to coincide with the release of the original Xbox and the launch of Xbox Live.Robbie Bach, chief Xbox officer for Microsoft, said at the conference, "This holiday season, gamers in Japan, Europe and North America pining to experience jaw-dropping high-definition graphics, unmatched online play and compelling digital entertainment features of Xbox 360 will finally have the chance.""Renowned development studios around the world are busy putting the finishing touches on their Xbox 360 games," Bach continued, "We expect a strong portfolio of titles on launch day and through the holidays that will appeal to fans of every genre and gamers in every region, and with more than 200 games currently in development, continuous new additions to the library are on the way."Microsoft will be displaying several games at its TGS booth, exposing members of the press and the people of Japan to the upcoming launch titles.According to an article at Gamespot.com, the popularity of the Xbox 360 in Japan is rising. However, it still trails the anticipated Playstation 3 and Nintendo Revolution."The lack of interest in the Xbox 360 among Japanese gamers isn't surprising," Gamespot said, "considering how poorly the current-generation Xbox console has been doing in the country."According to a recent report by Famitsu, the Xbox console sold only 9,045 units throughout Japan during the first half of 2005.By presenting at TGS, Microsoft is hoping to combat those low numbers. Throughout TGS, Microsoft will "detail the company's strategy for success in Japan," according to the company.More than 40 Japanese publishers have signed on to publish games for the Xbox 360. Japanese publishers include Bandai Co. Ltd., Capcom Co. Ltd., Koei Co. Ltd., Konami Corp., Namco Ltd., Sega Corp., Square Enix Co. Ltd. and Tecmo Ltd.
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