Shanghai, China — Microsoft and BesTV announced that Xbox One will officially launch in China on September 29. This is a historic moment for Xbox, Microsoft, BesTV and most importantly gamers and families as Xbox One becomes the first console to launch in China in 14 years.
“After receiving government approval for the first wave of games, we will launch with the first 10 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 Enwei Xie, General Manager of Xbox China. “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.”
At launch, games approved for Xbox One in China include digital versions of “Forza Motorsport 5”, “Kinect Sports Rivals,” “Powerstar Golf,” “Zoo Tycoon,” “Max: The Curse of Brotherhood,” “Dance Central Spotlight” from Harmonix, “Neverwinter Online” from Perfect World, Ubisoft’s “Rayman Legends” and “Trials Fusion,” and “Naughty Kitties” from Chinese ID@Xbox developer, Coconut Island. E-Home Entertainment, the Microsoft and BesTV joint venture, has a pipeline of more than 70 titles its working to bring to China, including games like “Halo: The Master Chief Collection,” “Killer Instinct,” “Ori and the Blind Forest,” and others from leading publishers including Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, 2K, Yingpei Games, Perfect World, Snail Games, Netease, Gamebar and Tencent. Chinese gamers will also be able to look forward to even more titles from independent developers, bringing their content to life via the ID@Xbox self-publishing program. Xbox One games are intended to be available on disc after launch and digitally so gamers can choose the version that’s best for them.
At launch fans will also be able to download apps such as GameFY, Skype, and Game DVR with more experiences coming soon including the BesTV app, music and karaoke, entertainment, social and gaming, fitness and sports apps. Final delivery of the BesTV app and its extensive video and entertainment content is expected soon.
“China has celebrated gaming for many years and there couldn’t be a better way to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone than to deliver the first approved console to our fans,” said Zhang Dazhong, Senior Vice President of Shanghai Media Group and Chairman of the Board, E-Home Entertainment. “At BesTV we have a rich history of delivering innovative entertainment content and the arrival of Xbox One allows us to dynamically expand our experiences for gamers and families across China in the coming months.”
“This milestone is significant for both our partnership with China and our global expansion plan. Every new market launch is unique and we’re grateful to our fans for their patience and enthusiasm throughout the process,” said Phil Spencer, head of Xbox. “We will continue to work closely with our partner BesTV to bring exciting games, entertainment and app experiences to delight gamers across China.”
Xbox fans can get their hands on the next generation of gaming at more than 4,000 retail locations in 37 cities throughout the People’s Republic of China on the morning of September 29 when stores open. Starting at ¥4299 RMB with Kinect and ¥3699 RMB without Kinect, Xbox One offers a localized Chinese interface, translated content, local payment methods, innovative pricing models for games, free access to Xbox Live Gold through March 2015, local customer support, and a two-year warranty.
