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Thursday, November 18, 2004

Microsoft backs off Xbox in India

Microsoft's Xbox, widely popular console is in controversy regarding its launch in India. Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer was quoted in a daily as saying that the company will not be launching the gaming hardware any time soon in the country due to the high rate of piracy in India. Mohit Anand, manager of the entertainment device division of Microsoft, said, "The Xbox has not launched in India and we have no plans on launching the device in the Indian market right now. But Sujata Softech, the Xbox's distributor in India, launched the Xbox on the third of this month in Mumbai. One cannot understand the strategy of Microsoft of not releasing Xbox officially in India in almost 2005 when it was launched abroad way back in November 2001 and also the Xbox2 is around the corner. Though the Xbox lovers got their console through grey market and it is easily available. It would be no doubt that after the launch of Xbox2 that it will also be available in grey market if Microsoft did not launch the console in India.