Countdown to XBox 360

Manufacturing of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 gaming kit kicks into high gear as the company braces for unprecedented global demand. In a press release datelined Tokyo, Microsoft predicts that the unit will hit the store shelves on :

November 22 in North America
December 2 in Europe
December 10 in Japan.

The company claims : “In preparation for what is expected to be massive worldwide demand for the new system, Microsoft also announced that Xbox 360 manufacturing is under way, with state-of-the-art facilities producing millions of units ultimately bound for frenzied gamers’ homes from Osaka, Japan, to Oxford, England, and Orlando, Fla.”

In a remarkably hyped media release, the Redmond outfit describes its newest gaming product in starry terms :

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,” said Robbie Bach, chief Xbox officer for Microsoft. “Renowned development studios around the world are busy putting the finishing touches on their Xbox 360 games. 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.

For all those “pining to experience jaw-dropping high-definition graphics…” clearly Christmas is set to sparkle this year.