It seems as though the US release date of the Xbox One could be November 8th, one week before the release of its main competitor, the PlayStation 4.
There’s nothing confirmed yet – Microsoft haven’t discussed the Xbox One release date beyond “November” and “it’ll be delayed until March in many European countries” so there’s not really a firm date, but this leak comes from an internal Walmart company conference call email which lists all of the chain’s midnight releases.
These releases include GTA V on September 17th, Battlefield 4 on October 29th, Call of Duty 2013 on November 5th, PS4 on November 15th and something described as “XBox 1 Console” on the 8th.
If I was making up a release date for the Xbox One, it would probably be one week before the PS4. Then again, if I was working at Microsoft and tasked with choosing a release date, it would probably be one week before the PS4.
Leaks are never usually right, though. Are they?
Source: Kotaku
beeje13
I still don’t know whether Sony/Microsoft tell retailers about prices/dates before the public announcement. Too easy and too many opportunities to leak potentially sensitive information?
Could just be Wal-Mart’s placeholder, hence it doesn’t say ‘confirmed’
Scythegpd
After the reports of rumoured yield issues with the XB1 and the RRoD debacle with the 360 I wouldn’t touch the console with a barge pole for a good few months after launch.
MS have shown already that they’re happy to ship an unfinished unreliable product to stores just to get a head-start and then pretend an issue doesn’t exist until threatened with a class action lawsuit.
If, as a consumer, you’re happy with that then you get what you deserve. This time round they need to prove to me their console is reliable before I’ll go anywhere near it (and if they could remove kinect that’d be lovely)
Dazbobaby
I’m with Scythegp, Microsoft have also done so many u-turns they’ve completely lost any direction at all.
I’m also fearful of the u-turns, what’s to stop them from locking down the console later once they have customers locked in to it?
Dazbobaby
Forgot to add:
They also waited for Sony to give their launch date and will now do anything to beat them, it’s all a bit too underhanded and may end up being a horrible hurried mess.
HunterGatherer
Not exactly got a shining track record for making hardware. I wouldn’t trust them beyond a Keyboard and Mouse personally.
Dunks
Date sounds about right and I think they’re willing to do anything to get a head start. Even if that means jumping the gun on PS4 and not really being ready.
TSBonyman
Makes sense, it looks like they will need any advantage they can get for the launch.
Amphlett
“Leaks are never usually right, though. Are they?” Quite true. I had a leak earlier and it was very, very wrong.
Peter Chapman
Do you think that means 8th of Nov in North America and 22nd in UK and the bits of Europe they’re still releasing in this year? They’d need to make an announcement sharpish, wouldn’t they?
cam the man
That sounds like something they would be aiming for but I don’t think a release a week before PS4 will make any difference to sales.
jimmy-google
Both keep saying they’re basically sold out at launch so I don’t see what releasing a week early does to help Microsoft.
If they’re not truly ready then it could just end up being bad press.
No one seemed to have the PS4 dates correct so I don’t see why we can expect the XBO date predictions to be correct either.
KeRaSh
Yup, I agree. Launch stock seems pretty much sold out anyways so they’d limit themselves even more by releasing early due to Sony’s dates.
If this holds true MS might run into trouble by rushing things.
Sony said they’d definitely release first this time around. Let’s see if Kaz was right.
Starman
Given that both consoles are pretty much sold out on preorders alone, releasing earlier wouldn’t actually give much of an advantage would it? There’d be none on the shelves for anyone else to buy.
cam the man
Your right, I think sales will be down to the number of consoles both Sony and MS have manufactured and not who first to market.
Scythegpd
Yeah it won’t change sales numbers as the launch allocations will sell out irrelevant.
But I suspect what they’re hoping for is to take the wind out of Sonys sails, get the focus on the XB1 instead of the PS4. Make it a tangible product so swing buyers go “You know, I may as well wait for this console”
But if they do do this, considering the console hasn’t even received FCC approval, they better make sure the console is bullet proof. They don’t have a years head-start this time to pretend a RRoD fiasco doesn’t exist while customers don’t have an alternative.
I’m just waiting for the inevitable “PS4 burnt down my house” and “I put my PS4 in a dust-bowl now Sony won’t replace it” stories that’ll come out in the months following launch. Happened last time, have no doubts it’ll happen this time. If they can’t beat the PS4 on power and games they’ll sure as hell try doing it on character assassination and negative customer perception.
Starman
Regarding your last paragraph, are you implying that Microsoft control the news media? There were loads of mainstream news stories on the 360 rrod.
Scythegpd
Eh?
I never said anything of the sort.
I was referring to the well documented cases where MS has funded negative viral marketing campaigns towards competitions and/or provided misinformation (the one that instantly pops into my mind is US vs Microsoft court case on open source or the Halloween documents)
HunterGatherer
Microsoft have unlimited cash and without a doubt control the media.
I’m guessing Starman hasn’t been to a Microsot press event, where the basic premise is to bribe all in attendance, sure it’s not green dollar bill, as that is clearly illegal, but it’s the next best thing. Free flights, free hotel, free dinners, free consoles, free XboxLive, free games, a goodie bag from their “partners” with the latest tablets ahdn phones etc etc etc.
It’s really quite sickening when you know what goes on in the background when you need glowing reviews or some bad news brushed under the carpet.
You really shouldn’t trust ANY online or offline blog or news site that doesn’t publicly publish it’s ethics and gifting policy. If they don’t, it usually means they have something to hide….
miki759
… It’s weird this article is labeled as News.
You should create a new category: Rumors ;)
The joys of blablablabla ^^
Eldave0
Personally I have been trying to work it out based on its launch titles. What’s confusing me there however is that Watch_Dogs is supposedly a launch title for both the X1 and PS4. Watch_Dogs is out November 22nd but the PS4 is apparently out the week prior so by that logic the X1 launch is anyone’s guess. If I were a gambling man I would say the 5th as releasing on the same day as Ghosts would result in huge sales.