Xbox launches in Japan

Microsoft launched its Xbox videogame console in Japan today, and BBC News Online reports that hundreds of Japanese fans flocked to the centre of Tokyo to pick up their console. Microsoft boss Bill Gates was in Tokyo to promote the console, chatting to shoppers in Shibuya as he did on November 15th in Times Square, New York for the American launch. The first owner of an Xbox in Japan apparently described the console as "sexy". Despite a line-up consisting largely of ports and games of Western origin which have not traditionally sold well in Japan, the console has been tipped to surprise its handlers in Japan by analysts. They believe the console's built in Ethernet and hard disk give it the edge over Sony's market-leading PlayStation 2.