E3 2013: Xbox One won’t launch in Asia till 2014

Microsoft’s Xbox One won’t be released in Asia or Japan until 2014, the console manufacturer has let slip.

The console is set to launch this November in the US and Europe.

The move to release the console in Asia next year is part of a “staged approach”, according to Alan Bowman, Microsoft’s regional vice president for sales and marketing in Asia, speaking to the Wall Street Journal.

The company has placed this delay down it working on localising content for the Asian continent, while also noticeably reducing the room that the Kinect motion sensor requires, to match the potentially smaller living spaces in cities such as Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong.

“We listened to the feedback, not everyone in Asia has living rooms,” said Bowman. “The field of vision required for Kinect is much smaller.”

Following this, Microsoft commented to Gamasutra: “In the coming year Xbox One will continue to roll out around the world. Stay tuned for details about future markets and timings.”

There is more to this, however. Microsoft has been drifting further away from Asia and Japan since it’s last attempt to win favour in the region with Xbox 360. Asian consumers haven’t taken to the 360, which has been repeatedly outsold by the likes of PS3, Wii and handheld consoles.

It’s attempts to win over developers and consumers have been unsuccessful on the whole, and as a result Microsoft’s has been reining in its engagement with the region.