TGS 06: 360 comes full circle in Japan

For more from the presentation, check out the blog as it happened below.

2:02 pm: The event is beginning with a video montage of many of Microsoft's biggest upcoming titles like Gears of War and Viva Pinata, as well as a lot of stats on the Xbox Live user base. General Manager Takashi Sensui has now taken the stage to open the event with a prediction: 10 million sales of the Xbox 360 worldwide by the end of 2006.

2:07: Games need a "qualitative transformation" to progress, says Sensui. He goes on to proselytize about the ease of 360 development and the development advantages offered by unique features like Xbox Live.

	Now THAT'S a slogan.

For "choice," he's emphasizing customization of the console and especially of the online experience. This is the same stuff we heard from the American execs before the 360 launch.

Finally, "live" is self-explanatory--communication and social aspects enhance the gameplay experience. These concepts have driven the 360 to strong sales in the US and Europe; will they finally catch on here in Japan?

2:15: Sensui is moving on to describe upcoming peripherals and packaging. A new core system is on the way for November 2; looks like the same configuration as the American one, at a price of 29,800 yen (about US$254). At least PGR3 and Ninety-Nine Nights round out the package.

Now the Xbox Live Vision camera, which is finally on the streets--officially--in North America. The package looks the same as it is across the Pacific--a month of Live Gold and a free copy of Uno. Also out November 2, at a price of 4,200 yen (US$36).

	The posh Cerulean Tower Hotel.

Now it's the wireless steering wheel, which we already knew has force feedback included. Pricing and release yet to be announced.

Finally, the hard drive and remote control will be hitting stores along with the core system at 9,500 yen (US$81) and 3,000 yen (US$26), respectively.

2:21: Ah, something everybody wants to know more about: The HD-DVD add-on. It connects with a USB, as we know, and supports 1080p. Mr. Kawanaka from the hardware division is now leading a live demo of the peripheral, which seems to integrate seamlessly with the 360 dashboard. Insert an HD-DVD disc, see an option to play it at the bottom of the screen, just like normal.

And what finer cinematic masterpiece with which to demo the new peripheral than The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift? We're seeing some demo features that can be found in all HD-DVD players, like bookmarks and picture-in-picture commentary. Playback also integrates seamlessly with the dashboard. No big surprises here--except perhaps that you can do video chat while you're watching a movie.

The drive will be hitting the streets November 22 at a price of 20,790 (US$177), including tax. But when will it be out in the US?

2:29: Next up is everyone's favorite spokesman, Peter Moore. Time to pull off this dumb headset!

	It seems Moore is a big fan of doing.

The Japanese market isn't the only one Microsoft is focusing on. In the next few weeks, the Xbox 360 will be launching in India and South Africa, bringing the total number of countries in which the console is available to 32.

More big numbers about Live. Moore mentions the effectiveness of Live as a marketing tool. After the Dead Rising demo hit Marketplace, preorders of the game purportedly doubled.

2:35: Discussion turns to Live Anywhere, Microsoft's initiative to unify the Xbox 360, Windows Vista, and Windows Mobile devices. Alas, no real new details about the service, other than to reinforce Shadowrun as the initial Live Anywhere launch title.

Everyone loves Xbox Live Arcade, and here's a demo reel of what's coming soon. Any new surprises in store? Among the games not yet out: Defender, Gyruss, Contra, Lumines, Dig Dug, and Fatal Fury Special.