The expected launch hiccups for the Xbox One already seem to be over, as Microsoft talks of ‘unprecedented’ levels of pre-orders.
Given the effects of thousands of people all logging onto the same thing at once the chances of a smooth launch for a major new game – or games console – is all but impossible. But Microsoft so far seems to have got away with things fairly well.
Problems did start last night, when not only did Xbox Live go down but so did Xbox.com. Even Outlook.com wasn’t working, and all just hours before the Xbox One was meant to launch.
But whatever panic button was pressed it seems to have worked, and certainly at time of writing we can access everything on our console.
‘Microsoft can confirm that all online services have been restored. We are investigating the root cause of the disruption and will continue to keep customers updated as information becomes available,’ Microsoft told GamesIndustry International.
Microsoft last night hosted lavish launch events around the world, including London, Berlin, San Francisco, and New York. Unlike the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One is released at the same time in the UK and North America, although only a select few other European countries are will be able to pick it up this month.
The PlayStation 4 launched in North America last Friday and arrives in Europe next week, but there’s likely to be no way to tell which is performing better for some time, as both are expected to sell out of all their initial stock by Christmas.
‘It will be a significantly bigger than 360′, said Microsoft’s Phil Harrison of the launch. ‘Pre-orders have been unprecedented, and the supply that we are bringing in to the market in addition to the pre-orders will mean that by far and away it’s our biggest launch ever’.
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