Love him or hate him but you just can't ignore the face of the Xbox 360 in India; no, I'm not talking about Yuvraj Singh (although you would love to hate him now) or Akshay Kumar; I'm talking about Mohit Anand, Country Manager, Microsoft Entertainment & Devices Division.
The Xbox 360 has been officially launched in India for a while now and from the way it's selling, it's pretty evident that it's here to stay. But even then there are a disgruntled few who seem pretty disappointed about certain "facilities" that should have been available at launch. To (hopefully) put things into perspective, we have a hearty chat with Mohit Anand who talks about Microsoft's plans in India.
How well has the Xbox 360 been selling in India? Has it exceeded your expectations?
The Xbox 360 has evoked a phenomenal response among gamers in India and we are much ahead of our targets.
Why is it so tough to get a VGA cable in India? Is it because of some sort of a customs problem?
Well it is not a custom problem but there are certain legal statutory requirements such as power cables that need to be ISI certified even if the plug does not need certification, but we assure you that we are working towards it and the legal statutory requirements would shortly be put in place for convenience.
When can we expect Live in India? What's causing the delay? As and when Live does get launched, can we expect regional content on the Marketplace as well? Do you plan on retailing XBL subscription/prepaid cards in India?
I would like to confirm hereby that we would be launching Live in India this calendar year, hence request you to stay tuned for exact date and time.
As I mentioned to you earlier that we will soon be launching Live in India and would share more details closer to the launch.
Crackdown was released here nearly 5 days before its American release; can we expect the same treatment for other titles as well?
We are committed to bring the latest games on Xbox 360 to India very soon. We are committed to working with third party gamers so that we can bring the most awaited games on time to our gaming patrons. In India gaming is still in a very nascent stage and Xbox 360 is blazing the trail, which nobody is following, so to get wide eco system we have been successful in launching around 45 titles which we have today and would be launching many more, in times to come.
Do you game yourself? Have you played the 360 system seller; Gears of War?
Whenever I get time I do try my hand on my favorite console and and yes, I have played Gears of War.
What are your views regarding the PS3 and the Wii?
We always welcome competition. As the first entrant in the Indian market, we're pleased to be able to bring Indian gamers what they want, much ahead of any other console. Gamers in India have been craving next-generation gaming and entertainment experiences, which only Xbox 360 can offer. We believe, that for ultimately winning the hearts and minds of gamers, it isn't about raw console power alone but innovative and connected high-definition digital entertainment and all of that is available on the Xbox 360 today.
Will we have official vendors that will provide free shipping for 360 titles in India?
We do have an E- Store on E Bay site as a Microsoft Store and is run by our key retails partners. All gamers ordering through that store today are given free shipping across India. We will add more such options in times to come
Has the budget affected the price of the console or the games? If so kindly elaborate.
The budget has not affected the prices of the console as well as games, though we are disappointed since the lowering of duties and the subsequent benefits would have been passed on to the consumers at large. Nevertheless, we are committed to continue working with the government.
Can you pass on any info regarding the "Zephyr" (which by the way is now called the Elite)?
We would not like to respond to any kind of rumors and speculations.
What are your future plans regarding the Xbox 360?
Well the future plan is to create gaming as the third pillar of entertainment in India, after Movies and Sports.
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Ganesh Muthiah
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