Redington will be Microsoft's games products distributor

ChennaiChennai, July 25 (IANS) Microsoft Tuesday announced that Redington India Ltd would be its sole distributor in India for its gaming product, the XBOX 360. This video gaming and entertainment system (like a playstation) will be sold in India from Diwali onwards. According to a pre-sales survey done in India by Microsoft, there are 1.6 million gamers in India, although the market is still a niche market, and mostly belongs to gamers on the personal computer. The company said today that by 2008, it expected that there would be 800,000 gamers, playing primarily on its platform in India. Redington, a $5 billion company headquartered here, will distribute the gaming consoles and provide servicing for the product across India. Microsoft Corporation produced the XBOX system in 2001, revolutionising the gaming industry, but it was only sold in the US, Japan and in Europe. In 2005, it offered a new product, the XBOX 360 of which, it says, has so far sold five million units and nearly a 100 games. Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division, country manager Mohit Anand informed media here that 'about 25 of the top games' would be sold in India by Microsoft India. Redington will set up 15 flagship stores for XBOX in seven cities, the four metros, besides Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad where India's gaming community is concentrated. It will also tie up with exclusive retail stores too for selling the gaming consoles. It will have a few special gaming lounges too, housing only Microsoft products. Microsoft already has one such lounge at an IMOX theatre complex in Mumbai for its IBOX 360 games. The consoles will be of two kinds, one XBOX 360 model costing Rs.19,991 and another, with a wireless control, which will cost about Rs.23,999. The unit will have a CPU with a hard drive, a memory unit, high definition graphics, wireless control, plug and play facility, and also facilities for plugging in add-ons like DVDs, ipods, cameras and other electronic equipment, which can all be seen and heard on the same console. The games will have to be bought individually. Redington India chief executive officer, J.S. Kulkarni said: 'XBOX 360 is an ultimate technology product. With high percentage of the young population and increasing income levels, Indians are looking at newer ways of entertainment. India is a virgin market and we are excited about are partnership with Microsoft for distribution of this product in this country.' Microsoft is a world leader in software and Microsoft India, is a wholly owned subsidiary. This is the first time that Microsoft will be bringing gaming products into India, and says it is acquiring a leadership position in this segment by being in India ahead of all others in the business.