You’re invited! Details of Xbox One global launch events announced

Get ready to party before the party: Major global launch events are slated in the hours leading up to the Xbox One’s release at 12:01 a.m. Nov. 22 around the world, and you are invited.

Marquee events are planned in major cities including New York City, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Sao Paulo, Toronto and Sydney, reports Lisa Gurry, editor of Xbox Wire.

The festivities will be showcased in a live broadcast airing on Spike TV, beginning at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT, also on Xbox.com and on Xbox Live.

“In the U.S., the ultimate midnight celebration will take place in Times Square in New York City,” Gurry writes. “The world of Xbox One will come to life as zombies, Roman soldiers and supercars converge on the Best Buy Theater, where awaiting fans will be among the first in America to receive their consoles and countdown to midnight with great games, entertainment and special surprises.”

The “pinnacle of the evening will be a performance by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, streamed outside the Best Buy Theater, and attended by 1,000 lucky fans who will experience the ultimate Xbox One launch,” she writes. “The first 1,000 people in line outside the Best Buy Theater in Times Square who purchase an Xbox One or Xbox One game will enjoy the concert in-person and the opportunity to enjoy special gameplay experiences with ‘Forza Motorsport 5,’ ‘Ryse: Son of Rome,’ ‘Dead Rising 3,’ ‘Killer Instinct’ and other Xbox One game titles.”

In Los Angeles, Xbox fans are invited to Milk Studios, which will be turned into a “gamer haven, with gameplay stations for the new games.” The first 500 gamers who buy an Xbox One or Xbox One game will enjoy an exclusive concert with deadmau5.

More than 10,000 retail locations in 13 countries will open their doors at 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 22 to welcome fans, and many retailers have their own special events, ranging from free giveaways to entertainment on-site to visual spectacles.

To get your party planning started, head over to Xbox Wire.

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Suzanne Choney
Microsoft News Center Staff

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