Xbox 360 Japanese Launch Line-Up Firmed Up, DoA 4 Slips

Tecmo announced a delay for the Japanese release of Dead or Alive 4, the Xbox 360 entry in the series that was to have been one of the system's launch titles in Japan. Originally slated to hit Japanese stores on December 10th, concurrent with the next-generation console's launch, the game has been moved back a week to December 17th. Oddly enough, the game still seems to be on schedule for a December 8th release in the U.S. The delay leaves Microsoft with 6 games coming out alongside the Xbox 360: Perfect Dark Zero, Ridge Racer 6, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Every Party, FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup, and Tetris: The Grandmaster Ace. The loss may affect the system's day-one success, since the Dead or Alive series was one of the top sellers on the original Xbox, and the system is left with only Ridge Racer 6 as a major Japanese-developed launch title. The Xbox 360 will be released for 39,800 yen ($335 USD) on December 10th. Unlike the American release, the Japanese version will come in only one format, which includes the system, a wireless controller, the 20GB hard drive, an Xbox Live headset, HD AV cables, the media remote controller, broadband cable, and a 1-month trial membership for Xbox Live Gold.