Microsoft reveal broadband strategy for Japan
NTT to become strategic partner in Xbox network
Microsoft have announced the details of their strategic broadband alliance with Japanese monster telecoms operator NTT Communications Corp. Chairman Bill Gates will launch the Xbox in Japan with an elaborate keynotes address tonight at the Tokyo Game Show, and spoke ahead of that engagement about the deal. "Every Xbox console has built-in broadband capability, the technology of the future for online video gaming. This alliance with NTT Com will enable gamers to enjoy the best online game content and gaming experience available." The widespread proliferation of ADSL over the last year in Japan has created the perfect virtual audience for the Xbox to entertain. Through its alliance with NTT, Microsoft will be able to make use of the broadband network, with its Japanese Xbox division co-managing the supply and demand. In a welcome move, this division will also provide support to developers working to include Internet capability in their software. Like Sega and Sony before them, Microsoft see broadband as the way forward. However they are the first company to make inroads on the network side of things. Sega just sort of hoped that something would be there to handle their requirements, and Sony have a plan for this financial year to implement theirs. The Xbox is arguably the first console to be built from the ground up with online gaming in mind. The presence of onboard storage and Ethernet support pave the way for such technologies. Microsoft's official press statement suggests that NTT and Microsoft are also co-operating on a larger scale fiber-optic network for the future. Related Feature - Sony Flex Fibre-Optic Muscles