XBox Live launch. Not this year!

We exclusively reported on August 23rd this year that Microsoft's Xbox Live would not make a European launch in 2002. Microsoft's PR company were on the phone within minutes asking us to take the story down, and in the face of their repeated refusal to confirm what we knew to be true, we had no option.

But now, at X02, Microsoft themselves have confirmed that European gamers will have to wait until March 2003 to get their Xbox thrills on-line. This is bound to come as a disappointment to those who own an Xbox or who are hoping to get one this Christmas, if only because the Yanks will have grabbed all the cool handles by Euro-launch. But next spring should see a much better line-up than the seven-game US launch scheduled for November 15th this year.

Xbox owners will have to pay £39.99 for a starter pack to get going, comprising Xbox Communicator kit, subscription to the Xbox Live network, and two free (but as yet un-named) on-line titles.