While most are looking forward to getting into a fight to get our hands of a PS3, or playing their Xbox360 for the second Christmas running, have a thought for our readers in South Africa, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.

Why? Because Microsoft is only just getting around to launching its next generation console in these countries next month.

Lucky gamers in the countries mentioned above will be able to get their hands on the console from the 29 September 2006 and in South Africa it will sell for an estimated retail price of R3699. The Xbox360 Core System will be available for R2699.

South African gamers will enjoy a just four games at launch. “Project Gotham Racing 3”, “Kameo” and “Perfect Dark Zero”, with the promise of other games like “Gears of War”, “Crackdown”, “Viva Pinata” and “Forza 2” to follow in the following weeks.

“We’re very excited to be bringing Xbox360 to gamers in South Africa in time for the upcoming year-end holidays, when we expect to have sold 10 million consoles around the world”, said Chris Lewis, Regional Vice President for EMEA Home and Entertainment Division, Microsoft.

In addition to the five new countries, Xbox is still to launch in four further countries including Chile and India this year.

>> Microsoft - Official website of Microsoft