X-Box Live and Kinect available in SA from November

After years of waiting, X-Box Live will be available to South African gamers in November, just in time for the Christmas shopping rush, according to a local X-Box focussed blog.

While the offical X-Box website advertises that X-Box Live is fast, free and easy to join, this hasn’t been the case for frustrated South African gamers looking to take part in multi-player gaming, and wanting to download extra content for games, connect with friends and much, much more.

Robin Burrowes, a Product Manager for Xbox Live EMEA, revealed the launch date at Gamescon 2010, and claimed that the long delay for South Africa had been due to “infrastructure problems.” The initial launch will just feature the original Xbox Live core services (achievements, Marketplace, matchmaking etc.). The newer features that other regions are currently enjoying (Twitter, Facebook etc.) will launch at a later date.

Microsoft has also announced plans to integrate X-Box gaming functionality into mobile phones. Wikipedia says that “Microsoft has announced plans to extend Live to other platforms such as handhelds and mobile phones as part of the Live Anywhere initiative. With Microsoft’s new mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7, full Xbox Live functionality will be integrated into new Windows Phones launching in late 2010.”

And in other X-Box related news posted by el33tononline.com, the Xbox 360 Kinect, Microsoft’s controller-free gaming device, will be launching across South Africa on the 10th of November. This was confirmed by one of Kinect’s Lead Creative Designers at Gamescon 2010 taking place in Cologne, Germany.

The Kinect device will be available for R1999.99 when it launches and it will come bundled with Kinect Adventures. The Xbox 360 Kinect Console Bundle, which includes Kinect, Kinect Adventures and the Xbox 360 4GB, will retail for R3699.99.