John Schappert, Microsoft Corp.’s VP, announced during the Tokyo Game Show that the release of the new Xbox interface has been scheduled for November 19.

The upgraded interface will be available simultaneously in 26 different countries in 19 different languages. The new Xbox experience offers a completely reinvented manner of navigating an Xbox 360, borrowing Vista's Aero task switcher and allowing users to move through its various channels, which are expected to be expanded beyond the current dashboard's five.

The huge Japanese video game market, estimated at about $6.8 billion, is one of Microsoft’s main targets, as until now the company has been way behind its competitors Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co.

"My message to you today is that we believe Xbox 360 is the platform best equipped to help Japanese publishers succeed on a global basis," said Schappert, adding that the many partnerships with Japanese game developers have placed the company in a great position that they are extremely proud of.

In an effort to attract more customers, Microsoft decided on some significant discounts for its consoles. Its cheapest model, the Xbox 360 Arcade, is now priced at 19,800 yen ($198) from the previous 27,800 yen ($278), making it the market’s cheapest next-generation console. Just to get a wider view of the market’s offer, Nintendo's Wii is priced at 25,000 yen ($250), and Sony's PlayStation 3 model is available in Japan for about 40,000 yen ($400).

The price is indeed a good first step, but according to the analysts, it is not enough to drive a significant sales boost. This measure must be accompanied by the release of a series of new games that present the potential to appeal to the Japanese consumers. Looking to also cover this aspect, there have been several releases of role-playing games in recent weeks, such as Square Enix Holdings’ "Infinite Undiscovery" and Namco Bandai Holdings' Tales of "Vesperia." "Relationships we've formed over the eight years of doing business with our Japanese partners really are paying dividends now as we see legendary franchises coming and making their new home on the Xbox 360," explained Schappert.

Microsoft managed to sell more than 20 million Xbox 360 consoles worldwide, still keeping a large distance from Nintendo’s 30 million sold units. Coming in third is PlayStation 3 with its worldwide sales of 14.4 million.

Mr. Schappert explained for the Associated Press that they are about to reach their goal of selling one million Xbox 360 units in Japan. "We've done better than we forecast. We are finding that we have a shortage of hardware," explained the corporate vice president who is in charge of overseeing the company’s online game services and game software.

The launch, scheduled just over a month before the holiday season and combined with the low prices and new attractive game releases, should lead to some significantly improved sales by the end of the year. Still, the competition should also be feared, as it is highly unlikely that Sony and Nintendo’s strategies will not target December’s sales.