Article: MICROSOFT DELAYS XBOX JAPAN LAUNCH TO FEB.

(Reuters) - U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp said on Monday it would delay the Japanese launch of its Xbox game console to February 22 from an initially planned debut late this year.

While the delay means Microsoft will miss the key year-end shopping season in the lucrative Japanese market, analysts said it came as little surprise because the software giant appeared to be focusing on the home market.

"We had expected the Xbox to appear in Japan around March, so this is not a surprise," said Nobumasa Morimoto, senior analyst at Tokyo-Mitsubishi Securities.

In its first foray into the hardware business and gaming industry, Microsoft is set to ...

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