EB Games Australia has just sent out a statement claiming that the Xbox One launch is the biggest gaming launch in Australian history. Over 317 stores were open at midnight last night to launch the console, and EB Games was host to seven official launches. Stock is still said to be available in stores and online.
In Australia, only the second country in the world to launch after New Zealand, Xbox took over the Sydney skyline, with the iconic Luna Park face and Sydney Tower washed in a sea of Xbox green, to celebrate the biggest launch in Xbox history.
To bring in the official countdown to midnight – the first moment people could get their hands on their consoles – a show stopping 3D water projection took place on the harbour beneath the North pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The spectacular display saw a tribute to the gaming culture splashed across the water in a way never seen before by Sydney siders.
In an Australian first, the Sydney Tower switched off the Westfield sign for the evening and was transformed into a green beacon, its top doubling as the Southern Hemisphere’s largest countdown clock as midnight approached.
As well as Sydney’s iconic skyline turning green, the official Xbox One launch party was held at Luna Park in Sydney. Treated to an intimate performance by The Presets, the event was attended by more than 300 people, including 100 of the biggest Xbox fans in the country, who were also the first to collect their consoles.
