Xbox 360 launch event details @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on November 08, 2005

News: Xbox 360: Zero Hour is coming to a Mojave Desert near you.

All summer Microsoft has been running various Internet games with weird names like Hex168 and Origen. Most of us couldn't wrap our heads around green bunnies, magic trees and other assorted weirdness, so we ignored them. But it turns out that the winners of those games and 3000 other lucky gamers will get to take part in the Xbox 360 launch event known as Zero Hour.

Zero Hour will begin at an "undisclosed location in the Mojave Desert" at dusk on November 20 and go until 12:01 AM on November 22, the official "launch" time of the Xbox 360.

During this day and a half long party Microsoft will set up hundreds of 360 systems including the first 32-player Perfect Dark Zero deathmatch and other launch titles. Gears of War will also be there for "live game play". That's just vague enough that it could mean anything.

So how do you become one of the lucky 3000? Well, on November 10 you have to go to http://www.microsoft.com/xbox/zerohour.htm and find out what the patricipating registration sites are. From there "sign-up forms will be posted at unspecified times throughout the day" and tickets will be given out on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Thankfully (and this is very nice of Microsoft), since everyone will be partying in the desert on launch day, Microsoft has partnered with Best Buy to sell Xbox 360 systems to Zero Hour attendees.

Wait, it gets better. From the press release: "attendees will be able to purchase food and beverages at around-the-clock refreshment stations." All I know is, the winners better not forget their wallets.

Live music will be provided by the band Louis XIV and something called a Kaiju Big Battel will be happening at Zero Hour as well.

So there you have it. If you want to be one of the first people to play the Xbox 360 (not counting all those journalists at E3 and all those schlubs who've played a demo unit at every store in the country), this is your ticket.