Microsoft said on Monday it would launch its new Xbox 360 game console in Japan and Europe in time for the year-end holiday shopping season. Microsoft, which unveiled the Xbox 360 in May, had already announced plans to launch the console this year in the United States ahead of the holiday season, which begins in late November.

It had previously said Japanese and European launches would follow within six weeks. The launch will follow more than 100 game titles. The US software giant announced on Monday it will work with more than 50 Japanese firms to create titles for its new silver console.

Microsoft announced earlier this year that it has signed up video-game legend Hironobu Sakaguchi, whose role-playing title "Final Fantasy" helped PlayStation triumph, to design titles for the next-generation Xbox.

Other prominent Japanese firms that will take part in design for the Xbox include Atari, Bandai, Capcom Konami, Namco, Sega and Tommy.

Microsoft's new white-and-silver concave console will feature three PowerPC-based microprocessors (3.2GHz) joined onto one chip to deliver powerful computing and advanced graphics, 512 megabytes of operating memory, as well as a detachable 20-gigabyte hard drive and a wireless controller.

Microsoft aims to unseat gaming market leader Sony Corp. by launching the Xbox 360 ahead of Sony's planned launch of its PlayStation 3 in spring 2006. Sony controls more than two-thirds of the game console market.