British Telecom Customers - Don’t Buy an Xbox 360 Anytime Soon

Normally it’s Japan or Korea, but with the Xbox 360 underselling, well, … everything else there, it’s Great Britain getting the cool toy first. Microsoft announced at CES that the Xbox 360 is adding IPTV support. The only carrier to support it at launch is British Telecom - only in Britain of course. If you already own a 360 and want IPTV stop reading here, you can just get a standard set-top box like everyone else.

From the CES keynote speech that Bill Gates shared with him, Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division, notes:

You’ll be able to buy an Xbox 360 through BT, use it as a gaming console, as well as a set top box on your TV.

To me that sure makes it sound like we have to buy the customized IPTV Xbox 360 from British Telecom. Or, once it’s available elsewhere from the service provider who’s holding you up for your monthly bill. That means those of us with a box already either need to buy a second Xbox 360 or hope for yet another stacking, external add-on like the HD-DVD drive. Wonder if Microsoft will let Red Ring of Death victims pay for an upgrade.