xbox in japanese grade schools

[googlefest1]

check this out - more demo than any thing but may become something bigger

XBoxen in Japanese Schools
"Not for playing games":

Classrooms in Japan will be getting Xboxes, but not for playing games. Microsoft announced on Thursday that it will donate Xbox consoles enabled with video chat capabilities to all elementary and junior high schools in Tokyo's Suginami ward in hopes of helping the children become more IT-literate.

A total of 80 Xbox units will be given out to 44 grade schools, 23 junior high schools and eight other public facilities in Suginami starting in late June. The consoles will let Microsoft teach the students how to use videoconferencing to take online classes, as well as communicate with other Xbox Live-enabled schools.

Take online classes? Neat.

It's a pity that there's only one Box per school, so it's more of a demo box than useful to many; and that this announcement comes hot on the heels of Microsoft announcing that the 360 'will win' in Japan. Altruistic move, or just part of the marketing plan? You decide.

from : http://crystaltips.typepad.com/wonderland/2005/06/xboxen_in_japan.html

[poloplayr]

I knew it; XBOX really is a kiddie console. Go Gamecube! Go! Go! Go!

[Six Switch]

i was in japan last week and my friend and i were playing xbox and a few japanese guys made fun of us.

good story

[googlefest1]

dont worry about it - i think they were biased

[Poofta!]

i think its a shameless marketing stunt.

shame on them. 1 box per school? wtf are they supposed to do with that? it should be like 1-4 per classroom for it to achieve any purpose. unless of course if the purpose is to show it to kids so that when the 360 comes out they'll all want one. :angry:

[tholly]

yea....one box per school is kinda sad.....thats just to get their name in the news.....to really accomplish the purpose they intended to they would need at least 1 in every classroom......oh well....i guess 1 is better than 0

[MegaDrive20XX]

geez, it's kind of sad to see Xbox used for Educational purposes when one of your top selling games features Volleyballs and women in dental floss-bikinis....

[rbudrick]

Hmmm...sounds like a future sought after rare console. I wonder if the hardware will be slightly different or if there will be a special rare software disc...or if they'll just add some software to the HD

-Rob

[Jorpho]

Tokyo's Suginami ward in hopes of helping the children become more IT-literate.

I would not have expected a city like Tokyo to have problems with IT literacy. Perhaps computers are not as abundant there as one might be led to believe.