Man who got an Xbox One early invited to launch event

Microsoft invites gamer to launch party after retailer mix up

It looks like things worked out for Swami, AKA the guy who got an Xbox One early and posted an unboxing video. Not long after detailing his experiences on Twitter, his system was banned from Xbox Live and his video was hit by a copyright claim from Microsoft. Of course, this looked like a messy situation for all those involved, so Microsoft has resolved it in a surprising way.

For those unaware, Andre “Swami” Weingarten received his console after ordering it online from Target, and due to retailer error received his system a few days later. Which was still two weeks ahead of its official launch. In a statement from a Microsoft spokesperson, they described what happened and how his system was banned.

“Due to a retail partner’s system issue, a very small number of Xbox One consoles were shipped to consumers before the November 22 street date. We’re pleased to see the initial response to Xbox One has been so positive, but given we are still putting the finishing touches on our games, UI and online services, as well as confidential partner and media agreements, these console units will be restricted from connecting to Xbox Live until closer to our launch date.”

Major Nelson contacted Swami via Twitter and the two were able to work things out. Now, Swami will be an invited guest of Microsoft for the launch event next week. “Microsoft recognized that it was Target’s error and not mine,” Weingarten said. “They said a few days before launch I’ll be unbanned. I can’t go into too much detail but, basically [Major Nelson] says everything will be resolved. They’re inviting me to the Xbox One launch event.”

It’s amazing how quickly this all got resolved, and kudos to Major Nelson for opening up the dialog with Swami. Though his console is still in a temporary banned state, he was positive about the console and pleased with what the system has to offer.

Meet The Guy Who Got The Xbox One Early [Kotaku]