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Stevie G, Spock and a zombie star in Xbox One launch ad

Microsoft has revealed its launch advert for the Xbox One, and it involves football, cars, zombies and robots.

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
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Joe Svetlik
2 min read

Microsoft has shown off its launch advert for the Xbox One. The ad aired on YouTube, and will be broadcast in the US from Sunday, ahead of the console's launch on 22 November. The console touches down on these shores that day too, so you could well see the ad on your gogglebox this weekend.

The 90-second ad stars Steven Gerrard, Mister Spock from Star Trek, fast cars and decrepit zombies. I've embedded it below, so you can have a butcher's.

Here it is.

Not bad, eh? It bigs up the console's combined gaming and entertainment skills, marketing it as a one-stop shop for all your lounge-based needs. A robot blasts through an office window! Roman armies maraud down side streets! A zombie's arm falls off!

The ad is positioned as an invite as well. It's called "Xbox One: Invitation", and the characters -- including Stevie G and Zachary Quinto (aka Mister Spock) from Star Trek -- all beckon regular Joes into the fold. (The lyrics of the song say "Come on" too.)

"This is an invitation to a new generation," the narrator intones. "Where your games and entertainment are no longer separated, but together, in one."

The Microsoft-owned Skype is also shown off on the console, demonstrating how the One can keep you connected with pals.

Microsoft is going on an all-out marketing assault for the Xbox One. As well as the ad, it's hitting the road with the Xbox One Tour, which involves parties, and trucks kitted out with the console, letting you get gaming. The tour has started already, and will hit Dublin from 14-17 November, and London from 21-24 of that month.

The PS4 goes on sale a week after the Xbox One, on 29 November. But which are you hoping to find under your tree come Christmas morning? Or are you after something else entirely? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.