When was the last time you heard of an American company calibrating itself around a Hindu holiday?

Microsoft plans to launch its Xbox 360 gaming console in India, where an economic boom has boosted incomes and spurred spending. The U.S. software firm aims to hit the market before… Diwali, when many companies pay annual bonuses to workers. [Link]

This estimate is true — and all 1.6 million young’uns camp out at Reliance Internet cafés after school every day to play Counterstrike and other games of unknown provenance, making other customers flee into corners and resentfully surf with massive amounts of lag. Bah, kids these days — no respect (or bandwidth) for their elders

“It is estimated there are 1.6 million gamers in India who spend at least two hours playing everyday,” said Mohit Anand, country manager at Microsoft’s India entertainment and devices division. [Link]