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Pitbull Headlines Microsoft Flagship Celebration at Rockefeller Center

By Noah Hurowitz | October 26, 2015 3:55pm
 Pitbull performed at Rockefeller Center to celebrate the opening of the Microsoft's flagship.
Microsoft store
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MIDTOWN — The new flagship Microsoft Store on Fifth Avenue is celebrating opening day with a free nighttime Pitbull concert at Rockefeller Center Monday, Oct. 26 and a midnight launch of the latest title in the Halo series.

Mr. Worldwide will help ring in the store’s first day of business, which began at noon at 677 Fifth Ave. between East 52nd and 53rd streets. The company gave out free tickets to the first 1,000 fans in line for the concert, which began at 8 p.m.

Fans of the Halo franchise also got the chance to celebrate the midnight launch of “Halo 5: Guardians” at the new store with a gameplay broadcast, food, and giveaways.

Since opening its first location in 2009, Microsoft has expanded its retail operation to 110 stores worldwide, but the Fifth Avenue store is intended to be the crown jewel in the company’s push for a foothold in the tech retail world.

“Our store on Fifth Avenue — as well as every other one of our locations across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada — is here to showcase the best of Microsoft to the local community,” said David Porter, corporate vice president of Worldwide Retail and Online Stores at Microsoft. “We exist to build relationships with our customers, one person at a time, and we are excited to do that on Fifth Avenue starting today.”

Industry analysts described the new store as an emulation of the Apple Store and a challenge to Apple’s dominance. Among the features of the flagship are an airy display floor, interactive video walls where customers can play XBox games on a large screen, and a theater in which employees will give Windows trainings.

Customers will also be able to get technical help at the “Answer Desk” — in an answer to the Apple Store’s Genius Bar.