Xbox 360 Flops in Japan

[ss_md]

From a report in Connected Home Media

"Microsoft had big hopes and dreams for Xbox 360 in Japan, given the cold shoulder its predecessor got in that tiny nation, dominated as it is by Sony and its PlayStation 2. Well, cast aside those hopes, Microsoft, because it's official: The Xbox 360 has completely flopped in Japan. After selling just 326,000 Xbox 360 units during the launch period last week, Microsoft set the kind of record it never wanted to set. Xbox 360 actually sold fewer units during its launch even than the doomed original Xbox did, as that prior console sold 556,000 units when it launched in Japan 3 years ago. Likewise, Microsoft was able to sell only about 30 percent of the consoles it offered to the Japanese market, while Xbox 360 completely sold out, and instantly, in North America and Europe. What this means is simple: Even though Sony's PlayStation 3 won't go on sale for several months, it's already sewn up Japan, the third largest video game market in the world. Back to the drawing boards."

 

[NeoNSX]

Microsoft should be used to crashes.

A lack of killer-games and the fact that the PC is better are contributing factors.

 

[Edwardo]

Hrm..as we all know, it is hard to forecast consumer behavior. I wonder how long Japanese folks will hold out for the PS3?

I think it will be hard for gamers to resist the urge to purchase the xbox if they go over to their buddies house and experience gaming on the xbox 360 with a 37inch LCDTV. I know I was drooling at the store with that set-up.

 

[VampNSXX]

X-Box = vett
PS2 = NSX

360 = Z06
PS3 = HSC

 

[4AU4LIFE]

Kinda crazy with that console. Couple of weeks ago people were paying stupid money$$$$$$$ to get these things. Now the other night I was at BestBuy and they had about 50 sitting on floor for sale. Went back last night and didn't look like maybe 5 sold out of stack.
PT Barnum was right......

 

[burbel]

92NSX - There were Xboxes on the shelf? Man, we've been checking around Austin here for weeks, few stores have gotten them in, they sellout within 15 minutes. The camping lines at Best Buy formed and were full before the store closed the night before...

I really wanted to pick one of these up to use with my new projector, but draw the line at spending almost 24 hours camping outside a store to get one.

 

[len3.8]

Damn!!! Bill Gates will have to sell one of his Kidneys....

 

[nuccaJB]

92NSX, I don't know where you live, but in chicago I have not seen one 360 since they went on sale. I just wonder what they will do in Japan next summer when the PS3 is three months late and "expected" to be out in the fall for $500(add in exchange to yen).

Maybe Samsung will come out with a system and spank Sony like they are with all the other products. The 360 is a serious system and is being judged off of rushed release date games.

 

[Juice]

X-Box = vett
PS2 = NSX

360 = Z06
PS3 = HSC

Not according to the Father of 3D Gaming. You might have heard of QuakCon? He says that, from what he has seen, the PS3 is lame by comparison.

 

[fifrules]

Maybe, but the PS3 will have Gran Turismo 5! :biggrin:

 

[gheba_nsx]

In Switzerland it was hard during the first 2 weeks after launch to find one... now they are available almost everywhere. I'll wait for the price to drop and some modchip to be available and I'll jump on the bandwagon!

 

[rickysals]

it's microsoft.

the xbox could give me sexual favors and i still wouldn't buy one over a PS3.

every microsoft product i have ever used hasn't withstood my use. very unacceptable. I'm waiting on the first xbox viruses

 

[gheba_nsx]

I do not know... I hear this a lot. I am in my 3rd year of XBOX (I also had the PS2 while living with my apartment mate before) and I have been very happy with it. Better graphic, better sound, fast to load games. And a lot of nice games from Halo to Project Gotham to all the EA Sports to Winning Eleven to Forza Motorsport, ... when a game is available on bpoth PS2 and XBOX it looks so much better in the latter version.

Furthermore with the modchip it behaves like a Media Center playing everything you want, wi-fi networked to my 350GB PC, connected to the projector via VGA.

I think it is a great machine, I am not a fan of M$ at all, I just aknowledge a good product. This is gaming and consoles are cheap enough to buy them all (I also have a modchipped GameCube), why have religious wars?

 

[deedubb]

I was at Sams Club the other day and as i walked in, one of the Sams Club employees followed me with a cart carrying 5 XBOX 360's. They are very rare around here too. Anyway, being that I was in the right place at the right time i decided to pick up one and see what the hype was all about. By the time I got the xbox to my car and came back in to finish shopping, a fight had broken out and the rest of the 360's were sold out.

I couldn't believe it. It's fun to play and the graphics are really cool but i wouldn't have fought for mine!

 

[4AU4LIFE]

Best Buy in Jacksonville.

 

[demigod]

Next gen Gran Turismo.. "Vision Gran Turismo" for PS3..supposed to have more cars, can be damaged, more cars on the track at the same time, and motorcycles. Right click and Save As on the link at the page.

http://www.ps3portal.com/?view=video_gallery&game=29

 

[VampNSXX]

Not according to the Father of 3D Gaming. You might have heard of QuakCon? He says that, from what he has seen, the PS3 is lame by comparison.

OK then tell why is it that ps2 sells more? It has better games.


come on man I work in the video game industry trust me PS3 will blow the 360 a new one just like ps2 did the X-Box.

 

[Arshad]

Yeah I agree. Even though our GPU is in the new XBox and our competitions in the PS3, and even though the PS3 has some major problems, it will sell handily outsell the Xbox based on all of the research reports I've read. The difference with this next gen is that Nintendo will be in a distant 3rd place, and the gap between PS3 and XBox360 won't be as huge as it was with PS2 and XBox1. Maybe the generation after this, Xbox will have a chance to catch up and even surpass Sony.

 

[gheba_nsx]

I do not know... it could be that I had 3 NSX... but the stuff that sells more deosn't autonatically look better to me.

Again, people, a console cost like one of our tires. Buy them all and be happy!

 

[rickysals]

a good chunk of people who buy these don't have $1500 to buy 3 new consoles and games/controllers/memory...

Playstation got to me before Xbox was ever out, and to me the most important part of a console is the controller. I'm used to the playstation controller and hate using anything else. This alone would negate me buying an Xbox

 

[Pacemaker Kid89]

I really wanted to pick one of these up to use with my new projector, but draw the line at spending almost 24 hours camping outside a store to get one.

What kind of projector would you be using?

 

[SNDSOUL]

I love my400gig modded Xbox(burns games directly to the HD, havent bought a game in years), but it does have some hiccups some times. I expect anything you modify majorly from stock to have some issues though.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

OK then tell why is it that ps2 sells more? It has better games.


come on man I work in the video game industry trust me PS3 will blow the 360 a new one just like ps2 did the X-Box.

You might be able to answer a question a friend and I have. He says that they have already got games ready for the system but the system isn't ready for production yet. Supposedly it won't be on sale till late next year or maybe even '07. Who is right?

 

[Pacemaker Kid89]

Well, whenever ps3 comes out, thats when Halo 3 will pop out....kinda unfair, but it works

 

[khappucino]

i like how the video game console wars plays out like a ancient battle strategy
almost Sun Tzu Style. Xbox 360 takes a chance and strikes first, PS3 has the advantage of waiting to see what happens when the dust settles and will obviously be more advanced than the 360 since Sony has the ability to delay deployment until a much later date. If some genius figures out a more efficient way to manufacture Blue Ray Discs then the PS3 will totally pown XBOX 360 decisively since that will set it up to be the future 'dvd format' of choice.
I mean with the PS3 you get Blue Ray DVD player plus console system.

I think it all comes back to content, playstation just has alot of titles behind their flag standard.