Xbox Gets Japanese Dress-Up, Rumored Price Cut, Giveaway

Thanks to 1UP for their article showing off special new case artwork for the Xbox in Japan, as "a few lucky winners will be able to snag these art pieces by signing up on Microsoft's Japanese webpage" - hip artists enlisted include T-shirt designer Nigo and Moshino Katsura. Elsewhere, GI.biz recently relayed unconfirmed rumors of an Xbox price drop in Japan, claiming "a new Xbox bundle for Project Gotham Racing 2 which will feature a console, a DVD playback kit, two months free on Xbox Live and copies of PGR2 and Halo for 19,800 Yen [$181]." Finally, GamePro have noted that Microsoft are giving away their Xbox Music Mixer karaoke/mixing software, "most likely... as a cover-mounted CD", in the January 2004 issue of popular Japanese magazine, Famitsu, further showing the company is "aggressively vying for a solid foothold against the PS2, which has been dominating the console market in Japan."

Comments

Re:Case modding your X-box

[Absurd Monkey]

Apparently the behemoth size wasn't enough. It needs to stick out more in a Japanese living room. So, they paint it up more than somekind of crazy mime/prostitute, that way, there is no denying that it's American.

What!?!?!

[pecosdave]

What do you mean no Domo-kun?

At least they don't have a Hello Kitty version. Seems there's a Hello Kitty Everything.

is it just me?

[Zed2K]

Or does anyone else feel that this generation console war is over. I'm no longer interested in getting an xbox or many games for the gamecube or PS2. I'm just looking forward to new hardware.

Re:is it just me?

[bigman2003]

I disagree.

I think that a lot of GREAT games are coming out for all of the consoles right now. This is the time when the software is getting really good- now that we are all done getting excited about the hardware.

Simpsons Hit and Run is great (all platforms) far better than any other Simpsons game.

For the Xbox I just got Crimson Skies and Top Spin- both are excellent games. Now I feel like they are really starting to use the hardware by creating great games- not just making games to sell to people who bought the hardware and are looking for something to make it make sense.

Re:is it just me?

[AvantLegion]

In Japan, yes. Here, not really.

The PS2 is REALLY starting to look long in the tooth. Comparatively, both the Xbox and GameCube look a lot fresher. Xbox is the place to be for online console games (and Halo 2 and Counterstrike will only further that), and Nintendo is getting some of their big franchise guns out (the latest Zelda ain't that old, and the new Mario Kart will be a mover and shaker).

The PS2 still has some great stuff coming (SOCOM II and Gran Turismo 4 will likely be wonderful), but don't be surprised to see the other two systems make up some of that ground. Everyone and their mother owns a PS2 now, but that's not the only way to measure success (or even the best way at this point). The PS2 will still ultimately be the "winner" for this generation, but it is in the twilight of its career, while the Xbox and Cube are just hitting their peaks. And that's what happens when one console comes out before the others. I have no major bias between the 3 (I own them each), but my PS2 is definitely getting into the "play the old games that I missed the first time around" mode, while my Xbox and GC are the ones I'm getting new releases for.

Re:is it just me?

[Kris_J]

I feel that computer games have stagnated significantly in the last six month to a year if that's what you're saying. I've pretty much come to the end of my love affair with Diablo II and now that I'm looking for a new obsession, I'm finding the market rather lacking, be it console or PC.

MS still doesn't get it

[M3wThr33]

You aren't going to increase sales by offering American-made games and cheezy pack-ins. Japanese consumers want Japanese games! Christ! Look at the sales for DOA:XBV and Dino Crisis 3 if you need any indication! Stop bundling stuff the Japanese doesn't want and start pimping out Sega and Tecmo again!

Re:MS still doesn't get it

[PainKilleR-CE]

Is that why GTA is doing so well? Is that why Halo just won an award?

Right, anyway, I think that's why Microsoft's been working on getting more Japanese developed titles on the box, but of course they're still fighting a much more uphill battle in Japan than they have had anywhere else. Their hope at this point is to gain enough traction and prove themselves for the XBox 2.

Similarly, I think Nintendo's coming on pretty strong for the last leg of this generation to try to bring third parties into the fold for their next console, along with more US and European market share for the current one (which helps with the developers, of course).

Both the XBox and the Cube have some pretty impressive titles on the 'coming soon' or 'new release' lists, so the next year should be very interesting, and good for those of us that have all 3 consoles ;)

I think it's just getting started

[swat_r2]

The innovation and quality titles out there don't make me wish for better things, yet. I think another 1-2 years and I'll be begging for new hardware but I'm loving every second of the current gen gaming.

Keep looking to the future and you'll never enjoy the present

Anime styled case?

[MMaestro]

I know the Xbox doesn't have an official mascot yet (although the Master Chief from Halo seems to be the -unofficial- one) but I think they need to adopt one and plaster it onto their system.

Although to be fair, the Playstation (1 and 2) never had a mascot although they didn't need one with FF7 selling the system almost single-handedly.

On the other hand

[Rayonic]

Doesn't that mean that the Xbox has a rather unique library in Japan? Variety is the spice of life, and all that rot.

Bigger hard drives?

[WoTG]

I wonder how many more 10GB drives are kicking around in warehouses... wouldn't it be CHEAPER for MS to move to something a little bit bigger? I've always assumed that XBoxes used off the shelf hard drives, well, 10GB drives (smaller in some machines) haven't been on shelves for quite a while...

Re:aggressively vying for a solid foothold...

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

But XBox 2 is coming. MS wants to make as much of an inroad as possible in Japan in order to be more successful in the next round. A fancy case isn't going to move XBox into first place BUT it could move a few boxes.