Posted by
CmdrTaco
on from the well-they're-just-so-much-cuter dept.
Kamalot writes "JoyStiq is reporting that the new Nintendo DS pre-orders are outselling the new slimmed-down version of the PS2 in Japan as well as the Xbox. Outselling the Xbox is easy though. They sold less than 200 in Japan last month."
Not too surprising...
by
chrispyman
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
It's really not too surprising that they presales of the Nintendo DS is beating the PS2 and Xbox in Japan. I mean even though the new slim PS2 is nice, who'd want one when they already have a working full sized PS2? You shouldn't compare new products to enhanced old ones.
Re:Not too surprising...
by
Jace+of+Fuse!
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
It does play GBA software...
But it is not a Gameboy. Nintendo has repeatedly stated that the NDS is NOT the successor to the Gameboy Advance.
Yet, even if it were it remains consistant with Nintendo's old practice of maintaining backwards compatibility. I don't even know how many Gameboy games I've had over the years, but even my original Metroid 2 works perfectly fine on my Gameboy Advance SP. Not that I care to replay it, but if I wanted to I could.
I wonder if Nintendo intends to migrate away from the Gameboy Platform or if future Gameboys will remain compatible with the entire prior line and include compatibility with the DS?
It's times like this that I wonder if Nintendo really makes long term goals for themselves or if they just kind of try shit and get lucky most of the time.
How well will it hold on?
by
TJ_Phazerhacki
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· Score: 2, Insightful
I really have to wonder what impact pre-orders have, other than hype. I mean, without even seeing the product first hand, people are putting down money on hardware that is unproven. I wish I were at Nintendo right now - This marathon of slightly-better-than-the-last game boys isn't gonna stop until the company breathes it's last.
Gotta catch 'em all.
That is, until Nintendo falls victim to the same thing that killed SEGA Systems - Rapid Release of Inferior Duplicate Consoles.
-- Physics is nothing like religion. If it was, we'd have an easier time trying to raise money!
Re:How well will it hold on?
by
TheLittleJetson
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
I mean, without even seeing the product first hand, people are putting down money on hardware that is unproven. I wish I were at Nintendo right now...
Well, the gameboy is the best selling video game console of all time. Nintendo does a pretty good job of delivering cool hardware with first-party titles that are fun for people of all ages. I don't really think pre-ordering one now would be much of a risk.
Re:How well will it hold on?
by
tonejava
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
I mean, without even seeing the product first hand, people are putting down money on hardware that is unproven.
Unproven you say?
How many people out there use a mobile phone with some games that are networkable?
How many people own or have used a PDA?
How many people have played a console game and wished they could take it with them out on the road?
I don't think there is anything unproven about what nintendo are trying to sell. It is built upon ideas that are already a reality in todays world and as well as introducing a new way of gameplay - perhaps the network gaming that everyone is after , free.
Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura
by
Glytch
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· Score: 2, Insightful
It's more a matter of there being few Xbox-exclusive titles that get translated to Japanese. In your average Japanese home, space matters. Why have an Xbox and PS2 when the PS2 already has most of the best games in one's native language?
Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura
by
MilenCent
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· Score: 5, Insightful
XBox is superior hardware, and good gaming library, why is it doing so poorly if not the "We hate the USA" argument, "Stupid americans".
I dispute the "good gaming library" bit. Besides Halo (and Halo 2), there is just not that much good for the system that cannot already be found for a different system. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in putting its library at a distant third place in the race. And considering that this is Japan we're talking about, where Sony, Nintendo, Sega and Squareenix *live*... no, it's not at all surprising they're doing poorly.
The hardware is good, but not that good really, I'm not aware of the XBox being a tremendous improvement over the other consoles available this wave, certainly not enough to make a difference at this point.
Re:Just to clarify
by
DrEldarion
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
Let's see, a more powerful dual-screened version of the most popular portable console of all time outsells a revision of the same old hardware where the only real differences are that it's much smaller and has built-in networking. Oh, and if you want to play FFXI on it (which many Japanese do), you're SOL since it's not compatible with the hard drive.
How is this even newsworthy?
Re:Just to clarify
by
be-fan
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
Or, it could just be that the XBox's gaming library is heavily biased towards American tastes? I'm an American, and I don't find the XBox's gaming library to be very attractive --- I hate PC games.
-- A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
The US / West Doesn't Get
by
colonslashslash
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· Score: 5, Insightful
The Japanese gaming market, at least thats how it appears, I'm not a huge gamer, but you take a look at the majority of Japanese-only titles and think how well they would potentially do in the West.
Most of them would fall flat on their faces, and the same is true the other way around, at least in some part. My point is, companies like Nintendo and Sony are Japanese and they have a much better idea of what game content their market wants to see, therefore they are more succesful in producing tailored games for that market, and also find it alot easier to build up a fanbase for their hardware.
Japan as an entity seems to prefer titles like Super Magic Fun Travel Wish Yo-Yo 6 over something with lots of explosions and guns, maybe this is what companies like Microsoft are not realising?
Anyway, as I said, I may be way off, I havn't been a real gamer for years, and don't pay that much attention to it.
-- She's built like a steak house, but she handles like a bistro....
not too surprising...
by
fireduck
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
so the DS presales are outselling the redesigned PS2 presales. perhaps that's because everyone already owns the PS2 and would prefer to pre-order something totally new over something that's just an update? (at least among first adopters.) here's the article that has the statistics. (can't seem to find the original gamespot story that is referred to)
I love the fact that the GBA, which already has an update to it, is selling at about 3 times the rate of the XBOX. I wonder where the IQue would fit on this list...
I think a just as interesting, if not more interesting story is the fact that a Gamecube + Mario Kart bundle will be coming out this holiday season for only $99.99. That's the same price just the console is selling for now.
Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura
by
thesandtiger
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· Score: 2, Insightful
XBox is superior hardware, and good gaming library, why is it doing so poorly if not the "We hate the USA" argument, "Stupid americans".
Have you ever played a Japanese game? Are you even vaguely familiar with their culture? The XBox's library is so American it's ridiculous. You may like the games, but I assure you, your taste is going to be radically different than the average Japanese gamer.
Saying the XBox has a "good gaming library" is like saying someone who only has summer blockbusters in their DVD collection - good for some, not for all.
And, because I can't resist a little dig, aren't you pretty much proving that you are, indeed, stupid since you're unable to come up with an alternative to the "they hate us" theory?
-- Since I can't tell them apart, I treat all ACs as the same person.
Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura
by
falcon5768
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
a) Superior hardware, maybe, but since when has that mattered? I can name 10 systems who where superior and did worse than the xBox has.
b) Good gaming library.... not really. Its mostly ports of Nintendo and PS2 games whit the only games being "xbox only" being sports titles and first person shooters which are more in tune to the American male demographic than the rest of the world.
c) We hate America argument..... please they love Apple, Western movies, and all kinds of American products.... The xbox was a poor attempt at Microsoft trying to steal the game market away because Microsoft wants to get their hands into everything.
--
"Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."
Re:One thing you are forgetting.
by
CritterNYC
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· Score: 4, Insightful
it IS surprising that the new PStwo isn't doing as well.
1. It won't work with existing mod chips. 2. It won't work with the hard drive for Final Fantasy.
Re:Just to clarify
by
Anonymous Coward
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· Score: 2, Insightful
You're nuts.
That's like saying that Utada Hikaru is more more famous than Janet Jackson in Japan because of nationalism.
Perhaps plum riceballs are more popular than cheese curls because of nationalism.
Maybe small, fuel-efficient cars are also more popular in Japan than SUVs because of nationalism.
Or maybe, all of the things mentioned above CATER TO JAPANESE TASTES better than their Western counterparts. Nah, this is American Slashdot (tm), we are all supposed to like the same things, and everybody else is a mindless sheep from some stupid country!
Re:Just to clarify
by
Lobo42
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· Score: 5, Insightful
But don't take my word for it, go read the reviews at gamespot.com...
Don't take my word for it...go take someone else's word for it!
Re:Just to clarify
by
Knos
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· Score: 3, Insightful
One simple definition of nationalism is the glorification of a nation above all else. Trying to impose a standard of human rights is totally orthogonal to whether it is done in a nationalistic spirit or not. Or even whether the intentions are good or not, as exemplified by the colonial politics of the european countries throughout the 19th and early 20th century. (This was all done under the guise of bringing civilisation to conquered "savages")
The sort of identification between the usa and the "forces of good" is rather nationalistic in principle, establishing the nation as equal to a moral absolute.
I guess it's hard to see when you are bathed in it, but the profusion of symbols (colors, flags) also play a big role in the infusion of the "nation" everywhere. At least it is obvious in the media.
Denial of the promised land mythology is rather interesting when juxtaposed with your last sentence. I think it's not difficult to imagine the concept of promised land without even invoking god.
Is the united states or americans more important in the eyes of the politicians? And those who answer (as it's a valid answer) that the united states and americans are one and the same, are uttering a very nationalistic idea. Denying that the nation can ever diverge or be separated from the people that constitute it.
-- . . . . . . ... . . . . . ..
may u!sh 2 sm!le at dz!z bad nn.!m!tat!ion
OT:Just to clarify
by
rossifer
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· Score: 5, Insightful
us in the U.S. have had it beaten over our heads that thinking America is a good country is a bad way to think
Actually, I only hear that from Bush supporters who feel that any criticism of the US government (present or historical) or US foreign policy is the same as bashing the whole country.
It's not. You don't have to be proud of everything the US has done to be a patriot. You just have to keep an eagle eye out to make sure that what you can make better you do make better. I've got a lot of problems with how native Americans were treated in the days of westward expansion. I've got a lot of problems with how the CIA has been willing to kill to support autocratic dictactors over democratically elected leaders as long as the dictator is friendly to US interests. But I still love this country.
In fact, that love is the reason why I'm so upset about the actions of the government that claims to represent me. If I didn't give a damn about the US, I probably wouldn't give a damn about what Bush does to the rest of the world.
The right wing really lives in a strange universe of their own construction. To rationalize the 50% of the country that completely disagrees with them, they've invented beliefs for the opposition that don't even make sense in their world view. Don't let me interrupt your strawman creation, but the opposition doesn't hate America, they (and I) just don't think it's being all it can be. But we're hopeful for the future.
Regards, Ross
Re:XBox less than 200 units? Is that really accura
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 1, Insightful
>XBox is superior hardware, and good gaming library, why is it doing so poorly if not the "We hate the USA" argument, "Stupid americans".
Nintendo once said "gaming is not about the hardware", and they're right.
YOU might think the Xbox has a good gaming library, but some people don't.
I can't play Metroid or Zelda on the XBox. There's no creative games like Pikmin on the Xbox. So the Xbox is useless to me.
Also, both the PS2 and GC are from japanese companies that know how to make games for the japanese market.
It's no surprise the Xbox isn't doing well in Japan, and the Gamecube isn't all popular in america (stupid people still keep saying Nintendo is for kids - it's your loss on a great gaming library).
The Playstation 2 also has the biggest game library. And (most) probably the most japanese-language games too (especially vs the XBox).
How do you think the Xbox was supposed to compete in Japan?
Re:Just to clarify
by
mcc
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
It is somehting that is a rather alien concept in the west these days.
Umm... so I don't know if you've been paying attention to America lately... but here at least, nationalism has been getting more and more ubiquitous for the last 20 years or so and in the last four has reached a fever pitch.
What I would call rare in America at this point is patriotism, but that's something altogether different and I don't think that's what you're talking about.
Then again I don't think nationalism has too much to do with the XBox's failure in Japan either. I would say that's more due to the game library being heavily biased toward genres that aren't often popular in Japan, the inexplicable decision to release many of the XBox's best titles in Japan either late or not at all, marketing and public relations actions (for example the scratched dvds incident) that can be described as nothing less than incompetent, and a perception among Japanese consumers that Microsoft's XBox division does not care about them.
At some point perhaps Japanese nationalism will start to be a problem for the XBox, but at the moment there are so many other reasons why the XBox is a disaster in Japan that nationalism doesn't even really get the chance to register.
Slashdot Mirror
Really not that impressive. Lots of people already own PS2s and don't feel a need to upgrade.
Hardly news. The gaming population already have PS2s and don't need a cosmeticly different version.
http://twitter.com/onion2k
It's really not too surprising that they presales of the Nintendo DS is beating the PS2 and Xbox in Japan. I mean even though the new slim PS2 is nice, who'd want one when they already have a working full sized PS2? You shouldn't compare new products to enhanced old ones.
I'm not the only one who found this title slightly misleading
There is no replacement for displacement.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Gotta catch 'em all.
That is, until Nintendo falls victim to the same thing that killed SEGA Systems - Rapid Release of Inferior Duplicate Consoles.
Physics is nothing like religion. If it was, we'd have an easier time trying to raise money!
It's more a matter of there being few Xbox-exclusive titles that get translated to Japanese. In your average Japanese home, space matters. Why have an Xbox and PS2 when the PS2 already has most of the best games in one's native language?
XBox is superior hardware, and good gaming library, why is it doing so poorly if not the "We hate the USA" argument, "Stupid americans".
I dispute the "good gaming library" bit. Besides Halo (and Halo 2), there is just not that much good for the system that cannot already be found for a different system. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in putting its library at a distant third place in the race. And considering that this is Japan we're talking about, where Sony, Nintendo, Sega and Squareenix *live*... no, it's not at all surprising they're doing poorly.
The hardware is good, but not that good really, I'm not aware of the XBox being a tremendous improvement over the other consoles available this wave, certainly not enough to make a difference at this point.
Let's see, a more powerful dual-screened version of the most popular portable console of all time outsells a revision of the same old hardware where the only real differences are that it's much smaller and has built-in networking. Oh, and if you want to play FFXI on it (which many Japanese do), you're SOL since it's not compatible with the hard drive.
How is this even newsworthy?
Or, it could just be that the XBox's gaming library is heavily biased towards American tastes? I'm an American, and I don't find the XBox's gaming library to be very attractive --- I hate PC games.
A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
Most of them would fall flat on their faces, and the same is true the other way around, at least in some part. My point is, companies like Nintendo and Sony are Japanese and they have a much better idea of what game content their market wants to see, therefore they are more succesful in producing tailored games for that market, and also find it alot easier to build up a fanbase for their hardware.
Japan as an entity seems to prefer titles like Super Magic Fun Travel Wish Yo-Yo 6 over something with lots of explosions and guns, maybe this is what companies like Microsoft are not realising?
Anyway, as I said, I may be way off, I havn't been a real gamer for years, and don't pay that much attention to it.
She's built like a steak house, but she handles like a bistro....
so the DS presales are outselling the redesigned PS2 presales. perhaps that's because everyone already owns the PS2 and would prefer to pre-order something totally new over something that's just an update? (at least among first adopters.) here's the article that has the statistics. (can't seem to find the original gamespot story that is referred to)
I love the fact that the GBA, which already has an update to it, is selling at about 3 times the rate of the XBOX. I wonder where the IQue would fit on this list...
I think a just as interesting, if not more interesting story is the fact that a Gamecube + Mario Kart bundle will be coming out this holiday season for only $99.99. That's the same price just the console is selling for now.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Have you ever played a Japanese game? Are you even vaguely familiar with their culture? The XBox's library is so American it's ridiculous. You may like the games, but I assure you, your taste is going to be radically different than the average Japanese gamer.
Saying the XBox has a "good gaming library" is like saying someone who only has summer blockbusters in their DVD collection - good for some, not for all.
And, because I can't resist a little dig, aren't you pretty much proving that you are, indeed, stupid since you're unable to come up with an alternative to the "they hate us" theory?
Since I can't tell them apart, I treat all ACs as the same person.
b) Good gaming library.... not really. Its mostly ports of Nintendo and PS2 games whit the only games being "xbox only" being sports titles and first person shooters which are more in tune to the American male demographic than the rest of the world.
c) We hate America argument..... please they love Apple, Western movies, and all kinds of American products.... The xbox was a poor attempt at Microsoft trying to steal the game market away because Microsoft wants to get their hands into everything.
"Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."
it IS surprising that the new PStwo isn't doing as well.
1. It won't work with existing mod chips.
2. It won't work with the hard drive for Final Fantasy.
Portable versions of Firefox, GIMP, LibreOffice, etc
You're nuts.
That's like saying that Utada Hikaru is more more famous than Janet Jackson in Japan because of nationalism.
Perhaps plum riceballs are more popular than cheese curls because of nationalism.
Maybe small, fuel-efficient cars are also more popular in Japan than SUVs because of nationalism.
Or maybe, all of the things mentioned above CATER TO JAPANESE TASTES better than their Western counterparts. Nah, this is American Slashdot (tm), we are all supposed to like the same things, and everybody else is a mindless sheep from some stupid country!
But don't take my word for it, go read the reviews at gamespot.com...
Don't take my word for it...go take someone else's word for it!
One simple definition of nationalism is the glorification of a nation above all else. Trying to impose a standard of human rights is totally orthogonal to whether it is done in a nationalistic spirit or not. Or even whether the intentions are good or not, as exemplified by the colonial politics of the european countries throughout the 19th and early 20th century. (This was all done under the guise of bringing civilisation to conquered "savages")
The sort of identification between the usa and the "forces of good" is rather nationalistic in principle, establishing the nation as equal to a moral absolute.
I guess it's hard to see when you are bathed in it, but the profusion of symbols (colors, flags) also play a big role in the infusion of the "nation" everywhere. At least it is obvious in the media.
Denial of the promised land mythology is rather interesting when juxtaposed with your last sentence. I think it's not difficult to imagine the concept of promised land without even invoking god.
Is the united states or americans more important in the eyes of the politicians? And those who answer (as it's a valid answer) that the united states and americans are one and the same, are uttering a very nationalistic idea. Denying that the nation can ever diverge or be separated from the people that constitute it.
. . . . . . .
may u!sh 2 sm!le at dz!z bad nn.!m!tat!ion
us in the U.S. have had it beaten over our heads that thinking America is a good country is a bad way to think
Actually, I only hear that from Bush supporters who feel that any criticism of the US government (present or historical) or US foreign policy is the same as bashing the whole country.
It's not. You don't have to be proud of everything the US has done to be a patriot. You just have to keep an eagle eye out to make sure that what you can make better you do make better. I've got a lot of problems with how native Americans were treated in the days of westward expansion. I've got a lot of problems with how the CIA has been willing to kill to support autocratic dictactors over democratically elected leaders as long as the dictator is friendly to US interests. But I still love this country.
In fact, that love is the reason why I'm so upset about the actions of the government that claims to represent me. If I didn't give a damn about the US, I probably wouldn't give a damn about what Bush does to the rest of the world.
The right wing really lives in a strange universe of their own construction. To rationalize the 50% of the country that completely disagrees with them, they've invented beliefs for the opposition that don't even make sense in their world view. Don't let me interrupt your strawman creation, but the opposition doesn't hate America, they (and I) just don't think it's being all it can be. But we're hopeful for the future.
Regards,
Ross
>XBox is superior hardware, and good gaming library, why is it doing so poorly if not the "We hate the USA" argument, "Stupid americans".
Nintendo once said "gaming is not about the hardware", and they're right.
YOU might think the Xbox has a good gaming library, but some people don't.
I can't play Metroid or Zelda on the XBox. There's no creative games like Pikmin on the Xbox. So the Xbox is useless to me.
Also, both the PS2 and GC are from japanese companies that know how to make games for the japanese market.
It's no surprise the Xbox isn't doing well in Japan, and the Gamecube isn't all popular in america (stupid people still keep saying Nintendo is for kids - it's your loss on a great gaming library).
The Playstation 2 also has the biggest game library. And (most) probably the most japanese-language games too (especially vs the XBox).
How do you think the Xbox was supposed to compete in Japan?
It is somehting that is a rather alien concept in the west these days.
Umm... so I don't know if you've been paying attention to America lately... but here at least, nationalism has been getting more and more ubiquitous for the last 20 years or so and in the last four has reached a fever pitch.
What I would call rare in America at this point is patriotism, but that's something altogether different and I don't think that's what you're talking about.
Then again I don't think nationalism has too much to do with the XBox's failure in Japan either. I would say that's more due to the game library being heavily biased toward genres that aren't often popular in Japan, the inexplicable decision to release many of the XBox's best titles in Japan either late or not at all, marketing and public relations actions (for example the scratched dvds incident) that can be described as nothing less than incompetent, and a perception among Japanese consumers that Microsoft's XBox division does not care about them.
At some point perhaps Japanese nationalism will start to be a problem for the XBox, but at the moment there are so many other reasons why the XBox is a disaster in Japan that nationalism doesn't even really get the chance to register.
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts