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Slow Start For the 360 in Japan

Posted by Zonk on from the can-we-have-some? dept.

psycln writes "Microsoft may have to try a little harder in marketing the Xbox 360 to Japanese consumers if initial reports coming out of the country Saturday are correct. Several news reports indicate a slow reaction to the new console from Japanese customers. Apparently next day delivery is still an option to the Japanese consumer!" From the BBC article: "One senior store official said the customer reaction had been somewhat "subdued", with fewer than 50 consoles sold in the first two hours. However, Mr Moore said that several hundred units appeared to have been sold at the store he was at within the first three hours. Takeshi Tajima, a BNP Paribas analyst, told Reuters news agency that serious game fans would rush to buy the new console but 'most people are going to wait and see'. "

74 comments

  1. Want to know why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Here's the reason:

    The Xbox 360's launch in Japan, in an attempt to buck this trend, features six titles (Perfect Dark Zero, Ridge Racer 6, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Every Party, FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup and Tetris: The Grandmaster Ace), including three Japanese-created titles, but key Japanese launch game Dead or Alive 4 is now not due until at least the end of the month.


    There are no killer titles for this console yet. And not many third-party developers want to develop a game for a sparsely available platform when they can develop for three well-established platforms that have 140 million units combined.

    Maybe Microsoft was a bit too eager to get out of the gates.

    1. Re:Want to know why? by non0score · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I think another key factor to consider is how many more 360s are sold compared to the original XBox. This number will tell us how much inroads Microsoft has made into the Japanese market. It seems like the 360 is doing a whole lot better.

      However, one may argue that with an early-adopter culture as that of Japanese, if the 360 doesn't get "adopted" early, this may show that the Japanese people don't care much for the 360.

      As for the OP's arguments about the lack of killer games for the 360...well, there isn't a killer game here in NA either, but it's still selling like hotcakes. But then again, the Japanese taste for games doesn't just include sports and FPS rehash titles.

    2. Re:Want to know why? by badasscat · · Score: 1

      I think another key factor to consider is how many more 360s are sold compared to the original XBox. This number will tell us how much inroads Microsoft has made into the Japanese market. It seems like the 360 is doing a whole lot better.

      Not to me it doesn't.

      The original Xbox sold 180,000 units in its first month on the market in Japan. That's the early adopter crowd, the same people who are buying the 360. I would be surprised if the 360 even sold that much; there seemed to be more reports of the original Xbox selling out and for a while it seemed like it might even be a hit there.

      The point being, you seem to be assuming that because the Xbox did poorly for the majority of its life in Japan, that it had a poor launch too. It didn't. It had a decent launch, which was then marred by glitchy systems and a poor response from MS to it, then a lack of compelling follow-through in the form of new games.

      That hurt the system's reputation. But it's not like MS released the system and it was immediately selling 5,000 units a month. No, it started out at 180,000, then dropped by about half every following month. (This is how they've managed to sell around 500,000 Xboxes even though they average about 3,000 systems per month now - the majority of those were sold in the first year.) Given what the Xbox 360 has had to overcome, MS would have to consider the launch a success if they even match the original Xbox numbers. The key then would be to maintain momentum, not lose it like they did last time.

      But it seems to me that the Xbox 360 launch has been more laid back than the original Xbox launch, so I will be surprised if they claim to have sold 180,000 units at the beginning of next month (that would be almost a complete sellout, as I've heard they only shipped around 200,000 units to the country).

    3. Re:Want to know why? by JanneM · · Score: 1

      For the record, the 360 is selling significantly worse than the original did in the beginning - and that is despite a 25% cut in price compared to the US (you can probably order it cheaper from Japan than buying it in a local US store, even with the freight added). From the local media, the current buyers are just about exclusively those who will buy every new gaming platform and piece of gear, just to have everything.

      --
      Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
    4. Re:Want to know why? by manx54 · · Score: 1

      There's new sales data for 3 days of launch comparison from Famitsu.

      360 sold: 62,135
      360 retail stock: 159,000
      Games sold per unit: 0.91

      Compare to original X-box launch for the same 3 day period.
      xbox sold: 123,929
      Games sold per unit: 1.45

      Looks to be doing about 1/2 of the original X-box launch numbers. Also, recent sales of Xbox unit hasn't been anywhere near 3,000/months. They've consistently been selling at well under 200/week. For November, it was about 580/month, for October it was about 460/month.
    5. Re:Want to know why? by genghisbahng · · Score: 1

      absolutely right. no games FOR Japanese gamers = no console sales TO Japanese gamers. but WHY aren't there any killer titles for 360 by Capcom, Namco, Square Enix, etc.? because MS has not cultivated relationships with those publishers the way Sony has. now, I'm no expert on Japanese business culture, and maybe it's not even possible for M$ to do so, but trash-talking Sony, flashing a ton of American money and bravado around -- maybe that's NOT what the Japanese respond to. just a hunch.

    6. Re:Want to know why? by ccp · · Score: 1

      Maybe Microsoft was a bit too eager to get out of the gates.

      Nice Freudian slip... ;>)

      Cheers,

    7. Re:Want to know why? by apoc06 · · Score: 1

      very insightful post.

      i think during their first go at the console race, MS felt that they would rather try to cultivate smaller studios into the next capcom, namco, or square enix. seems like MS doesnt want to spend the money to steal studios from sony; they would rather make deals with small and mid-range studios that have more incentive to give in MS tactics. the prob with MS's stance is that they dont get very many exclusive titles from any studio.

  2. Perhaps it's partially... by TriezGamer · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Perhaps it's partially a matter of not buying into senseless hype? I'd like to think that at least somewhere on Earth people have the intelligence to see the difference between graphics and gameplay. Not to mention the cost of the console... In any case, some Japanese development firms are working on X360 software, and will probably push sales more than the current games available, both in Japan and the USA

    1. Re:Perhaps it's partially... by RoadDoggFL · · Score: 2, Insightful

      No, because the PS2 did well in Japan, and that was all hype for the first year.

      --
      "This is considered plagiarism."
    2. Re:Perhaps it's partially... by Shkuey · · Score: 1

      Perhaps it's partially a matter of not buying into senseless hype? I'd like to think that at least somewhere on Earth people have the intelligence to see the difference between graphics and gameplay.

      Perhaps, but it is certainly not Japan or the US.

    3. Re:Perhaps it's partially... by Impotent_Emperor · · Score: 1

      I thought that was in part due to the PS2 being a cheap DVD player.

    4. Re:Perhaps it's partially... by RoadDoggFL · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yea, the DVD market really was in an ideal state to sell a console when the PS2 launched. But the PS2 was all hype as far as being a viable platform was concerned for quite some time. Anyway, I don't know if BluRay will have as successful a mutual relationship with the PS3 as DVD had with the PS2. We'll have to wait and see.

      --
      "This is considered plagiarism."
    5. Re:Perhaps it's partially... by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

      Well if there is one thing to learn from the PSP, people sure like to wait and wait and wait and wait... until more games come out. Xbox 360 will need a massive arsenal of cult-ish games to win over Japan.

    6. Re:Perhaps it's partially... by Mr.Dippy · · Score: 2, Funny

      All people in Africa are black and will rape small babies and eat them if given a change. Oh and people in Germany fart saurkraut and set fire to Jews for Kwanza. And Japanese people have no souls.

      --


      -Dipster
    7. Re:Perhaps it's partially... by Guppy06 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "Perhaps it's partially a matter of not buying into senseless hype?"

      Dude, this is Japan! Their entire economy (if not culture) is built entirely on hype! I'm pretty sure it's the national currency over there...

    8. Re:Perhaps it's partially... by Guppy06 · · Score: 1

      "you think everyone in North America is stupid"

      Let's see... On the one hand, George W. Bush, on the other, Paul Martin.

      All signs point to "yes."

  3. Great Stocking Decisions, Guys by MBCook · · Score: 4, Interesting
    This is something I think I commented on the other day.

    In the US, the system is POPULAR and we got 400k units, which was not nearly enough to meet demand.

    In Japan, where the system is UNPOPULAR they got ?k units, which was way more than enough to meet demand.

    Why not send fewer units to Japan so you can SEND THEM WHERE PEOPLE ARE WAITING IN LINE TO BUY THEM? I saw pictures somewhere (Kotaku?) that was like the PSP launch in the US. They had pictures of stores with piles of the systems that no one was buying.

    If they wanted to run a "It's sold out so it must be great" campaign here in the US, why not run it in Japan and send those extra units here? They would still sell out here, but they would also get in the hands of more consumers. And in both countries you would be able to play the "scarcity" card about how popular it is.

    Instead, we didn't get enough (where we want it), they got too many (where they don't want it), MS could have made more $$$, and US consumers are upset (like someone posted the other day, they heard a kid say they'd just buy a PS3 if they wouldn't be able to get a 360 until Feb.).

    I don't understand this launch. So many things seem... off. I think they would have done a MUTCH better job if they had just waiting until after Christmas like they almost did.

    --
    Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
    1. Re:Great Stocking Decisions, Guys by Is0m0rph · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I agree. I was at Target today playing the 360's Call of Duty. Pretty cool actually, great graphics (though my PC can look just as nice). No way to buy a 360 though so they are losing my money. Walked into EB after that, bought a used Gamecube for my son for Xmas for $59.99. Since all those games and accessories can be used on the Revolution that will now be the console I buy.

    2. Re:Great Stocking Decisions, Guys by RoadDoggFL · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think the idea is that MS knows it can compete in the US and Europe. So they know that can play the scarcity card here (and there...), but in Japan they know that any shortage would be seen as dropping the ball, since previous console shortages have been caused by Japanese companies ensuring demand in Japan is met, it's uncommon for consoles to have stocking problems like we're used to (that's an assumption though, I'm just saying that shortages for consoles are worse in the US because Japan is taken care of first and foremost). So a shortage in Japan would make them look just as foolish, and MS really wants everybody that wants a 360 in Japan to get a 360.

      Was it the best choice? Probably not, but it still makes sense.

      --
      "This is considered plagiarism."
    3. Re:Great Stocking Decisions, Guys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Why not send fewer units to Japan so you can SEND THEM WHERE PEOPLE ARE WAITING IN LINE TO BUY THEM?

      Well, the ?k units is the thing. Like if they sold 500 out of 2000 units, that's way more than enough to meet demand in Japan but not enough to even put a dent in the US shortage.

    4. Re:Great Stocking Decisions, Guys by rtechie · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why not send fewer units to Japan so you can SEND THEM WHERE PEOPLE ARE WAITING IN LINE TO BUY THEM? I saw pictures somewhere (Kotaku?) that was like the PSP launch in the US. They had pictures of stores with piles of the systems that no one was buying.

      Just so you know, the Japanese version of the 360 is almost certainly different enough from the American version that they can't just drop unsold units into American stores. The OS would probably be in Japanese, and at the very least they would have to change the packaging. Microsoft was clearly trying to improve the sales of the Xbox/360 in Japan, and they failed spectacularly (as predicted). MS just doesn't seem to be able to make major inroads in Japan (not suprising for an American company).

      You should also consider the costs of shipping the units from Japan to the USA. No, any unsold 360s are likey to stay there. The bright side is that it's likely that MS has already adjusted production and we'll see most units purposed to the USA (and eventually Europe) in the future.

    5. Re:Great Stocking Decisions, Guys by MBCook · · Score: 1
      I agree, it's too late now. But Japan uses NTSC like us, so the hardware is easier shared (European consoles that output PAL wouldn't work here). But my point is that probably ALL the consoles were made in Asia. They should have planned to ship more here in the first pace.

      It is too late. They would never make up their money (ignoring the fact they already sell at a loss) by re-imaging all those 360s and packaging them in new boxes and then shipping them to the US.

      But they wouldn't have had that problem if they shipped 'em here in the first place.

      --
      Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
    6. Re:Great Stocking Decisions, Guys by smaffei · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I don't know why the Targets, Best Buys, and Wal-Marts of America aren't screaming bloody murder about the 360 shortages. When I ask about availabilty, all I get is tacit apathy. Sort of in the "oh well" vain.

      All those 360 games and accessories collecting dust on the shelves will be a hard sell after the holidays (when money will be tight). People like you (potential customers) are forced to look at alternatives for X-Mas. Once that crusical system decision is made, many consumers stick with it for the long haul.

      Microsoft has squandered the chance of doing something really great.

      --
      Sure, Windows PCs dominate the market. But so do cheap toupees.
    7. Re:Great Stocking Decisions, Guys by aliquis · · Score: 1

      Probably because they value a japanese costumer more then an american one, since japan isn't a large market for the xbox and if it's going to be they need to get more consoles out. People in usa will buy it anyway.

    8. Re:Great Stocking Decisions, Guys by Red+Flayer · · Score: 1

      "All those 360 games and accessories collecting dust on the shelves will be a hard sell after the holidays (when money will be tight)"

      Especially when home heating bills are rolling in, this year the average homeowner will be laying out hundreds more than they did last year... and that crunch will be felt in retail from January through March.

      On the plus side, retailers will be having even more massive sales this February than usual... so those of us who are prepared to wait on major purchases look to save some serious dough.

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    9. Re:Great Stocking Decisions, Guys by inu_maru · · Score: 1

      The os is multilingual. I have mine set to english. No problem at all.
      The only diference seems to be the region lock. That's about it.

      --
      Mu
  4. Haha... by GmAz · · Score: 1

    Stupid Americans (yes, I am an american).

    --
    Click Click Bloody Click PANCAKES!
  5. The next obvious question: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What is the price of shipping from Japan?

    1. Re:The next obvious question: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Third question: when will the mod chip come out that allows me to play North America region coded games?

  6. Hype by Unsus · · Score: 1

    I heard Microsoft was doing a lot to insure that the XBox 360 would be popular in Japan, but it seems like it wasn't enough. Maybe they should have hired a Japanese marketing company instead of leaving it to the Americans.

    1. Re:Hype by dancingmad · · Score: 1

      You heard wrong. They almost nothing outside of the trendy parts of Tokyo. I'm outside the second largest city in the country, Osaka, and there's next to nothing for the Xbox.

      --
      "There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter," Jeeves, (Jeeves and the Impending Doom)
  7. Silly Japanese consumers by Chris+Pimlott · · Score: 1

    Don't they realize how much they could get by reselling them back to Americans?

  8. The answer is obvious... by MagicDude · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's pretty obvious why the 360 isn't selling well in Japan. Microsoft just kind of half ass their advertising over there.

    1. Re:The answer is obvious... by RoadDoggFL · · Score: 1

      I don't know about you... but to me, that image says "Fun, fun, FUN!"

      The creepy image of Bill smiling with (I think) a burger in his right hand and an Xbox controller on his left wasn't exactly inspiring either. Heh, I think it was more likely to raise suspicious that MS would enter the fast food business...

      --
      "This is considered plagiarism."
    2. Re:The answer is obvious... by RoadDoggFL · · Score: 1

      Suspicions*... grr.

      --
      "This is considered plagiarism."
  9. 50 Consoles in Two Hours?! by Spaceman+Spiff+II · · Score: 1
    Already doing better than the original Xbox...

    Seriously, though, I just read on Kotaku that some places are already starting to heavily discount the machine, with one place selling them for $150 and an ISP contract.

    --
    I understand that life's not fair, just why is it never unfair in my favor?
    1. Re:50 Consoles in Two Hours?! by inu_maru · · Score: 1

      That is not exclusive of the xbox, you can get at least 10,000 yen discount in a lot of electronics if you contract broadband from a number of ISP's.

      I got a monitor way cheaper this way.

      --
      Mu
  10. region coded games? by marcybots · · Score: 1

    I think the xbox 360 is region coded, so all those xbox 360 systems that are sitting on a shelf in japan are useless to gamers in USA, unless you like to import every single game you buy. Some games I guess work accross region codes but I would not bet the barn (or $400 bucks) on it.

    ______________________
      360 Games Go Region Free ?
    Computer and Videogames report although we haven't been able to get hold of any US games ourselves, word from Japan says that a handful of American Xbox 360 titles do not have a region lock, and work fine on a Japanese region console.

    Quote:
    We still long for the day when we can pick up a handful of games from Japan and play them on our home consoles, without the life risks associated with dodgy voltage step-downs. With the Xbox 360, it looks like we could be moving closer to our dream.
    Although we haven't been able to get hold of any US games ourselves, word from Japan says that a handful of American Xbox 360 titles do not have a region lock, and work fine on a Japanese region console.

    The supposed region-free titles discovered include Call of Duty 2, Condemned: Criminal Origins, Gun and Tony Hawk: American Wasteland, suggesting that the console's stance on region locking is the same as on the original Xbox, leaving the decision up to the publisher.

    There's no news yet on whether any foreign region games work on a PAL Xbox 360, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we get our hands on some US titles.

    News Source: ComputerandVideogames.com
    __________________
    MaxConsole - Numero Uno Console website resource
    Reply With Quote

  11. They should have changed the name by Kuukai · · Score: 5, Funny

    In Japan, O is synonymous with "correct", and X is synonymous with "wrong" (they flipped the PS controls in America, in Japanese games "O" is almost always accept, and "X" is cancel). Instead of just meaning "beyond" or whatever it means here, X has the added connotation of failure. So "Xbox" can be translated as "failure box". One poster on /.J pointed out that if you "translate" "Xbox360", you get "failure box", with a hastily appended circle to make it succeed.

    --
    Sendou Wave Kick!!
    1. Re:They should have changed the name by ChrisRijk · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Someone modded the parent "funny" but it's actually perfectly serious.

      In a Japanese game show (or similar question/answer situation), if the questioner gives you an "X" for your reply (generally accompanied by a negative sounding "bzzt"), that means you got the answer wrong. While "O" means you got it right (generally accompanied by a happy sounding "ding dong").

      This shows up in manga and anime as well.

      That being said, the Xbox 360 is going to suffer in Japan from a lack of compelling games, much more so than in the US.

    2. Re:They should have changed the name by dancingmad · · Score: 1

      It's not just anime and manga, though most Slashdot Japan experts seem to only know it from that.

      I can't tell you the number of school papers I've gotten back with nice, big batsu (Xs) on them. The pain, the pain of school!

      True/false questions on my exams are X for false, O for true.

      --
      "There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter," Jeeves, (Jeeves and the Impending Doom)
    3. Re:They should have changed the name by b1t+r0t · · Score: 1
      Original thread

      I rather like how someone translated "xbox" as the kanji (kyou), which is basically an "X" in a box, meaning bad luck, as traditionally used in omikuji (slips of paper for fortune telling), and then "xbox 360" as bad luck coming around again. That was much slicker than the obvious "batsu-bako" (literally "penalty box").

      All they need now is to work a triangle in there and they've caught up with the PS2 controller! (and no bonus for the guy who tried to use convoluted numerology with roman numerials to come up with "triple X")

      --

      --
      "Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
      "Open source is evil." - Microsoft
    4. Re:They should have changed the name by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Um, so?
      In Western countries, an X means incorrect as well (but we tend to use a tick for correct instead of O)...

      All you're telling us is that Japanese are much more superstitious and unable to understand that things in different contexts have different meanings.
      (But from a country that loves to judge personality based on blood type I suppose I should expect superstition).

    5. Re:They should have changed the name by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Japanese are "much more superstitious"? Sorry, but I just can't see the "Upsidedown Pentagram Box 13-666 (Indoor Open Umbrella Version)" particularly penetrating the American market. There are certain things you need to take into account when you localize a product, and negative connotations of words and symbols is one of them.

  12. PROOF by MBCook · · Score: 4, Interesting
    HA. I found PROOF!

    Check out this link to Kotaku. It has a picture and text saying that the launch is going so bad in Japan that since the retailers are unable to sell the consoles (which cost $350 in USD) back to MS, they are having a fire-sale within a day or two of launch selling the systems for about $150 USD, less than HALF the retail price.

    Compare that to here in the US where people are pay upwards of $800 in scam auctions on eBay for a picture of the 360, or a link to where to buy one, or an empty box.

    I'm sorry, but from my point of view this launch continues to look botched.

    --
    Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
    1. Re:PROOF by Rayonic · · Score: 1

      Erm, you seem to be having an orgasm over that little article.

      --
      [PowerPoint] is a tool for capitalist presentation
    2. Re:PROOF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      That Kotaku story is a load of bullshit. Not that in it's incorrect, but in that it doesn't mean anything. Those "fire sales" the article refers to are referencing deals, where if you subscribe to an ISP, you get a cheap Xbox 360. Furthermore, those sales were available first day, so it's hardly reactionary. Japan has sales like this all the time. For instance, you could pick up a PSP for 5000 Yen (40-45 USD maybe), but only if you signed a deal. It's like getting a "free" cellphone.

      I agree that the Xbox 360 launch was a complaint and utter failure on the part of Microsoft Japan. They clearly don't understand their consumers or what it's going to take to succeed in that area. That said, people still need to get their damn facts straight.

    3. Re:PROOF by b1t+r0t · · Score: 1

      Don't jizz all over your monitor man. I actually RyourFL. That price is with an internet subscription, just like years ago when you got $400 off a computer for signing up with MSN for a three year contract. And these offers started on the release day, too.

      --

      --
      "Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
      "Open source is evil." - Microsoft
  13. General lack of interest by Neo-Rio-101 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There's no buzz regarding the Xbox360 here in Japan. For every weird Xbox advert which does very little to excite anyone in regards to the games available on it, there are 3 PSP TV adverts with indepth information on the games they are selling for it.

    Microsoft also has to fight against the abysmal failure of the original Xbox. What started out as a pile of shelf space for the Xbox has dwindled to near zero - and now the Xbox has to wage war to get that shelf space back.

    The launch titles are nothing to write home about either. Microsoft has been showing demos of "Dead and Alive 4" in Akihabara - but really only showing off the graphics - which everyone has already seen before now in the arcades, so it's not so special this time.

    There are no quirky Japanese titles either, just very cookie cutter stuff. Ok, maybe there is better content on Xbox live, but how would I know? I can't see Xbox live content in the store. I can't pick it up and play with it there.
    Microsoft should have increased the game lineup a bit. Even if they have to fill it out with budget, or substandard titles (e.g. Chess or Shogi that uses the full power of the Xbox360 to calculate moves), this would have helped considerably.

    With the embedded PS2 fan base holding on to whatever SONY is going to offer, people are going to wait. SONY has a track record of making decent hardware. You have to admit, that with the first Xbox and even now (considering the Xbox360 glitches) Microsoft doesn't have a reputation for hardware. In fact it doesn't have a good reputation for software either, but that's for another flamefest.
    The Japanese hate things that are done halfway and half efforted without attention to perfection. Microsoft is such a company. Apple, for example, isn't.
    Nor is Sony's consumer devices division.

    All in all, the Xbox360 is just another "me too" from MS, which doesn't really excite anyone here. Time will tell though, but for what's on the Xbox360, there are similar titles on the PS2 - and when the PS3 becomes available - and if it runs Linux, MS is in deep trouble.

    --
    READY.
    PRINT ""+-0
    1. Re:General lack of interest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      " There's no buzz regarding the Xbox360 here in Japan. "

      I honestly don't see the buzz for the Xbox360 here in the states. I have seen a couple commercials (maybe 4 times) that had nothing to do with actual video games so (for me) didn't create any buzz. Also this weekend i was with the young men at my church and there was a guy who had just gotten back from serving a mission in Japan and one of the questions the kids wanted to ask him was "Is the PS3 out in Japan yet??"

      Basically if it wasn't for my reading of Slashdot i would not have known the Xbox360 was even released.

    2. Re:General lack of interest by nickj6282 · · Score: 1
      ...and when the PS3 becomes available - and if it runs Linux, MS is in deep trouble.


      How is MS in deep trouble if it runs Linux? People buying a 360 to install Linux on it are paying the same $299 or $399 as the people who buy it and leave Windows on it. I realize that those people who install Linux on their 360s probably won't be buying an Xbox Live subscription, but chances are they're still buying games and accessories just like everyone else.
    3. Re:General lack of interest by Neo-Rio-101 · · Score: 1

      How is MS in deep trouble if it runs Linux?

      Because then Sony have stuck an extremely powerful computer in the living rooms of millions of people. Granted, they don't need Linux to do this if they have their own custom software - but it would be a major blow to Microsoft in the home. Supposing something like Knoppix for the PS3 was released by SONY - that would really take the sails out of needing a home computer for most people. (Chances are it will be as expensive as a real computer anyway, but I'll wait and see first)

      --
      READY.
      PRINT ""+-0
    4. Re:General lack of interest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sony has a reputation for quality? Hah, not for a while.

      They started going downhill when they moved their manufacturing and fab over to mainland china, and have pretty much been coasting on their old rep ever since.

      Sony stuff is overpriced crap atm(it's like Sanyo quality for twice the price), which is why their electronics divisions are doing so poorly compared to every other consumer device company/division. Even their high-end products are nowhere near the quality they used to be.

      It's honestly sad to see a company thrashing it's brand like they have been. Sony used to be one of THE companies to go to for high-quality mid-high range products, they aren't anymore.

      And in terms of game consoles, they put weak optical components in both the PS and PS2. Cheap plastic gears for the drive, low-end laser assemblies, etc. If they follow the pattern and skimp in the same places they have been, you can bet any problems with the PS3 are going to be centered around the drive.

    5. Re:General lack of interest by LWATCDR · · Score: 1

      I do see it as being a media center. It could replace a DVR, Stereo, DVD, and could be used for things like editing digital video, email, and web surfing. I am still wondering who will be the first to create a DVR+P2P television network. I would rather have a computer myself since I doubt that Sony will let just anyone program for the PS3.
      Seems like a very logical and cheap way to distribute content. Your DVR downloads your favorite shows while you are at work or asleep and the network pays very little for bandwidth.

      --
      See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
    6. Re:General lack of interest by fuzzdawg · · Score: 1

      And how many of those people are going to put linux on the PS3. Very few I guarantee. Not everyone cares to put linux on a gaming machine or even could.

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      Sig* sig = theOneSig();
  14. One of Reasons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    For Japanese people, Xbox360 is too large, too heavy and too fuel-inefficient...like an American Vehicle.

    1. Re:One of Reasons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, just like an American person. :P

    2. Re:One of Reasons by Joehonkie · · Score: 1

      When I was in Yokohama in 1999/2000, I saw a lot of SUVs. Nothing like here, but a lot more than you would expect or need with a large purely urban population..

    3. Re:One of Reasons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... and the same size as the PS2, which has been SUCH a dismal failure...

  15. Sold out in the US... not in japan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm guessing the main reason X360 sold out in the US is due to eBay. Have you searched for xbox 360 on eBay? Have you seen the people that bought 12-20 xbox 360s at launch in order to sell them for 3-5x more than they paid for them? I do hope at least half those people end up stuck with hardware they can't break even on!

  16. The real solution? by Inoshiro · · Score: 1

    No region coding. If they had no region coding (just different PSUs for different region power, and a standardized HD connector), you could ship the same box anywhere it had i18n and l10n text for (which is pretty much anywhere; I had my Canadian Xbox in Japanese for a good year).

    When you create artificial barriers like region coding, you open the door to problems like this. If MS has these problems, they may think about the next console launch they do and if it will involve region locked consoles.

    --
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    Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
  17. Waste of consoles by Guspaz · · Score: 1

    So while North American and European buyers are desperate for more consoles, they are sitting on store shelves in Japan. Yeah, this whole worldwide launch thing was a GREAT idea.

  18. 360 No Longer Relevant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Reality is finally setting in even for the most hardcore of the Xbox fanbase. The 360 is no longer relevant to the next gen console race. We are down to a race between the PS3 and Revolution.

    Best case scenario for Microsoft is to salvage some percentage of the existing Xbox installed base of some 20 million or so.

    A large number of the Xbox installed base are pc gamers who are passing on the 360 this time due to the weak hardware. No reason to buy a 360 when your pc already runs 360 games better without spending a dime. And you aren't forced to pay Microsoft just to play online.

    That leaves pretty much just the Dreamcast and Microsoft fan segement of the Xbox installed base. How big that is unclear. 10 million? 15 million?

    Regardless of the exact number, Microsoft's best case scenario for the 360 is to manage to retain a decent percentage of those people. We are probably looking at a hard ceiling of 10-12 million 360s over the console's lifetime.

    And that is assuming that Microsoft doesn't pull the plug on the 360 and cut their losses.

    1. Re:360 No Longer Relevant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wait wait wait..

      Dont forgit teh HALO 3!1!one!!eleven-thousand-one-hundred-and-eleven!!1 !

      FPSes R teh r0xx0rz! Me N my frends N 4th grade play it on the internets all D time! Its really machure!!1!

  19. My observations from Japan by Ty · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I live and Kobe and frequent the big game stores here in in Osaka. 360 non-interactive demo units were put out maybe a month ago. Showing some racing game that, quite frankly, doesn't look much better than stuff available for the last generation. I don't recall anyone ever standing in front of it for more than a few seconds. This is in contrast to the loads of people generally standing around and watching demo units of new games for the other systems.

    Recently, they put up demo units that you can actually play. I've noticed people playing the 360 all of one time. And this is in contrast to the other systems which almost always have someone playing.

    Yeah, for whatever the reason, Japanese are passing on it.

    1. Re:My observations from Japan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Yeah, for whatever the reason, Japanese are passing on it."

      Pathetically weak hardware?
      Crappy games?
      Lower quality pc ports?
      Forced to pay just to play online?
      Crappy controller?
      Defective hardware?
      Crashing/buggy games?
      Backwards compatibility a total joke?

      The US is passing on it too - outside of a few hundrend thousand Dreamcast and Microsoft nuts, of course.

    2. Re:My observations from Japan by The+Munger · · Score: 1

      I live in Kanagawa, but spent today in Akihabara and in my local Yodobashi Camera (mega-geeky places to hang out in Japan). I saw similar things. People were as interested to play the PSPs on the next booth over. I had no trouble getting on the two machines they had set up, and got to have a go without delay. The other thing was that there wasn't much playable. I saw someone getting frustrated with Kameo (had some issues working the controls out - couldn't make his armadillo do a super-roll), and other than that it was mainly just video snippets. They were all very well produced and looked like in-game footage, but I have to agree with the parent thread; there's nothing terribly spectacular setting them apart graphically. And especially when you can't play very much it's not very enticing. I noticed the number one selling game that week was ICO for the PS2 (discounted down to about $15). It think they're happy with the cooler, cheaper stuff.

      I was lucky enough to go to the XBox 360 Lounge. As an aside, it's a really nice place that serves good food at a cheap price. But the main point is just how dedicated Microsoft are to get the 360 in the public mindset. Personally, I don't think they've made as big a dent as they'd hoped.

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    3. Re:My observations from Japan by Kuukai · · Score: 1

      I love how the same damned DQ8 ad was played for six friggin' months straight while I was there (in every freaking store. hearing the orchestral theme sends me into a berserk frenzy), and yet Microsoft's Important Launch didn't even get half that amount of publicity...

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  20. Amazing pictures of 360 launch in Japan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/kingkrool31 1/1134288667126.jpg

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/kingkrool31 1/1134289908891.jpg

  21. It's a culture clash, really. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The japanese really need to "let go" their sheep mentality.
    Just the other day, I was in Akihabara with my gf (yes, I am a weeaboo), and some dumb bitch was conducting some sort of survey along the lines of "which next-gen console do you anticipate the most?"
    So when she asks us, what does my dumb woman IMMEDIATELY retort?

    "Well, which one is the most popular, right now?"

    And in many, many stores, just below the price for an item, you will see the number of units this very item that were moved, so you can be sure you bought "the right stuff" that will make you "standard" with the rest of the fucking flock.

    I'm posting this as an AC, because a ton of dumbasses in here will no doubt scream murder and racism, but that is HOW THEY ARE. Not a racial slur. In fact, we are the troublemakers, what with our messy non-uber-standarization and "why don't you like microsoft, it's the biggest company" ways.

  22. Nothing to write home about by patio11 · · Score: 1
    The price is slashed to $150 *if you sign up for a year of Internet service* (several hundred dollars, depending on the specifics, roughly half of which will accrue to the store as a finder's fee). Popular electronics get released with this gambit here all the time -- cell phones are the most obvious example (do you think I paid anything for my last two camera phones?) and NTT (Japan's answer to Ma Bell, hurting to expand customer base as of late) was giving out *free iPod minis* to get people to sign up for their fiberoptic service in my town. That surely isn't an indication of a lack of popularity of iPods, is it?

    Incidentally, the text at the bottom of the price slashed sign reads "Offer limited to the first ten buyers", which suggests .

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