Xbox 360 lags far behind PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii in Japan
By James Walker
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 continues to struggle in Japan, actually seeing a sales decrease during the hectic holiday week from the week prior, and once again being obliterated by both the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii.
Microsoft’s attempts to win over a share of the Japanese market continue to fall flat on its collective face. In the week-long period from December 17th to December 23rd, Microsoft sold only 7,908 Xbox 360s. That is a decrease of 653 units from the week prior, where 8,561 Xbox 360s were purchased.
To give you a proper understanding of just how badly the Xbox 360 is getting crushed, the PlayStation 3 sold in excess of 58,000 units. The Nintendo Wii outsold both of them combined, selling an astonishing 230,000 units in the very same week.
Microsoft has had a hard time of it in Japan since the launch of the Xbox 360. In the first half of this year, Microsoft has sold roughly 122,000 Xbox 360 consoles. In that same time, Sony’s PlayStation 3 has sold over 500,000 units, and Nintendo has been able to sell 1.78 million Wiis.
A lack of appealing software in the land of the rising sun has often been blamed for the abysmal sales of Microsoft’s console, and a look at the software sales for the 360 in Japan will show this fact. Only two games have surpassed the 100,000 mark in Blue Dragon and Dead or Alive 4. In fact, only twelve titles for the Xbox 360 have sold over 50,000 copies. So what can Microsoft do to gain some kind of momentum in Japan? Or better yet, how long until Microsoft accepts complete and utter defeat in Japan?
via Punch Jump
Related:
Stumble It!
Tips N4G
December 29th, 2007
Exclusivity on Ace Combat 6 and Beautiful Katamari was supposed to ignite 360 sales in Japan but failed to do so. Katamari in fact totally flopped only selling 24k units. That has almost certainly scared off other Japanese developers from going exclusive on the 360. I feel that Microsoft have missed their chance with the 360. The head start they had gave them a fantastic chance to get one up on the PS3 but they should have made more of an effort with the Japanese market because they have no chance now. Sure the 360 is still doing well in the US but Japan is all over and in PAL regions the PS3 has comfortably outsold it all year. The PS3 is going to get more and more popular over the coming year which is going to take sales away from the 360. Realistically the 360 needs to sell better next year than it did in 2007 in order to still be in front of the PS3 by the start of 2009 and I cant see that happening.
December 29th, 2007
Lack of appealing titles …. What complete tosh … Do journalists just cut and paste the same comments again and again. The games available for the Xbox 360 this year have been more Japanese centric than the PS3. Walk into any Japanese electronics store and just compare them.
It’s simply down to one thing brand, and brand awareness. You ask any kid in Japan about the xbox 360 and they will simpy give you a blank stare. Xbox, nani?
I also go along with the sentiment, the Japanese buy from Japanese companies. They look after their own mentality. Only Apple have been successful with regards to this. They are the exception that proves the rule.
Microsoft need somethig special for Japan. Maybe a repackaged product, something the other consoles cannot match.
December 29th, 2007
Peter:
Do you honestly expect the Japanese market to eat up games like Gears of War and Halo 3 like the Untied States and Europe do? To turn the tables around for just a moment, there are games that are released in Japan that never see the light of day in the United States, because they know that it won’t sell. So far, out of the few games that publishers have tried to market in the US, the only franchise that has endured has been Katamari Damaci.
You could argue brand awareness if you want, and to a degree you could make a somewhat valid point: But do you expect people to believe that the Japanese have never heard of a company called Microsoft?
December 29th, 2007
Surprise, surprise, the xenophobic japanese refuse to buy a foreign product. This is no different than the auto market in Japan. They only buy japanese. Call it racist, call it ignorant, call it protectionist, call it whatever you like but they won’t change. That may be why they are so stagnant. I say Microsoft should pull out and stop wasting resources there. It’s a small market anyway, compared to North America.
December 30th, 2007
Pat O quoted: “It’s a small market anyway, compared to North America”, lol so why Microsoft is so mad about it I mean they made “exclusive” games for them but they just rejected. Anyway as you said they should focus on North America now. I’m from South America and Microsoft Xbox is a unknown here, only Nintendo sells well I mean Nintendo original games.
December 30th, 2007
i hope this convinces namco to give the ps3 ace combat 6 damn it!
December 30th, 2007
Microsoft are totally obsessed with trying to dominate the home market and that is what lead to the failure of the Xbox. Yes, the US is the single largest market but the Japanese and PAL markets combined are bigger than the US so its insane to not give them the same attention. If you take last weeks sales for instance the 360 sold 140k more than the PS3 in the US but when you look at the total worldwide figures the PS3 sold 25k more than the 360. Even though the PS3 isn’t selling particularly well it is still outselling the 360 worldwide and that’s because it sells in every region.
US 360 sales = High
PAL 360 sales = Low
JAPAN 360 sales = Nothing to see here
US PS3 sales = Low
PAL PS3 sales = Low
JAPAN PS3 sales = Low
The problem for Microsoft is that I can see no way how they are going to make Japan and PAL sales increase yet all 3 PS3 regions will increase.
December 30th, 2007
The Japanese are racist and would rather buy their own over an American product - that’s the truth that the media won’t print.
No games? Don’t make me laugh… they have a slew of games aimed at the Japanese market. What does Sony have?
December 30th, 2007
“they have a slew of games aimed at the Japanese market”
aimed at doesent make sales. if someone wanted to make a game aimed at me they would combine tomb raider and tenchu (the PS1 titles) but the problem is that they would be their interpitation of those titles. the games MS is making are made for the Japanese in an american style.
you cant look at say Final Fantacy and Katamari and say. “alrigh lads, the japs like bright colours and girly men. lets make a game based on that.”
its not enough. you cant just aim, you have to hit the target. that is where Microsoft failed. they didnt get japanese games right
January 10th, 2008
It’s hilarious how you microsoft fans try to protect your precious 360s and call the japanese racist. I mean the ps3 isn’t any prized pig but it’s better than the 360.