360 only sells 10,000 units in Japan for april

[ASSEMbler]

Meaning that they only need 8.3 years to hit 1,000,000 units sold!

It seems even at $1200 ps3 is set to have the market in Japan locked.

[Perkunas]

You'd really expect 'someone' at MGS Japan to commit Seppuku now... ;)

[GaijinPunch]

You'd really expect 'someone' at MGS Japan to commit Seppuku now... ;)

I think it's actually required by law, just after the CEO's entire prefecture makes a public apology.

[SuperGrafx]

DOAExtreme 2 is due to hit soon. Things will pick up.

[Warakia]

Just a quick heads-up. If someone in England wants a new Japanese 360 for 200 quid (that is about 20 quid below the price in Japan!) head on over to videogameimports.com I was even tempted to pick up a spare at that price! (+comes with warranty)

I guess that Japanese 360 are not selling well anywhere!

I do think the 360 will continue to sell slowly in Japan, senko, blue dragon and other games will be boosts but they are not enough to "crack" Japan. MS need a release on the same level as a FFVII remake to crack Japan open. I have a feeling that Blue Dragon is the last shot for MS, that is the only 360 game that I have ever heard my Japanese friends talking about since DoA4. Even N3 was not on their radars at all. If Blue Dragon gets almost perfect scores in Famitsu and the level of coverage in Famitsu that say, an FF or DQ would get, 360 will get a brief window in which to compete in Japan.

[Shadowlayer]

Japanese X360s cant play US/europe games, right? not even with the firmware trick...

I think should buy square and make every FF title a X360 exclusive, thats all.

[Ringo]

Its up to the publisher to decide to region code it. Everything from MS has been, most other publishers have not. The firmware trick cannot be used to bypass region coding.

[Giel]

Too bad they offer a Japanese and not an Asian system, allmost all Asian games support English Language(Play-Asia has a nice list somewhere..). Then it would be worth the buy, considering asian games launch at 30 dollar or something..

[SuperGrafx]

I think should buy square and make every FF title a X360 exclusive, thats all.

Easier said than done.
Not every company is a good fit for acquisition from a corporate culture standpoint. Top talent would likely leave than endure a merger/acquisition, particularly by an American company.

[WanganRunner]

The only company Microsoft needs to buy is Sony.

Then they can spin off the consumer electronics divisions to Samsung or someone, who I'm sure would gladly feast on the remains of their ailing competitor.

Microsoft will not succeed in Japan until the major 3rd parties have no choice but to develop for their console, and that will only happen if Sony is out of the picture.

Why they all so fiercely ally themselves with Sony....I dunno.

[SuperGrafx]

Why they all so fiercely ally themselves with Sony....I dunno.

Because of the large installed base. Sadly, it's all about numbers, the more installed consoles, the better the chance of your game selling.

[CHR_AeON]

Too bad they offer a Japanese and not an Asian system, allmost all Asian games support English Language(Play-Asia has a nice list somewhere..). Then it would be worth the buy, considering asian games launch at 30 dollar or something..

Where's the difference? Both japanese and asian games work on both japanese and asian consoles, as the region encoding is the same (NTSC/J).

[Japan-Games.com]

I bought Tom Clancy Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter on Yahoo for about 5,800 yen. It was the Asian version shipped from Hong Kong. I was thinking about picking up the new Elder Scrolls game as well since that will also play on my Japanese 360 and it will be in English.

For me the 360 has been great in Japan. It plays my US Halo 2 for Live action, plus I've picked up most of my used games for 2,500 yen or so. Just got PGR3 on Yahoo for 2,600 yen last night. Perfect Dark and FIFA Soccer were less than 2,000 yen. I brought Call of Duty 2 with me from the States. One store near me has Ridge Racer 6 for 990 yen. Still can't bring myself to play that game tho....I hit the first turn and remind myself of why I told myself to never play it again.

[Concura]

Microsoft have had low sales in Japan with their Xbox brand for a long time; I'm not surprised with these numbers. With the original Xbox at the same price as PS2, it would be cheaper to just buy a PS2 and use the money one would have otherwise spent on another console for games on the PS2. it all makes sense, especially when most of your favorite games are on the other console.

I'm seeing the same situation happening for this Christmas when the other two nex gen consoles release


*Concura

[Alchy]

With the original Xbox at the same price as PS2, it would be cheaper to just buy a PS2 and use the money one would have otherwise spent on another console for games on the PS2. it all makes sense, especially when most of your favorite games are on the other console.

I'm seeing the same situation happening for this Christmas when the other two nex gen consoles releaseHow could you possibly see the same thing happening this christmas when none of them are the same price? And how can you be so preumptuous as to assume what other people's favourite games are?

Is this the point where we get PS3 discount vouchers from you or some shit? Because you can give mine to someone else.

[jp.]

How could you possibly see the same thing happening this christmas when none of them are the same price? And how can you be so preumptuous as to assume what other people's favourite games are?



Salesman premonition.

[Alchy]

If this truely is an attempt at viral marketing, it's the most ridiculously blatant I can imagine. I hope it's just a slightly overly-excited guy who buys into corporate hype ("consistency and living room integration equals Sony lifestyle", what the fuck?); he surely isn't succeeding in selling any PS3's.

[Shadowlayer]

Viral marketing in forums works................if the forum is IGN boards.

[Yakumo]

Viral marketing in forums works................if the forum is IGN boards.That’s because IGN is full of nobs as in Nobheads :nod: Unfortunately these are the people who will buy a PS3 because it falls in to their "Sony life style". I knew a guy who was a Sony freak. Everything he owned had to be a Sony no matter if it was shit or not. You can only imagine what he was like when the PlayStation came out. that guy was a nob as well :rolleyes:

Yakumo

[Blur2040]

The "Sony life style" is the one that involves replacing all of your electronics every year due to breakage, right?

On a side note, Concura can't possibly be part of some sort of viral marketing plan. Why? He's making me hate PS3...

Then again...he's also getting us to talk about PS3...perhaps he's pushing the "any publicity is good publicity" angle...but then I think "PS3 is waaaaay overpriced, and probably won't read half of my discs within 12 months of purchasing it." That can't be good...

PS: I wholeheartedly support the usage of "nob" in the above post. Hilarious word--I wish it was used more in the US.

[jp.]

If every single one of those people buy a copy of Senko no Ronde: Revision X and help it outsell Border Down and Under Defeat... thus solidifying G.Rev's support of the Xbox360... I will be a happy man. For even I understand that they cannot support the cherished Dreamcast forever.

[Warakia]

I'm not sure Senko no Ronde is going to be such a hit I'm afraid. While I love it and have the ltd Ed pre-ordered already, I fear that it does not have the appeal of their shooters.

I recall in the weeks after Senko's arcade release "nobody" was playing it in my local arcade. I had to go to a bigger arcade in the centre of Osaka to find anyone to play against. It is a real shame and I know loads of people who love this game, but it has not reached that many people.

I am really looking forward to see which console of the next gen becomes the home of arcade ports. PS3 has got the Lindbergh support nailed (+ KOF MI 3). Wii has got Metal Slug. 360 has Senko no Ronde. I am still waiting for the first pure 2D game on the PS3 and 360, I doubt Sony are going to be strict about 2D on the PS3, afterall they had Gradius III+IV just after the Japanese PS2 launch. Anyway my money is on either Wii or PS3 to be the home of arcade ports. Wii because of cheap development and because they don't have guidelines on graphics (CF 2D Metal Slug). PS3 because of the inevitable larger than the 360 market.

[Yakumo]

PS: I wholeheartedly support the usage of "nob" in the above post. Hilarious word--I wish it was used more in the US.Spread the word ! Nob is good to use :nod:

Yakumo

[jp.]

I'm not sure Senko no Ronde is going to be such a hit I'm afraid. While I love it and have the ltd Ed pre-ordered already, I fear that it does not have the appeal of their shooters.

I recall in the weeks after Senko's arcade release "nobody" was playing it in my local arcade. I had to go to a bigger arcade in the centre of Osaka to find anyone to play against. It is a real shame and I know loads of people who love this game, but it has not reached that many people.

I am really looking forward to see which console of the next gen becomes the home of arcade ports. PS3 has got the Lindbergh support nailed (+ KOF MI 3). Wii has got Metal Slug. 360 has Senko no Ronde. I am still waiting for the first pure 2D game on the PS3 and 360, I doubt Sony are going to be strict about 2D on the PS3, afterall they had Gradius III+IV just after the Japanese PS2 launch. Anyway my money is on either Wii or PS3 to be the home of arcade ports. Wii because of cheap development and because they don't have guidelines on graphics (CF 2D Metal Slug). PS3 because of the inevitable larger than the 360 market.


Thats a shame that Senko no Ronde isn't doing better in arcades. Hopefully the 360 scene can revive it some (I know I know, I'm dreaming).

As for what console will have the 2D support: I'd say the Wii will probably have the most. Of course, I don't think you should write off the 360 just yet, as there is a little something called Xbox Live Arcade that is proving to be VERY successful for smaller developers.

[Kron]

Capcom and Konami are smaller developers now? There are no small developers on Live Arcade apart from those American shareware developers who are either porting their PC wares or ripping off Japanese arcade games.

'Off the 360'

[GaijinPunch]

Senko no Ronde isn't all that. Nice to have something different, but it just didn't hold my interest. For a versus game from a micro company, it's not doing bad. It at least did good enough to demand a new version.

[NeoAux]

Please make Senko no Ronde: Revision X region free Sega...Sega is releasing the port right?

[Warakia]

The problem with xbox Live is as Kron said, lots of smaller Western developers, zero Japanese. Not a big shame, I would prefer budget titles over downloads. Whats wrong with the simple 2000 range of games?

And yes Senko no Ronde has a very limited appeal. It is kinda like Virtual On, a small group swear by it, the rest impartial. It is a flawed game (with rubbish AI) but it really comes alive against another human opponent. I'm just happy it is getting a home port.

[jp.]

The problem with xbox Live is as Kron said, lots of smaller Western developers, zero Japanese.


I'm sure if Japanese developers wanted to put games on XBLA Microsoft would have no problem letting them do so...