Perhaps size does matter

[Nesh]

http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/743/743925/vids_1.html

I think he's got a point about the size of the consoles. I remember that when the XBOX1 came to Japan one of the reasons that wasnt recieved well from the Japanese was the HUGE size of the console and I thought that the same thing on the PS3 would annoy Japanese consumers too.

They always disliked huge devices for their households

Sony can take heart in the fact that the PS3 is doing much, much better than the Xbox 360 in Japan. Is the 360 also too large for Japanese gamers? "With Xbox, the problem is not the size of the hardware but of the AC adapter."

Like Goldilocks sampling the three bears' porridge, Matsuura finds the size of the Wii is just right. "Wii is a very good piece of hardware. Many talented people from Nintendo make great ideas for game hardware, of course."

 

[Skrying]

It is but a factor of many. I would say its a small (I'm so funny) factor though.

 

[joker454]

Xbox's (old gen and current) don't sell well in Japan because their games, for the most part, are not geared towards that audience. Size and/or ugliness probably has little to do with it.

 

[Rangers]

Xbox's (old gen and current) don't sell well in Japan because their games, for the most part, are not geared towards that audience. Size and/or ugliness probably has little to do with it.

There are other reasons nobody wants to talk about.

Xbox360 has some big time Japanese dev'd games..still doesn't sell at all.

 

[Nesh]

It doesnt point towards looks when it says size but towards the small size of their homes. There is a practical issue which Japanese probably find important. Although for us and in general according to our logic and creterions this is a minor issue Japanese are so different in so many ways.

I am sure price is another factor. But I think price and size combined were the initial factors because PS2 also didnt come with the best launch games either and lets not forget the huge technical issues like overheating and memory card corruptions the PS2 had.

 

[Todd33]

The worst two things about my 360, the noise and the AC brick. I love the internal PSU in the PS3, very well engineered. Other than that they are both "large" compared to a PS2 slim and Wii, but you can't fit much into a small space.

 

[Capeta]

I don't think the size of the Wii is that much of a factor. Looking back at the GC, it didn't sell too well in Japan either and it is quite small in form factor. I think the Wii has all the main ingredients...size, style, uniqueness, price, games, nationalism etc.

 

[Nesh]

I don't think the size of the Wii is that much of a factor. Looking back at the GC, it didn't sell too well in Japan either and it is quite small in form factor. I think the Wii has all the main ingredients...size, style, uniqueness, price, games, nationalism etc.

PS2 was also small and it could stand vertically. Also the price difference wasnt that big, PS2 had a headstart and got games such as FF10 much sooner than when the PS3 is going to get games such as FF13

PS3 and Wii on the other hand were released simultaneously, and there is a much bigger difference in both price and size. It certaintly wasnt Wii's games either that sold it since it didnt offer anything superb at launch except from Zelda which was a GC game with a motion sensing controller.

 

[infinity4]

i am sure its the price that is driving wii sales

 

[-tkf-]

Try heading into the PS3 store, the JP version. It´s another universe in some aspects... My kid loved the Summer Vacation 3 video

 

[archangelmorph]

It doesnt point towards looks when it says size but towards the small size of their homes. There is a practical issue which Japanese probably find important. Although for us and in general according to our logic and creterions this is a minor issue Japanese are so different in so many ways.

I am sure price is another factor. But I think price and size combined were the initial factors because PS2 also didnt come with the best launch games either and lets not forget the huge technical issues like overheating and memory card corruptions the PS2 had.

Unless you are Japanese I dont think you can accurate infer that.. Its true that it may have been a factor to them (possibly greater than to those in the west) but how much of a factor is anyones guess..
Not to mention that fact that everyone's different and just because one guy publicly states that the size is a problem, that it actually is to the Japanese population aggregate..
Don't forget that the console was created and designed by the Japanese in the first place and it's also true that this is the first time anyone has brought this issue up to the press since the dimensions of the console were first revealed back in E3 2005..

 

[macabre]

The Wii seems like the perfect platform for Matsuura`s games, but a new Parappa for PS3 with 6axis control could be great.

 

[Nesh]

Unless you are Japanese I dont think you can accurate infer that.. Its true that it may have been a factor to them (possibly greater than to those in the west) but how much of a factor is anyones guess..
Not to mention that fact that everyone's different and just because one guy publicly states that the size is a problem, that it actually is to the Japanese population aggregate..
Don't forget that the console was created and designed by the Japanese in the first place and it's also true that this is the first time anyone has brought this issue up to the press since the dimensions of the console were first revealed back in E3 2005..

Well that guy is japanese, and I do clearly remember reports back in 2001 that the Japanese received XBOX1 very badly for its super size. I also remember some very good impressions on the PS2's size when it was shown and after release because it didnt take room and they could place it vertically which the Japanese found important.

edit: Back then I was visiting a gaming forum in which some Japanese guy was a member. He said that it was a very good move by Sony to design the PS2 that way because Japanese cant put big devices in their homes and it was very important for them that such products arent huge.

And I still remember that pic of some japanese stairing and laughing at XBOX for its "super size"

Sony is very Strange with their tactics.

Sega chose the route of the more powerful hardware and harder to develop for with the Saturn (it even lacked the appropriate library), Sony does the same with PS2

MS brings a console that is HUGE in size that the Japanese dont receive well, Sony does the same with the PS3.

 

[archangelmorph]

Well that guy is japanese, and I do clearly remember reports back in 2001 that the Japanese received XBOX1 very badly for its super size. I also remember some very good impressions on the PS2's size when it was shown and after release because it didnt take room and they could place it vertically which the Japanese found important.

edit: Back then I was visiting a gaming forum in which some Japanese guy was a member. He said that it was a very good move by Sony to design the PS2 that wat because Japanese cant put big devices in their homes and it was very important.

And I still remember that pic of some japanese stairing and laughing at XBOX for its "super size"

Sony is very Strange with their tactics.

Sega chose the route of the more powerful hardware and harder to develop for with the Saturn (it even lacked the appropriate library), Sony does the same with PS2

MS brings a console that is HUGE in size that the Japanese dont receive well, Sony does the same with the PS3.

Like it's already been stated several times in this thread.. Size is definitely a factor but I wouldn't expect it to drastically affect sales potential.. Xbox failed because it was manufactured by a non-Japanese company, had a very non-Japanese software library and had very non-Japanese-sized controllers (by the time the smaller ones were released the damage had probably already been done)..
Also the size issues of the Xbox we're expressed immediately (and very publicly) by the Japanese press and public on release of the console (so far the PS3 gets one instance of an individual complaining 6 months after release)..

I *really* don't think you can try to extrapolate this guys views of the PS3s size (in terms of how significant of a factor it is, if at all..) over the entire Japanese populous in light of the points I've just stated..

 

[inefficient]

So Cosmo says you're fat. Well I ain't down with that!

I'm not worried about the size. And I doubt Sony is either.

The types of people who are put off by size are not the core gamer audience but the casuals. At the consoles' current price point and library it is really only going to attract the core gamers anyway. At this point you don't even really want those people who buy a console for 1 or 2 games because you end up with a net loss that way.

By the type the console is mature enough for casuals, a new form factor will be do able. For an appliance with a 10 year life span, I think its a good strategy be forward looking and aim high at first even if it requires a bigger box.

 

[Nesh]

Like it's already been stated several times in this thread.. Size is definitely a factor but I wouldn't expect it to drastically affect sales potential.. Xbox failed because it was manufactured by a non-Japanese company, had a very non-Japanese software library and had very non-Japanese-sized controllers (by the time the smaller ones were released the damage had probably already been done)..
Also the size issues of the Xbox we're expressed immediately (and very publicly) by the Japanese press and public on release of the console (so far the PS3 gets one instance of an individual complaining 6 months after release)..

I *really* don't think you can try to extrapolate this guys views of the PS3s size (in terms of how significant of a factor it is, if at all..) over the entire Japanese populous in light of the points I've just stated..

I accept your points and I agree with you. Note that I am not claiming that XBOX1 failed due to size in Japan. I brought the size part about the XBOX solely as an example of how the size was recieved. And it was received very badly and was highlighted more than what we in the west would have found logical.

I am not trying to say that size is the biggest factor. If you check one of my previous posts I did say that the reason PS3 didnt start well in Japan was probably the price and size without saying that size was a bigger factor than price or that the PS3 fails due to size.

I am just trying to say that it could be more important in Japan whereas in the west we hardly care. Although it may not be a factor that may cause the PS3 to fail, it may create some well recieval and boost towards some Wii extra sales.

And ofcourse as you might have noticed I didnt use solely his claim as an arguement in my reply to your post but also a few previous impressions since the PS2 days which were directed towards size.

One thing I ve noticed when I read some articles or saw a couble of documentaries about Japan (not related to gaming) is that they do have small households in many areas compared to the west. In some occasions in major cities the spaces were too confined for our standards too

Which tends to make me think that he probably has some point

 

[archangelmorph]

I accept your points and I agree with you. Note that I am not claiming that XBOX1 failed due to size in Japan. I brought the size part about the XBOX solely as an example of how the size was recieved. And it was received very badly and was highlighted more than what we in the west would have found logical.

I am not trying to say that size is the biggest factor. If you check one of my previous posts I did say that the reason PS3 didnt start well in Japan was probably the price and size without saying that size was a bigger factor than price or that the PS3 fails due to size.

I am just trying to say that it could be more important in Japan whereas in the west we hardly care. Although it may not be a factor that may cause the PS3 to fail, it may create some well recieval and boost towards some Wii extra sales.

And ofcourse as you might have noticed I didnt use solely his claim as an arguement in my reply to your post but also a few previous impressions since the PS2 days which were directed towards size.

One thing I ve noticed when I read some articles or saw a couble of documentaries about Japan (not related to gaming) is that they do have small households in many areas compared to the west. In some occasions in major cities the spaces were too confined for our standards too

Which tends to make me think that he probably has some point

Ah I see, thanks for the clarification..

& I agree that the size factor could possibly influence Wii sales positively but in large i'd say that it would probably be marginal (about the same degree it would negatively affect PS3 sales)..

I think it's probably not going to matter much to Japanese buyers at the moment since the most pressing issue is definitely price.. As it comes down though i'm sure there will be more pressure on Sony to do something about the form factor of the console, which they have historically shown they can handle quite well..

 

[Nesh]

You know perhaps Sony could manage to attract Japanese in a different way and probably thats what Kutaragi envisioned. One "cheap" system that can offer games, movies, music, computing all in one. In general one high quality system that can do all.

Long term if Kutaragi's vision is materialized this should be received extremely well by the Japanese since one device alone could replace many other devices and save room and offer everything they offered. I think thats what he wanted

But first Sony should boost its value through games and price reduction if possible so more owners appear and others will care to learn about the console from mouth to mouth. No matter what you do if userbase is small you dont have enough people to talk about the product to others and increase interest to those who dont have any. Its easier to know the console that has the userbase

I am surprised that there are many people even PS3 owners who dont know what the PS3 actually offers except from playing game disks and movies

 

[Arwin]

Both size and price matter in Japan more than anywhere else, I think, but by far the most important issue here is the price / sales curve. I think the PS3 is at the foot of that hill, and the Wii has been launched closer to the top.

However, some part at least is due to Nintendo having captured the hearths and minds of Japanese with the DS, much more thoroughly so than in other regions even.

 

[Diamond.G]

Well by all accounts the PS3 is selling better than the PSX did (you know the PS2 DVR that Sony tried selling). I see the PS3 as it's successor more than the successor to the PS2.