XBox 360 launched in Japan

[Edge]

I believe it's really simple, get 4 or 5 really good quality games out next year, cater to the japanese market, at least 3 or 4 RPG's, and they will do fine, launch day is largely irrelevant.

And if the Japanese don't buy the console after those games are released, are you still going to be hoping for success in Japan, or accept reality?

 

[Bad_Boy]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/09/16/news_6133515.html
lots of weird simulation games, small betting games, action games, rpgs...typical recipe for japanese sales.

 

[Lysander]

http://www.xe360.com/article/Xbox_360/2962.html
Xbox Evolved

 

[drpepper]

Well they've probably got a solid 6 months, and it's not as if Sony is known for it's strong japanese launch titles.

I can concievably see Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey being 'the' games next year in japan.

Are there any respected developers planning big budget RPG's for PS3 in 06?

Yup, final fantasy 12 and Kingdom hearts II for 06. Thanks to the PS3 Backwards compatibility all (90%?) PS2 games are essentially PS3 games.

Sony has the luxury of fighting on 2 fronts. Honestly, eArm, Blue Dragon and NNN better live up to their hype. Realistically though, how do we know Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey will be good? Are we pegging its success from the name behind the game?

 

[expletive]

And if the Japanese don't buy the console after those games are released, are you still going to be hoping for success in Japan, or accept reality?

If it does sell will you still "hope" for its failure?

I dont know why people think that Sony with a 70% market share in ANY market is somehow good for them personally, or the industry.

 

[Nite_Hawk]

why are there more girls or should i say Japanese lady buying Xbox360 than guys? I think is good that woman are getting into gaming, bloddy about time.

I don't actually think they bought the console. I think they just got promotional bags to carry their other boxes in. Most of the bags look rather empty.

Nite_Hawk

 

[avaya]

If it does sell will you still "hope" for its failure?

I dont know why people think that Sony with a 70% market share in ANY market is somehow good for them personally, or the industry.

Sony’s position in the market has not been shown to be detrimental to the consumer at the moment. There are still two major players who are strong enough to force Sony’s hand in pricing and innovation.

The current situation in the home console market isn’t at all bad. In many ways it’s ideal – one platform provides a vast array of titles to cater for all tastes and the two other platforms provide a mainstream to niche product.

Exclusives are by and large going to the company willing to pay up the most – Sony certainly isn’t at an advantage here. Multiplatform titles make up the bulk of the market and it seems most people are catered for.

The key point is that people aren’t being forced to buy a console, there are no anti-competitive practices going on. Consumers still have their sovereignty.

 

[scooby_dooby]

Also scoob, the games you do think will change everything in Japan: when are they coming out?

Well I'm not sure what you mean by "change everything" but all the games I listed, that will sell 360's in Japan, are expected within 1 year.

Not any that I know of at the moment, but it's not as if they'll need it [in Japan]. They'll get it anyway - which is pretty in line with what everyone is expecting, them being Sony, the dominant marketleader.

I never said they need it. Sony will sell out in japan obviously, as many as they can make in 06. That's not the question, the question is how will the 360 sell over the next year. The absence of a powerful RPG does leave the door open so to speak for the 360 to become a very desirable console, if one or two of these RPG's really strike a chord (and BD already is) then they could basically become one of the most popular games for all fo next year.

That would work wonders for 360 market penetration, and at least allow them to sell 1 or 2million consoels by te end of next year when combined with the likes of DOA4 and the dozen or so titles I listed previously all expected out before the end of next year.

 

[Bad_Boy]

How many x-box1's have been sold in Japan? any numbers?

 

[StefanS]

How many x-box1's have been sold in Japan? any numbers?

As far as I know they didn't manage to sell their launch-shipment till now, which was 500.000 units. So they've sold less than 500.000

 

[groper]

I cant believe that their launch-shipment was 500.000 units. It must be more close to 200.000 units

 

[Bad_Boy]

As far as I know they didn't manage to sell their launch-shipment till now, which was 500.000 units. So they've sold less than 500.000

we are talking about the Xbox1 right? i thought the xbox1 hit atleast a couple million in Asia/Japan.

http://www.gaming-age.com/news/2002/2/25-75
according to GA, they shipped 250k at launch

edit1:
heres a weekly chart on Xbox1 sales in japan, http://forum.pcvsconsole.com/viewthread.php?tid=15959 , but i dunno the total sold (too lazy to add all that up lol)
that chart will be a good comparasion when we get the first numbers from the 360 sales.

edit2:
ah, http://forum.pcvsconsole.com/viewthread.php?tid=8498

Japan / Asia
PlayStation 2 - 15.90 million
Xbox - 1.4 million (~425,000 Japan alone)
GameCube - 3.37 million
Game Boy Advance - 12.66 million
PSone - 20.51 million

looks like you were right about the less than 500k though. but it might be much more than that, that date is jan 2004

edit3:
January 05

Japan / Asia
PlayStation 2 - 19.47 million
Xbox - 1.7 million
GameCube - 3.78 million

 

[expletive]

Sony’s position in the market has not been shown to be detrimental to the consumer at the moment. There are still two major players who are strong enough to force Sony’s hand in pricing and innovation.

Seeing as we have no way of seeing what the reality 'at the moment' would be with a more balanced market i'm not sure how we can make this statement. For all we know we could have all consoles launching at 199 if the market were split up evenly.

You make this comment at a point where MS and GC are still in the console race, what if a round of 15% market share causes MS to leave the industry and Nintendo to focus on software and handhelds? Where will the console market be then? It's more than just a snapshot 'at the moment', its the future as well.

The current situation in the home console market isn’t at all bad. In many ways it’s ideal – one platform provides a vast array of titles to cater for all tastes and the two other platforms provide a mainstream to niche product.

I didnt say it was all bad, just that to 'hope' for such dominance by one company in Japan was misguided.

Exclusives are by and large going to the company willing to pay up the most – Sony certainly isn’t at an advantage here. Multiplatform titles make up the bulk of the market and it seems most people are catered for.

Not sure how this is related but it wasnt really about which company has an advantage, i said it wasnt personally beneficial or necessarily good for the industry to have one company with 70% of the market.

The key point is that people aren’t being forced to buy a console, there are no anti-competitive practices going on. Consumers still have their sovereignty.

I never said anyone was forced to buy one, just that those who want to buy one are better served when the market is more evenly split.

 

[dantruon]

This is not directely toward any one of you here, this is totally direct to Peter Moore and his stupid comment about "Superior Culture" on the xbox360 in which he imply that xbox360 will be no.1 console in Japan in the near future. Well Mr.Moore i like to say even the sales of Xbox and Xbox360 combined and time it by 10 it couldnt even match the Playstation 1 sales in Japan , how could you challenge the inferior PS2 or even the superior PS3.

 

[expletive]

This is not directely toward any one of you here, this is totally direct to Peter Moore and his stupid comment about "Superior Culture" on the xbox360 in which he imply that xbox360 will be no.1 console in Japan in the near future. Well Mr.Moore i like to say even the sales of Xbox and Xbox360 combined and time it by 10 it couldnt even match the Playstation 1 sales in Japan , how could you challenge the inferior PS2 or even the superior PS3.

Why would you even spend your own time writing an 'open letter to peter moore' like this? You know its his job as head of marketing to come up with stuff like this right? Theyve all done it, and will continue to do it. I wouldnt let it bother you so much.

 

[dubyateeeff]

You make this comment at a point where MS and GC are still in the console race, what if a round of 15% market share causes MS to leave the industry and Nintendo to focus on software and handhelds?

Because the market is so big that a company can live of those remaning 30%, if they dont then likely it is because their business modell is flawed, not because Sony has a 70% share. 30% is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 45 million console units. That is a lot!

Even 15% is 20 million units.

EDIT: (dont mind the math behind it)

 

[dantruon]

Why would you even spend your own time writing an 'open letter to peter moore' like this? You know its his job as head of marketing to come up with stuff like this right? Theyve all done it, and will continue to do it. I wouldnt let it bother you so much.

it bother me that some might believe him and dont be optimistice about the entire situation in Japan right now. Talking about living in denial.

 

[scooby_dooby]

it bother me that some might believe him and dont be optimistice about the entire situation in Japan right now. Talking about living in denial.

You're right. We should forget that there's a wicked line-up of games coming out over the next year and just look at the 1st weeks launch #'s instead. That makes much mroe sense.

Lets also ignore the fact that DOA which drove the original XBOX's sales is not present. Heck, while we're at it lets totally pretend that the top 3 japanese launch titles were NOT pushed back.

Ok, after all that, Dantruon you're right. These first 4 days of sales means the x360 is doomed in japan. I don't know how I didn't see it eralier, with such conclusive and well thought out evidence to the contrary

 

[dantruon]

You're right. We should forget that there's a wicked line-up of games coming out over the next year and just look at the 1st weeks launch #'s instead. That makes much mroe sense.

Lets also ignore the fact that DOA which drove the original XBOX's sales is not present. Heck, while we're at it lets totally pretend that the top 3 japanese launch titles were NOT pushed back.

Ok, after all that, Dantruon you're right. These first 4 days of sales means the x360 is doomed in japan. I don't know how I didn't see it eralier, with such conclusive and well thought out evidence to the contrary

i dont know about you but the xbox in it entire lifecylce manage to sell around 2 millions units in Japan even with those games you insist would sell the system, what make you wonder that the xbox360 will outsell xbox1 given thatt xbox360 has a shitty launch than xbox1.

 

[Bad_Boy]

I thought this was interesting.
http://www.gamersreports.com/news/429/

Namco expects to sell 500,000 copies of RR6 on launch day.
Dont get me wrong, but wouldnt MS have to sell atleast 500,000 for that to happen. (unless many people buy the same game more than once for some odd reason)

I gotta say, if MS can sell more than 500k 360's in Japan on launch day id be pretty impressed considering the X-box1 is just recently coming close to 500,000 after 3+ years.

Cant wait to see some actual numbers.