Xbox 360 to Launch on Nov. 22

[London Geezer]

Oh for fook's sakes...! That totally blows.

Oh for fook's sake! Stop nagging!! You must be the only one in the universe who wants bigger consoles with PSUs inside, instead of smaller consoles with external PSUs.

 

[pipo]

More numbers...

Flextronics International Ltd., Wistron Corp. and Celestica Inc. make the consoles, and production probably started in mid- August, he said. Pachter estimates Microsoft will have about 1.5 million units to sell when the Xbox is released.

``If they deliver fewer than 2 million in the U.S. and Europe combined, they will be sold out in two days,'' he said. ``After that, they will be able to produce about 150,000 a week for the first few weeks, so they'll be sold out for a long time.''

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000101&sid=aK68_8SAghAc&refer=japan

 

[-NakedZ-]

Explaining the decision not to release the Core System in Japan, local Xbox boss Yoshihiro Maruyama said that by comparison with the rest of the world, Japan has a very mature broadband infrastructure, and that he expects the region to have a high demand for content such as MMOGs which will need the hard drive to function.

Link

I'm not sure about Japan's broadband (gaming side) infrastructure more mature than the US or UK, but I thought they are a bit behind in the console online gaming front compare to US, UK, or other part of Asia? Especially speaking of Xbox Live.

EDIT:

Oh for fook's sake! Stop nagging!! You must be the only one in the universe who wants bigger consoles with PSUs inside, instead of smaller consoles with external PSUs.

I agree. Though I prefer not having a unit outside the unit, it's a great/worthy sacrifice if it means smaller console. One of the reason Sony was able to shrunk the PSTwo.

.Z

 

[pipo]

Well, no. Live in Japan has the webcam already, and the broadband speeds are through the roof over there...

They didn't sell a lot of boxes though.

Edit - I think they wanted to create a MMO proof installed base over there and I don't think the PS3 will ship with a HD (or it will be even more expensive) + Japanese love tech and they'll pay for it = 1 SKU.

My 2 cents.

 

[London Geezer]

I'm not sure about Japan's broadband (gaming side) infrastructure more mature than the US or UK, but I thought they are a bit behind in the console online gaming front compare to US, UK, or other part of Asia? Especially speaking of Xbox Live.

.Z

The problem seems to be that Japanes gamers care less about online gaming - namely FPS and most American PC games - than American gamers, which is understandable.
I'm sure that if typical Japanese game genres were to make the jump online (and some have already), Japanese gamers will start playing online more and more.

Regarding broadband speeds, Japan is in a very comfortable position!

 

[one]

"Xbox 360 Lounge" to open in November in Tokyo
Hmm, does it work?

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20050915/x360_06.htm
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20050915/x360_07.htm
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20050915/x360_08.htm

Xbox 360 Press Conference in Japan
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20050915/x360.htm

The launch titles are

Ridge Racer 6
Frame City
DOA4
GR3
eM - Enchant Arm
Tetris The Grandmaster Ace
Everyparty

 

[Guden Oden]

Though I prefer not having a unit outside the unit, it's a great/worthy sacrifice if it means smaller console.

Why do you care if the console gets slightly smaller or not? You can't fit it in your jeans pocket anyway, it's designed to sit there next to your TV. The total volume will be BIGGER with an external PSU anyway, and it means more clutter, an untidier look, harder to keep clean etc. Better to have everything inside ONE BOX instead of spread out all over the floor. That's what I find most annoying with the gamecube, that the PSU is a huge lump of plastic that lies there on the floor. The power cable between the power plug and the lump is also fairly short, so it's hard to find any place to hide it away.

 

[a688]

Why do you care if the console gets slightly smaller or not? You can't fit it in your jeans pocket anyway, it's designed to sit there next to your TV. The total volume will be BIGGER with an external PSU anyway, and it means more clutter, an untidier look, harder to keep clean etc. Better to have everything inside ONE BOX instead of spread out all over the floor. That's what I find most annoying with the gamecube, that the PSU is a huge lump of plastic that lies there on the floor. The power cable between the power plug and the lump is also fairly short, so it's hard to find any place to hide it away.

Seriously, I don't know why you are complaining so much about an external psu. How 'bouts we put a generator inside of the xbox, no unsightly cords spread out all over the place to power the thing then huh.

On Topic: Those listed launch titles, are those the ONLY launch titles for Japan or the only ones confirmed so far.

 

[_leech_]

1. Microsoft is doing in Japan what they should be doing for every region ($350, one SKU).
2. Canada's getting the shaft: $299 US = $354 CDN (not $400), $399 US = $473 CDN (not $500).

 

[Bad_Boy]

1. Microsoft is doing in Japan what they should be doing for every region ($350, one SKU).

I Agree.

 

[mckmas8808]

1. Microsoft is doing in Japan what they should be doing for every region ($350, one SKU).

I third this comment. I still to this day don't see why MS didn't go with that one SKU deal. I think they know that they won't sell to much in Japan so they can afford to due this. Because let's be honest guys they got destroyed by Sony more in Europe. According to that they should be doing the same thing for EU too.

 

[TrungGap]

I third this comment. I still to this day don't see why MS didn't go with that one SKU deal. I think they know that they won't sell to much in Japan so they can afford to due this. Because let's be honest guys they got destroyed by Sony more in Europe. According to that they should be doing the same thing for EU too.

Hahahaha, true...But MS wants to stab into Sony's heart...not cut off it's arms and legs. But seriously, the reason why they did this for the Japanese market is becausee the type of market. In the Japanese prefer appliance devices not pc like devices. So having options and stuff would make it too complicate for the Japanese. Secondly, the Japanese market is prime for MMO, which would need HDD. So all these make reasons, plus xbox1 was creamed, crushed, muted, made irrelevent by Sony in Japan.

 

[Sis]

1. Microsoft is doing in Japan what they should be doing for every region ($350, one SKU).
2. Canada's getting the shaft: $299 US = $354 CDN (not $400), $399 US = $473 CDN (not $500).

I like how it's always so easy to justify trimming 50 dollars here or 20 dollars there. "The Wireless adapter should have been $80. The xbox 360 should have been $350." It's as if there's some magic hardware fairy who creates the devices and then produces a price point. And if you leave a tooth under your pillow before bed, she might lower the price for you.

I don't get this way of thinking and it really comes across as sour grapes, to be honest. The bottom line is this: MS is most likely betting that the 360 will be the most popular in NA, so they want to reduce the amount of overall bleeding in that territory. In Japan, where they might only sell a couple hundred thousand, they can afford to take a higher loss. When they do this with their pricing, they are saying: We need market share to increase in JPN and EUR, but not so much in NA. So, given we can't lose an infinite amount of money, how best can we position the prices to accomplish that.

Now then; given that from the outside this is appears to be their thinking, please tell me what YOUR thinking is. Why should it be 350 everywhere? To be fair? So no one is "ripped off"?

.Sis

 

[Mefisutoferesu]

Actually, the Japanese aren't that big on MMOs certainly not more than the US... now Korea... Oh yes. Also, in Japan it's more of 1 thing that does everything mentality... born out of the small housing in Japan. And I can vouch for this most Japanese (except for grandparents ) are pretty adept at figuring out appliances. You should see a Japanese girl using a keitai... INSANE.

 

[_leech_]

I like how it's always so easy to justify trimming 50 dollars here or 20 dollars there. "The Wireless adapter should have been $80. The xbox 360 should have been $350." It's as if there's some magic hardware fairy who creates the devices and then produces a price point. And if you leave a tooth under your pillow before bed, she might lower the price for you.

Umm, I got those prices from the current exchange rate.

$299 US = $354 CDN (Microsoft is charging $399 CDN instead).
$399 US = $473 CDN (Microsoft is charging $499 CDN instead).

Canadians are basically getting gouged in favour of giving Japan a better deal. It's not that the packages should be priced lower because i want everything cheaper, they should be priced lower because that's what the exchange rate dictates.

 

[Sis]

Umm, I got those prices from the current exchange rate.

$299 US = $354 CDN (Microsoft is charging $399 CDN instead).
$399 US = $473 CDN (Microsoft is charging $499 CDN instead).

Canadians are basically getting gouged in favour of giving Japan a better deal. It's not that the packages should be priced lower because i want everything cheaper, they should be priced lower because that's what the exchange rate dictates.

My whole post was in response to your first comment:

1. Microsoft is doing in Japan what they should be doing for every region ($350, one SKU).

I should have been more clear on that...

.Sis