Something About Japan: why PS4 isn’t a Japanese console and Vita TV could be a stroke of genius

EDGE: "Our Japan correspondent takes a look at how this week’s announcement have been received in Sony’s homeland."

[malokevi]

If Sony ignores Japan, and MS comes out with some great content catered towards them, we could see some pullback in the land of the rising sun. Not enough to give MS the upper hand, but enough to give them the foothold they desperately need in the region.

[alessandro10]

MS dont have even a launch day on Asia, reporta say it could be release at the end of 2014
MS its out of the equation there

http://www.theverge.com/201...

[UltimateMaster]

"If Sony ignores Japan, and MS comes out with some great content catered towards them"

They tried and failed with the 360.

Japan either buys either PlayStation or Nintendo or Both.

[xHeavYx]

@Malokevi
Lol, I needed the laugh.
MS doesn't even have a launch date in Asia, which is probably the reason why Sony is not worried, still it doesn't mean that Sony is ignoring Japan. Even if they did, the One wouldn't sell that well in Japan anyways.

[UltimateMaster]

Let's be real, The Ps Vita already outsold the Xbox 360 in Japan.

So if I were Microsoft, I'd spare myself all that extra cash and not release the Xbox in Japan at all, it just end up as a waste of resources.
But Microsoft will try again anyway...

[guitarded77]

Realistically, MS doesn't really have a chance in Japan. It sucks that the Japanese have to wait 2-3 months for the release, but when the PlayStation 4 launches, they will have games for the Japanese market.

The longer wait may drive more Wii U sales since Nintendo is coming out with some good games before the end of the year, but even then, the PS4 will offer unique/exclusive experiences that the general Japanese public will want.

Also, handhelds do well in Japan, so the remote play feature of the PS4 will probably be a major selling point in the region.

[DatNJDom81]

@malokevi

Your delusion knows no bounds.

[GarrusVakarian]

MS coming out with Japanese catered content is as likely as the sun rising in the west and setting in the east.

[xHeavYx]

MS coming out with Japanese catered content is as likely as Kinect having no lag

[GodGinrai]

MS should just leave japan alone to be honest. Gamers over there prefer portables nowadays. if the PS4 does not do well in japan we wwill know why.

[Ezz2013]

@xheavyx

damn you, i was about to say that but you beat me to it

let me think of something
MS coming out with Japanese catered content is as likely as ......
damnit , i can't think of any thing better

[KwietStorm_BLM]

And the likelihood of Sony ignoring Japan while Microsoft provides them great content.. over or under -5?

[CGI-Quality]

Yeah, how'd that work out for the 360? Simple answer: it didn't.

OT: The presentation the other night tells me they haven't given up on Japan, but it's not a priority like previous gens because the market is changing.

[strigoi814]

MS couldnt make a release there in Japan coz all third party games will still have to localize and majority of them set their release on Feb.22,2014 also..

All i can see is Nintendo might take advantage of this late release

[Maddens Raiders]

@malokevi - Sony is not ignoring Japan in any shape fashion or form. There is no "if". That is why I disagreed.

[Hicken]

IF Sony does something they're not doing, and MS does something they're PROBABLY not gonna do, it still won't be enough to give them any sort of foothold. It's gonna require a complete image change for Microsoft to get even a foothold.

And that's not likely to happen.

[monkeyDzoro]

LooL. Nice try buddy. But hey, why do you think Sony delayed PS4 launch in Japan ? Because they want to give them Japanese titles, titles which are catered to them. And Microsoft DONT have this type of games, yeah THEY DONT.

According to what Sony showed during that pre-TGS conf it was crystal clear, and I'm sure looking now like "Captain Obvious" but u know... I'm not as smart as you apparently... -__-

LooL. Japanese buying that "wan-wan" instead of PS4.
#Dead while laughing !!

[Magicite]

Sony doesnt ignore Japan, but they are pulling big guns towards USA

[Eddie20101]

Numb nuts, it's obvious that Sony is supporting Japan in a big way, with lots of Japon exclusives and many other things. The reason they are not releasing until February is to make sure games for Japan are ready. Where do you even get the idea that Sony would ignore Japan.

Microsoft has not announced anything for Japan yet, not that I know of anyway. No release date and no specific games.

Your just pulling S@#$ out of the cloud.

[Subzero200]

ok lets get something straight vita is dead in japan, and no tv device will revive it. Monster hunter 4 will be the final nail in the coffin for that over priced system.

[s8anicslayer]

Vita TV is sold out in Japan..Vita has been reanimated!

[CGI-Quality]

Hmmm... Vita TV is sold out there [pre-orders], or did you just look for a place to comment, without a clue, just for the fun of it?

[TongkatAli]

Monster Hunter 4 looks great.

[Quicktopick]

It does have new monsters and have new skills and new weapons but its like a copy paste as the previous game, same engine, but hey it sells well so might as well not improve that much ryt?

[Angeljuice]

Bubble down, bad troll, naughty troll.

[blademaster09]

And after Monster Hunter 4, Monster Hunter 5 will be on the Vita.

[EXVirtual]

Listen to me well.
Which is the better strategy?
Cover ground on the place you have the most competition first and tending to the safe region a few months after, go all out on the least, leaving the hardest place to fight the competition till later, effectively lowering your overall potential sales?

Sony is not ignoring Japan and the PS4 is a Japanese console. I can guarantee you that in 1-2 years, the PS4 will start trotting out more and more Japanese 3rd party exclusives. Like this year with the PS3. 80% of their exclusives are Japanese and still have some Japanese exclusives coming out next year on the PS3, meaning they don't need to go ham in Japan initially. Plus, in Japan, the holiday season isn't the prime time for new consoles.

Sony has a good launch line up of exclusives that cater to Japan for that February 2014 date. If they rushed the games for Japan, it wouldn't be any better for them and if they just came out with BF4 and COD for launch, it would not go well at all.

[Chris12]

Playing devils advocate. All we have heard is how Sony love gamers. The scenario you describe is one of a greedy corporate who crapped on their home country for profit and market share. But hey, it's Sony, right?

[jhoward585]

Thats a given.

The Japanese people have already been known to buy small electronic devices over big ones.

If memory serve correctly, during the 80s gaming console had to be designed a bit smaller than the American version to fit the Japanese taste.

Still today, the Japanese people taste haven't changed much, they still like to buy small devices over big ones.

[HammadTheBeast]

Well that's true, but it's hard to prefer the ugly rectangular US PS1 to the sleek curves of the Japan one.

And oddly enough, we got the Japanese one in Canada.

[jhoward585]

Thats awesome!
I'd rather have the Japanese console version over the American version any day. the big and bulky design is ugly.

perhaps, that might be the reason why the xbox products aren't doing so well in japan til this day.

personally, I believe it was the fault of first xbox that was released(feb 2002) in japan. it might've left a bad first impression with the japs. MS of all company should know better than to release a bulky system such as the xbox in japan.

I think xbox one is a bad design for the japs tastes, the bulk design just wouldn't be appealing to them.

If I were MS I would've designed the xbox one with a sleek and curvy look, which to me is a better approach.

[yellowgerbil]

Vita TV has the potential to outsell ps4 x1 wii u even the ps2 and wii.
it is cheap enough to convince non gamers of its worth as a netflix and hulu player, then with the playstation tv network this could also be a way to serve as Sony's cable box.
NostraGerbil predicts in 7 years it will have sold 183million Vita Tvs worldwide.

[NioRide]

Vita TV is now a stroke of what?

Its the same stupid idea that's been around since the 90s.....