Is This The Xbox 360's Retail Retreat In Japan?

2008 was a strong year for the Xbox 360 in Japan. With timed exclusives like Tales of Vesperia, Microsoft was able to drawn both long lines and new gamers to its platform. 2009 was another story altogether.

[ASSASSYN 36o]

Japan owns about 11% of U.S. debt. Why would they want to help sell a U.S. console when they can push two domestic consoles. Especially given the rocky road a 360 rides on with other issues.

[Anon1974]

Do you really think retailers care? They'll sell whatever console there is demand for, and whatever makes them money.
The 360 simply doesn't move in Japan. Don't you think that's more likely the reason why retailers are cold to the 360 compared to products that actually sell?

[Golfcoachh]

Of course that number continues to grow, but thats a topic for another forum. I don't think that plays any part in the sales of the 360. The fact that it has had its problems with faulty hardware, no established track record of games that appeal to the japanese market, and the fact that they tend to buy things made by japanese companies has more to do with it. In my oppinion.

[anh_duong]

if japan is buying us debt then isn't japan lending the us money??? isn't this a good thing?? imagine if japan wasn't buying us treasuries/agencies.. yields would jump which would would likely result in higher borrowing cost for US citizen.. furthermore, apple, an american product is doing incredibly well in japan - even in competition with all the other japanese phone/music players

[Christopher]

Kind of a no-brainer.

In the U.S. retailers push Xbox 360/Wii because they've sold the most.

In Japan, retailers push PS3/Wii because they've sold the most.

Businesses kind of go where the money is.

[blue7xx7]

I know I was suprised in seeing this. So its japanese retailers and people who seem to want it to fail and making sure it does. That's pretty deceiving what they are doing.

[evilmonkey501]

The xbox has had horrible reliability issues.

[darthv72]

according to media create, 360 had a better 2009 than 2008.
373,357 (2009)
322,097 (2008)
Even if it was just 50,000, an increase over the previous year is still an increase.

[ASSASSYN 36o]

You fools must read like 10% of what I type or something. I said other issues. WTF do you people think that is referring too? RROD, e74...etc. And Japan has it's own debt to pay. Which surpasses any amount of the U.S. debt they have acquired to keep the dollar low. So no. They want to push their own domestic products economically without dealing with paying taxes.

All goods entering Japan must clear Customs and are subject to Duty and Consumption Tax. When you want to bring down debt and climb out of a recession you spend money AT HOME and sell internally to stimulate the economy. You raise import taxes. And fight to lower export taxes other countries impose. There the obvious of course which is lacking demand for many American products. It took forever for the iphone to even make a dent in the cell phone market in japan given it's origin, and lacking features. There is your business. That is how MS sees the console war in japan.

[anh_duong]

Why do I bother talking to you about economics. It's quite clear your economics education is pretty limited. I am out. Keep up with your beliefs they will get you far. I am not arguing with you anymore. Wasting my time.

[n4gno]

Darth, you are right, only kotaku trust their own lies :

"2008 was a strong year for the Xbox 360 in Japan"

LOL.

[Guido]

From Kraptaku - "While the near future looks equally bleak, Microsoft does have an ace up its green sleeve with its Natal motion controller. Initial media reaction in Japan has been positive and if sold and packaged right, Natal could definitely breathe new life into Xbox Japan."

Sorry to break it to ya but no peripheral in the world will save MS and their 360 from the RROD reputation they have created for themselves. Despite the new Natal offering, these retailers will still not offer warrantees or buy backs. MS made this bed, now they can lie in it.

[Sir Ken_Kutaragi]

End of 2009 - xBox 360 = DEAD in Japan

End of 2010 - xBox 360 = DEAD in Europe

End of 2011 - xBox 360 = DEAD in U.S.of.A

;-D

[-MD-]

You still post here? Jesus christ you've been here for years do something else with your life.

[The real killer]

You also still here ?

He have a good point about that ;)

It begins in Japan and end in USA :)

[Mo0eY]

Murderdolls got so butthurt over the PS3 Slim announcement last year, he went on a hiatus to find peace, tranquility, and perfect harmony.

He came back with a PS3.

[-MD-]

Trolled.

[The Iron Sheik]

I agree, the brilliance of Pulp Fiction belongs nowhere near your moronic statements.

[Udidntlistenpunk]

Lmao article mentions how "great" 2008 was for the 360.

YES, ONLY IF YOU COUNT "topping 100k consoles in THREE YEARS" as "GREAT".

Lmao. Little did the xbots realize, back in 2008, that that was actually the 360s PEAK.

Hahaha. Pathetic. Got some news for you bots too. 360 also peaked in Europe and USA.

Hahaha

[LostDjinn]

"Usotsuki". Until M$ deal with the image they have created in Japan they don't stand a chance.

[gaffyh]

What does it mean?

[LostDjinn]

It means "liar" or "liars".

[Leio]

Liar

[DAVID BRENT]

liaaaaaar

[Shadow Flare]

liar, liar, console's on fire

[LostDjinn]

Shadow that was below the belt. Lets TRY to keep this as M$ friendly as possible shall we. ;)

[sikbeta]

"-that is a LIE, it means da coolezt"

-_-

[THE MAX SPEED 21]

faulty hardware. lack of games to please the japanese audience.

What'd ya expected?

better luck next time

[redneck_smith]

NATAL, THE FINAL HOPE FOR MICROSOF IN JAPAN? very very sadly

[Mo0eY]

The end is nigh. Jump out and play beyond.

[zoks310]

Microsoft have the Money to keep the 360 alive in Japan as long as they want to despite sales.

It's really a shame too because the competition is good for us all and is needed, Sony and Nintendo both said on record that they hope the 360 succeeds in Japan because competition is good.

Microsoft is between a rock and a hard place, they can't give up on japan not when so many major 3rd party devs come from the region ,not to mention that their competitors easily sell approximately 1.5-3 million consoles a year each (PS3 & Wii) while the 360 only sales about 300k-350k a year.

Microsoft needs Japan to be a true success story in this industry, Natal wont help them in Japan not now it's way too late, and I don't think nothing will help.

Microsoft did not do enough to compete in the country and the sales and Japan media/retailers have pretty much gave up on them, there is no coming back for Microsoft now in Japan.

Better luck next time.

[SUPREME RULER]

natal wont help at all, they got wii.

[The Simple Truth]

What would be the point. Too much hassel just for a few million sales at MOST.

Better to flood the eurpean and US markets with 720's then let them go to rot on store shelves in japan.

[robotnik]

Bots are dead, a new dawn arises in the horizon.

[StarCSR]

Some of you really underestimate the Japanse mentality. The main reason for the not succeeding IS the fact that Japanese people always prefer Japanse stuff. Sony and Nintendo are Japanse companies and they will always get chosen above Microsoft.

One example of this: Nintendo and Sony were producing the Play Station (CD addon for the SNES), but the last minute some American exec of Nintendo shut Sony out and chose Philips. The backlash towards Nintendo was ENORMOUS. And they started a decline in Japan that was only stopped with the release of the DS.

[LostDjinn]

Here I was thinking that Sony would own all software on CD leaving Nintendo out in the cold. It was due to a legal loophole in the contract and because of that Nintendo went elsewhere. Hey, what do I know. I'm letting facts get in the way while you stereotype the Japanese as being xenophobic. Have you ever actually spoken to a Japanese person about the issue? That's what I thought. Anyway...you were saying?

[evilmonkey501]

Lotta good that did Phillips. that 3do kicked ass...lol

[n4gno]

You can also think that Xbox is alive because americans buy it...

ask to yourself why someone would buy a 360, more than a ps3 now (except brainwashed and friends of xbox owners) : for japanese or others "neutral gamers", the decision is very easy when you want a "next gen" console.

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

Buy it because of everything else non-hardware related. Microsoft knows it strength - LIVE. This is especially for those who equate gaming mostly with online multiplayer shooters. I would argue that it is the second or third largest gaming genre in America.

Plus I believe American PC gamers feel more of an affinity to the XBox. I think the similarity in architecture has made the 360 a console 'brother' to the PC.

[Morsambulant]

Sony has a high install base for japan, and since sony is party japanese i believe the gamers feel much more at home with the company, rather than microsoft...maybe windows 7 was the last straw. jk

Japanese are smart and i dont really think they want to be spending too much money so maybe news of RROD scares them a little, so they try to avoid the system. Also they are all about advancing technological-wise, and dvd seems like a step back for them.

[DarkSniper]

This is certainly good news. It looks as if the Japanese market has taken defense and noticed that the heart of electronics still resides in Japan. Which means there is no room for Western garbage such as the XBox 360. If you want your Western gaming fix, look no further than Sony Computer Entertainment. With development studios across the entire globe, SCEA will surely cater to your western gaming needs.

Xbox 360 has been a retail disaster since it's release half a decade ago. 2010 spells the end of a cancer that did it's best to infect the gaming market. But Japan and several other retailers across the world have begun to realize that the cure to this disease is PlayStation®3.

With a product that only does everything, it's difficult for Microsoft to actually become a major player in this market. With a convoluted dashboard system, inferior online service and Microsoft's price gouging, it's no wonder why no one wants Xbox 360 in their home.

If you want a complete gaming experience, you know where to stay away from. Xbox 360 does not give you that kind of "wow" moment you're looking for.

$niper

[sashimi]

If i was Japanese...why would i support the xbox360? M$ bought timed JRPG exclusives and lead the people into thinking those games would only be on their system therefore people went out to buy x360 even though lets say they already had a Ps3 or saw that there weren't much JRPG at the time.Then at a later time they find out that those [insert jrpg] gets ported to the Ps3.I know i'd be pissed off for being lied to wouldn't you? After stunts like that i know i would think twice before buying such a product. And for those people who keep spouting crap about Japanese people not buying Foreign products and only buy things made in Japan...which they usually refer to American stuff(america console)....Exactly what do Americans make? is anything even made in america nowadays? cause whenever i go shopping all i see are Made in China/Mexico/Japan or some other country beside America and we all know those parts inside the Xbox is made elsewhere right?
sorry for the wall of text :)

[Risque]

Microsoft will probably keep pecking away at Japan until they either get decent mindshare or Sony or Nintendo actually take steps to drive them out of the market. Until trying to capture Japan hurts the bottom line too much, Microsoft isn't going to make a retreat, and it's silly to suggest they might.

[BLADE_X8]

THE XBOX 360 IS AN EXCELLENT MACHINE. (Yes, I am a PS3 gamers saying this!!) THE UNIT IS JUST MOT MARKETED TO FULFILL THE NEEDS OF JAPANEESE GAMERS.

Also, there is loyality with Sony, that NO ONE is going to just take over, no matter it there is a Halo X or Call of Duty: Future Warfare game. It has been proven and seen that MS is not a RPG, Adventure, and Platformer type of system. Sure, they hav a few really good games in these genres, BUT the focuse of the 360 is "Americanized FPS Action.) Hell, if there was a PROVEN minimal unit faulty issue..and I was rich, I would have both systems. However, my choise was based on variety, out of the box options, and Blu Ray...so, I went with the obvious choice. (FOR ME!!!) The Xbox 360 is a great system (Like the Wii), and there are plenty of great games to consider, just not what they Eastern part of the world is hevenly interested in. The 360 is selling great...(Mainly in the US) with Halo, Gears, mass Effect, and Modern Warfare, amoung others. MS could either decide to spend money on making more RPG's, and platformers, OR stick to it's target group. either way...they will make their money. Nascar, WWE, Hard Rock, and Hockey isn't for everyone....but they are surviving and making tons of money, right?

[gumgum99]

^^
all kinds of denial in the post above me.

[mcnablejr]

THIS IS HILARIOUS not only has the 360 still got a larger userbase, but by the way things are looking microsoft will once again bring out another console before sony's late counterpart.

[The Iron Sheik]

Good they will rush the new console like they did the last one and it will have an even higher failure rate! You will still buy it though because you just don't know any better.

[-MD-]

Umad shiek?

[gololo]

i think the 360 is a great console...however, i think it has to do with the culture. The customer service level expected in Japan is extremely high (for instance, just check out the customer service level at a gas station in japan http://www.youtube.com/watc... vs a gas station in the US). So lets project that on the 360, which in its earlier years was plagued with the RRoD, that is just plain bad customer service (and don't bring the extended warranty up since just having to go to the trouble of sending your console for repair is not pleasant). So even though loyalty might come into play, I think Japanese choose the Wii and PS3 just because of reliability which translates into a better customer service experience.

[keke961]

"Exactly what do Americans make? is anything even made in america nowadays? cause whenever i go shopping all i see are Made in China/Mexico/Japan or some other country beside America and we all know those parts inside the Xbox is made elsewhere right?"

America makes computers, cars, airplanes and agricultural products like grains, wheat, corn etc, pharmacuetical drugs, construction and heavy equipment stuff, movies, music to name a few exports. Oh, and the xbox 360.

[BLADE_X8]

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE HAVE TO HATE ON EXCELLENT POINTS, JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIKE WHICH CONSOLE/PUBLISHER, THESE COMMENTS ARE ATTACHED TO.

A few hours ago, I made a comment about MY OWN OPINION, and people instantly began to hate. If a person does not like a comment, then it's best to counter it with respectful and credible facts. (I thought that was to point on here.) Anyway, like I stated earlier....the Xbox 360 does not sell well in Japan because the console isn't geared to support the cultures "core" interest. (PERIOD!)

MS is not known for making their own games, so they pay for them...like MGS games, for instance. (No big deal, companies do this often...as MS is a SOFTWARE COMPANY...not games!!) MS has no real interest in dominating the japanese market because if they had, then the money spent on failed studios/devs. (LIKE RARE) would be instead used to make more appealing games. Before someone tries to play "Super Fan", just ask yourself this: When was the last great (Not some mediocre mettacritic averaged scored) "True" platformer and RPG to appear on the Xbox 360. I will allow Halo Wars, eventhough EVERYBODY knows that the Halo name was used to push a average RPG experience. (Halo Wars was good, but comparing it to other great console RPG's...and I don't care about the sales, because people only bought it cause of the Name on the box) If Microsoft is to be taken seriously in Japan (Among other nations, were Sony is kicking butt.....eventhoguh Americans try to ignore that, along with the Mario Kart Wii game, being the highest selling game of 2009...19.89 million games sold), MS needs a platform juggernaut like Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper, Jak, or LBP. This is credible information, backed by "REAL" research and unbiased/skewed statistical data. MS prob. won't worry about this now, but the next MS system will address these issues, or Playstation could have the opportunity to regain control.

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

100% unanimously.