Microsoft to launch Xbox 360 Core in Japan [update 1]
Having already launched the Xbox 360 twice in Japan, it would seem that Microsoft's efforts to woo gamers in the East are due to take a turn for the desperate and slightly non-sensical. Reuters Canada reports that the Redmond giant plans to release a "simpler version" of the console on November 2nd, one stripped of a hard drive and equipped with a lower price (a drop of 10,000 yen, or $86). Savvy gamers will immediately recognize this as the Xbox 360 Core system and promptly recoil in horror. We can only imagine the marketing meeting that spawned this strategy:"Sir, I don't know if you've heard, but we aren't doing too well in Japan."
"Japan?"
"It's a country. It's where Mario, the Italian plumber comes from."
"Of course. Why aren't we selling millions over there?"
"My analysis of the situation reveals one of two reasons, sir. Number one. We haven't been giving the Japanese gamers the genres or the popular franchises they want. We have no Final Fantasy, no Dragon Quest and no Metal Gear Solid."
"........."
"............."
"Bwahahahaha!"
"Hahaha!"
"But seriously, I figure it's just because they hate freedom so much."
"Well then, we should stick to our guns and give them freedom. Lots of it. Let's send them choice and our cheaper Xbox 360."
"But sir, that didn't even sell well in the countries that do like the Xbox 360. The normal version did much better. Oh, I see."
"That's right. The good Xbox 360 sells well here and the crappy one sells poorly. The good Xbox 360 sells badly in Japan, so therefore ..."
"The crappy one should be a huge hit! Amazing!"
Cracking the Japanese market isn't an amazing or an impossible feat, but assaulting it with the squeaky toy hammer that is a $255 (29,800 yen), feature deprived console is unlikely to be terribly effective. Consider that since its original launch in Japan, the Xbox 360 has sold 158,654 units -- about as much as the DS Lite sells in a week.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
[Update: IGN notes that the system includes Ninety Nine Nights and Project Gotham Racing 3. Does that make up for the 16,275 yen (roughly $130) value of a seperate hard drive and headset? Thanks, A Master Ninja.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
DsDude @ Sep 7th 2006 10:36PM
Sometimes the #1 reason I read Joystiq is for the scenarios they come up with... lol...
Lithium Mirage @ Sep 7th 2006 10:39PM
I don't know... that logic seemed pretty flawless.
GregZ @ Sep 7th 2006 10:40PM
Solid logical reasoning if I've ever heard it. The weekly sales update might see the X360 overtake the WonderSwan in Japan next week..
Seven @ Sep 7th 2006 10:40PM
"the Xbox 360 has sold 158,654 units -- about as much as the DS Lite sells in a week."
DAMN!!!
The Origin Of Species @ Sep 7th 2006 10:41PM
The minute I read the post I immediately recognised a stripped down console and recoiled in horror.
Does that make me a savvy gamer?
I guess it does. Joystiq couldn't post it if it wasn't true.
Will @ Sep 7th 2006 10:45PM
For once, I actually laughed at Joystiq humor, heh.
a Master Ninja @ Sep 7th 2006 10:48PM
You guys should edit this article. It comes bundled with 2 games as well, PGR3 and Ninty-Nine Nights. I read it on IGN.
aZn_1080P @ Sep 7th 2006 10:50PM
the xbox1.4 has no chance in japan, the japanese are sophisticated gamers with very refined tasted, they can smell the tale copycat generic clone games the MS churns out a mile away, and want no part of them.
Jeff @ Sep 7th 2006 10:50PM
"The weekly sales update might see the X360 overtake the WonderSwan in Japan next week."
Next to conquer: the Neo Geo Pocket Color!
"You guys should edit this article. It comes bundled with 2 games as well, PGR3 and Ninty-Nine Nights."
Yeah, those games will move some systems in Japan for sure.
bgss @ Sep 7th 2006 10:54PM
Their problem isnt the console price ATM, its the lack of japanese friendly games....
don't get me wrong, they have a strong lineup that even the japanese can't even turn their heads away from (lost odyssey, blue dragon, cry-on, DOAXB2, NG2 etc etc)..lets just see if the japanese give into their sony pride and give the 360 a shot once those games are out.
James @ Sep 7th 2006 10:55PM
This isn't the great revealing news story that was supposed to be released tonight was it?
The ZeroCorpse @ Sep 7th 2006 10:57PM
Yeah. . . Because Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Metal Gear Solid are SUCH good games and nothing is better, ever, in the history of gaming.
Please note that the last sentence was heavily loaded with sarcasm.
Japanese games generally suck. Japanese gamers like weird things, and hey- I'm sorry- but the the Xbox 360 doesn't have any "poke the butt with a finger" games, or "teenage schoolgirl tentacle rape dance party panty extra!!!" games. No stupid MFV movies with 2-minutes of gameplay, either.
I like the 360's lineup of games. Jeez, between GRAW, Dead Rising, Oblivion, and the newly-released Saint's Row, the 360 lineup beats the hell out of the PS2's lineup when it launched, and it sure as hell looks better than the PS3's launch lineup.
Screw Japan. Let them play with the PS3-- If they can find any.
James @ Sep 7th 2006 11:01PM
BTW, comparing sales to NDS is unfair, since the pricepoint of each system is different, as well as library of games, etc . etc . etc .
Next time when you try to make a sensationalistic comment, try to make it analogous to something more comparable, Ludwig Kietzmann.
Gamefaqs Admin @ Sep 7th 2006 11:04PM
What fucking weridos, those Japs! The nerve of them not buying the 360! I mean, not having interest FPS and overheating consoles? COME ON! HALO 3, EVEN! HALO 3!
Mav @ Sep 7th 2006 11:08PM
http://www.seanbaby.com/nes/naughty02.htm
"I'm sorry- but the the Xbox 360 doesn't have any 'poke the butt with a finger' games"
It's a shame too. It just might be the title it needs.
theragu40 @ Sep 7th 2006 11:08PM
Comparing the sales to the DS is not really sensationalistic at all. People are going to compare the sales of the Wii, the 360, and the PS3, and those all have major differences in pricepoint and library of games, etc etc etc. Same goes for the previous generation of systems. And the one before that. Etc, etc, etc.
The NDS and the Xbox360 are both game consoles, and the NDS is kicking the living crap out of the 360. In fact, it's kicking the crap out of everything. Nothing sensationalistic about that.
Ludwig Kietzmann @ Sep 7th 2006 11:10PM
Aww, it's unfair to compare gaming systems to each other, James? The PSP also has a different price and a different library of games -- is it unfair to compare its performance to the DS as well?
The comparison illustrates the measure of success that can be obtained in Japan for a gaming system.
Phil Harrison @ Sep 7th 2006 11:14PM
How did I know that Ludwig was posting this... his articles always rock.
But no. XBOX 360 WILL FAILS1111!1!!! We own Japan Microsoft! *shakes fist*
you guys are d00med, FOREEVVERRR!
Plus. Next gen gaming doesn't start until we says it starts.
Scott @ Sep 7th 2006 11:19PM
@ 14
They wont buy the system for Halo 3 cause Halo 1 and 2 SUCKED ASS!!!!!!!!
Why Microsoft continue to try amazes me. Sony/Microsft Fanboys go off all the time about Nintendo not even being a contender in the videogame industry anymore which makes me laugh. Sales of the past generatoin (5 years) proves otherwise. GBASP + GB Micro + DS + DL Lite + Gamecube = more sales and profit than PS2 + PSP + XBOX worldwide. Even tho the Gamecube flopped out (and it flopped BIGTIME here in Aus) Nintendo are in a stronger position than ever to keep going in the market and Microsoft need to learn from thier mistakes and ditch on the Japansese market all together.
JJ @ Sep 7th 2006 11:20PM
ZC... you're actually comparing games that just recently came out like Dead Rising and Saints row to the launch line up of a system 6 years ago that had no competition?
You kiddin me? While the 360 has a nice line up, its hardly comprehensive even at almost a year after release. I mean if it was... it probably wouldnt be selling so poorly in japan.
Funny though... Screw Japan, but releasing a console late in Europe? Blasphemy!
Come on at least be even here. Each console needs all of those territories, to shut one out is stupid, in order to reach the numbers they need to reach to be considered dominant, you need a good showing in all territories, thats why the PS2 did so well and the original xbox was a money hog and the GC, even though it turned a profit and sold just short of the original xbox, is considered a failure (even though financially it wasn't).
Just because you dont like Japanese games, doesn't mean others dont, just like just because someone doesn't have an interest in graw or Oblivion so they dont buy a 360 makes them stupid and uninformed on the greatness of the system.
Blink @ Sep 7th 2006 11:23PM
I think they're still holding out for Blue Dragon, but that still looks like it'll be a steal compared to the $350 system that wasn't making any progress before hand. PGR3 and N3? Stick in Halo 3, bump up the price to $300 and we may have a lucky number deal going.
But yeah, N3 doesn't sound like it succeeded, so maybe Blue Dragon will be able to pull some of the weight? I think they just need some character added to the system honestly, as nothing's quite as "Chibi" on the 360 as things are in Japan.
GodOfGod @ Sep 7th 2006 11:28PM
"sophisticated gamers with very refined tasted"
You've got to be kidding ... That country is so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to sophistication and good taste. I'm starting to wonder if the radiation from the nukes didn't permanently screw their brains up.
Maybe when XNA comes out I'll make a game where you can run around sniffing little girls panties from vending machines for bonus points. That's got a better chance of selling 360s than anything else we've seen thus far.
The1 @ Sep 7th 2006 11:34PM
It's not about the XBOX 360. Microsoft has NO GAMES that are good for the Japanese gamers. This not rntirely the fault of MS. The Japanese gamers are in Sony's pocket.
creamsugar @ Sep 7th 2006 11:37PM
Official press
http://www.xbox.com/ja-JP/press/release/20060908.htm
http://www.xbox.com/ja-JP/press/release/20060908-2.htm
http://www.xbox.com/ja-JP/press/release/20060908-3.htm
hohoho @ Sep 7th 2006 11:42PM
each countries has their own fair share of wackiness. Jerry Springer show? Amish? And apparently there's a new genre of gaming in the states. If you put a bullet between your opp's eye you get 1 point. If you save his soul, you get 3 points. And nonbelievers all burn in eternal hell. Brilliant! Your lot play "football" by hugging it and running with it! FOOTball!
Apparently it's ghey to play ddr (on record, i despise ddr games with as much hatred as zerocost), while it's absolutely enriching experience pretending to be wannabe gansta playing saints row. Bloody chavs.
If we xray zerocost, would we find a 360 in his arse?
Foppe @ Sep 7th 2006 11:43PM
So this is the important 12:01 news, aha!
XD
amba @ Sep 7th 2006 11:45PM
Part two of the conversation:
"... so, when we introduce the new 360 with the lower price, Japanese gamers will come out of the woodwork! A whole nation of people will be playing GR:AW! Bill will call us heroes!"
"Japanese people don't like games like Ghost Recon. They don't like first person shooters."
"Freaks! What type of games do they like?"
"Role- playing games. Specifically, JRPGS."
"Not a problem! We've got those! A whole nation of people will be playing Final Fantasy XI on the 360 Bill will call us heroes!"
"What's this on the back? The game requires a hard drive?"
"Oh Crap. They won't buy the Tard pack either, won't they?"
foobob @ Sep 7th 2006 11:47PM
"That country is so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to sophistication and good taste."
And what is sophistication to you? The mindless multiplayer mayhem and carnage of FPSs or the uninspired sameness of Madden and other sports simulators?
When any American firm comes up with such gems as Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Castlevania, Zelda, Metroid, Resident Evil etc -- you know, the kind of games that truly immerse you into another reality -- you let me know...
Fandel @ Sep 7th 2006 11:48PM
#12:"Japanese games generally suck. Japanese gamers like weird things, and hey- I'm sorry- but the the Xbox 360 doesn't have any "poke the butt with a finger" games, or "teenage schoolgirl tentacle rape dance party panty extra!!!" games. No stupid MFV movies with 2-minutes of gameplay, either."
Yeah, it's not as if one of the Xbox 360's best selling games of all time isn't a Japanese game(cough cough Dead Rising) And we American gamers don't like weird games also, after all it's not anymore weird to like a complete carbon copy of a game where you can beat and kill hookers and massacre cops?(cough cough Saint's Row) After all, that's not weird at all, right?
Don't get me wrong, I just bought a 360, but I am sick and tired of people who obviously have no lives, so they get into pointless arguments about how their 400 dollar piece of machinery is better.
n8dogg @ Sep 7th 2006 11:55PM
foobob:
Psychonauts, Jak and Daxter, Knights of the Old Republic, The Elder Scrolls, Neverwinter Nights, Starcraft, Diablo... I could go on.
Sophistication and taste is pretty objective. I guess you see sophistication as anything Japanese, huh?
"Good morning, foobob-chan. I've made rice~!"
Anyway, every culture has its shitty stereotypical and run-of-the mill material. Japan seems to spawn a lot of crappy RPGs, for one thing. For every Final Fantasy released you get at least one Japanese game that has a legendary sword, an elf chick, elemental temples, and an ultimate destiny that must be fulfilled by the unlikely hero.
Foppe @ Sep 7th 2006 11:55PM
Japan may have some strange games, but some of them are fun. One of them is a game in which the US president are fighting terrorists all over USA in a giant mech. Too bad it was never released in the states, it looks great.
Jonn @ Sep 7th 2006 11:56PM
I'd like to know where all the Microsoft fanboys went after the US launch, myself. It's nothing but lone "Nintendroids" and "Playstupids" commenting on Joystiq now. I wonder why?
No, seriously, this has been bugging me for months.
hohoho @ Sep 8th 2006 12:00AM
John, you needs a nice comfy room with zerocost. Then I'm sure you're know why! hahaha
James @ Sep 8th 2006 12:12AM
"Cracking the Japanese market isn't an amazing or an impossible feat, ..."
Considering that Nintendo is a household name in Japan, I fail to see why you need to "illustrate[s] the measure of success that can be obtained in Japan for a gaming system" by comparing it with a foreign newcomer [360] that apparently has no idea what to do to succeed there.
So I take it you know exactly what an American company like MS needs to do to 'crack' into the Japanese market, since you claim it isn't an amazing or impossible feat?
Neglect the fact that Nintendo and Japan are pretty much synonymous, I would say you are stretching it, son.
greg @ Sep 8th 2006 12:19AM
"8. the xbox1.4 has no chance in japan, the japanese are sophisticated gamers with very refined tasted, they can smell the tale copycat generic clone games the MS churns out a mile away, and want no part of them"
So that MUST be why those shitty dragonball games sell well over there as a matter of fact all that anime shit 99% of the games made for those suck ass....They invented pokeman how fuck sophisticated can they be...oh and that naruto shit ninja in an orange jumpsuit BRILLIANT!!!
foobob @ Sep 8th 2006 12:41AM
n8dogg:
"...Neverwinter Nights, Starcraft, Diablo... I could go on."
yeah, me too. But i'm guessing my listing would be much more extesive and varied than yours. Come on! You're listing MMORPGs alone, probably your fav genre...
"I guess you see sophistication as anything Japanese, huh?"
no. But to deny the force of japanese game makers is just plain stupid. Namco, Nintendo, Capcom, Konami and Sega have been in this industry since the earliest arcade machines! Most american game makers are startups from the late 90s onward. Then, there are the old and fat publishers like EA and its tons of licensed sports games or Activision....
"For every Final Fantasy released you get at least one Japanese game that has a legendary sword, an elf chick, elemental temples, and an ultimate destiny that must be fulfilled by the unlikely hero."
Yes, japan is full of crap. But I still believe it outputs significantly more good games than american producers. Japan is the Hollywood of games. for better or worse.
Besides, isn't your plot example the same as of those games you mentioned as well? ;)
Justin @ Sep 8th 2006 12:46AM
$86!!!! HOLY CRAP!! I'd buy three for that price!
moon @ Sep 8th 2006 1:11AM
I'm from Japan and I recently bought an XBox 360. I wanna note here that the headset is not included in the latest XBox 360. I think this price cut will not attract Japanese consumers anyway. You Americans'd be surprised how little retailers carry 360 games.
Psaakyrn @ Sep 8th 2006 1:38AM
I'm going to make a second guess though. Could this intentional removal of hard drive be a prelude to a slim 360? Cause, if it indeed is slim, the PS3 will be the only "fatso" console left. Additionally, if given a change to stock 3 360's or 1 PS3 (especially with the limied stock), some retailers may have a change of heart. (of cause, they may decide to stock 6 Wii instead, but you can't beat everything)
epobirs @ Sep 8th 2006 4:13AM
Damn, people get worked up over this subject.
Microsoft made a decision about Japan based on wide avaialbility of high speed broadband services. The assumption was that Xbox Live interest among Xbox 360 buyers would be so high as to make the Core System pointless.
The other side of the coin was that this was taking away an option from consumers that allowed for lower cost of entry. (Not hugely once you factor in a memory unit but consumers are often very bad at weighing such details.)Considering the uphill battle to establish a base in this region, not allowing that option was a mistake. It would not remotely have turned things around by itself but considering it was offered in the two other primary markets they should have stayed consistent. If the lower cost of entry resulted in a mere 5% improvement in system sales it would have been well worth it.
Any option to allow consumers to indulge their curiosity and potentially find continuing interest should be explored.
Ultimately, the fate of the Xbox 360 rests on the delivery of major entries to the region's most beloved genres. Until those appear the system can only be described as having an extremely prolonged launch period. It doesn't become real until Blue Dragon hits retail. If the games scores well with native critics it will, like many titles for platforms of lesser popularity in the past, lead to a spike in sales by consumers willing to pay an exhorbitant amount for a single game in hopes of getting back most of the cost by selling off the machine when they've palyed the game to their satisfaction. (This happened a lot with N64 hits in Japan.) The trick is not in getting that spike in sales. Anybody can manage that if they have the money to throw around. The trick is to sustain the flow of high interest releases so that those consumers decide to keep the machine instead of selling it. That it's better to wait for Lost Oddysey and so on than sell.
For those consumers looking at getting a 360 just for Blue Dragon and then selling it off, the Core System may be more appealing for reducing the amount of money that gets locked up in the pursuit of a single game. From there the option to add a hard drive, wireless controller, etc. exists with no penalty other than cost. (Compared to going the lower cost route on a certain other platform.)
So, yes, offering the core System in Japan is preferable. The mistake was not doing it from the beginning. Getting it out in time for the first really major title for the region is the next best thing.
At best, if they manage a good stream of RPGs and other items with strong appeal for the Japanese market (those Japanese arcade classics on XBLA are a positive that should be continued) the Xbox 360 might manage a 5-7 million installed base. This will be dwarfed compared tot he competition but it means a fairly high budget game can make money in the native market if overseas sales are also assured.
Getting those games for the fans of those genres in the US and Euro markets is potentially more important for the Xbox 360 globally than just making a mark in Japan. How many more US/Euro gamers would have been more attracted to the original Xbox if it had a good amount of distinctly Japanese product that was otherwise lacking. Competing with Sony in those markets demand filling that gap.
Japan doesn't have to be a big profit center to be important to the platform. It just has to be worth the Japanese developer's effort to pursue.
blargle @ Sep 8th 2006 6:56AM
But they DO hate freedom.
camperton @ Sep 8th 2006 7:12AM
I got a 360 about three weeks ago, and I'm in love with it. the japanese are crazy for rejecting it imho. but I guess they're holding out for the wii (which I will also get) and the ps3.
Rob @ Sep 8th 2006 9:09AM
Don't most 360 games need the hard drive?
Dilp @ Sep 8th 2006 9:11AM
The core system actually sells better in the USA than the premium.
Sad, but true.
JJ @ Sep 8th 2006 9:17AM
I'd believe that Dilp, Heck just the other day in gamecrazy i saw a guy buy 2 memory cards for the 360... on top of 2 or 3 he already had, he must be a regular (and uninformed one at that) because the clerk asked him why he didn't just buy a hard drive instead of 5 or so memory cards he had and he would have ended up SAVING money and having MORE space... and he just shrugged and said when he got the system he didnt have the money for the memory card... so the clerk just left it at that, not like he doesnt get 30-40 more bucks each time the guy comes in after filling up his memory cards.
Seems backwards to me, but what can ya do?
urbanstorm @ Sep 8th 2006 9:18AM
Anybody here that doesn't think final fantasy isnt that big of a deal really hasnt been playing games for long.Hell there are people that still thinks that sqaure is the reason why nintendo lost there first spot.Elder scroll series is great but has no where near the impacted of final fantasy (hell they even have sold out conserts here for there game music).
If companies like sqaure-enix werent so damn important microsoft wouldnt had jump to getting mistwalker as soon as that company was looking for console to make games on.
let's compare :
Final Fantasy X (7.93 million)
Final Fantasy X-2 (5.14 million)
Dragon Quest VIII (4.68 million)
Final Fantasy XII (2.38 million) (plase note that
final fantasy XII has not been ship out to the U.S or
euro market and these are ONLY japanese so far)
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (7.01 million)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (3.75 million)
Thats a total of (around)29 million units between these 3 japanese games alone worldwide
Now compare that with this .....
Halo: Combat Evolved (6.61 million)
Halo 2 (7.75 million)
Fable (2.39 million)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (1.95 million)
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (1.13 million)
Thats a total of (around) 18 million units sold worlwide for these great western games.
Now just for kicks lets take a look at it by Franchise:
Final Fantasy (68 million units sold)
Dragon Quest (40 million units sold)
Metal Gear (19.4 million units sold)
Halo (14.2 million units sold)
Microsoft doesnt need japanese companies ????
(numbers based on US Platinum Videogame Chart and sqaure-enix own web site)
J.Goodwin @ Sep 8th 2006 9:38AM
John:
Xbox Fanboys are too busy playing games on their Xbox360s. It appears that Sony's fans have plenty of time on their hands. You'd think the Nintendo folks would be busy with their new smaller two-year-old handheld though.
J.Goodwin @ Sep 8th 2006 9:41AM
There are only two games on 360 that require a hard drive. One is a soccer management simulation that's only available in Europe, the other is Final Fantasy XI (which, according to comments in this thread about the series, does not exist).
Possibly of interest and not widely known: You don't need Xbox Live Gold to play FFXI. You only need silver and a FFXI subscription.
Keelog @ Sep 8th 2006 10:19AM
I can't believe no one else has said this... XBox 360, with its horrible selling in Japan has already sold more than the PS3 will to start. So, at least until the second shipment, 360 is winning the console war in Japan.
Ha. No, I'm not a fanboy. I was really hoping the OS3 would work out, but I think they've shot themselves in the foot so many times, they'll be hard to recover.
Keelog @ Sep 8th 2006 10:19AM
@19 - If you compare 5 different systems to three... and four of those 5 are handhelds. With the highest priced nintendo 'console' costing under $130, of course Nintendo is going to outsell everyone else. It should probably be noted though that Of those five systems you noted for Nintendo, three of them are remakes of an earlier system. If you keep repackaging something enough times, people will keep buying it.