Dragon spotted in Tokyo subway system

next week's sales probably won't reflect much, but what will is when the blue dragon bundle is released.

I don't think Blue Dragon has to potential to take MS from worst to first in Japan, but it sure has the potential to be the match that could get some interest burning. For as well as it was received by the Japanese at TGS, I think it's a fair assumption that the game has the power to move 500,000-1,000,000 consoles in Japan over the next year or so, especially with Lost Odyssey, Infinite Undiscovery, Project Sylpheed, and other Japanese titles coming.

Most would look at 500,000-1,000,000 units over the course of a year as puny sales numbers, but you have to understand, MS can't do any worse in Japan, and these units would create a 10-20x increase in weekly sales over there, which for them is HUGE. If Blue Dragon turns into a hit and more titles follow, this game could very well be the key to MS gaining ground in the land of the rising sun.

It's all wishful thinking and guesses of course, but Blue Dragon can do nothing BUT vastly improve MS' situation in Japan right now.

"Hey! Free bag!"
thats probably exactly what i would say. i like free stuff.

MS is the only company that gives things for free, not to mention that bill gates donates almost billions on research for aids cure and other researchs.
But Sony wants you to get 2nd job just to buy something u can have on 360, and not to mention 90% of ps3 games made on MS os with some c++ and 3d apps :D
PS3 FTW !!!

When I was there I think the only reason most people had the Blue Dragon bag was 1)their booth was in the entrance hall so people were given that bad before the others could give theirs 2)it was free and you didn't have to play any of their games to get it 3)they made a lot more of them than other companies so those that couldn't get a Sony one if they wanted and 4)they were giving it away everywhere. You said they were giving free bags in the morning right? Well that means they were giving them away before people got to TGS, during, and after(they were giving them away when I was going back to Tokyo).
If their advertising helps, probably to some extent since the bag was everywhere. However you could tell that most of the people who hanged out and waited in lines at Microsoft's booth were the foreigners. My guess is that if Microsoft doesn't own Mistwalker(I'm not sure if they do or not) Blue Dragon will probably come to PS3 like Enchant Arms is going to, and then it will make a profit in Japan.

#4 MICROSOFT does not own miswalker, but it do finance everithing that has to do with it so they have a pretty big slice on the company soforth the studio is part of Microsoft Game Studios.

Think of it as when RARE used make games for Nintendo so it would be almost imposible to see anything that Mistwalker do to be ported to anyother system besides the 360 even if it turns out a huge success or a huge failure.

Mistwalker are also developing for DS

MS did the same thing for E3 last time I went, xbox bags everywhere being shoved into your hands. They like the walking billboards.

Hmm... I haven't trolled in a while, so I'll bite, serge.

MS gives things for free when (a) there's a guaranteed high rate of return (advertisement) or (b) it hurts anyone else that does or even might eventually compete with their big moneymakers.

They created IE because they were afraid that netscape with java would let everyone do web-based mail and document editing on any operating system.

They subsidize the xbox because they don't want Sony brand PlayAndWorkStation 5's in everyone's living room, sending e-mail and letting little johnny do his homework in Sony Document Editor*. Little johnny might grow up to start a company that doesn't buy 10K seats of Windows and Office.

MS is very very long-sighted when it comes to eliminating possible threats. But very shortsighted when it comes to creating anything new. Why be the innovator when you can run the innovators out of business and buy their IP for cheap?

It's great business tactics for maintaining on top as a bloated behemoth, but it puts a terrible burden on the development of any industry. I don't want them to have any leverage in video games for just that reason - they don't want to win first, they want everyone else out of the race. They've been jonsing to buy Nintendo for *years*.

So the rule of thumb is that when strangers try to give you candy, you should wonder what their motives are. MS giving you anything for free means you'll be getting less in the long-run if everyone takes it.

And BTW, you know when he started donating money to charity, right? Pretty soon after he got married. (And I hope you appreciate how hard it was not to post the lewd insinuations I was going to put here.)

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* Of course, the real irony here is that in gaining marketshare in Nintendo's only market, MS and Sony have pushed them in that direction, in a more effective and innovative way than anyone could have dreamed. Just wait till we get the Wii Write Channel, and Johnny takes his wiimote to school to turn in his homework.

The Nintendo Wii Connect network will expand at a geometric rate. It will become self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. In a panic, they try to pull the plug...

Does she come with the bag?

Next week's sales are going to suck. So will every week up to late November.

Nobody's going to buy a 360 when they've announced a lower-priced model with a two-game bundle for a Nov 22 release date, and a Blue Dragon bundle in early December.