PS3 overtakes total Xbox 360 sales in Japan ... already
by Blake Snow 
{ Dec 12th 2006 at 12:15PM }
According to MCV, Sony's PS3 has already overtaken total Xbox 360 sales in Japan, this despite the former's extreme launch shortages and being on sale for only one month. The Xbox 360 has sold fewer than 180,000 units over the last year, 10,000 less than the PS3. Both, however, have sold less than half of total Nintendo Wii units to date, 400,000 to be exact.To put that into perspective, the Xbox 360 has sold less than 5% of its US total amounting to 3.8 million as of December 7, 2006. Granted, the Japanese public have never been keen on brand Xbox -- for whatever reason -- but it's looking like the 360 doesn't stand a chance (and maybe never did) in the world's second largest video game market.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Sonic @ Dec 12th 2006 12:19PM
Was this not expected?
justin @ Dec 12th 2006 1:05PM
oh sure, we can buy Japanese systems, but they can't buy an American one. . .
hiS_oWn @ Dec 12th 2006 12:37PM
Actually, I think it's about time I heard some discussions as to why the xbox360 never caught on in Japan. I think it'll touch on some keen cultural and industry issues which I'd be happy to participate in. Or if someone could link me to an article or forum where this has been done extensively, I'd appreciate that too.
Blue @ Dec 12th 2006 12:21PM
It's not just about systems. It's also about games. For instance, sports games aren't that popular in Japan.
I think Blue Dragon is going to help start moving the 360 in Japan.
VampireHunter Z @ Dec 12th 2006 12:23PM
You guys are so late. This was known since last week's numbers. Blue Dragon might but the 360 ahead of the PS3 temporarily again assuming that Sony ships roughly 32K units a week in Japan.
> @ Dec 12th 2006 12:29PM
180k units? Retailers must still be trying to get rid of their initial launch shipments.
JimmyHACK @ Dec 12th 2006 12:27PM
so much for Blue Dragon
Dave @ Dec 12th 2006 6:21PM
Part of it is market loyalty--but there's also a big cultural divide with regard to games. Personally, I don't like playing little cutsie-looking characters or magic flying monkeys...but whatever floats your boat I guess.
Neoxkc @ Dec 12th 2006 12:28PM
I thought the PS3s worldwide numbers were 400,000 in U.S., and 100,000 in Japan, how are these numbers accurate?
The Intangible Fact @ Dec 12th 2006 12:31PM
Those people must be fuckin stupid. Right now the PS3 has shit for games. The main title on the PS3 is a FPS???! 360 is getting plenty of RPG's in the future. Why are they so stubbern and ignorant to new consoles? I will admit that FF looks awsome on the PS3 but it is nothing that the 360 cannot achieve with mass effect.
Paul @ Dec 12th 2006 12:33PM
the japanese will never buy anything non-japanese... there is a reason that car makers (US and European) dont bother with japan...
SuperStupid @ Dec 12th 2006 12:39PM
My Nan opened a street stall in Tokyo last week selling the various bits of dead skin that drop off her body every day, and even she's sold more units than Xbox360 has recently. Also, factor in that her sales skills really aren't so good, and you have a pretty grim pricture painted for Microsoft.
Also, as a quick question regarding the racial undertones people are implying in the Japanese shunning Microsoft's American offering: Does anyone know if these guys use Windows at all, or do they have their own Japan-o-version that actively seeks out and blasts anything with stars and/or stripes on out of existance with its Japan-o-Lazer-Vision ?
gok @ Dec 12th 2006 12:45PM
Wouldn't It be great if some Japanese would come here and explaind this to us from his pow?
Earl @ Dec 12th 2006 12:39PM
How many of these PS3s ended up on eBay?
On a serious note, this is a pretty bad blow to M$. Japan is known for supporting local companies over foreign compaines, much less M$. As much as it pained me to buy something from M$, I eventually broke down and bought an XBox a couple of years ago. I still don't own a 360, but may have to buy one for Blue Dragon in the near future. Not much of a FPS fan, I prefer RPG and action-adventure games.
chenry @ Dec 12th 2006 5:37PM
That's actually really funny.
get over it @ Dec 12th 2006 12:40PM
ah yes, let's call people stupid for buying what they want.
you might as well call someone stupid for buying a blue shirt because you think green shirts are better.
KaneRobot @ Dec 12th 2006 12:46PM
It didn't catch on because Microsoft is retarded and thought they could launch without Japanese-centric games...AGAIN.
The Japanese don't just blindly hate American products. There may be SOME "prejudice" in the gaming market, but nothing that wouldn't be alleviated by MS releasing Blue Dragon and two or three other appealing-to-Japanese games at LAUNCH...instead of when most people have already written the system off.
That said, I don't really care. I wish MS would just forget Japan. If they don't appreciate it, screw 'em. The US and Euro launches would have been a hell of a lot smoother if they weren't trying to appease a market that doesn't give a damn about them anyway. Total waste of resources.
honkyjesus @ Dec 12th 2006 9:14PM
This is not news, it is Japanese nationalism. The one thing that Japanese buy that is American is entertainment, however this has never crossed over to hardware. Blue Dragon will help the 360 a bit in Japan, though when compared to Ninty or Sony the 360 box may as well be a "bunch of bricks."
Japanese developers usually bore me, the Japanese games that are supposed to be amazing I can rarely play for longer than five minutes because they seem to have a different version of fun in Japan than I do.
logikil @ Dec 12th 2006 1:19PM
So
1: This is not unexpected. Everyone and their mom already knew that the PS3 was going to surpass the 360 in Japan so this is a whole lot of non news.
2. This, however, does not take into account last week during the Blue Dragon release, so the 360 is likely to jump past the PS3 if only for a week seeing as Sony is unable to ship many systems to japan to begin with.
If anyone from Microsoft is listening to or reading this, you have one hope....one. Buy a japanese developer. You spent a boatload of money on Rare, and they have only just started to live up to the investment. MGS Japan is incapable of developing anything of any real substance for the Japanese. The only way you are going to succeed is to swallow a Japanese developer that makes games the Japanese like. You have US development and UK development. It's time to make a play for something real there. Otherwise, you need to spend some money to get the titles they like. I seriously doubt that Square would be opposed to a Scrooge McDuck size vault of cash just to bring FF to the 360.
David @ Dec 12th 2006 1:04PM
Maybe I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that europe would be the second largest video game market.
Canadian Geese @ Dec 12th 2006 1:25PM
The Japanese simply don't like buying American-made products. Period. End of story.
It seems pretty silly, until you think of all of those ignorant Americans who refuse to buy anything but an American-made car.
There are a lot of people all over the world who prioritize brand over value.
Changing a cultures perception of a product takes time. Microsoft isn't trying to jump out of the gates and win the console race. Instead, they are slowly and surely trying to change the public perception of the Xbox brand. Theirs is a long-term goal, not a short-term goal, and I personally think that Blue Dragon and great prices are a great start.
SSUK @ Dec 12th 2006 12:57PM
Wasn't like it was hard at all... The Japanese shunned the poor western box, however Blue Dragon seems to have set the ball rolling rather nicely now...
nathan @ Dec 12th 2006 2:05PM
Who cares! As long as Xbox keeps putting out games like Gears of war, then I could care less if some slant eye buy's an Xbox!Build the games and they will come.
Evan @ Dec 12th 2006 1:14PM
Japan is the third largest video game market, after North America and Europe. Get that right, Joystiq.
Doomstalk @ Dec 12th 2006 1:00PM
Microsoft's primary relations are with American devs, so it's hardly a surprise that the system's done poorly so far. Aside from the DS, though, Japan's market has been tepid lately, and the US market is still growing. It seems like Japanese developers that are eager to capture the more lucrative American market will continue to support the 360. Look at Capcom's Dead Rising- it's definitely not aimed at the Japanese market, but it's sold well enough to make it more than worth their while.
yardman @ Dec 12th 2006 1:04PM
#2 i'm echoing the same sentiments..What if we treat Sony PS3the same way they do the Xbox and see who will fair better!
buttlover @ Dec 12th 2006 1:29PM
I think the wii has a good shot at being number #1 in japan but not here in the usa. Even my 60 year old mom said it sounds like a stupid name and my girlfriend said if i buy a wii "no sex for you!!!" I think alot of people arent taking the ps3 seriously right now but i would be surprised if in the long run they end up #2 or #1 with xbox 360 #1 or #2 and wii last. The wii does not have the power to last 5 years, it already looks outdated so in 5 years its going to be hideous unless you dont have an hdtv anyway.
methane47 @ Dec 12th 2006 1:08PM
Hmmm last time i checked the second largest video game market was America... First was Europe (PAL) then America then Japan...please correct me if i'm wrong.
BklynKid @ Dec 12th 2006 1:15PM
Seriously, who still uses "M$" to short Microsoft? Grow up.
Uh_Oh @ Dec 12th 2006 1:12PM
Does microsoft really need japan?? Id rather control the US and Europe markets.
Zack @ Dec 12th 2006 1:22PM
Blue Dragon might help the 360 in Japan, but wow. Not much 360 love over there.
You do kind of get the impression the Japan is an afterthought market to Microsoft, whereas Sony certainly doesn't consider America to be an afterthought market. Kind of ironic given that the intended symbolism of "360" is a worldwide community. Even if the 360 does end up coming out on top in the US market (as I expect it will, but I'm a Sony hater so eh), it won't come out as far ahead as the PS3 will in Japan.
Iscariote @ Dec 12th 2006 1:29PM
Hahaha Europe thinks they're the biggest game market now.
SuicideNinja @ Dec 12th 2006 2:31PM
The Japanese use Windows just fine. Ever tried figuring out software versioninge in another language? Maybe they hate Microsoft for the same reasons we do?
Anyway, if they don't like the 360, then so be it. No one else seems to have a problem with it. So far, the PS3 has proven to be crap other than an FPS, which the Japanese supposedly hate anyway. Then again, tired gameplay like Genji 2's is probably good enough for them.
Screw Blue Dragon, we should be looking for Lost Odyssey.
unit @ Dec 12th 2006 1:23PM
"Those people must be fuckin stupid. Right now the PS3 has shit for games. The main title on the PS3 is a FPS???! 360 is getting plenty of RPG's in the future. Why are they so stubbern and ignorant to new consoles? I will admit that FF looks awsome on the PS3 but it is nothing that the 360 cannot achieve with mass effect."
I wouldn't go that far calling them stupid. Plain and simple x360 games don't appeal to their market. Fps's aren't big over there, take a look at the sales of halo in japan.And the x360 has more than enuff(fps) coming down the line, eclipsing every other genre on the system except for sports(which again are not big in japan). Japanese want games like katamari, dragon quest,ff, metal gear, tekken etc. The majority of games on the x360 are sports and shooters(3rd person or fps). They know the ps3 will provide alittle bit of everything, which the x360 lacks. but that's just my opinion. Gears of war won't even sell in japan.
Sanchez @ Dec 12th 2006 1:24PM
Actually, I'm also very interested as to why Japan still won't buy into xbox, it's smaller than the PS3, it has AAA RPG's (blue dragon and lost oddessy soon) Lost planet, which the japanese seem to have found interesting at least. Not sure what the price is but I don't think it's that high. PS3 doesn't have any of these right now. Obviously some prejudice is part of it but surely not bad enough to make it fail this badly. Maybe it's bad rep from the original xbox? Does anyone in japan read this and could explain it perhaps?
devi8i @ Dec 12th 2006 1:29PM
#8 you have to be kidding me right???? Ford Chrysler and GM all sell vehicles in Japan, along with BMW and mulititude of other manufacturers from around the world.
Malfoy Roark @ Dec 12th 2006 1:30PM
Re: 21
Ok, I'll correct you. Don't confuse people with televisions or the population as a whole as "potential gaming market".
If Euro really was the largest video game market, you think they'd get screwed over as many times they do? They get shafted because they are the least of the companies' worries.
Re:7
Could you be more of an X fanboy? Your statement about the PS3 and the FPS would ALMOST have some merit if Xbox's primary reason for selling as many as it did wasn't HALO and the large percentage of 360 owners who will undoubtedly own Halo 3.
Hating Sony for consoles is like hating MS for OS's and Office. When it's all said and done, they will still hold the largest global market share and you'll enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I own all 3 consoles. Wii for bowling. 360 because it has games, and PS3 because it'll have games that 360 won't.
minus_273 @ Dec 12th 2006 1:39PM
i think more than anything else it is the xbox name. the xbox was a platform known for having only shooters and sports games. Neither are games the japanese are fond of. To add to that, the original xbox has a controller so big that many asians cant hold it at all. When the system launched there was an xbox party at my university where i got to try it out. The controller was so big i couldnt reach the buttons. I never looked at the xbox again. I suspect many other people without flippers for hands felt the same way.
Miles @ Dec 12th 2006 1:37PM
Someone already said it, the japanese just don't like non-japanese things. The ipod is the sole exception since the end of WWII. The only game i consistently saw those dummmies buy when 360 launched was that awful racing game RR6 ( which was literally the lowest selling game for the 360). And when DoA4 came out they bought that too. And to say the ps3 will have more variety over the 360 is so dumb i hope you die for saying it. Especially since they've had a game for every genre since Viva Pinata came out.
primetime @ Dec 12th 2006 1:38PM
Japanese society and consumers are more traditional than the US. They buy what they are comfortable with and that means they tend to stick with established brands. For music players, it's the iPod. Guitars will be Fender or Gibson. Jeans - Levis and shoes - Nike. And cars will be there own brands as the US companies have never had a large presence there. It has less to do with something being American-made. Anyone that thinks the 360 not selling well is simply because of anti-american sentiment is pretty ignorant.
devi8i @ Dec 12th 2006 1:41PM
#29 ipods sell pretty damn well in Japan
tack @ Dec 12th 2006 2:27PM
I dont care. They dont speak english. So its not like they'd better my play experience on xbox live.
Earl @ Dec 12th 2006 1:47PM
"Seriously, who still uses "M$" to short Microsoft? Grow up."
Seriously, who actually cares enough to make a post about a way to abbreviate M$? Grow up.
I am a grown man and abbreviate anything, anyway I please. If YOU don't like it, then GROW UP and ignore it. There will ALWAYS be something that someone doesn't like in this world. If "grown ups" spent all their time b****ing about things they didn't like, no one would get anything done.
hegemonyhog @ Dec 12th 2006 1:48PM
"Even my 60 year old mom said it sounds like a stupid name and my girlfriend said if i buy a wii "no sex for you!!!""
Either you aren't financially capable of buying a Wii, or you and your girlfriend have some issues outside of games - why would she deny you sex for buying a console?
Anyway, the Wii - there's two things about it that set it up for long-term success. The first is the likelihood that it'll have novel killer apps coming down the pipeline on a routine basis. The second is that it'll be the first system to hit a truly mass-market price (sub-$150).
Most people still won't have HDTVs in the next five years, particularly as the price bottoms out on SDTVs - as much as it's brought up, the Wii's lack of comprehensive high-def support is largely irrelevant, particularly to mass-market purchasers who make up the brunt of the shopping public.
The N64 was the most powerful system of its generation. The XBox was the most powerful system of its generation. The Game Gear and the Lynx were the most powerful portable systems of their generation. The PSP is the most powerful portable system of its generation. All ended up behind comparatively underpowered hardware with better games.
Ken @ Dec 12th 2006 1:50PM
This is the kind of new PS3 fanboys have (not so) patiently waiting to hear. It is news when time and system availability are concerned.
It's only a matter of time before the same statement is made in the US.
Zack @ Dec 12th 2006 1:48PM
I'm seeing a lot of anti-Japanese sentiments here. Just as many of you are incredulous as to why Japanese tastes are inferior to your own, no doubt on some Japanese gaming forum there are people posting their bewilderment at how inferior American gaming tastes are.
joe smith @ Dec 12th 2006 1:49PM
The real test will be PS3 vs. Wii once Sony actually ships some serious quantities to Japan. If Sony can't win in Japan where they own the market, they are dead.
Malfoy Roark @ Dec 12th 2006 1:57PM
Re:34
Does the 360 have variety? Sure. But to say it has every base covered that the PS3 will have is ignorant and fanboyish. There are certain style of games that only the PS3 will probably have and those will probably be games that are more uh 'eastern targeted'. There's no denying this. And not even talking about entire genres but certain sub genres as well. There might be games that are essentially DQ or old school FF rips that would probably only come on the Sony system because, people who buy the Sony system are expecting that. RPGs in general, its hard for most to name a lot of heavy weights coming out for the 360, and you might not like to admit it, but Square has chosen the winning console platform every time and that says something.
Honestly, I miss Nintendo fan boys. They at least triumphed their franchises as opposed to solely attacking the opposition and calling their supporters ignorant.
Buckshot @ Dec 12th 2006 2:02PM
To bad all the games suck. Nice to know this will not happen in America.
matthew @ Dec 12th 2006 1:57PM
In general, Japanese like American stuff just as much as we like Japanese stuff. But the variety on the 360 is very limited. Shooters, a western RPG, shooters, more shooters, some more shooters, and crap like Enchanted Arms and 99 Nights. I love my 360, but even I'm frustrated by the lack of (quality) variety.
Blue Dragon will help, and so will Lost Planet (the online demo always has tons of Japanese people on).