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Xbox 360 Falls Behind PS2 in Japan
Sales of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 continue to decline, as the system manages to sell a mere 4,849 units for the week ending March 29.
Just over a month ago the console had managed to sell over 25,000 units across the region, in line with the release of Square Enix’s Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope. By mid march it was discovered, however, that the system’s weekly unit turnover was at 15,000. One week later the console was selling 8,378 units, before falling to 5,441 last week.
A simple explanation is provided for the current 360 sales slowdown; not a single game in Media Create’s top 50 software chart can play on Microsoft’s console. While that may be the symptom of a wider problem, the 360 has proven it can outsell the competition when exclusive, market-targeted titles jump on board.
The 360’s decline was part of a wider drop in sales across Japan. The DSi sold nearly 14,000 units less than last week; a heavy drop though the handheld managed to keep ahead of the pack. Sony’s PSP followed closely behind, dropping over 10,000 units to reach a weekly turnover of 54,148.
The Playstation 3 has now outsold Nintendo’s Wii for a fifth successive week. Though Sony’s system had at one stage managed to double the Wii’s unit turnover, today the gap between the two is a little more slender. The Wii continues to sit around the 17,000-18,000 mark, but the PS3 has consistently dropped ground and is now only 5,000 units ahead.
Full list for the week ending March 29 according to Media Create:
DSi/ 57,401
PSP/ 54,148
PS3/ 22,825
Wii/ 17,276
DSL/ 8,408
PS2/ 5,246
360/ 4,849
Last week.
2009 Japanese sales history.
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As Edge documented 360 sales soared in Japan when Star Ocean 4 was about to be released. Too bad it kinda sucked I was really looking forward to it, also the other major Jap game on PS3 and Xbox, SFIV, kinda sucks with the Xbox controller, 360's pad is made for FPS, and it suits RTS and RPG fine. Try playing SF with that shit... My point being Microsoft just need more content that appeals to Japanese consumers, I don't believe that it has anything to do with them being subjective to Japanese owned products, well maybe a bit but those few weeks where the sales soared showed that if the contents there the market will respond.
Considering the Japanese aversion to any non domestic product I think M$ has done very well to sell any consoles in the territory. To sell a third of the PS3 total (1 million to 3 million) should be either regarded as a major victory for Microsoft or a serious screw up for Sony.
It's the old they're racists dontcha know argument, funny how iPod has taken the Japanese market by storm. Seriously I think people need to come up with a less lazy argument than the bullcrap about the Japanese having an aversion to western products.
How supporting their own domestic product makes the Jananese racist i'm not sure, seems like a sound economic view point to me, however, when the biggest manufacturer of consumer electronics in the world, Samsung (who are Korean) have all but given up selling their products in Japan it does indicate unusual market forces are at work.
"I don't think the PS2 eeking out an embarrassingly microscopic sales lead over the even more embarrassingly microscopic 360 sales in one of the weakest markets in the world represents anything that reflects the true condition of the 360/PS2."
Nick, yes you're quite right, but it still has rather a delicious irony, when you consider the militantly vociferous nature of Msoft's knee-jerk reaction to the PS2 price drop. :)
"it still has rather a delicious irony, when you consider the militantly vociferous nature of Msoft's knee-jerk reaction to the PS2 price drop. :)"
Yes it does.
I doubt there's little more MS can do. They should just call it a day in that region really.
I agree, mate. They've tried so hard, bless them, but what more can they do? It's just not happening.
I've always thought that the amount of time and effort they put into that region was a waste. I never really had much confidence that it would amount to much. It's not that there isn't content on it that appeal to the Japanese, it just seems it's a preference. MS has done much better with the 360 than they did with the xbox 1, but Japan is such a small market (even the PS3 has only mustered 3 million sales in that market so far, only 16% better than the edge the 360 has over the PS3 in the US). I would understand MS's dedication if Japan was one of the bigger markets, like Europe or the US. It seems Japan isn't a hot market for anyone (or at least anyone that doesn't have a big release out). The Wii can only muster 69k in the entire month in Japan, but is selling 3/4 of a million consoles in the US alone? Something's not right.
Yeah you can say Japan is a small market compared to Europe and US but it's still a lot bigger than the rest of the markets. I mean, where else is there? Australia? That's tiny. South America and Africa are nothing. Plus Japan is the spiritual home of the modern console video game industry. Like it or not it's an important market.
The thing is MS isn't doing that well full stop out side of America and the UK. If they start pulling out of countries, especially one that's been considered important to gaming for decades and hosts tons of the world's favourite developers that will look very bad.
You could pretty much expect no Japanese games on their system and then might even get investors asking them to pull out of other unpopular territories since they've pulled out of a small but important one.
MS may do well in the US but they can't survive on the US alone.
They aren't doing THAT great in the UK either, they may be ahead of the PS3 but it's not by the same margin as in the US.
Where japan leads the rest of Asia tends to follow (with one or two exceptions).
i couldn't even begin to imagine how much money M$ has flushed down the toilet in pursuit of that territory.
my god, what a waste of resources.
I can't even begin to imagine how much money M$ has left to pursue this strategy in the first place.
Agreed Cargo.
The entire Japanese market is just slumping isn't it?
Tony,
I don't think the PS2 eeking out an embarrassingly microscopic sales lead over the even more embarrassingly microscopic 360 sales in one of the weakest markets in the world represents anything that reflects the true condition of the 360/PS2. Either way, it is rather sad. But Japan has never been a strong point for MS so it really isn't THAT bad, but it is bad though...lol.
PS2 is finished apparently...well, so say the mighty M.
With Final Fantasy VII AC BD just around the corner (Mid April), the PS3 will probably stay king of the hill till May. Will probably stay like this till Monster Hunter comes out on the Wii.
For the 360 there is not a lot of hope: Most exclusives have come out in the last months, and I don't know one game in the next half year which is eagerly awaited.
Very interesting is the PSP: There is a constant good flow of games in Japan which seem to sell better than on the DS. On Amazon Japan five of the top10 of ordered games are on the PSP. My prediction: PSP will take the throne back till Dragon Quest comes out in July.
Fact is: Nintendo has lost some market shares, especially in the software side. In the charts Sony has since a couple of months the majority of the titles on their platform (MediaCreate Top Ten: 4 PSP, 2 PS3, 4 DS). Sony must be very happy.
Now bring on the price cut! Or even better: A slim edition of the PS3!
I think that a slim edition, for now, is not posible, the ps3 has to much hardware inside.
I think these Japanese sales numbers are why they are hanging in without a price cut. They should still shave a little off the top for North America and Europe, though.
Brian
www.brianwoods.com
crazy days people, crazy days