Xbox 360 Off to Slow Start in Japan

Microsoft may have to try a little harder in marketing the Xbox 360 to Japanese consumers if initial reports coming out of the country Saturday are correct. According to several press outlets, reaction to the new console from Japanese customers appeared to be somewhat apathetic.

Checks at several major retailers indicated that sales were much slower than they had been in Europe or the United States. One retailer in Tokyo told the AFP that he had sold less than 50 consoles in the first two hours.

Japanese gamers and analysts say that consumers in the country favor consoles from Sony and Nintendo, both Japanese-based companies. Also, Microsoft has been criticized for its Western-centric game lineup.

Microsoft is working with Square Enix for Final Fantasy XI, but the game is only available as a test version and won't debut until next year. Role-playing games like Final Fantasy are popular in Japan, much different from stateside gamers' preference for first person shooters.

The issue of game selection has been marked as a reason for the original Xbox's poor performance in Japan. Only 500,000 consoles have been sold in the country, compared to over 21 million elsewhere. Still, the Xbox 360 should easily surpass that number, as Microsoft will have the market to itself for several months.

Sony is not expected to launch the PlayStation 3 until at least spring of 2006, with Nintendo launching its new Revolution console later in the year.

Microsoft is only selling the premium package in Japan, which has been priced at 39,795 yen ($330 USD), significantly cheaper than the price it is offered at elsewhere. In the United States, the full Xbox 360 package costs $399 USD.

No numbers have been given to the press as to the amount of consoles available in Japan, although representatives for Microsoft cautioned that it was too early to speculate on the success of the Xbox 360 in the country.