By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Sales Discussion - The REAL Reason for Poor Japanese X360 Sales.

With poor X-box and X360 sales many people keep asserting that Japan simply won't buy an American console. I figured it's high time to clear up this false notion by looking at the facts. Ipod is a huge success in Japan. If the notion that Japan only buys Japanese products was true, Sony's mp3 players and such would be the number one seller, not Ipod, yet Ipod is kicking butt. And it's not just the Ipod, it's Coca-cola that's out selling Kirin and Asahi colas. They're eating at McDonalds, they're wearing Levis. They watch more American movies then Japanese; they listen to American bands as much as they listen to Japanese bands. In fact the real kicker is that that they already are using Microsoft's very own software all over Japan (Windows, Office, etc..) So America is not the problem. Microsoft isn't even the problem. And that just leaves two other candidates: The Product, and the Marketing. If you look at the product its clear from the get go that it was never geared toward the Japanese audience. DOA was the only prospect the Japanese had. Even myself who owns a 360 I'm quite a bit disappointed in how little variation there is in the 360's line-up. Yet there is a lot of positive elements to the system. It's price for the graphics is good, despite the line-up at launch it now has far more to offer the Japanese. So why is it still selling poorly? Marketing. Marketing controls audience perception, and that requires a significant understanding of that audience. Microsoft couldn't expect to release Blue Dragon, announce Lost Odyssey and expect all to be well. Their problem with marketing goes back to the original X-box they time and time again told the Japanese public that the X-box was for America and not for the Japanese, for example the X-box World Collection was a series of games released in Japan, they were literally the American game in all English and no means of translation. What's that all about? I know Japan has picked up quite a bit of English but still. A lot of Americans know Spanish, what would you think if a bunch of games came out in Spanish? You'd feel like it was a product designed for the Hispanic community, that they were not intent on focusing on you as a customer. So the system needs not to just have a few good exclusives it needs to look like it was designed for you, like they are dedicated to the Japanese audience. Now look at their Japanese commercials: Here is a 2007 Ad, and it looks awful what's with everyone dancing? Granted I'm American, and I know much of Japanese ads are crazy(seen many through fansubbed anime) but this one in my opinion is just bad. YouTube Commercial 1 Here is another lame ad from last year, it seems they've attempted to use a pop band to gain the attention of the Japanese gamer. Summer 2006 Do Do Do Ad Now to make a comparison here is a Nintendo ad:(which In my opinion is a great ad): Nintendo Japanese ad You can see there is something great missing from the x360 ads, it fails to come across as convincing. I think they need something wild and creative, that also takes a moment to show off the games that matter in Japan, something that shows they're there for the long haul. As of yet they still seem to be missing that. Hopefully with Eternal Sonata and Long Odyssey they get a new ad campaign, that goes further to connect the X360 with the Japanese market.



finally a good post about this. Threads about 360 in Japan always turn into Japan bashing threads and i'm sick of it. 360 has to change many things to be successful in Japan.



currently playing: Skyward Sword, Mario Sunshine, Xenoblade Chronicles X

There is a much (much) deeper problem than people realize, Microsoft really has very little understanding on Japaneese culture and even the simplest of decisions tend to go poorly for Microsoft ... Consider naming the XBox "XBox" ... They did this because in North America (and much of the Western World) the letter X is associated with "eXtreme" ... in Japan the letter X is associated with "Wrong". If you doubt me, go and play Mario games where when you hit a '?' box you either get a green "O" or a red "X" ... Essentially, Microsoft produced a console called the "Wrong-Box" in Japan ...



HappySqurriel said: There is a much (much) deeper problem than people realize, Microsoft really has very little understanding on Japaneese culture and even the simplest of decisions tend to go poorly for Microsoft ... Consider naming the XBox "XBox" ... They did this because in North America (and much of the Western World) the letter X is associated with "eXtreme" ... in Japan the letter X is associated with "Wrong". If you doubt me, go and play Mario games where when you hit a '?' box you either get a green "O" or a red "X" ... Essentially, Microsoft produced a console called the "Wrong-Box" in Japan ...
lol, lmao, hahahaha that is funny as hell. Come buy Microsoft's "Wrong-Box"



 

  

 

Here is an interesting interview with the creator of FF: link He talks about how the marketing for the xbox in japan is awful.



HappySqurriel said: There is a much (much) deeper problem than people realize, Microsoft really has very little understanding on Japaneese culture and even the simplest of decisions tend to go poorly for Microsoft ... Consider naming the XBox "XBox" ... They did this because in North America (and much of the Western World) the letter X is associated with "eXtreme" ... in Japan the letter X is associated with "Wrong". If you doubt me, go and play Mario games where when you hit a '?' box you either get a green "O" or a red "X" ... Essentially, Microsoft produced a console called the "Wrong-Box" in Japan ...
i lived there for a year and i didn't even think about xbox being associated with X (batsu), but now that you mention it's so obvious. For example when you are entering a place where you are not supposed to go, the Japanese will make an X with their their arms meaning you can't come in.



currently playing: Skyward Sword, Mario Sunshine, Xenoblade Chronicles X

The 360 and the X-Box brand in genereal are geared towards a western audiance. The PS3 even at the higher price point is going to masacre the 360 in sales in the land of the rising sun. One factor is online gaming isn't as big in Japan, but much bigger is the whole image of the 360 as the macho console geared toward the older male gamer. One M rated shooter after another just turns them off. And really I'm sure marketing is a factor, but I don't know how Microsoft can even market this sytem to a Japanese audiance when the system just doesn't have the kind of variety they like over there.



HappySquirrel said: in Japan the letter X is associated with "Wrong". If you doubt me, go and play Mario games where when you hit a '?' box you either get a green "O" or a red "X" ...
Even thuogh your right about their being problems your wrong about the "X" part being the problem. X in America is also used when marking an answer wrong and such so we too identify with that. Yet X is also a cool and accaptable letter in Japan after all one of Japan's most favorite manga creators Clamp had a huge running manga called X. Later it was a big movie by none other then Madhouse productions(based on the manga.) and a Tv show called X There is also a band called X in Japan that ran in the 80's and 90's. check 'em out: X the BandAlthough this band looks so bad I could see them giving the letter a bad rep. X The movie X the TV show Also being that X is a big letter in America for entertainment they're quite used to it. Hence X-men, X2, X3, all doing very well in Japan in the box office, also the X-men comics do well. I'm more then sure Japan picks up on X being a cool letter from america. So I think I made the point, nothing really wrong with X in Japan.



You forgot something else. One of Japan's most famous and fanboyed studios is essentailly named: "Giant X" or Gainax. (Gaina = Giant and X = well.... X)



_____________________________________________________

Check out the VGC Crunch this Podcast and Blog at www.tsnetcast.com

The "X" from X-Box actually refers to the building shapes on Microsoft's campus in WA. The X design gives more windows than a traditional building, which allows a company to give more employees window offices. Microsoft picked up this habit from IBM. Just a small nitpick... Also, I wonder how much japanese sales will change after FF13 (potentially) ends up on the console. Link for FF13