Xbox 360 losing ground in hardware sales in Japan and others?

[jarrod]

I'd say in Japan it's less about xenophobic/nationalistic concerns and more about brand pedigree.

Xbox left a terrible taste in people's mouths there, it was basically considered a big, ugly, yoge machine that scratched your discs and had support dumped by most within it's first year. 360 was coming from a position of playing defense well before it even released.

PlayStation 1/2 however were the dominant, nearly ubiquitous platforms that had something for everyone. Sure, Ds basically came in a took that crown, but PlayStation still has a hugely positive brand image.

It's not just the games or pricepoints or features, I'd say those elements are basically interchangable between the HD twins. It's about the brands, PlayStation was a massive success and Xbox was a massive flop, and their successors had to work their way from those positions to wind up where they are today.