A lot of people forget just how poorly the Xbox 360 launched in Japan.
The Xbox was a complete failure in Japan, and for a good reason. So, when Microsoft launched the 360 in 2005 it needed to fit the Japanese tastes because the Xbox refused to.
Microsoft, instead, tried to make the Japanese change their taste! Look at the Japanese launch titles for the 360: Every Party, FIFA 06, Need for Speed: MW, PDZ, Ridge Raaaaaaccceer 6, and Tetris: Grand Master Ace
Unbelievable weak lineup. That was an insult to Japan - the 360, which NEEDED to appeal to the Japanese right away to make up for the Xbox, was even worse than the Xbox (which at least launched with Dead Or Alive 3, DOA4 wouldn't come out for another month after the launch of the 360).
What MS should have done is either delay the console so it could launch with Blue Dragon, Final Fantasy XI, Enchanted Arms, Dead or ALive 4, and Eternal Sonata. MS should have also commissioned more games for launch, like a Mahjong game. If this would have happened, the 360 would've started off a lot better in Japan, and then games like Star Ocean, Lost Odyssey, and Tales of Vesperia keep up the momentum.
Basically, it needed a strong launch, then every month or so needed a hit game to keep the momentum going. The 360 could've probably sold around 7 million in Japan if Microsoft wasn't so stubborn.
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