All credit for this thread goes to Rolstoppable for thinking of the premise.

The Japanese. The land of the rising sun. For many, the home of videogames. It's an area in which Sony and Nintendo has typically flourished, but, for some reason, Microsoft has never really had the same appeal. Look here, for example:

Why are the Japanese figures so low? If you compare then to any other console, then you'll see what I mean:

So, what exactly do the Japanese see in Microsoft that we don't? Well, I've thought of 2 different scenarios and possibilities that could explain this:

1. The Japanese are xenophobic

Sony and Nintendo are based in Japan. So, obviously, they'll be aiming for the Japanese market. Microsoft, based in America, has a very different aim. And, let's not forget, the Japanese don't take lightly to foreign products. It's really the only major country in the World in which the Ipod is less popular than any other brand of MP3, for example. Japanese buy Japanese. It's as simple as that. So, to Japanese people, purchasing a foreign console when on the shelves next to them are two rival consoles which are gearing towards the Japanese market; most will pick the one which is Japanese. That's the way it is, sadly. Speaking of which...

2. Japanese culture is very, VERY different to western culture

It's not difficult to see that in Japan, the culture is very, very different to in the West

In a country where manga rules, and where "my little sister can't possibly be this cute!" debuts at number 3, and where COD, the fastest selling franchise of all time can't reach a million, you know there's a divide.

Since Microsoft caters for a Western audience, FPS' reign supreme. In Japan, FPS' are pretty much the opposite of "must haves". Japanese want RPG's. Look at the sales figures for games like Final Fantasy etc. They're at the same level of COD and FIFA over here. So it's no surprise they don't sell as well. It's also the reason loads and loads of games never get localised either way. There just isn't a sustainable market, and the cost of translation outweighs any benefits.

As long as Microsoft has no strategy to make it big in Japan, it won't happen. Nothing attracts the Eastern culture to the Western console. There's just too much of a divide for Microsoft to overcome.

And now, sadly, the damage is done.

(Other possible reasons:

• Not enough advertising
• Otaku culture
• Bad image
• Poor brand strength 
• Lack of exclusives)

Do you agree? Comment below! 

I'd say that the reason is the difference in culture. 360 is a very "western" console.

It is because Microsoft doesn't know how to market there, since it is a different culture. In places where the culture is similar to the US, like the UK, the brands is powerfull.

...didn't I say that in my rant?

True. Microsoft aren't cut out for a western culture. Simple as that. They need to to win the gen, however. They can't be weak in such a key market

If i am being totaly honest its neither of them. japan isnt realy that xenophobic :/ just look at devices such as the iphone 4 which is currently the higgest selling android phone in japan decpite being an apple (american) product. The main reason is that the 360 is seen by many people in japan as the otaku console. For example there are way more Visual novel and datign sim games on the 360 than on the ps3 and wii combined. both VNGs and Dating sims are regared as VERY otaku in japan (atleats from my expiriance)

Image, pure and simple. Toyota build some pretty serious performance cars but they have a grown up, standard saloon middle class car so they fail to export and sell those cars on the world market in any big way. In fact; the Toyota Supra sold less than contemporary Ferrari's which were many times more expensive. There is also a reason why you won't ever take Adam Sandler seriously in a drama with the image he has built for himself.

The 360 is seen as the macho console with blood and gore and bullets and nothing to cater to the Japanese market. This image is somewhat false but it is a direct result of the first X-box and the beginning of this gen when there was a really poor showing for Japan-centric titles on the 360.

True. But my point stands. 

I never knew how big that sorta stuff was in Japan...

yeah my main point is that M$ dont seem to care that there consol it getting literd with types of games that push alot of the casual audiance away :/

Microsoft has proven that they can make headway by at least trying (which is something they didn't do with the original Xbox at all, practically), the main problem is that the 360 really had nowhere to go in the Japanese market. Lack of focus on Japan in the earliest periods of the 360 meant that they voided the big momentum advantage they had over PS3 in other regions, momentum advantages that they coupled with their strong online network to solidify that momentum advantage

As far as the Japanese third-party market goes, Microsoft gets squeezed out, except for titles that Japanese 3rd party made for stronger appeal in the West, and even then, multiplats do nothing to give you an advantage (at least as far as Japan itself goes). As far as 3rd parties looking for exclusivity goes, it's the same problem that the Wii faces from Western developers: either just go for the established "hardcore" userbase (PS3), or go for any number of the lower-cost platforms (Wii, PSP, and DS) all of whom are viewed as viable platforms for full-scale games in Japan (whereas Western developers disdain proper development for all three platforms), so there's really no reason to make an exclusive, and a multiplat will just end up being more Sony fodder

Moneyhatting exclusives and forming partnerships (a la their former partnership with Mistwalker) got them much further with the 360 than the Xbox, but it was their failure to do so right at the beginning, and then broader market dynamics that they have less control over, that have marginalized their Japanese position utterly