You're right, many probably own a PS3 and many others would have dismissed buying a PS3 even if X360 didn't launch (too expensive, for instance). That's why I said it doesn't work exactly like that. But it's very likely that if it weren't for the X360 release in Japan many would had opted for a PS3 instead and the gap would have been smaller. We can't know how much smaller.

Japan is like a hot chick that you wine and dine and spend a lot of effort complimenting, trying to please, and blow all of your money on and she's STILL not into you. If my own past experience is any indication, Microsoft should still spend time and effort on courting Japan. Sure, they may never win her over but they've gone to far to turn back, now. If they don't nail Japan at least once, all of Microsoft's friends at the Sheriff's office will laugh at me.....err, them.

Yeah they definitely should...maybe if they keep trying they will become viable in Japan. If the 720 can sell over 2 million in Japan next gen than I say it will have been worth it.

Idk if they should, but i think they wont after recently pulling out of Japan.

My take on M$ pulling out of Japan: They supported the console for six years. In anybody's book, that's a pretty good run for a gaming console. There's just no reason to push the 360 there, anymore. The eighth gen is about to kick off (or is in full swing if you count the 3DS) so people are going to be looking at next gen consoles. If the 360 gets any sales in Japan, it would be as an afterthought and at extremely gimped prices. It's just not worth the time and money there for the 360. Just come on strong with the next round of Microsoft hardware.

Dude, that brings back painful memories to my early dating years.

I think at the moment with Microsoft's current strategy Japan is a lost cause. Mainly because Microsoft focuses entirely on the west, Japanese game developers are increasingly going else where to make games and Japan itself seems to be falling. To my knowledge Japan is the second largest game producing country in the world right now with Canada in third and the US up front. Japan will likely get out ranked by Canada anytime now and then continue to slip as other countries produce more and more video games.

So with Japan quickly dropping as the epicenter of the video game world, I think Microsoft is loosing their chance to advance. Fact is if Microsoft wants to succeed in Japan they have to take drastic measures to appeal to the Japanese gamers. That means getting more Japanese exclusive games.

If Microsoft wants to succeed with the Nex-Box they should have two internal Japanese games day one, with about 2-3 third party Japanese games. They then need to maintain that support getting at least two to three big Japanese exclusives each year. Then Microsoft needs to get more ad presence and push those ads big time. Not to mention Microsoft needs to give Japanese retailers more incentives to keep Microsoft products on their shelves.

If Microsoft can get the games, ads and shelf space they could compete again. But were talking 2-3 BlueDragon like titles released each year. Plus third party titles like Final Fantasy! If Microsoft could somehow secure some third party exclusives from Square-Enix and Konami and such then they could see drastic improvements in support!

I don't think they pulled out. Retailers dropped the 360 from their shelves, Microsoft tried very hard to keep their consoles on store shelves but as far as I know retailers decided to drop it. I think sales were just to low for retailers to consider carrying the X-Box line any longer. If Microsoft chooses to launch Nex-Box in Japan they will have to convince retailers that they will actually turn a profit. It has to be profitable for the retailers or they will give that shelf space to PS4/WiiU!

Exactly. I also bet a lot of Japanese gamers thought 360 would just die off. Next gen, maybe the 720 can do better. Maybe 2 million sales (keep in mind I expect overall console sales to drop due to the switch to handhelds).

1.5 million sales isn't much, but it's something. It's not like the PS3 is doing that much better there. MS is at a disadvantage since console sales are overall droping in Japan in favor of handhelds, and because it's American.

However MS should still try. Besides a lot of these games designed for Japanese gamers attract gamers around the world. Lost Odyssey is my favorite JRPG this gen, and FFXIII sold equally well on 360 as it did on PS3 outside of Japan.

Maybe the Japanese won't buy the next MS console because Sony gives them (at least) 10 years of support instead of just 6 years (60%).

1.5 million is a lot, but overall it's just a little piece of the pie.

The PS3 isn't doing great in Japan? Sony sold 7 million pieces of hardware in Japan (Homefront), which is 5.5 million more and 4,67 times as much as MS (lowest sales in Japan) did. In the US (Homefront) MS just sold  1.6 times as much as Sony (lowest sales in US). In the EMEAA-region (Sony's best region this gen) Sony sold 1.2 times as much as MS did (lowest sales in EMEAA).

FFXIII sold equally well on 360 as it did on PS3 outside Japan? 1,798,103 (X360) - 2,819,123 (PS3) = 1,021,020 (56,8%). That's nowhere near equally!