Valid until MK8 and Smash 4 come out this year with no real PS4 counter than its just beating a helpless child.

Danke.

With MK8, Smash 4, and X...and Bayo 2. None of the PS4's Japanese heavy hitters are going to be able to counter, at least until third parties get off their asses and start supporting the damn thing.

Here's the thing about Japan, and it's just my take on it, not facts. The ps4, has sold 7+ million consoles since launch, worldwide. Everyone of those people, including me, bought one for the games it WILL have, not for what it came out with. Sure, it's got some solid games now, but aside from second son, it's library is horribly weak. We all bought into it for the promise of the great games that will come, because we know they will come. But, as many have pointed out, there's kingdom hearts, ff 15, metal gear solid, all announced for the ps4.... Yet Japan isn't biting.

The world is jumping on board, because the rest of the world is still very console centric. Japan is not. Take the 3ds for example. I've heard people say that monster hunter 4 saved the 3ds in Japan, and that following that games announcement, that made the 3ds sell. But the thing is, the 3ds sold a shitload of systems well before monster hunter 4 even came out. So if millions of people bought a 3ds for mh4, way before it came out, why aren't the Japanese buying the ps4 for all those big announced games?

Because they don't really care for consoles. The ps3 is nearly 8 now, and has had all the games for it, a plethora of software in Japan available to that platform, yet, only sold (not sure of the exact number) around 9 million. That's not great. Consoles will never sell mega numbers in Japan again. The ps4 will sell far less than the ps3. It is what it is.

Why do so many people care about Japan? It's a largely irrelevant market which wouldn't even exist on anyone's radar if Nintendo and Sony weren't headquarted there.

They're both flops. I think Wii U will outsell the PS4 this year, but in 2015, the PS4 will gradually start to turn the tables, but neither is going to finish with a notable LTD. Consoles are done in Japan.

Japanese third parties will give the PS4 some decent support in the long run simply because they will want to sell games in the NA/Euro markets and that means they have to support the PS4 to some extent, so it will get Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Soul Calibur, Dark Souls, Kingdom Hearts, Resident Evil, simply by default. 

Whereas after 2014, Nintendo has spent most of their big guns in Japan. Zelda is not even a big deal in Japan anymore. So 2015/16 should tip in Sony's favor.

Ummmmm......??? Ok? But non the less Nin/Sony are there. Show Some Respect to the Gaming Gods!!!

Wait for major titles to drop like a real MGs game, KH3 and FFXV. If those don't move consoles north of the Wii U then we can call it a flop but not before.

oh yeah, no Yakuza canon title either too. (Come to think of it, it doesn't even have any worth while title for the Japanese at this point in time) :/

Japanese dont buy a console for the games coming but for the games available, just like the 3DS, they knew Mario+Mario Kart were coming, still, they didnt buy it until it came.

Japan is a fairly large market, and is a part of the worldwide sales discussions. It is relevant. I'll put it like this: the ps3, without Japan, sold about 10 million less consoles than the x360.... That's pretty relevant.

So it can be necro worthy when the OP is proven wrong, I guess hahaha xD

Give japan some time and we'll see. I expect current PS Vita numbers in a year's time. E3 matters a whole lot.