not true many American movies do very well over there.

The primary detriment to any system like the 360 is that it doesn't differentiate itself enough from the competition. In simple terms, the 360's quite literally "just another console". Were it authentically unique and offered something which most customers wanted that no other system offered, then it would be able to sell better. As it stands, to most potential consumers in Japan it's just "some American PlayStation knock-off".

well my one friend brought a ps3 over the 360 because the 360 looks better lol.

From what I understand the original XBox launch in japan generated a lot of ill will among the japanese people. There was a game that instead of translating all the text to japanese, they just removed it. In general, localization was poor and the device wasn't designed for japanese people. The original controller didn't comfortably fit in their (or anyone's) hands, and it was at least twice as big as the PS2, which is an important consideration in tiny japanese apartments. Oh, and none of the games appealed to the japanese (There's a reason all the great shooters come from the US)

This opinion is slowly starting to change, it's hard to convince an entire population that your product isn't absolute junk

Its a national thing. Japanese are very patriotic, and MS isn't japanese.

they should have let Nintendo publish the console.

Funny thing is Atari had the chance to publish the first nintendo and passed it up. Yikes

Yeah I forgot about the first xbox controller I never owned and xbox my first ms was the 360.  I guess if you botch the launch of the first one people wont look at the 360.  I hiope MS can turn it around I am not a MS fan but the 360 is a great system as is the WII and PS3

lol well said

OT;

Microsoft did not advertise the XBOX brand well.

All of the "Japanese are patriotic and don't buy American products" comments reeks of ignorance. Just look at Apple, Starbucks, or any of our movies.

Let me give a hint. The first Xbox was really huge and ugly (for the Japanese) with controllers the size of bears. Also, it was generally thought of as the FPS / Halo box, which are not popular in Japan.

It would be the same if there was a Japanese console here in the West with only cel-shaded / cartoony games. You know how that would do here.

Also, the name of the console wasn't the best thing to choose - "Xbox" means "Bad box" in Japan. And that's the nick name it got - "Batsu Bako."

 Happy for the WII but as a hardcore gamer if that was the only system I would not be happy.  Thats the beauty of having many sytems and competition <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->