they were just caught on the hop as we say over here.

After the year they have had in Japan they probably did'nt think it would sell as well as it did.

Just my opinion.

Stage - I don't exactly follow your argument. If Nintendo kept the price low for the "lower/middle class", then why are the rich clammoring over the system, scrambling to get them when they come in stock? Usually the rich want nothing that the lower classes have. I think its quite inverse, that the HD consoles are overpriced for their parts, as we see that the price clearly hurt Sony at launch and had lasting effects. Also, there's really not been evidence of stockpiling, outside of the occasional analyst guess, so it's hard to state that as having been the case. Simple supply and demand can go right to the core - rate of production. It's an old conversation anyhow, but just wanted to point out that your argument isn't build on a stable fact.

To continue to be frank, I think this is a case of marginalization in form of conspiracy theory. When the facts don't support your hopeful reasoning, someone must have covered the "real" facts up.

Nah, Kotaku have the 'real' facts.

I mean, obviously MS realizes that the best business decision they could make is to wait until there is tenative interest in its console for the first time, and immediately proceed to stop selling it for a couple of weeks. Evidence? We have it right here: A Playstation fanboy, claims that he saw a plethora of the consoles at Circuit City in Tokyo. My God! Air F'N tight.

In which case, by drastically underestimating the demand for Tales, MS have made yet another laughably bad decision in their quest to be number 1 in Japan (yeah, remember when Peter Moore told those fools in Shibuya that at the launch?!).

@ Naz - Where is the preorder information that is suggesting that IU is going to do

Maybe some of the drop was attributed to shortages? We will never know now though because by time they restock it will be all about IU.

Is that really neccassery ? I mean all did was give my take on the situation .

it's a bit ironic that you call my opinion a "baseless  assumption" yet your able to "obviously" declare what Microsoft's strategy is withoutout the slightest bit of evidence. If your going to call other people Fanboys try not to be one.

The majority of casual customers are middle class (Omitting Hardcore/Wealthy console owners). They will be the your bread and butter after you sell to the first 30% demographic. The price did hurt Sony at launch. The point with stockpiling is a guess. Theres only two weeks left so we will see as I said. We don't have all of Microsoft's answers as their sorry notes have been quite vague as of late. Supply and demand with videogames is more unorthodox than one would think, especially in a place like Japan. The simplistic rules needs not apply, when things get complicated. I never said my point was based on fact. I stated that it was a shot in the dark. Sadly...a gogod percentage of the time, I end up being right. Oh well. We'll see in two weeks.

Too bad, but maybe M$ should look at doing a special Japanese TOV bundle pack.

You don't say....I think a bundle pack with ToV would sell quite well too. Perhaps in the 8k-10k region, and give the 360 just enough of a boost to make 24K sales.

Wow less then 50k week 1? And i was thinking IU will have bigger impact then Tales.