It's simple. MS has invested a dispropotionate amount in the region (for return) and has made a very modest (at best) improvement in their position.

They've found that they can cause okay spikes with exclusive, Japan centric content, however I doubt the return on those spikes actually covers the cost of generating them - look at how low 360 is already (remember all we're talking about is 360 going from plain embarrassing silly to PS3 level's of lowness, not getting anywhere near 'big' in Japan nor at the level of previous Sony consoles or Wii this gen).

It's never going to get near Wii on current trends and it would be easy (let's face it) for PS3 to recover currently - provided of course Sony delivers Japan centric content.

The simple fact IMHO remains that if the same game was available on both 360 and PS3, and it was popular in the region, the PS3 would get far more of the pie than 360 for that games sales.

This is not knocking 360 as MS have put in the effort - but let's remember that from a region perspective, the money invested in Japan must surely be more than return at this point. MS has sold less that 1M consoles yet has put on massive (and no doubt expensive) shows, invested in exclusive/timed exclusive content as well.

And I love the spin that MS unseated Sony stranglehold - I think you'll find Nintendo did that while both Nintendo and Sony have left just enough cracks for MS to exploit. MS is just lucky it can use money/negotiations to get titles Sony used to get as exclusives by default - imagine if FF, Teken, etc. where all 1st party to Sony for a moment as Mario and others are to Nintendo? MS wouldn't have a hope at all.

I also doubt (looking at both consoles lineups) that 360 has enough to get 2nd place in Japan currently - although recent sales at least show it might have a chance rather than no chance.

while FF13 +versus+ GT5 still exclusive to japan , 360 have no chance.

Both the PS3 and 360 are nothing short of disasters in Japan. Microsoft has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to increase their lifetime sales maybe 500K units in the country. They will never see a return on that investment.

The PS3 is getting violated by the Wii in Japanese 3rd party development past the first year on the market. Look at all the Wii games announced and shown at TGS from 3rd parties this year... then look at the PS3. There hasn't even been a new FFXIII trailer. We had a Castlevania announcement without even a release year and that's it. Not to mention it's underselling the PSP in the country...

The HD consoles are incredible disasters in Japan.

But one is more of a disaster (360) than the other (PS3)!  ^_^

lol.

JaggedSac said:   Million said: 1   Blue Dragon Microsoft 0.21m 2 Tales of Vesperia Namco Bandai 0.15m 3 Infinite Undiscovery Square Enix 0.11m 4 Dead or Alive 4 Tecmo 0.11m 5 Halo 3 Microsoft 0.10m 6 Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation Namco 0.10m 7 Lost Odyssey Microsoft 0.10m 8 Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Capcom 0.09m 9 Gears of War Microsoft 0.08m 10 Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 2K Games 0.08m Top 10 best selling XBOX 360 games. 1 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Konami 0.65m 2 Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds Sony Computer Entertainment 0.49m 3 Dynasty Warriors 6 KOEI 0.41m 4 Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 Konami 0.32m 5 Devil May Cry 4 Capcom 0.31m 6 Dynasty Warriors Gundam Namco Bandai 0.30m 7 Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! Sega 0.28m 8 Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Sony Computer Entertainment 0.26m 9 Dragonball Z: Burst Limit Atari 0.17m 10 Ridge Racer 7 Namco Bandai 0.16m   Notice that the top selling PS3 games outsell the top games on the XBOX 360 by far ? . Also notice the XBOX 360 is overall superior in terms of games that apeal to the japanese audience . It apears that the PS3 will sell better in terms of hardware and software when games which apeal to the japanese audience are released. So the PS3 doesn't even need a line up of games that compares equaly or even superior with the 360's line up  , the 360 will get demolished regardless the only factor is by how much. Pos Console Name Publisher Total 1 Halo 3 Microsoft 5,977,195 2 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Activision 4,574,243 3 Grand Theft Auto IV Take 2 3,888,734 4 Gears Of War Microsoft 3,423,815 5 Forza Motorsport 2 Microsoft 2,714,687 6 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Activision 2,704,798 7 Assassins Creed Ubisoft 2,602,929 8 Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Activision 2,485,189 9 Madden NFL 08 Electronic Arts 2,311,588 10 Guitar Hero II Activision 1,887,749 Pos Console Name Publisher Total 1 Grand Theft Auto IV Take 2 2,062,383 2 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Activision 1,819,154 3 Motorstorm Sony Computer Entertainment 1,748,299 4 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Konami 1,334,795 5 Resistance: Fall of Man Sony Computer Entertainment 1,237,876 6 Assassins Creed Ubisoft 1,183,655 7 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Activision 1,102,055 8 Madden NFL 08 Electronic Arts 854,284 9 Rock Band Electronic Arts 784,750 10 Uncharted: Drakes Fortune Sony Computer Entertainment 753,265 US Numbers. Using your logic, the PS3 will get demolished regardless the only factor is by how much.

Except that isn't my logic....?

Not saying the 360 will ever catch the PS3 in total sales, but it has caught it in weekly/monthly sales. I wouldnt be surprised if this continues. The japanese market has finally noticed the 360 and since the summer began sales have continued to improve except during the shortage in late july/august. This is not the same battle as 2007. MS has made inroads and will work hard to continue to stay neck and neck with Sony the rest of this generation in Japan.

Werent the expectations a lot higher for the PS3 in Japan?  I think the 360 is actually doing better then most anticipated it could ever do in Japan.  The PS3 might have sold more but it is by far much more of a disaster then the 360 in this region.

If you're looking at Japan and this generation in particular as a complete microcosm, then yes, total disasters.  But, Microsoft's strategy has allowed them to pick up third party games from Japanese developers that appeal to NA and Europe too and improve their brand perception in Japan.

This generation has been all about games and online service, and MS is building a compelling portfolio in both.  They can't afford to be third place this gen if they want to start being regularly profitable.

Investment in Japan = worldwide investment.

The PS3 definitely has a good lineup for 2009, but I keep seeing Gran Turismo 5 mentioned as though it will be a system seller.  Wouldn't most people who are motivated to buy a PS3 for GT5 already have a PS3 and GT5 Prologue?  If I was that crazy about a particular title on the PS3, I would already purchased the "partial" version just to get my hands on it.

@ Million
I think you made a clear point that in all probability, the PS3 will beat overall 360 sales.

@ JaggedSac
The N.A. sales you posed are in a different context than that of Japan. No matter how it's viewed and that the PS3 is in 3rd in N.A., the actual raw numbers of PS3 hardware and software sales are more than enough to warrant support of the PS3 in N.A. Nowhere as crucial as in Japan.

@ naznatips
It's a fact that the PS3's userbase is larger that the 360 in Japan. It's a fact that 360 has outsold the PS3 in recent weeks in Japan. Now, we can acknowlegdge these facts, but I agree with you. It's nothing to brag about, and you don't even have to relatively compare it to the Wii's success. If the PS3 will usurp the 360's recent gain, then it does. But I wouldn't make it a big deal either way.