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Forums - Sales - 360 big in Japan, but new PS3 could usurp lead

Darc Requiem on 10 October 2008
DMeisterJ said:
naznatips said:
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.

 

After the same amount of time on the market the PS2 had sold 7 million units in Japan while the PS2 sits at third of that amount. Both consoles are disasters but the 360 was expected to be one from the beginning the PS3 was expected to dominate. The 360 has increased its Japanese market share over it predecessor. The PS3 is on a pace for Gamecube likes sales in Japan. Tell me how the 360 is a bigger disaster in Japan than the PS3 again?



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Jordahn on 10 October 2008
Sansui said:
naznatips said:
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.

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.

 

Didn't Microsoft themselves said something along the lines of winning Europe was a key to winning the console wars???

 



Hackers are poor nerds who don't wash.

Jordahn on 10 October 2008
crumas2 said:
Seihyouken said:
 

Xbox 360 Japan 2008
November - Agarest Senki: Reappearance, The Last Remnant (Timed)
December - Fable II

Xbox 360 Japan 2009
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Star Ocean: The Last Hope, Ninety-Nine Nights II, Halo 3: Recon, Forza Motorsport 3, Ninja Blade

PlayStation 3 Japan 2008
October - SOCOM: Confrontation, LittleBigPlanet
November - Resistance 2, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, Way of the Samurai 3, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm
December - White Knight Chronicles

PlayStation 3 Japan 2009
Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Gran Turismo 5, The Last Remnant, Yakuza 3, Demon's Souls, Killzone 2, Quantum Theory

I think PS3 wins.

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.

 

 

What you're saying I'd normally agree with.  But with as small as the userbase of the PS3 in Japan, it would be feasable to say that some of those GT fans have yet to buy a PS3 for it.  I think that the larger the PS3 userbase, the more probable that you are correct.  The smaller the userbase, not as correct.  But where we'd draw the line between larger and smaller would be sujective at best.



Hackers are poor nerds who don't wash.

tuoyo on 10 October 2008
Darc Requiem said:
DMeisterJ said:
naznatips said:
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.

 

After the same amount of time on the market the PS2 had sold 7 million units in Japan while the PS2 sits at third of that amount. Both consoles are disasters but the 360 was expected to be one from the beginning the PS3 was expected to dominate. The 360 has increased its Japanese market share over it predecessor. The PS3 is on a pace for Gamecube likes sales in Japan. Tell me how the 360 is a bigger disaster in Japan than the PS3 again?

100% true.  Disaster in this context has to be measured by sales v expectations and not by sales of console v sales of rival console.  Before the start of this gen all the analyst and 3rd party developers/publishers bet on PS3 being a run away success this gen with 360 picking up the scraps and Wii being tossed in the gutter (worldwide).  No one ever expected PS3 to struggle the way it has in Japan and 360 is actually doing better than expected.  So without a doubt PS3 has been a far bigger disaster than 360 in Japan.

 



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DMeisterJ on 10 October 2008

Obviously some people are in extreme need of help.

I said lol at the end of my post, obviously it was a joke.

They are both disasters.

Sheesh.

Tensions are really tooooo high on this site at times, it isn't that serious.



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Jordahn on 10 October 2008
Darc Requiem said:
DMeisterJ said:
naznatips said:
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.

 

After the same amount of time on the market the PS2 had sold 7 million units in Japan while the PS2 sits at third of that amount. Both consoles are disasters but the 360 was expected to be one from the beginning the PS3 was expected to dominate. The 360 has increased its Japanese market share over it predecessor. The PS3 is on a pace for Gamecube likes sales in Japan. Tell me how the 360 is a bigger disaster in Japan than the PS3 again?

 

"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."

ANd it's a whole new ballgame when trying to compare consoles of two different gens in this context.  There is no one way of looking at it.



Hackers are poor nerds who don't wash.

Darc Requiem on 10 October 2008
Jordahn said:
Darc Requiem said:
DMeisterJ said:
naznatips said:
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.

 

After the same amount of time on the market the PS2 had sold 7 million units in Japan while the PS2 sits at third of that amount. Both consoles are disasters but the 360 was expected to be one from the beginning the PS3 was expected to dominate. The 360 has increased its Japanese market share over it predecessor. The PS3 is on a pace for Gamecube likes sales in Japan. Tell me how the 360 is a bigger disaster in Japan than the PS3 again?

 

"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."

ANd it's a whole new ballgame when trying to compare consoles of two different gens in this context.  There is no one way of looking at it.

Yes and how many billions of dollars has Sony lost on the PS3 to lose market share?

 



BKK2 on 10 October 2008
Jordahn said:
Sansui said:
naznatips said:
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.

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.

 

Didn't Microsoft themselves said something along the lines of winning Europe was a key to winning the console wars???

 

A year ago they said they were going to target Europe instead of Japan, but it really doesn't look like they bothered to go through with that strategy. That was a mistake IMO, the investment they've made in Japan would have gotten far better results if directed at Europe instead.

Microsoft Targets Europe After Failing to Woo Gamers in Japan

By Pavel Alpeyev

Sept. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp. will target video gamers in Europe after failing to take advantage of a one-year head start on rival consoles from Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co. in Japan's $5.9 billion gaming market.

``The No. 1 objective is to win on a global basis and that may mean winning some markets and losing others,'' Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft's group product manager for the Xbox game console business, said in an interview at the Tokyo Game Show yesterday. ``Europe is our priority focus right now.''

The comments suggest the Xbox 360 maker may be running out of ideas to woo players in the world's second-largest gaming nation after the U.S. Even after cutting prices and increasing the number of local game titles, Microsoft's console is outsold by about eight to one by Nintendo's Wii and three to one by Sony's PlayStation 3 since the Japan launch in December 2005.

``It's difficult to see Microsoft capturing a significant share'' in Japan, said Hiroshi Kamide, a Tokyo-based games analyst at KBC Securities Japan. ``After two years on the market, Xbox's position in the country is such that it makes you wonder whether further efforts are even worth it.''

The European game software market was worth $7.8 billion in 2006, a 16 percent decline from a year earlier, as Sony delayed the release of PlayStation 3 there, according to Tokyo-based researcher Enterbrain Inc. The global game software market expanded 23 percent to about $24.7 billion in 2006, it said.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft last week said it plans to increase the number of game titles in Japan to 250 from 170 as of August. They include ``Halo 3,'' the latest Xbox-only installment of a biologically-engineered soldier's battle against an alien race, and ``Lost Odyssey,'' produced by ``Final Fantasy'' creator Hironobu Sakaguchi.

Difficulties in Japan

The company has faced difficulties in Japan before. The original Xbox console, released in 2003, was outsold 24-to-1 by Sony's PlayStation 2 and 6-to-1 by Nintendo's GameCube in Japan over four years because of a lack of game titles, according to Tokyo-based researcher Enterbrain Inc.

Microsoft has sold 446,201 Xbox 360s since 2005, accounting for 8.7 percent of the new consoles in Japan, as of Sept. 9, Enterbrain said. More than 3.49 million Wii and 1.17 million PlayStation 3 consoles were sold since their launch in late 2006.

Competition from the Wii and PlayStation 3 in the U.S. and European markets will make Japan a lower priority for Microsoft, Kamide said. The company sold 277,000 Xbox 360s in the U.S. last month, compared with 404,000 Wii players and 131,000 PS3s, according to researcher NPD Group Inc.

In August, Microsoft cut prices in the U.S. to compete with the $250 Wiis and $500 PlayStation 3s. The company also reduced the European retail price of some Xbox 360s by 50 euros to 350 euros ($495) last month.

Kyoto-based Nintendo has led global sales of the latest generation of home video game consoles by marketing the Wii's simpler games and a motion-sensor controller that can be swung like a tennis racquet or thrust like a sword.

To contact the reporter on this story: Pavel Alpeyev in Tokyo at palpeyev@bloomberg.net

Bloomberg

 



Reasonable on 10 October 2008
crumas2 said:
Seihyouken said:

Xbox 360 Japan 2008
November - Agarest Senki: Reappearance, The Last Remnant (Timed)
December - Fable II

Xbox 360 Japan 2009
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Star Ocean: The Last Hope, Ninety-Nine Nights II, Halo 3: Recon, Forza Motorsport 3, Ninja Blade

PlayStation 3 Japan 2008
October - SOCOM: Confrontation, LittleBigPlanet
November - Resistance 2, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, Way of the Samurai 3, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm
December - White Knight Chronicles

PlayStation 3 Japan 2009
Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Gran Turismo 5, The Last Remnant, Yakuza 3, Demon's Souls, Killzone 2, Quantum Theory

I think PS3 wins.

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.

 

 

Sorry, wrong assumption.  The GT prologues (yes there have been others) only sell a fraction of the full title - i.e. not everyone who wants GT buys a preview version first.

Given GT5:P sales based on previous GT sales the potential is there for huge numbers for full GT5.  By the same token it is fair to assume at least some of them will be buying a PS3 at the same time.

Still, at least we know that if you did like GT you would be in the smaller minority that buys the prologue as well!

 

 



Try to be reasonable... its easier than you think...

Jordahn on 10 October 2008
Darc Requiem said:
Jordahn said:
Darc Requiem said:
DMeisterJ said:
naznatips said:
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.

 

After the same amount of time on the market the PS2 had sold 7 million units in Japan while the PS2 sits at third of that amount. Both consoles are disasters but the 360 was expected to be one from the beginning the PS3 was expected to dominate. The 360 has increased its Japanese market share over it predecessor. The PS3 is on a pace for Gamecube likes sales in Japan. Tell me how the 360 is a bigger disaster in Japan than the PS3 again?

 

"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."

ANd it's a whole new ballgame when trying to compare consoles of two different gens in this context.  There is no one way of looking at it.

Yes and how many billions of dollars has Sony lost on the PS3 to lose market share?

 

If SONY were selling more PS3 hardware, some of you would be crying "SONY is finacially hurting because with every PS3 sold they are loosing money."  And marketshare is RELATIVE and nowhere near as crucial as it were, let's say, fiften years ago because the PS3 is a viable option regardless of the fact that it's in third.  Besides how can you loose marketshare when the PS3 has always been in third?  Like I said earlier "There is no one way of looking at it."  And because of that some of you will always spin this negatively.  And I'm not just referring this in favor of the PS3.  Some have had it a bigger deal for the PS3 than it really is.



Hackers are poor nerds who don't wash.