Why Does The Xbox 360 Never Do Well In Japan?

[MarcFBR]

Well the Japanese are probably pretty ticked off with the Earth right now; The Earth totalled their Nuclear Power Plant too.

Make another post along these lines, and you won't be part of the discussion anymore.

[Attitudefan]

Calm down, I was only making a (bad) joke

[TripleRach]

Calm down, I was only making a (bad) joke

You were already warned about a similar comment earlier. Joke or not, it's in really poor taste. Just accept the free warnings and drop the subject.

[Corporate_Nothing]

Not to debate this, but the failure rate on _early_ Xbox360s was unusually high... some estimate up to 80%, though I doubt it's that high. Combine this with the fact that they would just send back fixed alternate units instead of newer ones every time you got one replaced further compounded the problem.

I went through 4 units over the span of a year and change before buying an Arcade that's lasted me since. The sad thing is I didn't (and don't) play it very much, so every time I would leave it sit for a few months and come back to it when there was a new game I wanted to play, it would inevitably fail.

I went through eight 360's over the course of two years. I bought it at launch. So yea, it was high. With the PS3 I only had one YLOD.
Now, not so much or rare to be honest. With the slim versions these problems are non existent. I game on both PS3/360 and use them equally, both are slim versions now.

Well, I think you would hate the people that dropped two nuclear bombs on you.

I would go ahead and skip bringing this up again.

Just wait 'till someone drops Godwin's Law into this argument.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbd8lDkqlVE

[MCDaveG]

Well, about the space with Kinect, that's not actually true. It doesn't need that much space, unless you are alone, living in a really small Japanese flat (unbelievable from what I saw).
We lived in a small flat in city centre about 47 m2, so the room we were playing at was about 20 m2 and it was not that much comfortable, but OK.
Just moved to a new one which is three times the size, so playing Kinect is without any problems, but most of the families here lives in flats that are around
80-100 m2 and have much bigger living rooms that I had before. So I don't see the space used by Kinect as the main problem.

From this topic, the main reason I see for XBOX doing not that well is because of it is gaijin stuff.
Because I did some research and Microsoft really tried around 2008-2009 to hit the Japan with 360.

Well, I have one of the newer models as we bought one about one year ago and we are playing on it half of the week and it works fine.
As I read about it, these red light of dead or how it is called was unfortunatelly matter of the first sets of 360.
Only thing that kinda annoys me on XBOX is NOISE
It's cooling device makes so much noise like my old PC did before it overheated because of burned cooler.

[PhoenixEX]

I'm guessing it has to do with import and money issues, i mean isn't Microsoft an American corporation?
Sony and Nintendo are japanese which gives them a huge advantage in Japan. Since Japan is hugely influenced by anime and manga those types of games are easier and cheaper to make on a Nintendo or Sony console. Plus they are people of peace (well the citizens), they aren't driven by war and violence much so Call of Duty probably doesn't intrigue many of them as much as a strategical RPG game does.

[dbboxkaifan]

Only thing that kinda annoys me on XBOX is NOISE

Mine doesn't, it's actually very quiet.

As I've said 1 to 2 metres is more than enough, so space isn't the issue, people just haven't got around to try it out and enjoy it.

[Hellspawn28]

I do know that some Xbox games do have somehwat of a fan base in Japan like Halo. It seem like it was popular enough to make a anime out of the series and I hear Halo 3 did pretty well their IIRC?

am quite shocked that Japanese prefer bright colourful games and every one else does not.

Japan has made dark video games before. I think it depends what most people in Japan find that is insteresting or not. I think other Disney, Star Wars, Harry Potter and some Marvel superheros, I think most Japanese don't care for most American series.

[MCDaveG]

I do know that some Xbox games do have somehwat of a fan base in Japan like Halo. It seem like it was popular enough to make a anime out of the series and I hear Halo 3 did pretty well their IIRC?

am quite shocked that Japanese prefer bright colourful games and every one else does not.

Japan has made dark video games before. I think it depends what most people in Japan find that is insteresting or not. I think other Disney, Star Wars, Harry Potter and some Marvel superheros, I think most Japanese don't care for most American series.

Well, Star Wars and Disney are kinda huge in Japan from what I know....... Dunno about Harry Potter, only saw some Japanese trailer for movie and about Marvel, I know that in 70's they made own version of Spiderman and Super Sentai series that was co-licensed by Marvel, but also not know, if US super-heroes are huge there, but I bet they have some cult following as I saw a manga version of Batman.

[Hellspawn28]

Harry Potter is popular in Japan from what I've been told, the movies always been at the #1 at the box office after the first week. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was at the #1 spot for five weeks in Japan. I know Spider-man is very popular in Japan and other superheros like Batman & Spawn have their own manga but I've been told that Japan does not care most of them. The Dark Knight and Batman Arkham Asylum did poorly in Japan, Green Lantern and Watchmen also did poorly in Japan as well.

[Piccolo Daimao]

I think Harry Potter is huge pretty much everywhere. Yes, Japan make some dark games, but they have more surreal, colourful and quirky games than in the West. And, as I said, their RPGS are quite different, which is why some people differentiate the Japanese RPGs with the sub-genre "JRPG".

[MCDaveG]

Harry Potter is popular in Japan from what I've been told, the movies always been at the #1 at the box office after the first week. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was at the #1 spot for five weeks in Japan. I know Spider-man is very popular in Japan and other superheros like Batman & Spawn have their own manga but I've been told that Japan does not care most of them. The Dark Knight and Batman Arkham Asylum did poorly in Japan, Green Lantern and Watchmen also did poorly in Japan as well.

I think it's because they are too western and far for Japanese viewer, but Arkham Asylum and City, WTF, awesome games, don't get it!

[Ringworm128]

Xenophobia about American-made products.

........Wow. That bad, huh?

Well, I think you would hate the people that dropped two nuclear bombs on you.

I know we are supposed to drop the topic but I just wanted to say that sounds fairly stupid since the Japanese did/where going to do horrible things to my country yet that doesn't stop their games from selling hugely and the anime being somewhat popular. Back on subject I'm going with everyone elses opinion that the Japanese are not that keen on gritty war games just like not everybody in the west is keen on moe magical neko girl anime games. Though its a shame the orginal XBOX failed in Japan since the XBOX was the most powerful console of the 6th gen and Japanese developers could have used the extra power to make RPG's and other games that would have been huge, looked and sounded great and overall amazing for their time.

[dbboxkaifan]

I know Japanese gamers love that monster game called "Monster Hunter" for PSP, but I never see any Japanese on Raging Blast 2 at all. Well, to be honest, the online on DBZ games is kind of dead.

Bandai really needs to release a Dragon Ball Z like Zenkai Battle Royale so DBZ can become finally a playable online game with lots of people (from 2v2 to 16v16 or more).

I once saw a couple of Japanese gamers in different matches on GRID (Xbox 360) and they never were on 1st, 2nd or 3rd place, nearly at the very last and would damage other cars leading other players to cuss them. It's online gaming don't take it personally, I know I don't.

[SparkyPantsMcGee]

There isn't a whole lot of love for western products; there are forced and second rate exclusives; and forgive me if I'm wrong, but I remember hearing that Live is terrible in Japan. Also as someone else pointed out, there are more bonuses to owning the PS3 versions of non exclusive games(See Street Fighter X Tekken). Though Microsoft is making strides, I don't think they mind too much because of the love they are getting from the US and Europe.

Also, I know this got shot down on Page 1 but, seriously

...For example, one of Mortal Kombat creators said why they didn't included some bonuses and Kratos on XBOX...

Kratos is a Sony Computer Entertainment America character; that's why he's not on the 360 version. That's like getting mad that Mario doesn't appear on the PS3 or 360. He was thrown in as a bonus because the Mortal Kombat team has openly said they are huge fans of the God of War series and that it would be an honor to have him in their game. Then there is the whole DC vs Mortal Kombat thing from a few years back. DC was uncomfortable seeing their Icons getting their hearts and spines ripped out. That's why the game got a T rating. Kratos, is one of the few video game characters that both creators and fans wouldn't mind seeing mutilated. His games are similar in style and he fits in so well. I can't think of a MS character that could function the same way; or hell I'm willing to bet MS acted the same way DC did. Sorry, I had to get that out of my system.

[dbboxkaifan]

I can't think of a MS character that could function the same way;

Have you never played or seen Gears of War?

Marcus Fenix, RAAM or any other GoW would kindly rip apart monsters and whatnot for the pleasure of killing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lhXFsLMyWg < this is bloody violent even Kratos wouldn't have a chance to react with a chainsaw on his body slicing him up

Really this topic has barely anything to do with DB, surprised it's still opened.

[SparkyPantsMcGee]

Check your PM box for the Marcus thing.

As for the topic, with the bad reputation of the 360 and Kinect why would Namco Bandai make an exclusive game for the Kinect? I can't figure out who their target demographic is. In Japan there were high sales on the PS3 then on the 360 and I don't think Dragonball is strong enough(anymore) to push Kinect sales. It's also hard to gauge Dragonballs popularity in the west. there is a following but as far as games go there seems to be an apathetic view towards them("...oh yay another dragonball game..."-sarcastic gamer).

[dbboxkaifan]

As for the topic, with the bad reputation of the 360 and Kinect

Bad reputation as in Japan? The Japanese just prefer Nintendo and Sony because both of these companies are Japanese, while Microsoft is a foreign.

That shouldn't be a problem but apparently it is.

[SparkyPantsMcGee]

It's not uncommon for a country to favor it's own products over foreign ones. Why Japan gets the stereotype though, I can't answer that. I'm not Japanese. All I can do is point you towards Japan's early history with the West and their push to make Japan Modern. I'd be naive to tell you that's their only reason though. Realistically Japan has a strong and positive relationship with the West these days; so all I can personally say is it's a cultural thing. Oh, you know what might be fun? Go look up the Philips CDi. Read up about it and that might give you some insight on some things.

[Hellspawn28]

Namco Bandai make an exclusive game for the Kinect?

It might be that these games also sell well outside of Japan. Dragon Ball does a fanbase outside of Japan and they do make money off of games from overseas. Which is why all of the games since 2008 have been on the 360 since the 360 is one of the best selling systems in the US. The other games other then Sagas never been on the original Xbox since the original Xbox was not as popular compare to the PS2 at the time.