Xbox 360 Sales Rebound In Japan

[Sean Sands]

Xbox 360 Sales Rebound In Japan

Microsoft's decision to bring Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi into the fold seems to be paying off as sales of the Xbox 360, which has traditionally failed in the Japanese market, have suddenly spiked there.

A 10,000 pre-order bundle of the console packed with Mistwalker's Blue Dragon, the first game for the console developed by Sakaguchi's new company, sold out quickly with a further 90,000 units selling rapidly, according to Next Generation [http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4037&Itemid=2]. The bundle pack comes with several games, including Blue Dragon, as well as the core system for a reduced price of 29,800 yen (roughly $250).

Microsoft's strategy of reducing prices in Japan to drive sales follows a similar pattern by Sony which has announced a reduction of the price of its basic Playstation 3 system in that country.

The Xbox 360, much like its predecessor, has not, to this point, been successful breaking into the Japanese market, though Microsoft has been stubborn in its efforts to attend to that country's video gamers. The pedigree of Hironobu Sakaguchi, plus the buzz surrounding Blue Dragon, seems to have given Microsoft a foot in the door, and at an auspicious moment. Putting the 360 on the map in Japan makes the launch of Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PS3 that much more critical for those companies, though it remains to be seen whether the Xbox 360 can make any kind of long-term dent.

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[Ajar]

That's a headline I never expected to read. I'll be curious to see how future MS JRPG exclusives affect Xbox 360 sales.

This also drives home the contrast between Japanese and North American gamers, insofar as generalizations can be drawn about either group. I watched the Blue Dragon trailer on my 360 after TGS and immediately deleted it; I now have absolutely no interest in the game. I didn't buy Enchanted Arms and don't plan to. The most-played game on my 360 is still Oblivion, and my most anticipated future title is Mass Effect. I guess it sort of ties in to the article on religious/cultural influences in video games -- I'm not religious, and the myths that I most remember from my youth were those of Tolkien and Roddenberry.

On the other hand, I'm enjoying Okami on the PS2. Go figure.

 

[Virgil]

See, I'm actually looking forward to both Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey quite a bit, but for different reasons than I enjoy Oblivion.

I see Oblivion as taking fantasy-RPGs towards the Grand Theft Auto headed 'sandbox' genre, which is a great thing. For me, the primary feature of the game was the exploration, not the mechanics or character development. The individual quest chains (like the guilds) were a lot of fun, but the overall story and characters never really grabbed me.

I enjoy JRPGs, on the other hand, as very plot driven experiences. It's a lot more about the characters and the events of the world, while the exploration aspects are very limited. Combat is (usually) less action-based, and a little more strategic, which suits me as well. I also find the gameplay mechanics to be more interesting. In my opinion, most of the Bioware RPGs (including Mass Effect) fit closer with these games than they do with Oblivion, they just have a different aesthetic.

I don't really care for the visual style of Blue Dragon (big headed anime style) though, but I'm hoping the rest of the game makes up for it. I'm looking forward to Lost Odyssey [http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/rpg/lostodyssey/index.html] more, which has a more mature tone to it.

Overall though, I'm just glad that the 360 is getting more variety in games. That was a real weakness for the Xbox, and it's good that they're taking steps to change that.

 

[Ajar]

I enjoy JRPGs, on the other hand, as very plot driven experiences.

What I was sort of talking around is that, for whatever reason, I don't find most JRPG plots very compelling. I've played some of what are widely regarded as standouts in the genre, as well as some other lesser-known ones, but from a plot standpoint, I've been disappointed to varying degrees almost every time. The notable exceptions are the two Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga games, which have very little in common with other JRPGs in terms of story. On the other hand, those games incorporate a mixture of Hindu mythology and Buddhist philosophy, so maybe I'm overgeneralizing my own tastes.

Even in DDS 1 and 2, though, I found the gameplay pretty rote. Combat was a little better than the "hit one button a bunch of times" strategy that I used to use in Squaresoft JRPGs, but had nothing on BioWare/Black Isle's old Infinity Engine CRPGs. And some of those had fantastic storylines -- the first Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment stand out in my memory. That was why I thought at first that maybe it was partly a culture/myth difference, but I guess I've disproven my own point by singing the praises of the DDS games.

I also wasn't very compelled by Oblivion's main story, but I did find some of the other quest threads very interesting.

All of this isn't to say that I think JRPGs suck -- I'd say that most common JRPG tropes don't really appeal to me, and I'm curious about the possible reasons why they don't appeal to me but do appeal to so many others. I definitely agree with you that variety is good.

 

[nbarbour]

I can identify with not enjoying JRPGs. I associate good memories with ones I played in high school, but I'm forcing myself through Square offerings these days. What I don't really get is why religion and philosophy play such an unnuanced part in those games. It's hard to go five minutes without getting hit over the head with it. They take a theme and turn it into a main character. Sakaguchi isn't the worst offender of this practice, but he's up there.

 

[Goofonian]

On the other hand, I'm enjoying Okami on the PS2. Go figure.

Despite the blatent Japaneseyishness of Okami we must remember that it was a massive flop in japan. Guess it has more to do with the play-style than the art-style that seperates the east and the west.

 

[Meophist]

One thing I like about earlier JRPGs is the exploration part of it. Unfortunally, this was taken out in many of the more recent games, but is thankfully still in Dragon Quest VIII.