Xbox One Launches in Japan This September With New Kinect-less Option

[Steven Bogos]

Xbox One Launches in Japan This September With New Kinect-less Option

The Xbox One will debut in two packages - one with the Kinect for 49,980 yen, and one without for 39,980.

While people in North America, Europe, and many other countries in the Western world have been enjoying the Xbox One since last year, folks over in Japan have still been waiting patiently. Well, for all you Japanese Xbox fans, Microsoft has now officially announced a release date for the region. The Xbox One will go on sale in Japan on September 4, in two packages - one with the Kinect for 49,980 yen with Kinect bundled, and one without for 39,980 - the same RRP as Sony's PlayStation 4.

Forza Motorsport 5, Kinect Sports Rivals, Dead Rising 3, and Ryse: Son of Rome will be first party launch titles. Square Enix will also release Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, Thief, Murdered: Soul Suspect, and Call of Duty: Ghosts as launch games for Japan.

D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die from Deadly Premonition developer Swery65, has also been announced as a 2014 title, though we're unclear if it will be there in time for the launch. Titanfall won't be a launch title for the region, which is surprising considering the game's overwhelming positive reception at last year's Tokyo Games Show.

Traditionally, Microsoft's consoles have performed poorly in Japan, which is probably the reason for the lengthy delay. However, having a Kinect-less option at the same price as the PS4, and having a lot of Japan-centric titles, is bound to at least make somewhat of a difference.

Source: Siliconera [http://www.siliconera.com/2014/05/26/xbox-one-launches-japan-september-4/]

Permalink

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

If it were me, I'd have waited until the Titanfall port were done before launching the console.

 

[Rad Party God]

Well, for all you Japanese Xbox fans...

All 3 of you

It'll be interesting to see how does the japanese market responds to the new Kinectless version.

My prediction?, not that much.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

The Xbox One will go on sale in Japan on September 4, in two packages - one with the Kinect for 49,980 yen with Kinect bundled, and one without for 39,980 - the same RRP as Sony's PlayStation 4.

Editor's note: Bolded part of this sentence needs some revision.

BTW I'm not really the editor.

-I. Rex, Capratar Demon Esq.

 

[Kameburger]

This is going to be the saddest launch ever for a console...

 

[MrBaskerville]

Do they have some games that could possibly win the Japanese market over? Or do they think that Titanfall stands a chance? This is probably not going to end well.

 

[Arawn]

So they're going to sell both the Kinect unit and the one without. We expect the sales for the cheaper unit to be better simply because it's cheaper. There only seems to be on game for the Kinect among those listed. Sports rivals alone might not be enough to get people to pay the extra money. Either way, I figured by Sept there'd be more games going that way.

 

[balladbird]

D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die from Deadly Premonition developer Swery65

... if that's the sequel to deadly premonition, and it doesn't make it across the pond I'll be a terribly sad little man.

Heck, a sequel to deadly premonition would probably put me on the fence about getting an Xbox... loved the heck outta that game. XD

probably won't save the foregone conclusion that the Xbox is dead on arrival in japan, though.

 

[VanQ]

Do they have some games that could possibly win the Japanese market over? Or do they think that Titanfall stands a chance? This is probably not going to end well.

The only reason the XBox360 ever sold in Japan was because it had The iDOLM@STER as an exclusive for nearly 10 years. Now iM@S has migrated to PlayStation exclusively. Seriously, I didn't know a single Japanese person (and I know many) that owned a 360 that didn't call it the idolBox.

 

[Ichigo]

Titanfall could be a game some Japanese people would like, it has giant robots. But! if you ever checked out the Japanese PS store you'll notice hundrets of games that will never make it outside of Japan. Does XBONE have that es well? If not, why should someone buy weaker hard ware with less japanese games for the same price. On top of that Sony is Japanese Microsoft is not. That could be a good reason too. Well and till september mostly everyone who plays console will buy a PS4 I guess.
But I'm really interested to see how the XBONE performes.

 

[MrBaskerville]

Do they have some games that could possibly win the Japanese market over? Or do they think that Titanfall stands a chance? This is probably not going to end well.

The only reason the XBox360 ever sold in Japan was because it had The iDOLM@STER as an exclusive for nearly 10 years. Now iM@S has migrated to PlayStation exclusively. Seriously, I didn't know a single Japanese person (and I know many) that owned a 360 that didn't call it the idolBox.

Blue Dragon also helped a bit, as far as i remember. It must have done better in the beginning cause there's a lot of small Japanese exclusives like Schmups and stuff from the first couple of years until every japanese developer moved to the ps3. Now they have a handful of high profile, gritty games catering to the west. Are they even trying to gain ground over there?

 

[alj]

As far as i can see the xbone has nothing to offer the Japanese market, or any market for that matter.

 

[Evonisia]

The Xbox One probably doesn't have anything to appeal to the Japanese market. The original Xbox sold poorly, the 360 sold even worse. Hell the only Japanese person I've ever seen on the 360 was a person who's top of all (like, all of) Bayonetta's leader boards. What does the Xbox One have besides maybe Titanfall?

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

"A lot of Japan-centric titles"? I'm sorry, what? Just because the titles are released by Square-Enix, doesn't mean they're Japan-centric. In all the titles the OP mentions, I don't think any of them would appeal in Japan, except maybe Dead Rising.