Xbox One Meets Significantly Low Support in Japanese Launch

[Kaimax]

Japanese game tastes are not western game tastes and Xbox always was a primarily western styled system with an over-abundance of those disliked kinds of games.

IMHO, The Xbone would've get a good number of buyers if Idolmaster didn't jump ship to Sony and stayed on the Sony ship. lol

 

[L. Declis]

Well there's a shock. Microsoft could release a blowjob and gold nugget dispenser and it would still underperform in Japan. It's a pretty insular society. They like their stuff home-grown.

Exactly this. I dont see why folks do not expect this, including Microsoft. (or maybe they do) But in Japan, they are going to support the japanese based consoles first and foremost. IE Sony and Nintendo. Honestly, I wish we would do the same thing here in the states, but it will never happen.

Well it makes more sense for Japan to put their own companies first because they're such a small nation (About a third the size of the US population). The United States is much larger, and our economy is much more intertwined with the markets of other nations, so a portion of consumers spending money on foreign products isn't going to hurt the economy all that much.

The population of Japan is over 120 million. That puts in 10th on the list of most populous countries. It's around double of the population of the UK or France, or about 1.5 x the population of Germany. That's really not "such a small nation". Also, speaking from the UK perspective, (a much smaller nation than Japan), we don't feel the need to buy British. France, which has a very similar population size, seems much more likely to buy French (maybe a French person would like to correct me). The reasons are more to do with culture than size.

OT, yeah, this probably surprises no-one.

When Britain stops making shit, then I imagine we may start buying it again. But I don't think anyone is in the market for fish and chips, chavs and teenage pregnancies.

As a fellow Brit, I see certain countries have a reputation of making certain things:

German-made: Luxury and will never break.
Italian-made: Fancy and will always break.
French-made: Probably gay or for a woman.
Chinese-made: Cheap and simple.
Japanese-made: When humanity has died and the Earth is dust, the Japanese products will still be working fine. Stupid names though.
American-made: Over-compensation and will always break.
British-made: Expensive shit... Or it is a Mini Cooper.

 

[Riff Moonraker]

Oh, I know. Just dreaming a little, you know? Because, I cannot help but at least SLIGHTLY feel that one of the reasons for the (for all practical purposes) ignoring of the Xbox brand is to basically give us the middle finger. Speaking of which, when Microsoft starts selling the One in China, I am curious how that will go, as well. Because I have a feeling that the Chinese will support the Xbox a HELLUVA lot more than japanese based Sony and Nintendo. At the very least, it will be interesting to see.

Of course, I may be totally wrong, but believe the One will 'officially' bomb here in China. Anyone who wants one will buy an import from Hong Kong or Japan. I can't see anybody wanting a government gimped system.

By saying "here", am I safe to assume you actually live there? If so, then sure, you would have a MUCH more valid perspective on this than me, to be sure. I am simply going on what I know, based on news, events, and the like, and I have seen Japan and China bumping heads lately, and I have read that there is a deep rooted hatred of Japan, by the Chinese, because of events such as Nanking, and the like. Not living there, that is the only source I have to go by, and most certainly it could be totally wrong. Another wait and see situation, I suppose.

 

[Riff Moonraker]

Well there's a shock. Microsoft could release a blowjob and gold nugget dispenser and it would still underperform in Japan. It's a pretty insular society. They like their stuff home-grown.

Exactly this. I dont see why folks do not expect this, including Microsoft. (or maybe they do) But in Japan, they are going to support the japanese based consoles first and foremost. IE Sony and Nintendo. Honestly, I wish we would do the same thing here in the states, but it will never happen.

Microsoft is not "our" corporation - it serves itself.

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-microsoft-avoids-taxes-loopholes-irs-2013-1

http://www.businesspundit.com/25-corporations-that-pay-less-taxes-than-you-do/ (Microsoft is 18th on the list, and Google is 2nd).

Obviously one can argue that Sony and Nintendo pay even less in taxes to the American government than Microsoft does, but given that less and less of the tax revenue received by the American government goes to anything positive (cuts to State and Local governments, cuts to Education and Social Services, increases in military spending) we should re-evaluate the meaning of an "American" corporation, the interests a corporation serves, and the meaning of the "American" government.

Microsoft is not your friend. You're a meatbag with tasty money and it's job is to part you from your money in exchange for entertainment, which you need more than ever in a world that Microsoft itself is helping to destroy.

As a disgruntled employee of Versalife or a local drug dealer might say - "We gave you the disease for free. Now buy the cure."

I promise you I am not getting snowed by anyone. My situation (and probably MOST people on these forums as well) is pretty much similar to yours. I am a number where I work, too. Which angers me, if I let it, so I try not to think about it. Truth is, if it wasnt for me, and my coworkers, there wouldnt BE XXXX company that I work for, but while we do get paid well, its not what it should be by any means.

But yeah, Microsoft is alot more of an American company than Sony or Nintendo, which was what I was implying. I'm not snuggling with them over in a dark corner, or anything, lol...

 

[DarkhoIlow]

Yeah, because the last generation wasn't exactly a hint that this might happen if they tried again...so gullible Microsoft.

Also..same thing with China..shouldn't there have been by now an article regarding if the sales are good or bad now that their government allowed consoles to be sold there? Looking forward to seeing that number, because it is a given that China's gaming preferences are on the PC mostly.

 

[Riff Moonraker]

Wow i had completely forgotten that Xbox hasnt even launchyed in Japan till now. no wonder it did poorly, almost a year late.

Well there's a shock. Microsoft could release a blowjob and gold nugget dispenser and it would still underperform in Japan. It's a pretty insular society. They like their stuff home-grown.

Exactly this. I dont see why folks do not expect this, including Microsoft. (or maybe they do) But in Japan, they are going to support the japanese based consoles first and foremost. IE Sony and Nintendo. Honestly, I wish we would do the same thing here in the states, but it will never happen.

On the other hand id like people to support the best machine rather than "hur dur nationalism"

Also ironically neither console is home-brown. they are both assembled in chinese sweatshops where most parts get made too.

Yeah, I know. Its actually become a bit difficult to find something that DOESNT have that "made in China" stamp on it, these days.

First and foremost, though, I buy the Xbox consoles and games, because thats what I prefer and enjoy.

 

[DTWolfwood]

So by this trend can we expect the XboxTwo to only sell 10,000 units over the launch weekend? Its been halving with each generation lol

That's if they ever make another one. If they continue on this trend hard to see them making a new console in 5 years.

O there will be another. Just not soon as you said. Or if the Xbone tanks so hard Microsoft gets out of the console race altogether, which is an improbability.

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

Hardly surprising. Even ignoring the fact that the Japanese are going to support local consoles... Well, the Xbone only JUST came out for them, while the other two consoles have had plenty of time to get into people's houses.

 

[NuclearKangaroo]

in other news, the sun rises in the land of the rising sun

i dont think anybody expected much out of this