PS2 Catches up to the Xbox 360 in Japan
July 18, 2009 by Polt
The Xbox 360 hasn’t been doing so well in Japan since launch, mostly due to the Japanese consumers’ preference to stick to Japan-made items. Not surprisingly, the last generation’s leader has upped the 360 yet again in Moonland.
From Jul 6 to 12, the Xbox 360 sold 3,348 units while the Playstation 2 sold a full 4,437.
Despite Microsoft pulling for exclusives and mass marketing campaigns in Japan, the 360 just can’t get on its feet. So far it has only sold a little over 1.1 million units in the country, as opposed to over 17 million units in North America, and 12 million in other regions of the world.
While some may point fingers at the current state of Japan’s gaming industry and market, the only real answer is the consumers’ point of view on anything not made in Japan.
The truth of the matter is, unless the Japanese consumer base loosens up and accepts that everything that not everything made in Nippon is gold and that foreign products are not necessarily a bad thing, their gaming industry will continue to decline.
Suda51 mentioned that reaching the “middle audience” is the key to rejuvenating the Japanese video game market, but something can’t be rejuvenated unless it wants to.
It’s sad to see an industry that used to thrive in a country because it was essentially based there take a dive because they don’t want to change.
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