Microsoft Corporation's Xbox 360 was launched in Japan on Saturday only to be welcomed by a largely submissive response, in stark contrast to the reception it got in Europe and North America.
According to a senior store officer, the sales were so subdued that not even 50 consoles were sold even in the initial two hours after launch.
Released ahead of PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution which will be out in the market next year, Xbox 360 has been priced at 39795 yen ($330.)
However, despite taking the plunge into the market first, Xbox 360 has not managed to make a major impression. A mere 10 people were seen in a queue in a central Tokyo outlet of the Bic Camera, a consumer electronics retailer, which opened its Xbox sales counter at 7am.
The muted affiliation of Japanese towards Xbox 360 can be gauged from the statement by Kentaro Okamoto, one of first few to purchase the Xbox 360. Says Kentaro in a firm tone, "it's not going to be a big hit in Japan." According to him, a majority of the Japanese customers prefer consoles of either Sony or Nintendo."
And the figures too show that Japan's gaming market has conventionally been the stronghold of Sony and Nintendo. The original Microsoft Xbox failed to cross even the 500,000 in Japan mainly because Sony rules the roost in this part of the world with approximately 80 per cent of the market share.
Kotaku, a Japenese gaming site, comments, ““If you didn't get an Xbox 360 or paid some ridiculous amount on Ebay, just know that there are oodles and oodles of unopened 360s here in Osaka. How's that for a shortage.”
According to Xbox's marketing Chief Peter Moore, its still early days for Xbox 360. Terming Japan as the springboard to Asia, Mr. Moore stated that more than hundred consoles had been sold in three hours at a store where he was present.
Even as Japanese gamers are giving a thumbs down to Microsoft's new-generation gaming console, the demand for the same is increasing by the day in United States and Europe, where the product continues to remain in short supply.
As per reports, over 400,000 units have already been sold in the US while the figure of 75,000 in the UK is only expected to climb steadily.
