Xbox 360 Sales Worse than Original Xbox Launch in Japan
- December 14, 2005 15:57 PM PST
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Microsoft's next-gen console launch fails to generate more initial interest than the previous console.
According to market researcher Enterbrain, the Japanese Xbox 360 launch sales have been slower than that of the original Xbox, which launched in Japan on February 22, 2002.The Xbox sold 123,000 units out of an approximate quarter million shipped units in the first three days, compared to 62,135 units sold of the 159,000 consoles shipped in the first two days--almost half of the original console launch.
Those figure likely come as a disappointment to Microsoft, which has aggressively marketed the new console in Japan hopes of having a larger install base there. One of the likely reasons for the lack of initial consumer interest is the delay of Dead or Alive 4's release, which has slipped by a couple weeks to a December 27 launch. Tecmo games on the Xbox (Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive Ultimate) typically spurred console sales on the week of their releases, making them one of the main Japanese selling points of Microsoft's consoles.
Japanese consumers also have shown more interest in the PlayStation 3 console, which is slated for launch in spring 2006 in Japan. According to Enterbrain, Japanese consumers expect the PlayStation 3 to be cheaper, and felt that the 39,795 yen price tag for the Xbox 360 was "a little expensive."
Peter Moore handing out Xbox 360s at launch
