Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051210...rmicrosoftxbox

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Doesn't surprise me its reaction wasnt "OMGWTFBBQ" as the US was

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

What surprises me is that Microsoft thought the results would be different this time around when they changed almost nothing with regards to their gaming philosophy.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Isn't the only reason Japanese gamers rejct it is because the company did not originate in Asia?

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

No.... there are vast reasons...

Majority of Japanese gamers have a grown loyalty to the Nintendo and Sony brand. Microsoft has only been in this industry for one generation and Xbox 360 is their second offering. Also the Xbox 360's games don't appeal to Japanese gamers...

Being an Asian myself I can tell what asian gamers play most of... which are RPG's, Party games, and Adventure games...... which is what Sony and Nintendo offer to Japanese gamers....

For Sony theres their Final Fantasies, Katamari Damacy, Jak, and Ratchet games...
For Nintendo theres their Zelda, Mario Party, Super Smash bro's games..

Microsoft's launch lineup for the Asian market does not exactly quell Japanese gamers desires. I can't remember the last time Japan had a tailgate party for football...
************************

This is why I like Sony. Their marketing strategy in a recent interview with PSM magazine outlined that the reason they are looking towards a Spring 2006 release is because they are allowing the developers to create a launch lineup that would be available to all regions and that would appeal to the regions. Kaz Hirai told PSM that he's not worried about Microsoft's early release and that the PS3's launch would be worth the wait.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

They also have a negative impression of MS in general. They think of an operating system which has numerous bugs and an original xbox which scratched discs. Plus the whole "giant PC" approach just isn't the style of Japanese gamers.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Lets be honest. The Japanese are a extremely nationalistic people. They generally look down on any foreign products and they view their culture as greater than all others. They refer to all foreigners as "gaijin", which is an insult and not unlike a white person calling a black person a "nigger".

The fact that an American/foreign company makes the Xbox may not be the only reason why the Japanese reject the Xbox, it is a very big one, and it is also why the Japanese reaction to the 360 doesn't surprise me at all. In fact I was expecting it.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

I don't mean this negatively or anything...

But are you really an Asian, or a North American of Asian descent?


/me shrugs and walks away

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

The real test will be when Hironobu Sakaguchi's game comes out. Such a game would automatically be a mega-hit on a Playstation console. Hell, it would probably do quite well an a Nintendo system, too. So we'll just have to see if the Japanese are just too insular to get an XBox 360 for the father of Final Fantasy's next game.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

I'm not inclined to buy an Xbox 360 either.

I wonder if that makes me asian.

...or a racsist.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Thats a very old fashioned and traditional view of the japanese people...You may be safe saying that about the older generation, but the newer generation is very open. And stop with the friggin nonsense. Gaijin is directly translated to 'foreigner' and has nothing to do with race or ehtnicity. So don't go comparing japanese words you don't understand to racial slurs.

And if someone from japan called you Gaijin with a hostile look... it was probably you.

edit: i didnt seek ur question link... i'm of course of asian descent. been to japan couple of times though and the markets are cluttered w/ rpg's and mario party ads,

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

ha! ha! ha! and may godzirra stomp on that yankee doodle trash!

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

I've never been to Japan, but I know wrestlers who have lived and worked there. They are referred to as Gaijin, and it is not a general term no matter what the literal translation is.

Gaijin are looked down upon. Sorry if you don't want to see it that way. Maybe the youth are different, but those that actually run things see it a different way. A traditional and nationalistic way.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

More dismal numbers from cnn...

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

And which people would be the ones who would most likely buy an Xbox 360 is at all? The youth....

Yet your rationalization of Xbox 360's poor selling performance in japan was because Japanese people have a superiority complex....

You've never been to japan and you do not understand it's culture. Same goes with japanese people's perspective of foreigners. How do you know if it's "looked down upon" or just "fear"

Human nature tells us we always fear what we can't understand. And don't take the perspective of wrestlers you knew who were there. Ultimately it comes down to your experiences and what your opinion about it is. I bet you if you went to Japan you'd have a blast. No one would get in your face without a reason. Wrestlers face animosity wherever they go, from fans who don't like there character to rival fans.

My advice to you is to visit Japan and see how their culture works and how they go about their lives before making a stereotype about them. Remember... they came from an Imperialistic origin with Emperors and a Monarchy. You could say their stubborness roots from that, but today things are a lot different. How do you think they got their clothes, their start in technology and their industrialization? The WEST....

they are what they are today because they accepted western philosophy. If not you'd still be seeing samurais....

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

The Japanese are a funny case in terms of nationality. They hate to include themselves with the rest of Asia. The most popular selling manga as of late are ones that put down Chinese and Koreans. It's quite popular to bash South Korea since the Korean pop scene and other things have been invading Japan. Sorta like how here some people lash out against anime and are tired of the Japanese influence on the media they used to like. Japan's modern culture grabs bits from other countries. Most of their knowledge of the US for example comes from such things like MTV...not a real awareness. Thus when my friend's cousin came to the states from Japan to visit he was pretty dumbfounded that his dreds and Rastafarian clothing weren't the norm.

As for Xbox 360 not selling well why do you assume iPods are virtually nonexistent in South Korea whereas way too popular here? Where a product originates is a big influence on who buys it even if you refuse to believe it.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Oh my. I feel kinda bad for MS.

J Allard needs a hug.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

The question is, why did those stores sign those contracts?

They should've actually looked at the console.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

The store should sell them to American retail stores. People are still hungry for 360 over here. They aren't paying double or triple the price on eBay but people still want them.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

I think Microsoft also put in that contract you can't just export them overseas ;)

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Believe it or not, but most of the market is Eurasia and Japan with about 60%. Without Japan now, Microsoft's hopes for crushing Sony in the gaming industry have been crushed.

Either that or my hopes of Microsoft failing because they thought a head start would change things have been fullfilled.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

1) I know I'd have a great time in Japan, and its one of the 3 places I want to visit before I kick off. When I say that Gaijin are looked down upon, I don't mean that the Japanese would outwardly treat them badly. Japanese nationailism isn't the same as American racism. Its soft and polite, you are treated with respect, but you are still not considered at their level.

2) You know nothing about wrestlers, how they are treated, or how wrestling works in Japan. I'll leave it at that.

3) While Samurais do not exist anymore in Japan, Samurai culture and its code of honor are still very prevalent. Afterall, non-feudal Japan is still very young, so to think that the old ways are not still evident is the equivalent of saying that racism/classism no longer exists in America (and no, I'm not comparing Japanese nationalism to malignant racism or slavery)

4) I spent a semester studying Japanese culture, and I've followed Japanese Puroresu and Sumo for years. I know a thing or two about the Japanese and their culture and history.

The Japanese will accept foreign ideas and products, but it takes a while, and they initially distrust foreign goods. An American can be accepted on the same level as a indigenous Japanese, but it takes years of proving yourself. The proof even lies in Japanese writing. In Japanese media, native Japanese names are presented in a traditonal dialect, while Gaijin names are presented in a lower, phonetic-based dialect.

And just curious Sony, have you ever been to Japan? If so, what was your experience like?

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Yes, a couple of years ago for graduation I spent 2 weeks in Japan. And I made several friends over there whom I still keep in touch with. I also study Japanese culture and I have several Japanese friends who live here now whom lived most of their lives in Japan. They enlight me almost everyday with new things about japanese culture and how things are done.

All I'm saying is, it's not as it once was before. The only reason Japan is such a power house now is because of Western civilization's influence on them. They wouldn't have cars today nor would they have any kind of electronic device without western industrialization of Japan.

hmm...

I'd say the offensive nature of the world 'nigger' is held on a very high pedestal compared to 'gaijin.' It's safe to say that the older Japanese people still hold a grudge and evident stubborness towards foreigners because Foreigners are the ones that changed their way of life. You may say the way of the samurai is still prevalent, because the older generation hold on to their traditions with a firm grasp. As seen in The Last Samurai... they were very religious about their traditional ways and held on strong to keep Japan from modernizing. Their conviction for their traditional culture was steadfast. Today, you see that in the old generation. The youth is changing Japan however and things are a lot more open. US and European bands from afar are heralded in Japan now, and the iPod is widely used now in Japan.

Although the first games weren't from Japan.... it was Nintendo that came out as the pioneer in video games. And so the videogame industry has been widely dominated by the japanese market. So in all honestly, Microsoft never had a chance in Japan.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

When you say "Eurasia," what exactly are you referring to?

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3146296

Clears up the price cut. @TCOM trying to get some more business.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Teuthida, why must you stomp all over everything?

You ruin all the fun.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

I started this topic so I set the fun level. :p

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

I meant the nigger/gaijin comparison in the way that they are not unlike in that they are or were considered insults, not in the power that they hold.

Well, maybe things have changed in the passed decade or so. After all, my class took place enarly a decade ago (holy crap I'm old). Lord knows American youth culture has completely been revolutionized in the last decade by communications technologies. There is a good chance that could have happened in Japan.

I'll concede and take your word for it, Sony. Enjoy it, it doesn't happen often :D

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

I wanted to make a joke about an American accusing someone of being nationalistic but I think I'm too late.

It would have been all in good fun, I assure you.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

I actually think you'd be confusing nationalism with patriotism. I really think that America is less nationalistic than Canada. Canadians are insanely proud of their nation and believe that they nation the better than most others... yet I still can't find one reason why they'd think that... wait, I remember... GREAT BEER (healthcare, shmealthcare... grab me an Molson Ex)

...

;)

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Canadians, are crazy nationalistic.

But you do see quite a bit of nationalism from America too. America is quite often referred to as "the greatest country in the world" by americans and in commercials and whatnot.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

You have my respect, Professor S.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Yes, greatest country in the world. Thats patriotism. Nationalism is the belief that YOU are better than others because you are from your country. I think most Americans believe that their nation is the greatest in the world, but I don't think they transfer that pride to an individual level as much as other, older nations do. Afterall, America doesn't really have a culture to hang on to and hold over others, we have a meltingpot of cultures. We have a strong government, economy and one hell of a military, but that doesn't translate to the people. Culture translates.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

*strokes chin*

Easily confusable concepts.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Everything exists, nothing has value.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Believing you are the greatest country in the world isn't patriotism. At least I don't see it is.

I see Americans and Canadians as equally patriotic/nationalistic. It's just expressed in different ways, IE we don't need to have a flag on our desks to realize we love our country.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

Reminds me of a story my film professor told me once.

He was apparently oustside of a local high school in town (rural Vermont) and he was accosted by a group of teenagers who asked him "why he don't you have a flag on your car?" He was absolutely bewildered as to why it would be necessary for him to have a flag on his car.

I think you're overstating it a bit. Yes, a lot of Americans have the flag everywhere they possibly can whether it be on their desk or car, but many of us are far more subtle about the whole flag thing.

Re: Microsoft unleashes new Xbox in Japan to lukewarm reaction
 

I for one am extremely patriotic, but I don't have a flag anywhere but at my home. I rarely see flags around where I live, except for car dealerships and public buildings.

BTW, if you don't think that your country is the greatest in the world, I think you have a problem. If you don't put that kind of value on your nation, why care about it or the people in it? Why try and fix any of its problems?
I'd expect all Canadians to think that their country is the best in the world. Its like thinking you have the world's #1 dad. ;)

And Darren, your comments about Canadian and American patriotic differences are a perfect example of nationalism. Thanks for the demonstration. :D