PS3 outsold Xbox 360 2:1 in Japan
And Wii sales micturate on both
For all ex-Microsoft, now EA Sports man Peter Moore's claim that the PS3 isn't doing too well in Japan, the latest sales figures from that country show the Sony has shifted a darn sight more next-gen consoles than Moore managed.
According to Japanese games magazine publisher Enterbrain - by way of the Reuters news agency - Sony had sold 1.01m PS3s in Japan between from the console's 11 November 2006 debut there to 15 July 2007.
The Xbox 360, which arrived in Japan in December 2005, almost a year before the PS3, has only racked up local sales of 420,705, between that date and 8 July, Enterbrain's numbers show.
But Wii fans get the last laugh: the Nintendo console, the most recent of the three next-gen machines to launch in Japan, had experienced sales totalling 2.9m units as of 8 July, and may already have passed the 3m mark by now - or, if it hasn't, will do so in the very near future.
So not only has it outsold the PS3 by almost 3:1, it's outsold the Xbox 360 by more than 7:1.
Not that Moore minds much: according to US Securities and Exchange Commission filings from his new employer, he's getting $550,000 a year base salary plus $333,000 moving expenses and a $1.5m bonus for leaving Microsoft, though he'll have to stay at EA for two years to avoid paying it back.
COMMENTS
Commie China
Mmm
Boycott Commie Chinese made products, it's funding their military and the sale of weapon and weapons technology to Militant Islam and Leftist Countries. It's in the news EVERYDAY.
or
Boycott imperialist US products, it's funding their military and the sale of weapon and weapons technology to Dictatorships (U.A.E?) and Rightwing Countries. It's in the news EVERYDAY.
George Bush reads The Register?
"Boycott Commie Chinese made products, it's funding their military and the sale of weapon and weapons technology to Militant Islam and Leftist Countries. It's in the news EVERYDAY."
*sigh*
Wow, some great comments so far...
... people will pay £300 for a console, given the article above at least 1.5m Japanese people have quite recently. The Wii is stunning (i've got one with my Xbox 360) but it's aimed squarely at a different gamer, it's more fun and cute, but it's not going to appeal to the hard core gamers, racing games, Halo-types etc will not buy a Wii as the graphics can't cut it... for innovation and enjoyment the Wii wins hands down!
And Jon, it's hardly surprising that a PS3 will have sold a higher average volume per month given it was a product in demand that has recently been launched. A more accurate examination would be the sales for the first 3 months or 6 months of PS3 vs Xbox 360.... i think you'll find the Xbox will be out in front, given you couldn't get one for 4 months after they were launched unless you had a pre-order, whereas a PS3 was readily available... now ehitr given the huge delays from Sony led to them having plenty of stocks, or less people were actually that impressed having tried one?
poor support
The Xbox 360 is very poorly supported from Microsoft itself in the Japanese market.
Playback of xbox games is not as well implemented as in US consoles.
Most games xbox 360 games are also not aimed at the Japanese market. Ports of US and European games will not work on the Japanese market. The commercials are really weird. If you watch an Xbox 360 commercial in Japan you need someone from MS next to you tell you it is an xbox 360 commercial. The marketting is really weird. At the end of the commercial the xbox 360 logo is displayed but that is it. No commercial for games and gameplay is never showed.
Also the Japanese indeed have a Japanese product fixation that will not be easily broken.
Wii...
I got a Wii, I don't really do games in fact the games that Ihave played for any measureable amount of time are:
Elite
Exile
Lemmings
Wolfenstien
Doom
Doom2
I thought I might have a look at the Wii and got one with my bonus, it is great, you can get people who have never played a computer game in their life to join in and enjoy it(!) The lack of HD graphics and a processor to shame a Cray don't even begin to limit the machine. Compare that to a PS3, for which you can buy about three Wiis, the games tend to be targeted at "gamers" and you'll never get people to think that you could play one if you've got a few friends round for a few bevvies.
That said, the amount of beers and ash trays knocked over has dramatically increased since I got the Wii, but this is a small price to pay...
