Xbox One X Fails to Convert the Japanese, Selling a Mere 1,344 Units

Megalith

Megalith

24-bit/48kHz
Staff member
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
13,000
With pre-orders of the Xbox One X sold out in Japan, people were wondering whether the console was actually popular in the country or if Microsoft simply shipped a very limited quantity. New numbers from Media Create suggest the latter, claiming that less than 1,500 consoles were sold.

While the Xbox One X did cause a significant boost in Xbox One sales percentage-wise, it’s obvious that it was shipped in very limited quantities, and the fact that major retailers did not carry any availability on day one certainly did not help sales either. At this point, though, we can probably safely say that the promise of massive power (at least for a console) did not particularly tempt Japanese gamers.
 
Design1stcode2nd said:
I don't think it's purely out of National Pride, Japanese gaming culture is vastly different from the U.S. it's all about the games and a large portion of Xbox games don't cater to a Japanese audience.
Click to expand...
Very true in that regard. There is a serious lack of jrpg on Xbox, as noted by many consumers. Only as of late have they been trickling in.
 
The Xbox has never sold well in the Japanese market, so I don't understand how this is news. You can't generalize and say the Japanese market doesn't care about more power based on this.
 
JustReason said:
Very true in that regard. There is a serious lack of jrpg on Xbox, as noted by many consumers. Only as of late have they been trickling in.
Click to expand...
There is a serious lack of exclusives or new IP on Xbox One in general, and MS didn't bother to launch X with a single killer exclusive.

Generalizations about what products Japanese gamers buy or don't buy aren't an excuse for MS not really trying on the games front. Being able to play old Xbox titles from 10-15 years ago is a cool value add but not a replacement for a current gen library.
 
Last edited:
It's going to fail to convert anyone. Only Xbox fans, most of which already have purchased an Xbox One, will be buying this. You aren't going to win any converts with a console that has no exclusive games!
 
Design1stcode2nd said:
I don't think it's purely out of National Pride, Japanese gaming culture is vastly different from the U.S. it's all about the games and a large portion of Xbox games don't cater to a Japanese audience.
Click to expand...

It's quite simple. Japanese gamers make informed decisions based on facts and not hype. Xbox always has had fewer games, and if the PS4 can play all of the games available on Xbox 1 (except for Gears, Halo and Forza), then why would they buy it? There isn't any value proposition to the hardware that makes up for the lack of games. Both Switch and PS4 offer games that can't be played on any other console...while every single game being released for Xbox can also be played on PC.
 
Hopefully Nadella continues his corporate cloud strategy and kills off the Xbox altogether. It just doesn’t make any sense for MS to be wasting time on a toy that doesn’t even sell that well while ignoring their bread and butter (pc os and pc gaming).
 
Microsoft tried this before and failed miserably with the OG xbox and 360 but both did considerably better then what the one is now. Mobile gaming is the big thing in japan, even the ps4 is struggling to keep up with how the ps3 performed. Home consoles market in japan is a bleak thing which is bad news for large production japanese titles as a whole.
 
Japan has always been a terrible market for xbox brand historically, not sure why it would suddenly change now. If you think the list of Western Exclusives was bad, try to look it (if you can even find) a list of Eastern (japan) Exclusives for XBX1. Why would anyone do an exclusive for an install base of 1000 consoles :whistle:
 
All they need is another Idolm@ster-like game exclusive to the Xbox One and then it might sell.
 
Japanese guys are too busy buying dirty panties from vending machines to have time to play Xbox.
 
Design1stcode2nd said:
I don't think it's purely out of National Pride, Japanese gaming culture is vastly different from the U.S. it's all about the games and a large portion of Xbox games don't cater to a Japanese audience.
Click to expand...

Both are true and not mutually exclusive. However, the Xbox is having a hard time outside of the US. And even in the US, PS is king this gen. Sony came out swinging with interesting titles this time. Xbox/PS reversed positions from last gen.
 
Coming from the same of the Pacific as Japan, Xbox One was never in my decision because of game library. (I ended up getting Switch after leaving it down to PS4 vs Switch)

The way I see it is this:

1. If I concentrated my entire purchase decision on hardware power alone (which I don't do, but for sake of argument), then none of the consoles is going to enter the equation, because you know, PC.

2. After looking at PS4 Pro's implementation of its more powerful hardware, and being very disappointed by it, I have at most equal faith in Xbox One X's implementation, which is pretty low.

3. Even if I do buy one, the total lack of games will make it gather dust from day 1, I'd rather spend $800 to play one game than $500 to play zero.

4. The games themselves. This isn't just the lack of JRPG's, but every game I want to play on Xbox One is out on PC, and I could simply use an Xbox one controller to play it like a Xbox one, and use Steam box or bring my PC to my TV if I want to play on my TV.

In the end Switch won my money, because the number of games (at most) I would play on PS4 equal to the number on Switch (at least), and all of those games on PS4 are ones I don't like to play on controllers...

Is it because I am a Nintendo/JRPG fan? I don't know, you can comment on that if you want.
 
Microsoft keeps talking about how awesome the Xbox One X is selling. Yet when I was at the store today the shelf's were fully stocked.
 
bigdogchris said:
Microsoft keeps talking about how awesome the Xbox One X is selling. Yet when I was at the store today the shelf's were fully stocked.
Click to expand...

Your point? Lets, see, if nothing is in stock, they are artificially limiting stock and if there is stock on shelves, they clearly are not selling, do I have that right? :confused::rolleyes:
 
Why do they keep trying? They are 0/3 in Japan and they are going 0/4 with the X. I am sure they losing a good deal of money trying. Xbox is really only popular in the US. It does ok in the EU but it still dominated by the PS4.
 
One X makes no sense to me. If you want exclusives you get the PS4 or Switch. If you want a computer you get a computer. There isn't much reason to get a Xbox anymore.
 
Pretty sure the Marines stationed there bought all those systems off post after the PX sold out.
 
Mchart said:
One X makes no sense to me. If you want exclusives you get the PS4 or Switch. If you want a computer you get a computer. There isn't much reason to get a Xbox anymore.
Click to expand...

You don't want a computer hooked up to your TV in your living room?
 
ND40oz said:
You don't want a computer hooked up to your TV in your living room?
Click to expand...

I used to but, I prefer to have my XBox One X and 360 hooked up to my TV now. I also prefer to have my PC hooked up to my 4k monitor instead so I can use it well using my TV at the same time. (I used to have a computer dedicated to just my TV many years ago but, just not worth it anymore.)

Edit: Fixed for clarity. :D
 
Last edited:
chenw said:
Coming from the same of the Pacific as Japan, Xbox One was never in my decision because of game library. (I ended up getting Switch after leaving it down to PS4 vs Switch)

The way I see it is this:

1. If I concentrated my entire purchase decision on hardware power alone (which I don't do, but for sake of argument), then none of the consoles is going to enter the equation, because you know, PC.

2. After looking at PS4 Pro's implementation of its more powerful hardware, and being very disappointed by it, I have at most equal faith in Xbox One X's implementation, which is pretty low.

3. Even if I do buy one, the total lack of games will make it gather dust from day 1, I'd rather spend $800 to play one game than $500 to play zero.

4. The games themselves. This isn't just the lack of JRPG's, but every game I want to play on Xbox One is out on PC, and I could simply use an Xbox one controller to play it like a Xbox one, and use Steam box or bring my PC to my TV if I want to play on my TV.

In the end Switch won my money, because the number of games (at most) I would play on PS4 equal to the number on Switch (at least), and all of those games on PS4 are ones I don't like to play on controllers...

Is it because I am a Nintendo/JRPG fan? I don't know, you can comment on that if you want.
Click to expand...
Good points, but I've been rather impressed by how the One X runs "non-enhanced" games compared to the PS4 Pro. The best that happens on the latter is a stabilized frame rate, while the former actually applies supersampling and more anisotropic filtering in addition to stabilizing the frame rate.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top