riot8ap said:This may be off-topic, in that case delete it.
Q: Does anyone have an idea of why they release in Japan first? Does it have anything to do with creating hype over here in the US?
Wow, thats a great question, and perfectly on topic.
I'll try to answer your question the best I can, and I'm sure guys like Torgo can help me out along the way.
First off, obviously Japan is the 'home' market. You would be surprised about how ravenous the Japanese are when it comes to gaming. Games actually spin off their own product lines. For example, FFXII is going to have a drink line modeled after the potions in the game. People over there eat that up. Trading cards, bed sheets, clothing, jewelry and cell phones, and that is just off the top of my head. Its a cash cow over there for the devs because the fanbase is so insane about the products.
Because of this, it has always been said a gaming system can be won and loss in Japan. Traditionally that has mostly been true. However this is a new round of console battle and things in this business change fast.
I think the biggest thing you have to consider is that pretty much all of Japan plays games. The revenue generated by all the products gaming related is huge.
Usually the extra time in between a launch of a game in Japan and the US is obviously a bit marketing, but you also have voice dubbing, language translations etc.
Japan is often considered the first priority because that is where alot of the gaming creation comes from.
Hope that helped. Torgo, stevie, and the others will be along shortly, and pwn me.