Will Japan Go For A Cheaper Xbox?
It's no secret that Microsoft's Xbox 360 hasn't been as successful in Japan as they'd wanted (even with the insanity that is Idol Master), so they're making another attempt to seduce Japanese gamers with a lower-priced console option. Basically, it's just the Xbox 360 Arcade version that came out here last year. It'll cost about $260 over there, which is about 1/5 less than the current cheapest Xbox option.
Microsoft reports that they have sold 17.7 million Xbox 360s globally, but how many of those are in Japan? According to Tokyo-based Enterbrain, which publishes game magazines and tracks game sales, only 257,800 360s were sold in Japan last year. Which sounds awful until you compare it to the 1.2 million PS3s and 3.6 million Wiis. Then it somehow manages to sound even worse.
Could the Japanese gamers be lured by the more casual, hard drive-less Arcade version? Or are Microsoft just grasping for straws at this point? We'll see!
Microsoft To Sell Cheaper Xbox In Japan [Associated Press]
