Japanese to get cheaper Xbox 360

While Microsoft Corp. has found significant market placement in the North American and European regions for its Xbox brand, it continues to struggle to establish itself as a viable gaming alternative in Japan when measured against rival console hardware from Nintendo and Sony. Japanese market gets a cheaper version of the Xbox 360. But will it make a difference? Credit: DrDemento.

Japanese market gets a cheaper version of the Xbox 360. But will it make a difference? Credit: DrDemento.Now, in the same week that has seen Sony confirm the arrival of a new Silver PlayStation 3 and a range of Platinum-style budget PlayStation 3 titles for the Japanese region, Microsoft has now revealed that a value Xbox 360 unit is to be introduced to help boost flagging Japanese sales.According to a report in the Associated Press, the basic Xbox 360 package, which lacks a hard drive, will cost the Yen equivalent of $260 USD and go on sale in Japan on March 06 - the same day as the Silver PS3 and only two weeks before Sony launches its selection of budget PS3 software. The reduced Xbox 360 will arrive in Japan sporting a price around 20 percent lower than the current cheapest Xbox 360 in the region.Whether a 20 percent hardware price reduction provides enough incentive for Japanese consumers remains to be seen, but Microsoft certainly needs to take such positive action if it hopes to carve any kind of niche against the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii.According to figures release by Japanese videogame publisher and sales tracker Enterbrain, the Nintendo Wii led the way at Japanese retailers in 2007 with some 3.6 million Wii sales; the PlayStation 3 follows next with 1.2 million sales, and the Xbox 360 limps home in third with a paltry 257,800 unit sales.In terms of total global sales, Microsoft claims to have sold close to 18 million units of the Xbox 360, while Sony has shifted some 10.5 million PlayStation 3s - though Sony‘s machine arrived a full year after the Xbox 360. The Nintendo Wii presently holds the market lead, having swallowed Microsoft’s one-year head start while racing to more than 20 million sales of the Wii.

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PeterFeb 5th, 2008 - 11:41:51

I wouldn't call it a slump.They have been selling 4,000 a week for the past year. Will it improve sales. I doubt it. The brand awareness is simply not there. The Wii and PS3 is easily available all over the places, whereas the xbox 360 is simply not sold and at many significant retail outlets.

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SRSFeb 5th, 2008 - 13:40:58

Japan is worried about quality and the RROD problem killed Xbox out the door. 4K a week will not change. Sony is a name they know they can trust. and unlike some places all the ads in the world wont change that.

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spencerFeb 5th, 2008 - 17:09:06

You messed up MS 360 was a year before the PS3 not the other way arround.

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spencerFeb 5th, 2008 - 17:10:45

86 those pattys crabs its to early I miss read it. :)

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