While an infinitely bigger success there than on our local market, I think it’s safe to say that the Xbox 360 has been a monumental failure in the land of the rising sun. By June this year, Microsoft had sold 1.5 million consoles in Japan, which sounds relatively impressive, until you figure that the PS3 has sold 6 times that – even though it launched a little later.
Japanese retailers, it seems, have had enough of the wasted floor and shelf space, and have begun phasing out the Xbox 360.
Geo, one of Japan’s largest specialist retailers, is said to be scaling back its Xbox 360 business dramatically.similarly, staff at Yamada Denki, an electronics retailer will be removing Xbox 360 hardware and software from the majority of its stores nationwide, and is selling off its remaining stock at a heavy discount. Select stores, in areas where the 360 maintains some semblance of popularity, will continue stocking 360 products.
The Xbox 360’s last Nippon-centric exclusive title, the ridiculously popular pop-star management game The Idolm@ster recently jumped ship to the PS3, giving Japanese gamers very little reason to own an Xbox 360.
Source : Next-Gen.biz
Last Updated: August 16, 2011
