| N4G | VGReleases | BADJoystick | GameNews24 | ZTGD | Price Comparison |

Read

580°

Japanese Xbox 360 Drought Looking Dire

Kotaku.com writes "No relief in sight for the 5000 or so Japanese gamers who might be on the weekly hunt for an Xbox 360. With a limited supply, those looking for a Microsoft brand console on which to play a copy of Tales of Vesperia or a second game will be left wanting until such time as supplies are replenished. That means that only 3500 Japanese gamers could get their hands on a 360 this past week. Just heartbreaking to see demand kind of (maybe) outstripping supply like this."

Read Full Article >>

kotaku.com

TheDeadMetalhead - contributor
Published: 477 days 10 hours ago | Article | Xbox 360 | Industry News

Save | Email | Info | Report | Add Alt Source

Comment Settings

Showing: 1 - 46 of 46 Comments

Shut this user up

Let user speak

CrippleH - 477 days 11 hours ago

1 -

It was around 3000 before Tales of Ves and it's back to normal again.

Kotaku thinks Japan instantly going to buy another 30,000 or spin it like that.

Agree(19) | Disagree(8) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Breakfast - 477 days 11 hours ago

1.1 - Kotaku...?

Lets just call them xbox.com from now on.

:)

Agree(24) | Disagree(9) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Bombibomb - 477 days 11 hours ago

1.2 -

Kotaku? The same website that posted pre-pre-alpha screen shots of SOCOM: Confrontation and tried to make everyone believe they were new? Riiight.

Even the people that are registered there are 360 fanboys. They think Far Cry 2 is 360 exclusive LOL!

Agree(13) | Disagree(5) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

IzKyD1331 - 477 days 10 hours ago

1.3 -

breakfast!
I never thought I'd see the day....I see you've come to the dark side muahahahaha!

Agree(5) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

badz149 - 477 days 9 hours ago

1.4 - @breakfast

your attitude is more a breaking news than anything on N4G today! seriously, what happen, man?

Agree(8) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

mikeslemonade - 477 days 7 hours ago

1.5 -

Breakfast is trying to win over our permission. He trying to get to our good side and then his next 3 comments will be anti-ps3.

Agree(6) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Fox01 - 477 days 7 hours ago

1.6 -

Breakfast has gone rogue.

Agree(3) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

sack_boi - 477 days 7 hours ago

1.7 - lol Breakfast, you seem to be lost

hmm... I think Kotaku is biased towards the XBOX360.

Agree(0) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

gamesR4fun - 477 days 6 hours ago

1.8 -

ya this sites a joke when it comes to supporting ms
no way the 360 sold out unless no one was stocking them.

Agree(0) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

NO_PUDding - 476 days 10 hours ago

1.9 -

Japanese Xbox360 Drought Lookign Dire (to Kotaku and Kotaku only)

Agree(0) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

DarK-SilV - 477 days 11 hours ago

2 -

ohhh please,spin as much as you want,now If infinite Undiscovery do its magic, then MS will come out and say "we shipped more consoles to meet the huge demand for Xbox360 and we will continue to provide the best RPG experience only on Xbox 360,We expecting shortage again after one week, we will ship more consoles when the Last Raiment is released, so don’t expect higher sales number for us until the new shipment, thank you for being stupid"

Agree(11) | Disagree(3) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Chris Hansen - 477 days 11 hours ago

3 -

MASSIVE LOL @ WAKATU
Their positive Microsoft spin never ceases to amaze me

Agree(12) | Disagree(4) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

InfiniteUnfloppery - 477 days 11 hours ago

4 -

Microsoft must be paying Kotaku's Water Bill or something.

Agree(9) | Disagree(3) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

LightningPS3 - 477 days 11 hours ago

5 - Kotaku

been letting their true color show recently.

Agree(10) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

PirateThom - 477 days 10 hours ago

6 -

Kotaku are the scum of the internet.

I posted a question about the SOCOM shots and asked them if they did any research and lost my posting rights.

Agree(13) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Kyur4ThePain - 477 days 10 hours ago

7 - "Just heartbreaking to see demand kind of (maybe) outstripping supply like this"

Journalism at its finest.

Agree(5) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Xiphos - 477 days 10 hours ago

8 -

Er... didn't 7,000+ people buy 360's in Japan a week after they "ran out"? Now 3,500 more bought the supposed "out of stock until September" Japanese 360's? It must be magic! ...or they were never completely out of stock in the first place.

Never rode the anti-Kotaku bandwagon before, but it's looking mighty comfortable right about now...

Agree(9) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

PirateThom - 477 days 10 hours ago

8.1 -

Maybe Microsoft count pre-owned sales as new sales in Japan, because I doubt they'd lie about stock shortages again*

*Note: They said they had stock shortages in the US the first month the PS3 outsold the 360 and hinted at the same problem the next month, but it's hard to keep up the "shortages" schtick for longer than that.

Agree(3) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Xiphos - 477 days 9 hours ago

8.2 -

Yeah I remember that, while Amazon was packed to the brim with all 3 SKU's. The best selling one (Premium) peaked around the 60's of the top 100 sellers in video games during that "shortage", with the other 2 not even on the list. They sure have an odd definition of "shortage".

Agree(3) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

IzKyD1331 - 477 days 10 hours ago

9 -

just keep spinning kotaku

http://zoidspins.ytmnd.com/

Agree(8) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Steven Colbert - 477 days 10 hours ago

9.1 -

Zoid rules!

Agree(4) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

IzKyD1331 - 477 days 10 hours ago

9.2 -

^^ lol, looped animated pages from ytmnd seem to be the recent trend on N4G

Agree(4) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

iggypop123 - 477 days 10 hours ago

10 -

kotaku is pathetic. at least try to hide your affection. don't make it so obvious. their credibility is going down fast by the day

Agree(7) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

TheDeadMetalhead - 477 days 9 hours ago

11 - Oh, Kotaku

You are so, so sad.

The only things that you're good for now are making people laugh at you and boosting my CRank XD

Agree(5) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Tobias123 - 477 days 9 hours ago

12 - To be honest...

This whole article has an air of "satire" about it, but that's just me.

Agree(2) | Disagree(1) |

13 Bladestar | 477 days 8 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

Shut this user up

Let user speak

cmrbe - 477 days 8 hours ago

13.1 - Microsoft should keep the available consoles very low and keep pumping games... ??

If you are pumping out games you shouldn't keep avaliable consoles low.

Agree(5) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

cmrbe - 477 days 8 hours ago

14 - If there is s shortage

then there shouldn't be any console sold. I hate it when people are this arrogant that they think that all of us are stupid.

How long does it take to restock anyways?. A whole month?!!. The x360 numbers are going down to its normal levels. End of story.

Agree(4) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

SkyGamer - 477 days 6 hours ago

15 -

I kind of agree with Bladestar. All this time they shun the X brand and now they want to have one. It would be poetic justice if they stopped X360 over there and waited til the next gen. But in all reality, more the merrier. I am glad that they are seriously starting to take all consoles more seriously.

Agree(1) | Disagree(4) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

SuperSaiyan4 - 477 days 5 hours ago

16 - Can I just say 1 thing?

People ARE actually buying Xbox 360's in Japan it would be bad if they were not buying them but in reality they are just not as much as the Wii or PS3 but the 360 IS selling.

Agree(0) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

strotee - 477 days ago

16.1 - .

The 360 was released in Japan on December 10th, 2005 (994 days ago). Going by VGChartz numbers (I know, I know, work with me), take their 700,000 consoles and divide by 994 days and it's about 704 consoles per day.

Let's estimate the entire lifespan of the 360 is 6 years, it will end up selling about 1.5 million systems in Japan.

The PS3 launched on November 11th, 2006 (658 days ago). Let's take VGChartz numbers again (2,340,000) and divide by 658. It's selling about 3500 per day.

Same as before, after 6 years, the PS3 has sold 7.6 million in Japan.

These are best guesses according to current trends, but unless the 360 starts kicking major ass, the PS3 will absolutely wipe the floor with the 360 in Japan.

Agree(1) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Ramzadel - 476 days 21 hours ago

16.2 -

But are they making a profit, is Namco happy about the money they are getting from their game on one console when in fact they can be turning over much more money with the Wii or PS3?

Agree(0) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Saigon - 476 days 20 hours ago

16.3 - @ Ramzadel

You make a great point, because Namco is not happy at the profit they are making with their games on the 360. One reason why they are bringing the same games to the PS3 at a later date (with more content). Many might not agree with this statement but i suspect (though some journalist also suspect the same thing)a MH (Money Hat)was involved.

Agree(2) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Wii60Fan - 476 days 16 hours ago

16.4 - Just what I have

Been trying to say for months on this ridiculous site. Every time the 360 sells 7k a month it adds up. Or do people not realize this?

Agree(1) | Disagree(1) |

17 krakdol | 477 days ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

Shut this user up

Let user speak

supaflypriest1 - 462 days ago

17.1 -

You are wrong, there in fact was a shortage, problem is there wasn't alot of 360's there to begin with. The shortage wasn't driven by sales, it was driven by not having enough supply to begin with.

Agree(0) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

bamyrick226 - 477 days ago

18 -

this is still bogus! i can go get a 360 right now if i wanted. i live in japan by the way.

Agree(2) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

bamyrick226 - 477 days ago

19 -

matter of fact it was just yoday we could get a ps3 again, they have been sold out forever. so theres your proof this is a lie and should stop

Agree(2) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Ramzadel - 476 days 21 hours ago

20 - One of the other sites on the bottom feeding garbage list...

"With a limited supply, those looking for a Microsoft brand console on which to play a copy of Tales of Vesperia or a second game will be left wanting until such time as supplies are replenished"

So what game before Tales came out were making the Japanese consumer scour the market for the 360, please Kotaku, come on now just take out "or a second game" out of the article and make it seem less desperate okay?

Agree(2) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

skimming - 476 days 19 hours ago

21 - support US companies

To all those up dissing Kotaku for favoring MS/Xbox...

Perhaps they know something you don't know... Some of their bloggers actually reside in Japan and have a lot of innate knowledge of Japanese culture. Though they don't explicitly say it, they know that the main reason why Xbox is not more popular there is due to the Japanese's bias against non-Japanese companies.

Even the most ardent Japanese sympathizers (and there's *&*^ load of them here) can't deny that the level of xenophobia in Japan far outstrips America.

So why continue to diss US reviewers or US bloggers for having some bias for US companies? Are you guys being paid by the Japanese or something? Everyone of my friends and family are getting paid by Americans.

If you can't figure out which company to support to keep jobs here in US, then at least try not to diss others for doing exactly that.

Agree(3) | Disagree(5) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

mfwahwah - 476 days 16 hours ago

21.1 -

Biased news is not very quality news.

Agree(2) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Ozzyb - 476 days 11 hours ago

21.2 -

It is not "ok" to support the bias unless it was a "good" vs. "evil" type of bias, and even then it's a gray area. I support whichever company provides me with not only the service I pay for, but an extra bit of it. I should support MS because they are American-based even though I find their tactics and customer-treatment horrendous? That is ridiculous to say the least. If Sony and MS suddenly switched roles, I would support MS without a doubt. I don't have some kind of secret allegiance to Sony.. But I would not let their national affiliation effect my purchasing power and support. Not when they think it's acceptable business practice to do some of the things they did (and we all know what they have done).

Agree(1) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

skimming - 476 days 10 hours ago

21.3 - just keep giving your money away to the Japanese

May be your kids will be speaking Japanese or more likely Chinese when they grow up.

Playing "fair" is not so fair when the other guys don't follow your same "noble" rules.

This is what Detroit and the rest of American manufacturing industry has learned over the last 30 years.

Agree(1) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Ozzyb - 476 days 9 hours ago

21.4 -

If they care so much about me, where I should in-turn care about them, they should be working their asses off not to be screwing their customers over. Here is a hypothetical situation, and I will explain why it has to be hypothetical in a moment: Microsoft discovers the RROD. They *immediately* admit their mistakes and work to repair the problem. I would have a world of respect for them and it would be hard to break that respect down. Now, I say this is hypothetical because we *know* that they knew about RROD before the console was released. The failure rate is way too high to try to act like they did not know about it. If they say otherwise, it is a blatant and condescending lie.

Not only do they not fix the problem properly, they release their product (in an effort to get a head-start) in an unacceptable condition. Their remedy to this problem is: We will send you another one right away! Not one that works indefinitely (as indefinitely as any high-end piece of hardware should last) mind you, but something to hold you over until it breaks again. This is a huge insult to their consumers (mainly in this country, because this is where they make the most sales) and you would expect me to support them regardless of all that? They are not willing to open their multi-billion dollar wallets for me, but I (a college student that is not weighed down with cash) is supposed to make the sacrifice? I hope you do not make all your decisions in this manner.

Agree(0) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Wii60Fan - 476 days 16 hours ago

22 - Why

Would you need to buy another console if you already have one? Sometimes these blogger people make little sense with the articles they write.

Agree(0) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

innocentbystabder - 476 days 12 hours ago

23 - go microsoft

hellz yes MS is gonna win the console war.

Agree(0) | Disagree(3) |

Showing: 1 - 46 of 46 Comments

Add Comment (Gamer Zone)

Gamer Zone Posting Guidelines
The Gamer Zone is for members who want a more friendly and civilized discussion. This section is heavily moderated by the N4G staff, so leave your fanboyism at the door please. Members who are unable to behave in a mature and respectful manner will be temporarily or permanently restricted from posting in the Gamer Zone. Using words such as Xbots and Sony droids, or other words from the console war vocabulary, is strictly prohibited in this Zone.
Read More...

You must log in to post comments.

Username:

Password:

Remember

Comment Settings

Showing: 1 - 30 of 30 Comments

Shut this user up

Let user speak

InfiniteUnfloppery - 477 days 11 hours ago

1 - The Japanese have great taste

They're well informed on the flop nature of the Console thus they refuse to buy Xbox 360 consoles

Agree(18) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

cemelc - 476 days 11 hours ago

1.1 -

so true

Agree(0) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

HipHopGamerShowFan - 477 days 11 hours ago

2 -

M$ will keep bribing for those RPGs

Agree(7) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

IzKyD1331 - 477 days 9 hours ago

2.1 -

and the quality of square's games will keep diminishing so long as their being forced to work on the 360

Agree(5) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

AngryTypingGuy - 477 days 2 hours ago

2.2 -

How so? Switching discs is not a big deal. Microsoft is home to more 9's and above than the PS3 is.

Agree(0) | Disagree(6) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

shadow-sentinel - 477 days 2 hours ago

2.3 -

Most xbots fail to realize that multi disks do have compressed data. Imagine compressed video, sound etc... Switching disks is not a problem but having compressed data is. RAGE?? xD xD

Oh wait, nevermind. Don't imagine because yous don't have an imagination anyway.

Agree(1) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

cemelc - 476 days 11 hours ago

2.4 -

Aside from that, Microsoft force developers to pay them for any extra disc so sry(that why those games don't use the 2 disk format).

Agree(1) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

AngryTypingGuy - 476 days 3 hours ago

2.5 -

Most 360 games look the same or better than their PS3 counterparts and load just as fast, compressed data or not. That's just the way it is.

Agree(0) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

InfiniteUnfloppery - 477 days 11 hours ago

3 - WARNING:

Prolonged Exposure to a Microsoft Flop may cause Flopitis.

Agree(12) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

InfiniteUnfloppery - 477 days 11 hours ago

4 - Once upon a time there was a Flop...

And the Flop was named Xboxien D Floppus.

THE END

Agree(11) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

TheDeadMetalhead - 477 days 10 hours ago

5 - LMFAO @ QueefyB

Where do you come up with that stuff, dude? F#$%in' hilarious!! XDXDXDXD

Agree(2) | Disagree(1) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

IzKyD1331 - 477 days 9 hours ago

5.1 -

first, everyone accuses PS3 users of being nasim, now its apparently queefyb lol (okay I'll admit I thought someone was queefyb, but that was an easy mistake)

Agree(3) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

thekingofMA - 477 days 9 hours ago

5.2 - @ izkyD

well i dont know if you were here early enough to have seen nasim, but he was a huge fanboy that has created tens (hundreds even?) of accounts-his comment style is very recognizable, so people know who he is

but there hasn't been anyone who commented like nasim for a while now (he enters a blank line after every sentence, and if you read it you can imagine him saying when he was gasping for air)

the new guy has been 'QueefyB' who now goes by infinite unfloppery or something

he's unmistakable as well-posts the first several comments in nearly every thread (clearly he has no life)

whether nasim=queefy b remains a mystery though

Agree(0) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

TheDeadMetalhead - 477 days 9 hours ago

5.3 - No

I know he's QueefyB. Nobody else's THAT funny. XD

Agree(1) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

silverchode - 477 days 10 hours ago

6 -

wow whoever wrote this sounds like a 360 fanboy. "heartbreaking" -lol

Agree(4) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

IzKyD1331 - 477 days 10 hours ago

7 -

I love reading kotaku articles for a good laugh

Agree(3) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

juuken - 477 days 9 hours ago

8 -

Oh kotaku.

How you spin like a top.

Agree(5) | Disagree(2) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

TheDeadMetalhead - 477 days 7 hours ago

8.1 - Yep,

Spin, spin, spin.

Agree(1) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

AngryTypingGuy - 477 days 2 hours ago

9 -

I never thought I'd see the day when MS was in some sort of demand over there. I know they're not in Nintendo or Sony demand, but it's better than they were doing. How was MS supposed to know which game would cause the demand? Hopefully they'll get some more shipments over there while they're still hot.

Agree(0) | Disagree(3) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

silverchode - 476 days 19 hours ago

9.1 -

do you actually belive what kotaku says?

Agree(2) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

shadow-sentinel - 477 days 2 hours ago

10 -

Kotaku articles never fail to make me laugh.

Agree(1) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Bathyj - 477 days ago

11 -

Kotaku are so transparent. OMG they're almost crying because up to 5000 people cant get an Xbox. The funny thing is, if M$ dont hurry and resupply the Japanese will remember they dont WANT an Xbox, they just want that one game. I bet M$ overstocks and they go back to not selling.

Agree(4) | Disagree(0) |

12 jmcorp | 476 days 20 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Veraegic - 476 days 20 hours ago

12.1 -

stop being a sinner then

Agree(2) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

trancefreak - 476 days 15 hours ago

12.2 -

Thanks

Agree(1) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

eagles1990 - 476 days 11 hours ago

12.3 -

Why So Angry?

Agree(0) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

DFresh - 476 days 17 hours ago

13 -

No.
It's because no one wants that crappy 360 only Sony and Nintendo over here.
Europe, Japan, and now the U.S is now under the control of the PS3 since late 2007 and nothing has and will stop us from winning this gen.
By the end of this year people won't even know what a Xbox is cuz it'll be about Sony's amazing games and innovation.

Agree(1) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

trancefreak - 476 days 15 hours ago

14 -

Omg little jimmy i was browsing your favorite Ms propaganda website when i notice that the xbox 360 was rarer then the way of the do do bird. What are we going to do oh noes.

Agree(0) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

eagle21 - 476 days 10 hours ago

15 - Japan doesn't like 360..

I can see why. :P

Agree(1) | Disagree(0) |

Shut this user up

Let user speak

Jack007 - 475 days 3 hours ago

16 -

rofl at first comment!

Agree(0) | Disagree(0) |

Showing: 1 - 30 of 30 Comments

Add Comment (Open Zone)

Open Zone Posting Guidelines
The Open Zone is a lightly moderated comment section which is open to all members. With enthusiastic fans eager to defend their favorite platform this place can get pretty hot.
Read More...

You must log in to post comments.

Username:

Password:

Remember

Join N4G

Login

About N4G

N4G is a social game news site that covers the game industry 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
More Info... | Submit News

- Site Menu
  
  Game Index
  Help & Info
  
  RSS Feed
  Feedback
  
  Full Menu...
  Webmaster Tools