1up: Developers Concern Over EU 360 Sales

Danny Dan - 818 days 3 hours ago

I am actually right behind ya on this one. I always had this perception that the 360 was doing great in Europe (be it the rest of the world) and was owning in NA and well of course, doing sh** in Japan.

I read an article a couple of days ago that stated the sales number for the 360 and I believe it went something like this: 400k = Japan, 7M = NA, and the rest of the World = 1.4M... (I'm trying to find the article, I'll post as soon as I find)

I was shocked when I seen that 1.4M and to think that Europe was swarming with 360s, but I thought very wrong all this time. I too am worried about the 360 in the rest of the world (not just EU). I said this before and I'll say it again, the 360 really does need to diversify their titles a lot more in order to gain ground in other markets. I mean Gears Of War was great, Bioshock is great, and Halo 3 is great but damn, can you change up the great titles for me MS? Oh, and Mass Effect, "SHOOTER-rpg", but it is a 'little' bit diverse no?

I think MS is doing an AWESOME job in the Japanese market. AMAZING job actually, I believe they are doing much more in Japan then Sony is (despite sales and all that stuff). MS is trying so hard to get into that market they're willing to do anything for it. I just ain't seeing Sony really trying to 'c0ck-block' the sh** out of MS when it comes down to Japan, I'm only seeing the actual Japanese consumer blocking that company away, but for how long can do it for? Sony had a really crappy showing in TGS and I was highly dissapointed. I thought Sony was going to give a very strong showing for their native land but they didn't. With just Ninja Gaiden II, MS did a great job, and not to mention the SE titles they managed to bring way to their console.

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ShiftyLookingCow - 818 days 3 hours ago

stop taking pot shots at Mass Effect, it is an RPG with shooter elements(Bioware is one of the best as far as western RPGs go), if you don't like then don't bother(its funny some people complain its a shooter and others its all talk no action). MS is not even really hyping it like it should. As for Japan, they need a lot more of crazy catchy stuff like IDOLM@STER and more good JRPGs. And of course better advertising and hardware reliability.

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Dragon Boy - 818 days 2 hours ago

I believe M$ pretty much failed in japan no matter hard they try. The original XBOX was lucky to sell 500 units a week mainly because it never had any games that catered to the Japan person. The other reason is they were quick to drop support of the XBOX. This only goes to show japanese the XBOX and M$ are very lost in the console business. I also believe Sony really doesn't have to bend over for its home land because the Wii can never do a japanesse favorite game genre "RPG's" like Sony can. Time will tell.

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Danny Dan - 818 days 1 hour ago

Oh yea definitely. Totally agree. Don't get me wrong, I KNOW MS failed miserably over there and I would suggest for them to just bring some of their Japan resources into other world markets. They need to realize its a lost cost.

Basically what I was trying to say is that I give a lot of credit to MS for trying so hard, and anybody can see that.

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Gamespot-equals-EGM - 818 days ago

One more reason why the original Xbox failed in Japan...the hardware itself was freaking humougous. So much so, it was really, really ungainly. The original Xbox was the size of 2-3 VCR's (modern VCR's that is)...ridiculous.

Now, with the Xbox 360, they tried to make the console more normal size but the totally f-ed up the circulation. Lets face it, MS sucks at making hardware.

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-_-_-_-_-_-_- - 818 days ago

People around the world hate America and anything American.

People around the world hate Microsoft and everything Microsoft's.

Couple those two together...and there you have it. There is absolutely nothing MS can do to win the hearts of those people.

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agent864 - 817 days 18 hours ago

"People around the world hate America and anything American.

People around the world hate Microsoft and everything Microsoft's.

Couple those two together...and there you have it. There is absolutely nothing MS can do to win the hearts of those people. "

Apple is doing just fine in Japan. Windows and Office, while slightly threatened, are doing more than well. Granted Japan can be a tough nut to crack marketing wise, but its not due to hatred or xenophobia.

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Meus Renaissance - 818 days 3 hours ago

I honestly don't know how well the PS3 does outside the UK, but regarding the Xbox 360, John Davison who is respected says on the podcast that this is what he knows; developers considering not releasing their games outside the UK in Europe because the sales are so bad. That would mean the PS3 software sales would be doing no better..

But with the rumoured price drop, perhaps they are waiting to see how this changes their own sales before they do something similar?

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Laxe - 818 days 2 hours ago

Well yes, the 360 IS outselling the PS3 in Europe (from what I saw of VGACharts) but by how much? If I recall (and this is just going by memory) it's only by 100k/month in certain countries.

I do think that either Microsoft's image, their games, or both are preventing them from getting the kind of sales figures seen in NA.

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barom - 818 days 2 hours ago

vgchartz is a bunch of bullshitters. cmon they have trojans on their site wtf is up with that.

and I don't think there were any reports that X360 was doing better than PS3 in "Europe". ONLY in UK.

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notpill - 818 days 1 hour ago

@2.1 u wrong, wont affect PS3 software, it's all about 360 and piracy. PS3 is still piracy free (today)

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scottie2521 - 818 days 1 hour ago

i had 40+ games for 360 and about 2 of them were actual copies bought from the store.

my buddy found a way to play burnt games on it and still be able to go online so that was never a problem. using dvds is another mistake MS made with this system, not just because of disk space, but it's way too easy to hack the system. i, of course, love it because i only pay $10 bucks for games and my cousin loves it cus now he has alot of games and doesn't have to spend his limited funds and can get every game he wants.

there are so many people with dvd burners and hardly no one with bluray burners, it really will start to hurt the system.

@ Close_Second

LOL, you think i give a f*ck what you call me? if MS wants leave the backdoor open, ima walk right through. they do it with everything (PCs, OS, consoles....)

dude i'm not gonna pay next-gen money for last-gen tech. sony used bluray which was a great call. i could care less if MS bricks the console cause we know how to unbrick it, plus i don't even have it anymore my cousin does.

yea i prirate games and movies. ya got me, ima theif. i'll take ya b!tch too so you better watch out. then you'll be REALLY mad! LOL

all that name calling just just shows how much of a p*ssy you are. internet tough guy huh? you let what i do with a system i bought with my money get you that upset and i'm the loser??? LOL

that was funny

EDIT: *sigh*

ok ima make this very short and simple for ya:

#1
$60 360 games come on dvds. dvd = last-gen
$60 PS3 games come on bluray. bluray = next-gen

#2
dvd burners have been around way longer than bluray burners therefor it will always be cheaper to burn dvds. eventually it will be possible to burn PS3 games but they will never be as cheap or as easy to burn as 360 games.

#3
Halo playing in 640p isn't very next-gen to me

#4 (my favorite)
yes, your calculator can crunch numbers. but it can't do 2 trillion calculations per second. and neither can the 360 ;)

have a nice day

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Close_Second - 818 days ago

Yeah, its Microsoft's fault your a lowlife thief. You f**king loser - I can't wait until Microsoft does brick everyones 360 who gets it modded to play pirate games.

Don't care what excuse you think justifies your habbits, you're just a f**king thief.

@Scottie#2.
What do you mean not paying next-gen money for last-gen tech. If the 360 was the same price as a PS3 then I'd agree but it is well priced considering the technology it uses. Games are also less expensive than on the PS3 so your argument is bollocks.

Oh yeah, final point - the fact that there are few Blu-Ray burners on the market so far is that its still new tech. It was the same story with DVD when it first is the scene. Give it 2-3 years and Blu-Ray burners will become common...which should keep the pirate community happy.

By the way, what was last gen about Gears of War, BioShock and Halo 3? Take the Blu-Ray out of the PS3 and you aint got much left to pay next gen prices for. Sure the Cell can crunch numbers but so can my calculator.

@Scottie#3

#1. Wow, you did make it simple. Basically by putting games on DVD they can't be considered next-gen games. Kind of like buying a brand new car and driving it on the same road...well, how can it be the latest model car if it uses the same road as previous models?!?

#2. I don't pirate so couldn't care less how much you save through your dishonesty. A stupid point though really, its cheaper to take those types of drugs so I'll always get my high that way. Point is here – don’t do drugs but I get the feeling any sort of moral debate is wasted on you anyway.

#3. Say what you like, Halo 3 is a next-gen experience - a fantastic game that most next-gen owners will still be playing for many years. Next gen does not just mean 1080p, oh but wait, being a PS3 owner you brought into that whole 4D thing…

#4. True, but at least my calculator does not turn me into an obnoxious git.

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Itachi - 817 days 13 hours ago

the console breaks all the time

and the games are 640p

nuff said

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NeonSkull - 818 days 2 hours ago

we game hard in europe we game real hard. We just like more variety that most red neck halo luvin americans.

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Xbox is the BEST - 818 days 2 hours ago

explain why PS2 consoles out numbered the games sold. Maybe you game hard. Variety well there is games out/coming out ooh wait if you own a PS3 them I feel your pain.

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NeonSkull - 818 days 2 hours ago

can you give proof that console sold>software sold.

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NeonSkull - 818 days 2 hours ago

this is why you have one bubble, you are an idiot.

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Armyless - 818 days 2 hours ago

what the hell is wrong with you? nobody is that stupid by accident.

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Mu5afir - 818 days 2 hours ago

It's a known fact that Microsoft only shipped 11.6 million consoles, they can't sell more consoles then shipped.

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Meus Renaissance - 818 days 2 hours ago

The software attachment ratio you quoted is North American, not Global.

This claim comes from 1up, and you'll have to go a distance to imply they are PS3 fanboys. I didn't state it as a rumour because John Davidson is a respected contributor to the podcast who is known to have connections to other companies, and this is what he has heard. Discussions that some publishers are considering not releasing their games in all European countries and it doesn't seem far fetched considering that sales are dependant on country by country instead of territories in general.

Having said that, its important to realise that he has "heard" discussions are taking place, and therefore we will see little evidence to support such a thing. This means the most we can take from this is try to rationalise the suggestion and make our own intelligent conclusions or opinions based on it...people can bring forth disagreements and agreements with this, there is no right or wrong

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scottie2521 - 818 days ago

and you believe that????

this is what you really should be thinking about. when i bought my 360, i got the best buy extended warranty with it. when it broke each time i took it back to best buy and they gave me a new system right off the show floor. i'm sure to them that counts as a sale even though i spent no money on the 2 extra consoles.

how many times do you think that exact situation has happened? i'm betting alot. those sales numbers for the 360 are very misleading. and of course they've only shipped about 11.5mil so that 12 you talk about is plain bs. you may also want to read my comment at 2.5 about that attach rate you love to spew out in every post.

EliteGamer..........ha!

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Taker_129 - 817 days 23 hours ago

There was a report not to long ago that stated microsoft had not even sold 9 million of those 360s yet so now they magically jump to 12 million when they only shipped 11.2 million.

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Meus Renaissance - 818 days 2 hours ago

It's talking about software. Not hardware.

Because the 360 has the largest installbase, alot of developers and publishers are relying on getting returns on their multimillion dollar investments and the 360 is the best bet to them. However, in some countries there seems to be little point in releasing the games - so they'd save money on releasing it only in countries they know the 360 software sales are high; the UK.

The reason why it doesn't involve the PS3 (yet) that these publishers don't really expect much from sales-wise in that regard, that console is not competing from a price point. When the price drops, they'll assess their PS3 games in this way and make decisions.

P.S. I don't know why you keep quoting the 260% sales increase. I'm sure you know that was the week after the price drop in the UK, and the 260% increase was only in comparison with the week prior the price being cut. I'm sure a similar figure can be found in relation to the PS3 when it had its price cut in North America

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JACKRABBIT - 818 days 1 hour ago

Again there is no need for insults. There is no need what's so ever to start bashing Americans.Thank you

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-_-_-_-_-_-_- - 818 days ago

"There is no need what's so ever to start bashing Americans.Thank you"

LOL

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agent864 - 817 days 4 hours ago

PS3 - processor and graphics : IBM and Nvidia : US
Wii - processor and graphics : IBM and ATi : US
Xbox360 : processor and graphics : IBM and ATi : US

All of them : assembled in China

The Cell is stamped out in fishkill, NY as well as a plant in Japan.

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Meus Renaissance - 818 days 2 hours ago

You're wrong lol. "Developers concerning over EU" is grammatically wrong, whereas "Developer(s) concern over EU" is correct.

Alteast I think so..

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-_-_-_-_-_-_- - 817 days 23 hours ago

Maybe: "Developers Concerned Over EU 360 Sales"

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Meus Renaissance - 818 days 1 hour ago

From what I understood of your comment, it sounds like your implying that Microsoft already has the majority of the market secured and that Sony are the ones who need to do convincing?

I think Sony, in comparison to Microsoft atleast, own Asia and the vast majority of Europe if not all of it. They also are massively popular in North America - so is Microsoft so if anything, Sony has the larger market share and its Microsoft that needs to win more countries/territories; Europe and Asia, than Sony does.

P.S. The COD4 thing, although Asia doesnt like FPS, Infinity Ward must feel that if the game is going to sell, it's going to sell on the PS3 there so they might aswell release it.

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scottie2521 - 818 days ago

since the games are on bluray, they can just add the extra audio on the disk and they don't have to worry about making a disk just for the asian market. with bluray its just one disk for worldwide use.

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Taker_129 - 817 days 23 hours ago

That's one of the many things about sony is they have a very Diverse group of games that cater to other countries and not just NA and Japan. And that is why the 360 will not win this gen.

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Limos - 817 days 22 hours ago

You're quite angry about this,Please don't hate on asians because they refuse to accept the 360. But i'm sure ur well aware that the 360 has, in my opinion, too many fps's. And its best "exclusives" are mostly its fps's or similar shooters u know ... such as the "well advertised & marketed" Halo 3, Bioshock, Gears of wars and the coming soon Mass Effect.Dont get me wrong im not a 360 hater or anything and i agree these are all fantastic titles but i think their AAA lineup is not really diverse ... and that may be the reason why some people don't accept it.

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agent864 - 817 days 16 hours ago

I have to restate that Japan/Asia doesn't hate or have bias against the US or its products. That is not the reason why the 360 is not faring well in Japan. Microsoft made some missteps in their marketing / advertising, the XBOX 1 failed due to its size / games, so there isn't the brand awareness / loyalty. Apple has succeeded in consumer electronics of all things.

read this -- educate yourself

http://www.iproceed.com/blo...

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agent864 - 817 days 15 hours ago

Do not ever launch a product in Japan if you think you have even a 1% chance of product problems.

There's 33 to 50 reasons right there why 360 isn't big in japan.

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MarioFromTexas - 817 days 13 hours ago

Could it be the hardware? Outside the hardcore fans, do you really beleave casual consumers want to buy a hardware with known problems? When you go buy a HDTV, would you buy a tv with a 33 percent failure rate? It's the same thing for most consumers, whether they are buying a washer, dryer, microwave or a car. People want quality and want to beleave they got a great deal, which you can't say that about the 360. I know the whole game arguement you xbots like to point out and that 70 percent of gamers don't even have an HDTV....this is what I have to say about that, get a PS2 then, biggest library and greatest console ever. You want the greatest games get a PS2, if you want the latest tech then get a PS3...Nobody wants to deal with hardware failure and hardware revisions every 3 months. The difference between the PS3 SKU's is the harddrive, the difference between the 360 SKU's is you got phuck and now you have to upgrade

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Jason 360 - 818 days ago

One site may be more for the PS3 and one may be more for the 360 or Wii so if that news comunity is more 360 based they will more than likley report pro 360 news even while trying/claiming to be unbiased. N4G is ran by us so we search and scour the net for news and articles or just make them up ourselves so it's not uncommen to see PS3 is dead or 360 is dead or Wii is a fluke. Its also not uncommen to see made up storys or just plain "Natonal Enquirer style" made up lies and propoganda ie what Sony fanboys like to do. All in all it's up to the reader to make their own desision about the console war and look past BS and see the truth.

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