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[kingfey]

Japan has bought 2.3 million Xbox consoles in the last 20 years, new report reveals | VGC

The vast majority of these were Xbox 360 sales…

www.videogameschronicle.com

Around 2.3 million Xbox consoles have been sold in Japan across all generations since the original console came to the country 20 years ago.

That’s according to a new report in the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu magazine, which celebrates the 20th anniversary of Xbox in Japan.

According to the report, a total of 2,345,975 Xbox consoles have been sold in Japan as of February 6, 2022.

The vast majority of these were Xbox 360 sales, of which there were 1,616,128.

The report also confirms that the Xbox Series X/S has already overtaken the Xbox One‘s lifetime total sales in the country.

In context, Xbox console sales are tiny compared to the other platforms in the Japanese market (PS5 has already sold over 1m units in the country, and Switch has cleared 20m).

However, given Xbox’s historically poor market performance in Japan, Series X|S are off to a more positive start in a country where Xbox has typically struggled.

The total sales for each console in Japan are:

• Xbox – 472,992
• Xbox 360 – 1,616,128
• Xbox One – 114,831
• Xbox Series X/S – 142,024

The article also reveals that the best-selling Xbox game in history in Japan is Dead or Alive 3 on the original Xbox, which sold 271,149 copies. This meant 46% of Xbox owners in Japan owned a copy of Dead or Alive 3.

The best-selling Xbox games in Japan in the last 20 years were:

1. Dead or Alive 3 (Xbox) – 271,149
2. Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope (Xbox 360) – 208,521
3. Tales of Vesperia (Xbox 360) – 204,305
4. Blue Dragon (Xbox 360) – 203,740
5. The Last Remnant (Xbox 360) – 154,493

Microsoft has made renewed efforts in Japan with its most recent console launch. Xbox Series X and S launched day-and-date with other territories last November (compared to a year later with its previous console) and Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said it intends to better cater to Japanese players this console generation.

In the months after it launched Xbox Game Pass for both console and PC in Japan in April 2020, Xbox saw more player activity than in any time in its history in Japan, Spencer has previously claimed.

Following Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda last year, Spencer also called the acquisition of Tango Gameworks as part of that deal “a great step” towards achieving Xbox’s ambitions in Japan.
“I’ve talked for a long time about our desire to have more of a first-party presence in Japan,” Spencer said at the time.

“This is a great step there. Thinking about the map of where these teams are, and talking about all the games they’re working on… I can’t wait to speak to the Tango team and get to know them.”

 

[SeraphJan]

Microsoft needs to make more Japanese style games

 

[Flutta]

 

[Swift_Star]

 

[Captain Toad]

Microsoft needs to make more Japanese style games

They tried that with Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey.

 

[Boss Mog]

That's a shockingly low number and 70% of that number are 360s. MS really pushed hard to get a bunch of JRPG exclusives for the 360, some of which found their way to the PS3 down the line, but still, they were really trying back then. It's what convinced me to get a 360 back then, a ton of great Japanese exclusives. I certainly don't regret it, the 360 was an amazing console for its day.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Microsoft needs to make more Japanese style games

In Xbox 360 era, was a great the games like Eternal Sonata, Lost oddysey, Blue Dragon.... They Need make the same and stronger move again.

 

[kingfey]

That's a shockingly low number and 70% of that number are 360s. MS really pushed hard to get a bunch of JRPG exclusives for the 360, some of which found their way to the PS3 down the line, but still, they were really trying back then. It's what convinced me to get a 360 back then, a ton of great Japanese exclusives. I certainly don't regret it, the 360 was an amazing console for its day.

The decline after that was shit.
They were riding huge waves of success. Instead of capitalizing it, they outnintendo themselves. Which cost them badly.

Imagine games like persona mainline series coming to xbox. That would have increased their odds with the Japanese Market.

Hope gamepass can convince Japanese developers to put their games on the service. And bring back Japanese games to xbox.

 

[Cornbread78]

In Xbox 360 era, was a great the games like Eternal Sonata, Lost oddysey, Blue Dragon.... They Need make the same and stronger move again.

They need to make Eternal Sonata BC, so I can buy & play a copy without having to bring my XB1 into the livingroom

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

I just realized if you join all sales for Xbox, Xbox One and Xbox Series S and X...it's still half of PS5's overall sales.
To put things in perspective.

Hopefully they hit the first Xbox sales once the Series consoles hit 5 years on the market. Sounds like they'll be able to hit around 330k sold by the time it hits 3 years...so maybe if they are lucky.

 

[reksveks]

I just realized if you join all sales for Xbox, Xbox One and Xbox Series S and X...it's still half of PS5's overall sales.
To put things in perspective.

Hopefully they hit the first Xbox sales once the Series consoles hit 5 years on the market. Sounds like they'll be able to hit around 330k sold by the time it hits 3 years...so maybe if they are lucky.

Last couple of weeks have been about 5/6k a week (think series consoles are still largely sold out on digital retailers) but if that's the case, it should hit that number in 15 months so middle of 2023.

4k this week.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Xbox series x already better than xbox one Microsoft is desperate to sell in Asia.

 

[MrFunSocks]

The decline after that was shit.
They were riding huge waves of success. Instead of capitalizing it, they outnintendo themselves. Which cost them badly.

Imagine games like persona mainline series coming to xbox. That would have increased their odds with the Japanese Market.

Hope gamepass can convince Japanese developers to put their games on the service. And bring back Japanese games to xbox.

The Japanese market don’t even care about PlayStation at this point, so there’s literally nothing MS could have done to make people care about Xbox.

Japan loses more and more relevancy in the gaming world every single passing year. The series S and X are doing surprisingly well, though likely most of the sales are being on sold to other countries, as is clearly happening with the PS5 too.

 

[reinking]

I do not think MS should ignore that market but I do not think they should try to invest to heavily into it either. Kill the Sega-like rumors and focus on expanding markets that they can actually achieve results.

 

[Drew1440]

I still can't understand what that kid's hat is saying.

 

[VAVA Mk2]

 

[Lognor]

• Xbox 360 – 1,616,128
• Xbox One – 114,831
• Xbox Series X/S – 142,024

Damn at that drop from 360 to Xbox One. Microsoft really blew it. But it's great to see that the X/S has already surpassed the Xbox One! Microsoft is on the right track!

 

[reksveks]

I do not think MS should ignore that market but I do not think they should try to invest to heavily into it either. Kill the Sega-like rumors and focus on expanding markets that they can actually achieve results.

The fundamental question for me is whether you get Japanese games/producers without Japanese consumers.

This was definitely not the case in 00's and 10's.

Given the rising % of Japanese games companies being attributable to Non-JP, Xbox might be benefit from that fact and the rise of Steam. I think they are investing via GP checks instead of exclusives.

 

[Honey Bunny]

360 to One is brutal, wow

 

[Kazza]

But seriously, the Series S/X aren't selling too badly (for Japan). It's possible that they will beat the 360 over there.

 

[kyussman]

I mean the OG Xbox would have probably taken up half the space in an average Japanese living room.....you can see why they didn't really catch on after that,lol.

 

[Mr Moose]

But seriously, the Series S/X aren't selling too badly (for Japan). It's possible that they will beat the 360 over there.

What the... Is that the actual size? Could use it as a bed in a Tokyo apartment.

 

[Markio128]

But seriously, the Series S/X aren't selling too badly (for Japan). It's possible that they will beat the 360 over there.

I can understand why they were laughing at the colossus Xbox and controllers, but I loved that console - easily my fave Xbox. For one, it looked like a proper gaming console, and not like some boring looking PC base. Then there were the games; Halo, Jet Set Radio, Project Gotham Racing, Ninja Gaiden, etc.,

 

[Kazza]

I can understand why they were laughing at the colossus Xbox and controllers, but I loved that console - easily my fave Xbox. For one, it looked like a proper gaming console, and not like some boring looking PC base. Then there were the games; Halo, Jet Set Radio, Project Gotham Racing, Ninja Gaiden, etc.,

I like the OG Xbox too. I even recently just bought a "Duke" controller and actually think it's really nice.

 

[Beechos]

I dont understand whats so important about the japanes gaming market and why its so important to sell consoles there? Why dont other countries sales get as much attention as japan?

 

[MrFunSocks]

I dont understand whats so important about the japanes gaming market and why its so important to sell consoles there?

Nothing and it’s not.

 

[Zeroing]

 

[Celine]

To put in perspective with the other console manufacturers' total video game console sales in Japan:

 

[remember_spinal]

Nothing and it’s not.

It was at one point, that time has long since passed. People just cling to it now because of their weeb teenage glory days.

Japan isn’t at the forefront of gaming anymore and hasn’t been for awhile, which is why every major japanese publisher are moving to making games that appeal more to the west or turning into mobile game studios

 

[Adam_802]

lol noone cares about the niche japan market.

 

[Warablo]

Japan too loyal

 

[bitbydeath]

I dont understand whats so important about the japanes gaming market and why its so important to sell consoles there? Why dont other countries sales get as much attention as japan?

It’s the second biggest gaming market in the world.

 

[cireza]

They tried that with Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey.

Two great games by the way.

 

[Captain Toad]

Two great games by the way.

At least one.

 

[Deerock71]

“If you take everything I've accomplished in my life and condense it down to one day, it looks decent!” -George Costanza

 

[Banjo64]

Microsoft needs to make more Japanese style games

Why? Western company, with western people in charge, with western studios with a product primarily targeted at western people. Even Sony are getting spanked by Nintendo in the motherland. Conventional consoles face an uphill challenge as it is. MS should stay in their lane.

 

[TLZ]

They need to make Eternal Sonata BC, so I can buy & play a copy without having to bring my XB1 into the livingroom

But Xbox One doesn't play Eternal Sonata.

 

[plasmawave]

85% of those were digital.

 

[Stuart360]

Terrible, but somehow not as bad as i was expecting. I forgot 360 did 'ok' in Japan.

 

[Stuart360]

Microsoft needs to make more Japanese style games

Even most Japanese devs themselves are making games catered to the West.

 

[Beechos]

It’s the second biggest gaming market in the world.

Wow colored me surpised. That sure would make sense then. Since japanese gaming is mostly mobile nowadays wonder how the steamdeck will do out there.

 

[sendit]

 

[DeepEnigma]

Nothing and it’s not.

 

[//DEVIL//]

Lol that’s exactly my face . Man I laughed so hard at this ty

 

[Lognor]

What the... Is that the actual size? Could use it as a bed in a Tokyo apartment.

Have you never actually seen an Xbox in person? LOL. How old are you?

 

[blackjon24]

I’m never been a Xbox guy but man did the Japanese exclusive they had make me want a 360 back in the days. I was insanely jealous of games like blue dragon, lost odyssey and tales of vesperia.

Why should they not try again it’s been like 15 years and it worked to some degree if you compare the sales of the 360 vs Xbox one

 

[Mr Moose]

Have you never actually seen an Xbox in person? LOL. How old are you?

Not the OG one, that thing looks massive lol.

 

[Stuart360]

Microsoft and Japan is a bit like small children who always want what they cant have. Japan are just not interested in a western Xbox. I bet 80% of those 2mil sales are from westerners living in Japan.

 

[MrFunSocks]

So since I got a month ban literally for posting the “copium” image that someone else posted earlier in the same thread (and I literally copy pasted the url from their uploaded version, and who received no ban mind you), surely this is ban worthy Mod of War ?

 

[akaFullmetal]

Not too surprising. What is surprising is the drop from Xbox 360 to Xbox one. Just major drop, more than we could of anticipated.