Xbone got boned in Japan, its boss resigns

Following the dismal Xbone sales performance, the boss of Xbox Japan has been fired and is likely to be replaced by some ex-Sony exec with the tenure of 25 years there. Personally I think this won't change a thing and despite having some potential with Titanfall and Dead Rising 3, it'd have taken a couple of dozen JRPGS to temporarily elevate its sales to, let's say, Wii U level.

Here's the story by the way:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-11-28-japanese-xbox-boss-resigns-following-xbox-one-launch-flop

I dont see and console doing where there. I think the hand holds and cafe internet gaming will rule.

Headline: "Fires its boss"

Article: "Resigns his post but will remain with Microsoft"

same thing.... politely asked to step down... no doubt.

I was typing it from a phone on a 50 mile drive on a bus while being in a full winter "body armor" and having lots of bags on me. Sorry for not making this distinction but as Birdy pointed out it might have been the very same thing.

i literally semi wanna exchange my xbox 1 for ps4 cuz i just saw some ps4 dashboards that looked sweet and xbl looks nothing like that

@Salt_The_Fries:

Agreed. Japanese don't want to buy an American company's console, period. Nothing wrong with that imo. They like their own company's products, always have in this industry.

even euros do too they bought ps3's when xbox 360 was the leader

im worried bout microsoft since even usa ppl areliking ps4 as much or more than the xbox one

LOL!!! That job is a one way ticket to doing something else soon.

Along with the lowest Japanese launch for a home console in recent years, NeoGAF notes that Media Create figures reveal sales of just 776 Xbox One consoles last week, while the PS4 and Wii U sold 12,400 and 9,600 respectively.

"The Xbox One suffered the lowest Japanese launch for any home console in recent years - well below Wii U (308k in two days), the PlayStation 4 (322k in two days) and any other machine from the last few console generations.

Sales have since dropped off to just a trickle.

776 Xbox One consoles were sold in Japan last week according to numbers company Media Create. In comparison, PS4 sold 12.4k and Wii U sold 9.6k."

---

"The top Xbox Japan job has now fallen to Yoshinami Takahasi, who joined the company back in July following more than 25 years at Sony."

Hmmm.

Not sure what they expected.

Consoles have been doing worse and worse over there, and the Xbox never did well. Of course it'd sell poorly.

Could you translate this please?

I dont see any consoles selling well there. I think handheld gaming and PC gaming in internet cafes is what does well there.

I don't really see a bright future for Xbox outside the states... and even in the USA the ps4 is clearly ahead.

I don't know about you guys but I don't much like the idea of a monopoly within the gaming industry...

Is MS blind? Japan doesn't want american products and one that is as fugly n bulky is probably laughed at than anything else.

Wasn't the 360 also a failure?

Japan doesn't like american products.

Well that reminds me of Drill Sgts thanking us new recruits on our first day in boot. Less than one percent actually serves the USA in the armed forces. Most take for granted what they have here and go for what is popular. PS4 is a stronger system graphically. That said, MS has supported US troops abroad more than Sony. That means little to the average American consumer, though

Because the 360 being the only next gen system with rpg's last gen totally helped it beat PS3 in Japan.

I've not really looked at what Japanese people buy with other products... does the same thing occur with stuff like mobiles phones and other products that have Japanese companies designing and/or making them?

There is only one way for the Xbox to make it big in Japan, and I have the recipe for success.

They need to go back to that Milo idea they demoed before the Kinect launch on the Xbox 360, but instead of having a young boy to be friends with, they need titillating young virtual girls instead, call it the virtual girlfriend experience. One that will be there to greet you when you come home, like "How was your day at work. Oh, BTW, I went to the mall today, bought this skimpy little number, would you like me to change into into it for you." A feature that uses the power of the Cloud to text your cellphone and make actual phone calls to you and even text you images of themselves in their underwear while the users are work, call you to sensually flirt with you and ask you if you're coming home after work, one that says "oh, and there's a new episode of whatever show up for streaming, how about coming home and watching it with me".

Something tells me Japanese people would eat this shit up.

I guess Japan isn't sucked in to Clowd Powah and the wonder that is Kinect. 0_o

I wonder why Sony hasn't fired half it's staff yet.

Yeah, I'm not really seeing why MS (American company) supporting US troops more than Sony (Japanese) company means anything. At this point, who cares? Should the American consumer, instead of looking at relevant information (price, features, games, etc. etc.), should focus on who supports the troops more?

You have things such as the food industry (they have over 80 flavors of Kit-kats, even baked potato, and various fast food chains such as KFC, etc.). For smart phones, Apple is leading the way with the iPhone with them having about 70 percent marketshare (old article but still gets the point across Japan's phone rankings). Markets within Japan aren't solely dominated by Japanese companies. I think it is more of an excuse to say MS won't win Japan because Japan doesn't buy American products. They don't buy MS consoles because it doesn't appeal to them.

Even Ps 4 isn't doing well there anymore . What did they expect ?

Lol yeah... over-dramatized much?

Oh yeah, how well does the iPhone sell in Japan?

Hint: I already know the answer ;).

the xbox has never been a seller over there though......

As a US veteran it means something to some of us. It is one reason I prefer to buy Xbox first. But I was told I am pathetic for that little bit of nationalism by someone here. Whether you believe it or not, an American company supporting the troops of its country is seen as relevant by quite a few of us in this country.

Not true really. When it comes to video games, Japan prefers its own company's but other American products sell there.

I thought he got boned by a lady with strap-on then got fired for it. Japan are full of kinky perverted people you know. :)

all those numbers are low though. but if it makes you feel better, go for it smh lol.

@StrifeDelivery in what way would PS4 in its current form appeal to them, though, since it's at least selling?

Well, let's see. There is the brand power (PS has a much stronger brand over there than Xbox in general). Someone may have to correct me on this but the little research I dug up found the two at a similar price point, so price may not be much of a factor here. PS1-PS3 saw several, several games that weren't released out of Japan (some of that moved to handhelds, but there was still a decent amount for the PS3). There are some games out right now that haven't been localized out (some exclusive, some multiplat like with the Vita or PC).

The console litterally had nothing that involved the Japanese Audience.

At least WiiU had Dragon Quest and Monster Hunter at Launch.

Internet cafes do well in Japan?

Hmm, I guess they do. But the real stereotype coems from South Korea.

PC gaming is almost nonexistent in Japan and the internet cafes are not rigged with high end PCs like in Korea or China. They do well for other reasons not because of gaming.

Internet cafe means something different in every part of the world.

In Japan, most internet cafes are synonymous with manga cafes. They are more of a hangout spot and the cafes are really hubs for otakus or sleepovers when people miss the last train. I mean rent there is only $5 a day no joke and people primarily go to an internet manga cafe to read all the free manga/ watch all the anime they want. Its not like a PC bang (korea) where the PCs are mid-high end and are set up like a LAN gaming center.

This is what an internet cafe means in Japan:

This is what internet cafe means in Korea:

RIP.

Something about Sony being gen 8 leader with most powerful console in gaming history and a bunch of world class exclusives coming in the near future.

It doesn't make me feel anything. I don't understand how you equate emotions to the article. Those were quotes in the article.

I posted a one word response.

They love the IPhone. lol!! Consoles are selling like shit in Japan anyways. Waste of time to even launch in that market. M$ should just focus more on China at this point. M$ phones would probably sell better in Japan then their XB1.

First Phil Harrison, and now Yoshinami Takahashi. It looks like Microsoft's logic to beat Sony is to buy some of their staff members.

This tells me more about your own desire rather than what another country would want, lol.

ok bud

Indeed. Solid Observation.

That never works....

The only thing dominant in Japan are handhelds

Anyway, SONY's presence in Japan is actually smaller than you might think.

Ironically, Microsoft's performance wasn't always this dismal in Japan. Back in the 80's, the MSX was a very successful gaming platform in Japan. And it was Microsoft's MSX that gave birth to the Metal Gear franchise.

Does anyone think this is fallout from E3 where MS got knocked the **** out and embarrassed?