Xbox1 Sold Out in Japan

It's no secret, the Japanese are not fans of Xbox products. So when Japanese store fronts began posting "Sold Out" signs in regards to the Xbox One X, many in the gaming industry were astounded to see the country is running dry of its stock of consoles. A little further investigation proved this is true, although it doesn't sound like good news for Microsoft in Japan.

Apparently, the reason Japan is "sold out" of Xbox One's is due to the fact that they're only ordering as many consoles as folks come in and pre-order, and there are no plans to have the console simply hanging out on store shelves in hope somebody will buy them. So, anyone in Japan who wants an Xbox One X is most likely not getting one until they've ensured the retailer they will actually purchase it when it arrives.

Of course, it's always possible someone who buys might return the console, in which case the retailer would most likely put it out on the floor, but it's absolutely wild to see Microsoft is THAT unpopular there. One Japanese electronics retailer even posted a sign that said they would not have the console at launch, or in the future.

Of course, Microsoft isn't Nintendo, so they aren't 100% laser focused on the thoughts and feelings of a small island when there are billions others they can serve around the world, so life goes on.

Source:

https://gametyrant.com/news/the-xbox-one-x-is-selling-out-in-japan-but-thats-not-good-news

This isn't a good sign for Microsoft in Japan. They should just abandon that market and give up any hope of getting any good Japanese games.

What's a Japan? lol :P

I’m sure both of those customers will love the Xbox One X!

Why does that product sell so abysmally there? Is it truly just hyper nationalism? Or something else?

@sayyy-gaa: it’s because the Japanese are smart enough to know that the bone is a shit product

Makes sense from a business perspective. They know the score there. Japanese want Japanese game machines. Those that want Xbox are either the occasional Japanese or American service members on our military installations there.

To a large degree yes. When the OG Xbox launched and didn't sell well there were excuses by Japanese that black means death or "X" means death in their culture. But the PS2 was black of course and has a button on the controller with an X on it. There are somethings people just prefer their own in. You'll get ballbag brains that put down the Xbox as the reason because they love waifu turds.

So basically, they ordered about 30 and now they're all gone.

They sold 10 consoles. Jeez

Compare Japan's population to the UK's, and from now on never EVER post an article about the XBox's success in the UK again since tiny islands don't matter now. Kind of fun how that works. I just rendered about 2/3rds of the good news threads for the XBox obsolete using Lemming Logic.

All 15 of them?

@techhog89 said:

@SecretPolice said:

What's a Japan? lol :P

Poor kid, that's like child abuse. For goodness sake somebody get'em a Mighty X1X ASAP so he grows up to be a True gamer. :P

So who bought the second one?

roffles

But correct me if I'm wrong. As a whole don't Sony and MS sell far more consoles in the UK (combined) than in Japan? The UK is the 2nd biggest market in the world for the 2 of them. (It was last gen, really haven't kept up this gen, but if the XB1 is completely toiletting in Japan I doubt that's changed).

Several reasons.

A lack of the kinds of games Japanese people enjoy. XBOX has a focus on western style games that don't appeal to the japanese.

It's hard enough to sell them a console, let alone a console with very few anime style games and RPGs.

The great news just keeps rolling in for the Mighty XboneX.

If "hyper nationalism" is the reason, then no Western products, even those from Apple will sell in Japan. I think we need to know more about the Japanese and their buying habits than making culturally-ignorant statements about them.

The real reason the Xbox One is not selling well in Japan has to do with the games it is often associated. The type of games that most Japanese do not find appealing.

I am not making a statement. I am asking a question.

Firstly, great sig. Secondly, I dunno, at the launch of 360 MS tried very hard to cater to Japan with tiles like Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon and others like them down the line and yet even still they basically said, no thanks. I think Apple is a totally different animal and sells around the world. Just a thought.

Japan isnt into consoles all that much, it is mainly a handheld market. That being said, xbone really doesnt have anything that caters to Japanese players who traditionally dont play the "dudebro" type games that you get. PS4 is more the default cause you can get things like Nier, Persona 5, Yakuza games, etc... Its just at a big disadvantage that it doesnt seem to care to minimize.

It could have just been a hoax, but I kinda remember this Japanese guy getting SUPER pissed about The Last Story being a Wii exclusive, bought the game at launch with all the special preorder junk and just took a pair of scissors and shredded it to pieces. (here's some articles about it, 12(Jim Sterling)3(Kotaku) video is long gone though.)

That video came from an apparent Japanese Xbox Fan boy and was just mad that There was a Sakaguchi game on Wii and not Xbox. It makes me wonder if this is one of the reasons why Xbox doesn't do well in Japan while Nintendo and Playstation do.

If we recall The Final Fantasy XIII "Betrayal" I wonder if many Japanese gamers just don't choose to buy an Xbox One purely because they feel like it would be "Betraying" the status quo.

Maybe if Microsoft kept up with the Sega and Tecmo Relations and kept things like Dead or Alive or Jet Set Radio exclusive to Xbox things would be different? Who knows, But I feel like one good reason why Xbox just doesn't do well in Japan is probably because of mass "Fanboyism". As in there are too many loyal fans to the Playstation and Nintendo for there to be any room for Xbox.

Great post and it is a head scratcher sometimes. It does look like MS pretty much gave up on Japan and that's too bad but I'm certain for them it just makes good business sense.

New weeaboo themesong

I wonder why they even bother.

Depends on whether we define handhelds as consoles. That's a tricky pendulum, but I'll give you that.

@SecretPolice said:

@techhog89 said:

@SecretPolice said:

What's a Japan? lol :P

Poor kid, that's like child abuse. For goodness sake somebody get'em a Mighty X1X ASAP so he grows up to be a True gamer. :P

Thats called a pc!

@sayyy-gaa: yes, Japanese seem to be boycotting Microsoft this gen and monopolizing on ps4 and switch, other Japanese companies.

The Xbox One has been selling really badly in Japan for a long time. I'm not surprised by this. Just look at the Media Creates sales charts for Japan and you'll find your answer.

Maybe they like how small it is.

@tigerbalm:

“This isn't a good sign for Microsoft in Japan. They should just abandon that market and give up any hope of getting any good Japanese games.”

It’s the 3rd largest gaming market for 2017 I think someone told me.

I understand ps & Sony fans saying abandon the market but I’m still fascinated even MS fans say it a lot. Not saying you’re any one of those but just talking in general terms.

It's funny because the cows hype japanese games like crazy, but always end up flopping everywhere else in the world via sales.

@FLOPPAGE_50:

I meant the market of Japan for hardware.

Although I’m sure it would need investment into games preferred by that market.

In any case it’s a weird response to just say screw it ignore a large market for games.

Because Xbox has never worked in Japan, and it does not work in the rest of the world with Xbox gamers.

So why waste your time?

@FLOPPAGE_50:

It’s down in general everywhere. They’d probably love to have the 360 sales in Japan.

Anyways it’s an odd position to take.

population of UK 65 million

population of japan 127 million

japan is a much bigger market. for xbox uk is a bigger market. not sure about sony but i doubt it.

For combined sales of xbox and playstation go and check. Japan has moved away from the big 2 and is more handheld (and Nintendo) focused.

@techhog89 said:

@SecretPolice said:

What's a Japan? lol :P

Love this lol

....Did you get a Nintendo Switch yet?

WOW 2 damage control threads on the same day from the same cow alt, loving the salt, keep it coming cows lol

@FireEmblem_Man:

@lrdfancypants: I'm saying it because it yields no return and use those resources to make or buy games.

@tigerbalm:

I can’t imagine whoever is heading Xbox Japan still has a job.

If so, fire him, buy a Japanese dev and make some moves.

I’d imagine if failing this generation out the start gate was the deciding factor to abandon a territory it’d be more than just Japan they’d need to give up on.

@lrdfancypants: Yeah, but they have never succeeded in Japan. It would good for all if they did. It would help Japanese game sells to help fund more games period, but Xbox Fanatics hate weaboos.

@tigerbalm:

“but Xbox Fanatics hate weaboos.”

Yeah, I don’t understand this position they have.

I don’t really play Japanese games but I also don’t see the point in hating on them either. It’s a strange phenomenon for sure.

I think they hate my movie games also :(.

Microsoft should have made more than 5 Scorpios available for purchase in Japan. Coould have avoided this fiasco. 10 probably would have done the trick, and left room for the walk in purchases.