This does not bode overly well for Nintendo or Microshaft

[Zeus]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/07/12 ... 28891.html

Nintendo might be able to recover in Japan with a good Mario title to move systems, but Microshaft can't even get interest with the FF creator. They're really going to have a hard time over there.

And if you check out Magicbox, you can see just how poorly the Xbox is doing in Japan right now. The original Gameboy Advance (not the SP) is destroying it in sales for 2005

[Nev]

I don't understand the Japanese lack of willingness to try the XBox. I don't have one myself, but I still think it's a good console with good games. Ninja Gaiden is awesome and I've heard the DoA series is quite good. I'm wondering if the poor sales numbers are attributable at least in part to the nutty level of racism, or at least Japanese-centered ego-tripping, there seems to be in Japanese culture...

http://yukihime.com/?p=496#comments

"Holy incredibly arrogant national identity, Batman!"

[Don]

Japan is one of the most closed market out of the economic powerhouses of the world. They don't even embrace the foreign PC games which is lightyears ahead of the domestic Japanese PC games, so why should they embrace a foreign system that is probably no better than a domestic product?

[Zeus]

Yeah, they're really not apt for stuff that isn't Japanese, regardless of how good it is. They don't even try it. It's part of their interdependent culture (versus our independent culture) mentality. Their loss, IMO

Here's a better breakdown of the survey that was taken (also shows the top games and consoles sales in Japan for the first half of 2005). Just scroll down a bit:

http://www.the-magicbox.com/gaming.htm

[Nev]

It's possible to have an interdependent culture and still realize that your culture isn't God's gift to evey other culture.

[Eric]

Heh, what they need to do is pay Squaresoft off and force them to remake FFVII exlusively on the X-Box 360, if that doesn't sell the system in Japan nothing will.

[Zeus]

It's possible to have an interdependent culture and still realize that your culture isn't God's gift to evey other culture.

Yeah, but after what the Allies put them through in WW2, that mentality (which seems to have its roots in their feudal past) is what made them the economic superpower they are, even with the ridiculous geographical disadvantages they have. And their notoriously hospitable people, so it's a give and take.

[Zeus]

Heh, what they need to do is pay Squaresoft off and force them to remake FFVII exlusively on the X-Box 360, if that doesn't sell the system in Japan nothing will.

That's HEAVILY rumoured to be coming out for the PS3 (based on the E3 demo movie), so they're shit out of luck there

[Julius Seeker]

I think it is possible that FF8 would do even better since FF8 sold more copies in Japan than FF7 did:

PS Square Final Fantasy VIII 3.62
PS Square Final Fantasy VII 3.28


Either way though; it is true, Japan is a fairly closed off nation. The people there are nice, but they are also very ignorant too. I still don't understand what the deal is with poking and patting people just because they look different than you (in Japan).

As far as Japanese progress goes, Japan has always been a highly productive nation, ever since Europeans first made contact. In fact, it was shortly after that contact that Japan became the largest producers of fire-arms in the world until they were banned by the Shogunate. Japan has been able to always function strongly under any form of government or social system; of course, I found their traditional systems to be most interesting.

[kali o.]

The Japanese are some of the most racist people out there...