Japan to Get Limited Edition FIFA World Cup 2006 on Xbox 360

[Dracula-X]

The World Cup is nearly upon us and Japanese football fans are in for a treat as Microsoft and partners bring forth a 10,000 unit limited edition Xbox 360 on April 27th, 2006. The package is a premium bundle which will include Electronic Art's 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany game, a rather nice looking Adidas blue faceplate, an Adidas bandana so you're sure to score with all the chicks when wiping the sweat off your pectorals, and the limited edition remote resurfaces for this offer as well. All for the grand total of about 50,645 Yen (about $430 US), but retailers might squeeze for more.

This perhaps marks a strategy to stir up excitement in Japan where Microsoft saw less-than-stellar success (to put it really friggin' mildly) for the Xbox 360.

Will it kickstart some sales, or will Japan hold off for the PS3 and Revolution?
Stay tuned, saaaaame Evil-Time, saaaaaaaaame Evil-Channel!

Good lookin' out: Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/), MaxConsole (http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=6506)

[Pumped'Up]

Only a lower MSRP for the 360 will kickstart sales in Japan.

The 360 Premium Edition is quite available now. Every store I've been to has them in stock. Is the market saturated already with 360s? Could be - people are waiting for the PS3 / Rev to come before hopping on to the next gen.

[Klade]

Umm last I heard japan wasn't crazy for soccer games. But then again I don't proport to be an expert on the subject.

I do know why sales are so slow in Japan. Its really very simple, there are no games targeted at japanese players. There was that so hard to figure out?

[Zeal]

I do know why sales are so slow in Japan. Its really very simple, there are no games targeted at japanese players. There was that so hard to figure out?

It's actually more simple than that. It's an American videogame console.

[KamaItachi]

Umm last I heard japan wasn't crazy for soccer games. But then again I don't proport to be an expert on the subject.

I do know why sales are so slow in Japan. Its really very simple, there are no games targeted at japanese players. There was that so hard to figure out?

Then you heard wrong.

Football is a huge sport here and the winning eleven series has always done well.

[Switcher]

Limited Edition FIFA World Cup 360?

I don't think anything short of "Cure for Cancer/Golden Chocolate" Edition of the 360 will spurt sales in Japan.

[Okamura_Takashi]

I don't think anything short of Tentacle Rape Edition of the 360 will spurt sales in Japan.

Fixed it for ya. ;)

[aversion2k]

It's actually more simple than that. It's an American videogame console.

From what I've been told japanese really like amercian culture, so I doubt its because its an american console.
Could it be because they are all playing their DS's? ;)

[The Continental]

From what I've been told japanese really like amercian culture, so I doubt its because its an american console.
Could it be because they are all playing their DS's? ;)

Quite true on both counts. Simple fact is that the Xbox just doesn't offer any titles that really appeal to Japanese gamers. What sells in Japan and what sells in America are too vastly different ends of the gaming spectrum. Many of the blockbuster titles in Japan are things that the western world never even sees.

Take a look at the best selling consoles and titles in Japan for last year:
http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-BestSell2005.shtml

Not a Halo, Grand Theft Auto, World War II game (for obvious reasons...), Hollywood film adaptation, etc. to be found.

As Kama mentioned the Winning Eleven series occupies several spots, including #5 overall. So this FIFA release may be a step in the right direction, but it's still not going to sell any Xboxes. Japanese gamers want Japanese developers making Japanese games. The closest thing they're gonna get on an Xbox is a port of a Namco or Capcom game that they had on their PS2 a year beforehand.

It's not difficult to see why the Xbox doesn't do well in Japan...

[markster3000]

10K units?
At the rate things are going over there, that's a month's worth of shipment for the entire country...

Man, that's just depressing for MS.

[Watership]

From what I've been told japanese really like amercian culture, so I doubt its because its an american console.
Could it be because they are all playing their DS's? ;)

That may be true. However, why did they buy the original xbox more at launch than the new xbox? I don't understand what the original xbox had to offer compared to The xbox 360. Ridge Racer launched on 360, you'd think that would be something.

[Deadend]

Why does MS even care about Japan for sales?

Look at the list of best selling games, AC:WW sold 1.2 mil copies.
And the total sales of the top 10 games rounded out is 10 mil copies.

Doesn't Madden do around 2 mil a year? So really, who gives a shit what over-priced games people buy in japan, as if only a few games can move good numbers there, why even try?

Now, if MS wants to win, quit pricing games by Japanese Standards, as games in Japan are horribly overpriced from what I understand, price them around $50 US, get something similar to Nintendos online library of games going. Hell, throw in a PS2 emulator, sell old Neo Geo and other arcade games on Live.

Oh, and don't sell FIFA, sell Winning 11, as almost the entire world knows Winning 11 is better.

[TRiLoGY]

Now, if MS wants to win, quit pricing games by Japanese Standards, as games in Japan are horribly overpriced from what I understand, price them around $50 US, get something similar to Nintendos online library of games going. Hell, throw in a PS2 emulator, sell old Neo Geo and other arcade games on Live.

Hmmm.. I dont think it's that they are overpriced, I think they are just Cheap in America, we pay around 1.5-2 times the amount of America here in Europe. But then again, its probably all relative to Wages/Cost of living etc...

[Klade]

Why does Microsoft care about japanese gamers? Because they have a large amount of disposable income and a large portion of the population has a history of buying expensive electronics. And why did they buy the first console and not the second? Because the Xbox was brand spanking new to a field everyone said couldn't have any new players. And microsoft put out a enough media hype about how they care about the japanese gamers and plan to make japanese games. Since this last promise was proven to be crap the japanese market probably doesn't feel to much need to take a leap of faith again.

[gojira]

Japan is the second largest consumer market in the world, after North America.

Japan > Europe.

It's a huge pot of money that MS would like to have a piece of. And until MS deprives Sony and Nintendo of Japanese sales, those two companies will always have the cash and resources to stage a comeback.

[earthworm48]

Actually from what I've been told, people in the US generally have more disposable (sp) income than people here in the UK, we pay more for food, petrol e.t.c. and I think we get heavier taxes. Almost 20% of our game prices are VAT in the UK aren't they.

[El Ikkir]

Umm last I heard japan wasn't crazy for soccer games.


Hmm, well they only hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Korea-Japan_World_Cup_Games).


Anyway, why only Japan?
There will be millions of people that will travel to Germany in a couple of months, they could sell substantially more units there than they could ever in Asia.