Today, 4 September, the Xbox One was released in Japan. As it’s quite a large territory for gaming in general, their was quite a bit of fanfare – with launches, and events, and places for people to queue to get their Xbox Ones. It’s still part of the culture there; queuing up and buying a wanted item at retail. Only it seems very, very few people actually cared.
The Yodobashi Camera store in Tokyo’s Akihabara prefecture is the usual “go to” spot for picking up new electronics on day one – and they’d even made preparations for the throngs of crowds clamouring to get an Xbox One. Here’s a few pictures of those crowds via Dualshockers.
??????????????XBOX ONE??????????????7:00??pic.twitter.com/HiJOUst91C
— ?????? (@kaztsu) September 3, 2014
????XBOX One??????RT??????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/2u6JR2Z7i4
— ??????????????? (@Urlanyan) September 3, 2014
Here’s a picture of another popular electronics store; Sofmap.
xbox one??????????????????????????????????? #akiba pic.twitter.com/IZ0hYUSZ58
— akiba_asterisk(*)Z (@akiba_asterisk) September 4, 2014
Eventually, Japan’s Xbox die-hards did show up.
?Xbox One???????????????????????????????????????????? http://t.co/3N7wM99AE2 #xbox_jp pic.twitter.com/2g6ohg0yLq
— iNSIDE@?????? (@INSIDEjp) September 4, 2014
As a point of reference, here are the PS4 and Wii U launches respectively.
Is this down to a lack of interest in the Xbox One – or are Japanese consumers now privy to the wonders of pre-orders and online shopping? According to Japan’s Amazon, people do seem to have some level of interest in the Xbox One – with the console itself sitting at 12 on the digital storefront’s wish list. The most popular game, unsurprisingly, is Dead Rising 3.
We’ll have to see next week’s Media Create charts to see how well the Xbox One has fared in Japan – but I wouldn’t expect it to do too well. The Xbox 360 hasn’t excited Japanese gamers much at all. To be fair, neither has the PlayStation 4 – which beyond a great launch has stagnated in its home country.
Japanese gamers seem to have shifted over to handheld gaming, with Nintendo’s 3DS far and away the most popular current gaming system in the land of the rising sun. The Xbox One is being released here in South Africa on September 23.
Last Updated: September 4, 2014
Spaffy
September 4, 2014 at 08:10
Eish.
That must be very embarrassing
CAE9872
September 4, 2014 at 08:13
Well after relatively poor performance of PS4 in its “home” territory cannot say I am surprised. OK was expecting a few more people in lines at very least.
But yip it would certainly appear true – Japanese gamers have gone mobile! In whatever form that takes…
Kensei Seraph
September 4, 2014 at 08:17
I call fake.
2 of the people in the Xbone queue are reading books and probably don’t even realize what queue they are standing in.
CAE9872
September 4, 2014 at 08:17
LOL
Viking Of Science
September 4, 2014 at 08:18
*channels Lawrence Fishburne
“what if I told you those books were manga….”
Hammersteyn
September 4, 2014 at 08:22
I’d be more surprised if it wasn’t
Kensei Seraph
September 4, 2014 at 08:23
Could be light novels.
Or textbooks.
Yeah, probably textbooks.
Hammersteyn
September 4, 2014 at 08:25
MATHS!
Rinceable
September 4, 2014 at 16:54
BOOM!
Hammersteyn
September 4, 2014 at 08:19
Japan does care for coffee, Tommy Ree Jonesa
Alien Emperor Trevor
September 4, 2014 at 08:20
…
Viking Of Science
September 4, 2014 at 08:19
I don’t know what MS were expecting, they don’t Cater to Japanese gaming sensibilities. Japan is not a fan of dude-bro gaming… which is still the Microsoft Strong suit…
Jonah Cash
September 4, 2014 at 08:21
They are never home, they work for 12-16 hours a day and sit on trains and buses for hours so a handheld will obviously be more important…. Or am I stereotyping here?
CAE9872
September 4, 2014 at 08:41
That’s racist!
Oh and…
5 days…
Hammersteyn
September 4, 2014 at 08:21
XBOX gamers in Japan
http://img-9gag-lol.9cache.com/photo/aYbvp9N_460sa.gif
Viking Of Science
September 4, 2014 at 08:22
always upvote Arrested Development.
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
September 4, 2014 at 08:22
I blue myself.
Hammersteyn
September 4, 2014 at 08:22
LOL blue
Viking Of Science
September 4, 2014 at 08:30
Found one: Microsoft today after seeing the Japan Sales Figures:
http://media.giphy.com/media/XyuRct2B287M4/giphy.gif
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
September 4, 2014 at 08:35
That music is playing in my head.
Viking Of Science
September 4, 2014 at 08:35
is it not magical….
Brady miaau
September 4, 2014 at 09:32
no
ReneInEhv
September 4, 2014 at 08:38
Lol, Microsoft underestimated the power of the people!
Hammersteyn
September 4, 2014 at 17:21
But not boobs, I mean PS4
Pieter Smal
September 4, 2014 at 08:46
They are very intelligent (high expectation asian dad meme).
Ottokie
September 4, 2014 at 08:55
Japan is not the only one 😛
Ryanza
September 4, 2014 at 09:03
More like the world doesn’t care about the Xbox One, bar a few people.
?????
Ryanza
September 4, 2014 at 09:25
Microsoft likes to sell itself as the best, domination, the One to rule them all.
That type of shit might make for an entertaining E3 but that shit won’t fly in Japan. It didn’t work for the Xbox. It with work for the Xbox 360 and it won’t work for Xbox One.
If you have a gaming culture as strong as it is in Japan, you have to show a continued focus on creating new and exciting games that appeal to the gaming audience. In Japan that would be JRPG’s. Microsoft’s own gaming studios needs to keep on creating new JRPG’s if they ever want to be noticed in Japan. This buying of exclusive rights from Eastern gaming developers will not fly in Japan.
I played one good JRPG on the Xbox 360 and there were not many of them.
Xbox One was doomed in Japan since Bill Gates opened his mouth to promote Xbox all those years ago.
Never forget Hiroshima.
Kromas of City17
September 4, 2014 at 09:50
Something is seriously wrong with your post.
Ryanza
September 4, 2014 at 10:10
drop the bomb on what’s wrong with my post.
Xbox One drops in Japan.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nyoE4zyv1KE/Ui3rGRRfFYI/AAAAAAABekw/EfjYUNU4_E0/s1600/nuclear_explosion_01.gif
Kromas of City17
September 4, 2014 at 10:46
Don’t support DRM.
Your posts sorta feel incomplete without it. 🙂
Ryanza
September 4, 2014 at 10:49
http://www.coryshaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/eliminate-drm.jpg
Kromas of City17
September 4, 2014 at 10:53
Much better. Thanks 😛
Rinceable
September 4, 2014 at 16:55
I know, I felt lost for a moment there…
FoxOneZA
September 4, 2014 at 10:24
1 word: Propoganda,
Ryanza
September 4, 2014 at 10:47
http://rlv.zcache.ca/are_you_doing_all_you_can_propaganda_posters-r0651b7443f8641a096cb6b1afacab3a7_aicb9_8byvr_512.jpg
Sageville
September 4, 2014 at 10:49
I’ll raise you…
Ryanza
September 4, 2014 at 10:51
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nyoE4zyv1KE/Ui3rGRRfFYI/AAAAAAABekw/EfjYUNU4_E0/s1600/nuclear_explosion_01.gif
If only I knew this was coming.
Sk3tz0
September 4, 2014 at 09:31
Oh Come on those are not Die hard Xbox Fans.. It human nature.. U see a Que u stand in it. either that or the Xbox rep paid them to stand there for the photo..
Brady miaau
September 4, 2014 at 09:31
And in other news, the sky is blue, the sea is green, babies leak fluids constantly and I am waaaaay behind in my work.
Was this a surprise?
Weanerdog
September 4, 2014 at 09:33
Why am I not surprised, I am dying of not surprise.
Sk3tz0
September 4, 2014 at 09:33
Would of been Hella Funny, had Xbox used Alphaville’s Big in Japan track for Advertising Xbox One and this happens.
Ryanza
September 4, 2014 at 09:37
Here’s an article that talks about why Xbox failed in Japan all those years ago.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-12-13-why-xbox-failed-in-japan
http://www.links.net/share/event/tgs/pix/billg-burger.md.jpg
Kromas of City17
September 4, 2014 at 09:50
Breaking news! I don’t care for Xbox either. 😛
Pieter Kruger
September 4, 2014 at 10:08
Breaking news! You care just enough to come on here and post about you not caring! ????
Kromas of City17
September 4, 2014 at 10:47
Nah I just love taunting consoles. 🙂
Johan du Preez
September 4, 2014 at 10:13
Well what do you expect when they get it a year later than the rest of the world. South Africa will have similar results with only a few die hards getting one.
Sk3tz0
September 4, 2014 at 10:43
Incorrect.. no1 will be standing in the Que.. because the Only die hard imported his.. Isnt that Right Pieter
Hammersteyn
September 4, 2014 at 17:19
LOL
Sk3tz0
September 4, 2014 at 10:42
Gotta say if the Japs think you product is the shit.. U’re pretty much fuck’d.. I mean even the ALS Ice Bucket challenge is sweeping the land of the rising sun..
http://www.japantrends.com/ice-bucket-challenge-als-japan/
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
September 4, 2014 at 11:27
I make fun of the xbox one a lot, but this is just brutal… :/ As a gamer, this actually makes me sad.
FoxOneZA
September 4, 2014 at 11:37
Japan is going cray-cray over the new MX5 zoom zoom
Sageville
September 4, 2014 at 11:55
“cray-cray” ?
Who are you, Kim Kardashian?
Ryanza
September 4, 2014 at 12:41
So when Microsoft’s consoles has never done well in Japan, it makes you sad that Xbox One is not well received in Japan.
But Xbox One is not doing as great as it did in the USA as the Xbox 360 did, that’s fine to joke about.
I’m happy to see the Xbox One fail all over the world. Thank you Microsoft for saying DRM.
L337J1MB0B
September 4, 2014 at 12:42
The launch night photos will be even more bleak when the One launches here.
Fugly Gamer
September 4, 2014 at 13:17
Im aiming for this
M1DK1LLCRYSIS
September 4, 2014 at 17:13
Is it just me or are those really ‘popular’ shops really unpopular? There is literally no one there, even if a console is launching, someone would be there to at least buy another product if not the one launching
Hammersteyn
September 4, 2014 at 17:19
Methinks them shops still be closed?
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
September 4, 2014 at 17:46
at the time of the photos being taken, they weren’t open yet. Usually, there are queues of people waiting for them to open when there’s a big product launch.
rollingmol
September 4, 2014 at 21:35
If I count them it puts the Xbox One’s sales at around 5000 008 . Way to go Msoft.
rollingmol
September 4, 2014 at 21:56
http://i.imgur.com/KuVgiU7.gif
Congrats according to my calculations of those lines this brings your units shipped to 5000008…