It looks like Kinect hasn’t really made an impact on the Japanese market, selling just 26,000 units at launch. Due to this Kinect software barely made a dent in the Japanese chart, with DanceEvolution selling 6,000 units and charting at 24th; Kinect Sports entering at 45; and Crossboard 7, New Brain Training and Sonic Free Riders all failing to make it.
Clearly not what Microsoft was hoping for, but the result is unsurprising given the console’s unpopularity. It will be interesting to see if the games announced at TGS will sway the public opinion, or whether Microsoft will just cut their losses and focus on the West.
Source: Andriasang
jayjay119
To be honest I think that’s not gonna happen, I mean 26,000 units may be abysmal but it’s better than nothing. I do think MS need to accept that in an are where there are already 2 home consoles, if they aren’t popular after 5 years, they ain’t gonna be!
Porcupine_I
i believe the average sales of Microsoft titles in Japan directly correspond with the numbers of American troops stationed in Japan.
bunimomike
If that’s the case, Microsoft have a great opportunity to save on shipping. They can simply pop a game into the soldier’s rucksack and get him/her to take it with them.
Foxhound_Solid
Xbox seems to only have a proper stance in the American Market….
Everywhere else it seems to differ.
PS3 has too many awesome games for it to stand a chance really, and the Juggernaut that is the Wii is another story….
bunimomike
As it happens, the most fair (and even) place is Europe. All the consoles do well. Good ol’ multiculturalism.
Watchful
The 360 is a good way ahead of the PS3 in the UK too, not just the US.
Foxhound_Solid
I reckon that may change soon, nearly all 360 owners I know now play PS3. I reckon theyll be neck and neck very soon. Although globally the gap has shrunk dramtically…
When you look at the lack of advertising by Sony it just shows how much gamers have a high regard for PS3. Unless you work for Game that is…..
tonyyeb
How does this compare to Move sales in Japan?
jayjay119
I read in an article that in Japan Kinect’s sales are a fourth of Moves, that would put it at over 100,000 units, but the site wasn’t exactly official.
FoxHoundGabe
As far as i know, move “only” doubled kinect’s sales, and taking into account the different prices id say its acctually not that bad.
Even more, as there is 4 PS3 for every 360 (was it?) kienct might have sold more than move proportionally!
What both devices have not been, certainly (at least in Japan) is a console-seller.
Charmed_Fanatic
Just give up MS. Japan is not yours
cam the man
26,000 X £129.99 = £3,379,740 seems worth it to me.
Don’t know what it sells for in Japan but even if it is less than the UK price it’s still a lot of money.
shields_t
You need to consider how much of the 129 is development cost though, which I would imagine is pretty high on the Kinnect. Also, with the Yen performing the way it is against the dollar, it’s probably barely worth Bill getting out of bed for.
jayjay119
Well in Japan Kinect is sellin at 14, 800 yen, which is about $176, rouchly £112, so it’s selling a lot cheaper in Japan than here.
So that’s roughly £2,912,000, which is still a lot of money but like others have said you need to factor in fabrication costs. Price of fabrication (roughly) per Kinect unit is £36 ($56) so add that up it approx £936,000. So overall taking away production costs MS have made £1,976,000 from Kinect in Japan alone. Whilst not exactly poor, it’s nowhere near as good as it has been in other territories.
cam the man
It will, more than likely, keep selling in Japan for a long time to come. Even in small numbers it all adds up.
djhsecondnature
@jayjay119 – You forget that MS will not be taking all of that profit. There is the trade price they sell it to retailers, plus the cost for marketing, packaging, etc.
cc_star
Also you can’t compare prices in different countries on a like for like basis, $1 will allow you to buy things in different countries thanks to the price of materials, rents, wages, logisitcs, marketing, commodities etc.
The only way to compare AFAIK is to use burgernomics.
Boomshanks
And no one has accounted for the money spent on marketing the Kinect in Japan
yogh_wayne
Apart from the lower popularity, Kinect’s space requirements obviously cause some promblems in Japan. I’ve read that Microsoft provides special tape measures in the shops, so people can see if they got enough free space in front of their TVs. Cleverly it’s only half the length and there’s some fine print on the backside that you’ll need two lengths of the tape measure for Kinect :P
TSBonyman
I saw that too and i guess they must have read the fine print – or else Japanese homes are even smaller than previously thought ! ;)
solidsteven
MS it’s not going to happen. Sony and Nintendo are too powerful in their home country.