Buying an Xbox: How Hard Can It Be? (Japan) (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Kleist]

I've heard lots of things about Apollo Smile, but I've yet to actually hear anything by her.

Take bad singing, mix with bad mixes of anime music and blend with stripclub dancing (I'm not kidding, she brings out a go-go pole)

If we're actually around for one of her shows, we run up with dollar bills and start throwing them at her

 

[Romier S]

If I were MS I would be looking at throwing some money around Enix's way for some kind of exclusivity on the next Dragon Warrior(Quest) game. Unlikely as it may be to happen at the very least they could try as that would no doubt help the situation there. Just one example...

Quit stealing my ideas Chris!

 

[Dean Cooper]

Everyone knew that Japan would be a very difficult market for MS with its Xbox. Actually I'm happy they are doing as well as they are right now. Once they release some of the games in progress over there and launch Xbox live, things will start to take off for them. Online is the hot thing over there that will sell a lot of systems. All is not lost in the land of the rising sun yet.

Dean

 

[Jeff Kleist]

with its Xbox. Actually I'm happy they are doing as well as they are right now. Once they release some of the games in progress over there and launch Xbox live, things will start to take off for them

Yes and no, FACTS about Japanese online

1- Dial-up is prohibitively expensive, close to 10 cents/min even for local calls (one of the reasons why cells are so popular)

2-Broadband is only really available in large cities

3-Setting up a broadband account is VERY expensive, I don't have exact prices, but i know setting up a phone line in Japan runs around $800

XBox Live is not going to make much difference there, and certainly won't be a selling point, especially with PS2 and GC also being able to go online

 

[Chris Beveridge]

Take bad singing, mix with bad mixes of anime music and blend with stripclub dancing (I'm not kidding, she brings out a go-go pole)

I doubt her participation in Space Channel 5 hurt that title all that much. Nobody outside of the fringe anime world really even knows about her, and she was rather good in promoting the title where SEGA sent her.

Regardless of her previous anime-world involvement, as little as that really is, she did an excellent job with Space Channel 5 and made a difficult to translate/localize title quite enjoyable for a lot of its fans.

 

[Chris Beveridge]

Regarding Broadband in Japan:
Rather than just go by what's been said since there's nothing backing it up, let's use some status:
http://www.nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com/...t/moren/206299>
Stats for August claim 3.9 million DSL subscribers, up 300,000 on the month.
ADSL Users Pay Less in Tokyo than New York, London: Survey
September 12, 2002 (TOKYO) -- ADSL Internet service subscribers pay less in Tokyo than in large European or U.S. cities, thanks to intensifying competition due to the opening of the telephone networks of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications said Tuesday in its fiscal 2001 telecommunications service price report.
The annual survey compares monthly telecommunications rates of major carriers in various countries.
According to the report, in March, monthly ADSL service charges averaged 2,453-5,050 yen in Tokyo. In New York, similar services cost the equivalent of 5,979-7,176 yen a month, and about 4,000 yen in London, Paris and Dusseldorf.
In the 1990s, Internet service fees were much higher in Japan than in Europe and the U.S. But the charges have plunged since fiscal 2000 due to liberalization measures, which attracted more people to broadband services. As of August 31, the number of broadband Internet service subscribers had reached 4 million, an eight-fold increase
from a year ago.
(The Nihon Keizai Shimbun)
And to break things down into a more Japanese market, refer to Link Removed.
1. KDDI ADSL (KDD + DDI, merger of the old international operator and
one of the telecoms carriers created after deregulation.)
8Mbps, 2,980 yen/month. Modem rental 500 yen/month.
1.5Mbps, 2,880 yen/month. Modem rental 500 yen/month.
Buy USB modem, 14,800 yen; 10Base-T 19,800 yen
2. TTNet ADSL (power company)
8Mbps 2,980 yen/month.
1.5Mbps, 1,750 yen/month.
3. NTT B Flets, (NTT East/NTT West, local NTT telcos)
100Mbps (ftth), basic type: 9,000 yen/month. 27,100 yen installation.
10Mbps (ftth), family type: 5,000 yen/month.
100Mbps (ftth), mansion type: 3,500 or 3,000 yen/month. 11,900 yen
installation.
(basic, family and mansion -- shared service / dedicated service,
used mainly where the NTT line to the apartment is fiber and needs a
new loop run from the local office to building or some enhancement.)
4. NTT OCN ADSL (NTT Communications, NTT's long distance and
international group)
1.5Mbbps (down), 512Kbps (up), 2,880 yen/month.
8Mbps (down), 1Mbps (up), 3,180 yen/month.
5. @NiftyServe ADSL (Fujitsu NIftyServe ISP, via e-access DSL provider.)
1.5Mbbps, 2,980 yen/month, modem 22,000yen, NTT fee 800 yen/month
8Mbps, 3,280 yen/month. Router rental 500 yen/month, router cost (one
time charge) 2,500 yen. NTT fee 800 yen/month
6. ODN ADSL (Japan Telecom)
1.5Mbbps (down), 512Kbps (up), 2,880 yen/month, plus 187 yen/month NTT fee.
7. SpeedNet Fixed Wireless
1.5Mbps (max) incoming and outbound traffic. 2,450 yen/month, 900
yen/month equipment rental
Setup: 9,900 yen equipment installation + 3,000 yen administrative charge.
8. USEN, fiber (cable radio company)
100Mbps (ftth) 4,900 yen/month. Modem rental 900 yen/month. ISP
service (email address), 300 yen/month. Home page 300 yen/10MB.
30,000 yen installation, 3,000 yen administration fee. Windows only.
9. Mobile Internet Service (MIS), enhanced IEEE802.11b wireless
up to 11Mbps, 2,400 yen/month. Windows only. (I think 11b, not sure
of the tech, when they said Windows, I ignored them!)

 

[Jeff Kleist]

I stand corrected then on the pricing, things have definately changed since the last time I checked

I doubt her participation in Space Channel 5 hurt that title all that much. Nobody outside of the fringe anime world really even knows about her, and she was rather good in promoting the title where SEGA sent her.

Yes, but when you have such a convienient scapegoat, why not use it?

The real culprit here was Sega's lame campaing at the time using the CGI characters. I don't know what their ad dept was thinking, because they made me not want to buy games I knew I'd love.

 

[Chris Beveridge]

Yes, but when you have such a convienient scapegoat, why not use it?

Because that's the primary problem with this country? We continually look for scapegoats instead of addressing the actual problem.

 

[Dave E H]

BB is also available a startling # of places in Japan. A friend of mine lives in Mie and pays less for his DSL that I do here (I think he pays about 30 bucks a month or so.)

It's more prevalent than you think over there - Japan's come a long way in the past few years.

 

[Dave E H]

Akihabara is where you go for system launches anyway

Perhaps if you want to buy, but the official MS launch was in Shibuya (they flew Bill over there for it...) My point is that they paid a lot of money to have the obligatory sales guys dressed up in XBox clothing, nice big shiny Xbox bags etc - EXACTLY like every other console launch. Pretty good for a new entry into the console market there, but also really expensive.

 

[JoshF]

Shibuya's definitely the place to do good marketing. It's where the cool kids and shops are. Akihabara is for the bargain and gray market hunter.

I think we're just arguing that there aren't as many barriers to the Xbox's success in Japan as you may think. MS marketed it hard and Japanese gamers have access to broadband. What MS didn't have was the games that they cared about.

I think that pretty much sums it up.

The one thing that I find interesting regarding the video game cultural divide between Japan and the US is the decline of arcades here. There are still tons of massive arcades in Tokyo, and they're all but extinct here.

But I suppose that's another thread, no?

 

[Demetri K]

Here are my 2 cents. I live in Japan (shinagawa). Xbox seems to be a lost cause here. When I go to Akihabara they have systems set up on the streets where you can play. Everyone is either playing the new Contra game, or Automodelistica. Or something like that. And there will be lines to try out these games. But I could walk up to a xbox and start playing. There is no interest(or very little at all. There are No ads in the Jr line stations anymore. But I see Sony and Nintendo ads all the time.
Microsoft is Dominate in the pc realm here. But in the videogame market it is faltering. Beleive me. I see maybe a few commercials on for xbox on the television. But compared to the numerous GC and PS2 commercials it pales in comparision.
In regards to broadband and Dial up. My dialup(when I had it was 3 cents a min. My broadband is 2350(around 22us) for 12mb ADSL. Pretty Damn cheap if u ask me. the way I see it. This really has nothing to do with culture or what Japan gamers prefer. It is about numbers. PS2 as games that come out every week for it. Everytime I go to Akiharbara(at least once a week). I see new ps2 games. I however do not see any new xbox games. THAT is the problem. If Microsoft wants to win the JP crowd. Get some quality games over here(they do not have to be dating sims Most people do not play them here anyways).
I think it is a numbers game. And right now Sony just has ALOT of quality games(that do not even make it to the states). Than Xbox does. At least over in Japan it does.
BTW I am no Sony fanboy. I do own all systems. But right now since I moved my xbox has been collecting dust. I would love to clean it OFF!!!
Gamecube is a whole nother story. They do not have much in games either. BUT a few things that won them over here. They are NINTEDO, They have mario, Biohazard, phantasy star online 1 and 2. And a few games on the Horizon. 1 more thing. The system here is dirt cheap compared to the other 2. That is why Nintendo is where they are now.