Entry level Xbox 360 hitting Japan on March 6

In hopes of reviving creating interest for its console in Japan, Microsoft just announced the March 6th launch of an entry-level Xbox 360 in the land of the rising sun. The Japanese equivalent of the Xbox 360 Arcade will sell for tax-inclusive ¥27,800 (about $260) and bundle an extra 256MB memory unit, wireless controller, and game pack. Hey Microsoft, that's $20 cheaper than your Arcade sells domestically without factoring in the added tax. Discount please?

[Shadowise @ Feb 4th 2008 3:24AM]

Does it actually come with the "lovely" rising sun paint job?

[SuperFly @ Feb 4th 2008 5:07AM]

Looks like a photoshop overlay to me!!

[Brian @ Feb 4th 2008 3:24AM]

I don't see why this didn't happen soon.

Microsoft could sell these things, region locked, for $100, and make all the money back in accessories and game licenseing.

[Wombat @ Feb 4th 2008 7:19PM]

To go along with the earlier comment about the price in Europe, the 360 Arcade costs ~US$363 in Australia (A$399). Once again, as with the ripoff pricing we get from Sony for the PS3 (A$699 for the 20gig non-BC version) the rest of the world is screwed into subsidising the US and Japanese markets.

[CB17 @ Feb 4th 2008 4:05AM]

Microsoft needs to start doing some heavier price cutting if they hope to compete with the PS3 now that Bluray looks to be the next HD optical standard. Either that or they need to beef up their VOD options.

I say $199 for the "Arcade" and $249 for the "Pro". And while I'm requesting stuff, how bout a bit of an HDD bump? Especially for all the download stuff they're coming out with. How bout an extra 40 gigs across the board? With HDD prices dropping, an extra 40 gigs couldn't cost THAT much more. I KNOW they're making up for it with their games and accessories sales, they can afford it.

[kyle @ Feb 4th 2008 4:10AM]

yeah, NOBODY is actually trying to sell 20gb 2.5" hard drives anymore. microsoft must be getting them custom made. it would probably actually cost them less to upgrade the regular to an 80gb.

[Scruff @ Feb 4th 2008 4:47AM]

"Hey Microsoft, that's $20 cheaper than your Arcade sells domestically without factoring in the added tax. Discount please?"
WTF are you yanks complaining about?? The Arcade version will set you back around €270 in Europe, thats $400!!!!!
Hey Microsoft, wtf is there a $120 difference??? DISCOUNT PLEASE??????

[ScooterDe @ Feb 4th 2008 5:37AM]

I'd pay $100 MORE if they could turn the noise down. I am getting totally fed up with the 360. Onto my second, due to the red ring of death, and no improvement in operating noise - with or without gaming. The design is a failure and I can't wait for the successor.

[mattclarkie @ Feb 4th 2008 7:25AM]

Mine is very noisy. I have my 360 on at the dash with no game, and my PS3 with a game running and I can still hear the 360 over the PS3. With my PC on it is a tie with the 360, but that is a huge PC with giant fans.

[Ethan @ Feb 4th 2008 8:56AM]

Taxes are probably higher in Japan than in the US, and they're higher here, plus VAT too but they still act like we haven't noticed the discrepancy, alright, so none of the other manufacturers have dropped price but it's still terrible value.

[Tony @ Feb 4th 2008 6:27PM]

@ Ethan

Taxes are inclusive in Japan.

For example, if the price is 500Y, you pay 500Y.

The same applies for tip at restaurants, they are all inclusive.

[Max @ Mar 7th 2008 10:27AM]

I don't know why people complain about the console noise, I never notice anything. Maybe thats because I play games really loud.

[SimbaDogg @ Feb 4th 2008 5:36AM]

Mmm...not to sound like a fanboyish idiot, but on a scale of 1-10, has anyone seen how the 360 has actually been competing in the land of the rising son compared to wii and ps3? even w/the 1 year headstart. I think the wii passed this console up within a month, and the ps3 within 3-4 months. this is def now a 360 haven. MS, do w/e you can do increase sales overseas, cuz you really need it.

[VooDooRoo @ Feb 4th 2008 7:12AM]

SimbaDogg


Theres plenty of them over here in the second hand shops.They sell Sec/H boxed for about 31 000 yen.

And there is no shortage of Wii`s in the land of the rising sun either,The place is flooded with them...second hand shops to!


I heard there was a shortage in the states?


VooDooRoo

[Carl @ Feb 4th 2008 8:00AM]

If only that Yen rate wasn't so bad lately.
At last years rate you could get this for around $225

[007baf @ Feb 4th 2008 7:56AM]

I went looking in Mississippi for an Xbox Elite, just for kicks, and there are none to be had. In fact there were no Xbox 360 Pros either. So, my point? Why would Microsoft discount anything in the US when they're are apparently selling every console they can produce?

I do agree with the poster about dropping the price even further for Japan. In that case, it's the point of getting into the Japanese market. In the meantime, how about Microsoft get the factory cranking them out so all their models are available?

[St. Stephen @ Feb 4th 2008 2:15PM]

Yeah that's lovely, the rising sun. How about I put a Nazi flag on my PS3, take a pic, and you assholes at Engadget run a story using that pic? I'm all for freedom of speech but how about some responsibility? Are you aware that flag is illegal in Japan? Just like the Nazi flag in Germany. Are you aware the Japanese tortured and murdered over 20,000,000 people, including our grandfathers, in WWII? And here you are glorifying the symbol of their hatred, racism and barbarity. You should be ashamed of yourselves. I hope a WWII veteran meets you who's responsible for this disrespectful display on the street one day and knocks your block off! Scumbags!! I am through with this site.

[Phoenix @ Feb 4th 2008 10:34AM]

Jesus... overreacting much?

[Argot @ Feb 4th 2008 10:44AM]

Relax dude. The flag is still in use in Japan. It's the symbol of the Japanese maritime self-defense force:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Maritime_Self-Defense_Force

So it would be more like putting this symbol on a German X-box, not the swastika:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Roundel_of_the_German_Air_Force_border.svg

[Jeff @ Feb 4th 2008 11:17AM]

St. Stephen:

Your comment itself is filled with enough "hatred and bigotry" on its own. You're assuming that that flag stands for anything other than a symbol for part of the Japanese armed forces. You're assigning your own biases to it.

As Argot points out, the flag is still in use. It's not "illegal" in Japan and never has been. Nor has it ever been seen as anything other than what it is, either in Japan, or even by most people here. Some people equate the Iron Cross with the Nazis too, but they're just as wrong, and the German military also still uses that symbol.

What you're saying would be like a Japanese person claiming that a silver star with wings (the US Air Force symbol) stands for "hatred and bigotry" because it's the symbol that was painted on the atomic bombs we dropped on them. No, it's just the symbol used by a branch of the military that happened to be fighting a war against them at the time. "Hatred and bigotry" is a matter of perspective in those cases. Most people who actually fight in wars understand that and don't assign any special meaning to the symbols used by their adversaries to identify themselves.

I wonder what you'd think if you ever went to Kyoto and saw all the swastikas painted everywhere... your head would probably explode in anger.

(The swastika is an ancient Asian symbol for peace and love. It was co-opted by the Nazis but is still used in Japan and elsewhere as a religious symbol, same as it has been for more than a thousand years.)

[hp540 @ Feb 4th 2008 12:46PM]

I believe the Nazi Swastika is a 45 degree rotation of the traditional Buddhist/Hindu symbol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

Interesting read for a slow news day.

[minus_273 @ Feb 4th 2008 10:59AM]

Fantastic job joystiq. You posted an apology some time back saying you wouldnt use this flag again and there you go posting it on the front page. WTF. Do you think you have no readers who are asian? you claim to have asian staff but keep pulling this shit out again.

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/27/japanese-sales-charts/

the comment there says you didnt mean any offense then pull this shit again.

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 4th 2008 11:07AM]

Guys, stop being so immature about the picture. Its not a reference to WWII or to be used as an insult to Asians. Get over yourselves.

[minus_273 @ Feb 4th 2008 11:11AM]

That is not the flag of japan it is the symbol used by japanese nationalists and deniers in japan. In asia it has the EXACT same meaning as the nazi flag does in japan. Ignorance or claiming it is the maritime defense force flag is not an excuse when you are using it to represent japan. Do people use the US navy flag to represent the US? there was a HUGE blow up on this site 2 years ago (see my post) where joystiq apologized and said it wouldnt use racist symbols again. Obviously they didnt keep their promise. This kind of racist shit has no place on a video games website.

[minus_273 @ Feb 4th 2008 11:14AM]

correction: it has the same meaning in asia as the nazi flag does in the west.

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 4th 2008 11:19AM]

This is HARDLY a racist symbol. Thats as if I were to draw a Swastika on my chest and run through the streets shirtless. Would that be racist? No, it wouldn't. Its just a symbol, and this is just a red circle with red stripes. Its associated with the Japanese, but it doesn't mean squat anymore. Maybe back in the 40s/50s/60s, but nowadays, it doesn't mean anything.

Besides, if you look at Argot's post, you will realize that it is still used in Japan.

Stop being immature, and take things how they are and how they are intended to be. This is absolutely nothing, so stop crying.

[minus_273 @ Feb 4th 2008 11:29AM]

I am fully aware that this flag is used in the specifi context of the maritime defense force. Look at any japanese nationalist rally and you will understand that it means something else entirely when it is used outside of that context. As i already pointed out sister site joystiq has apologized and stopped using this symbol. You dont understand because you are probably not asian.

For example the swastika is not a racist symbol and i use it every day in my religious activity. Still i would be careful in displaying it in the west precisely because of the negative connotations. It is not a racist symbol but to many it represents something else and outside of the religious context it is something else. I would like to see the same thing with a swastika and the same justification you posted saying it is not racist.

if this site can put a post with the swastika on an Xbox 360 on the front page then i will accept that they are not trying to offend any particular group and they are just putting up symbols. Until that happens your explantion is BS.

Asians are not offended by a swastika but by this flag
westerners are no offended by this flag but by a swastika. is that too difficult to understand?

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 4th 2008 11:38AM]

As a matter of fact, I'm Jewish. I find your use of the Swastika highly offensive. I'm going to bitch about it ignorantly because I don't like it.

Seriously, grow up. Are they offended by it's use by the Maritime Defense Force? If they aren't and you aren't, the get over it, hypocrite.

The picture was in absolutely no way, shape, or form meant to be racist. How else should they represent Japan in a picture thats not bland and boring? Should they put a picture of a Japanese person? Nah... That would actually be racist... Should they put a picture of the island of Japan? Boring. Not eye catching.

The picture did it's job, and that job was to get attention of the reader, not to be racist.

[Ivan Lin @ Feb 4th 2008 2:39PM]

To : Zeus.

As you said you are a Jewish, and you find highly offensive about" Swastika". That is the exact same feeling people, who survive the World War in Asian feel about this Japanese War flag.

This is not about "immature". It's about knowing the history.
If you still don't understand why this is such a big deal, please educated yourself first or talk to you colleague in China before making some ignorance comments.

[zerosozha @ Feb 4th 2008 11:58PM]

@ Ivan:

I think your Sarcasm-O-Meter is broken. You might want to have a certified technician take a look at it.

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 4th 2008 11:20AM]

Wait, by your logic, does the Pentagram as my avatar make me a Satanist?

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 4th 2008 11:23AM]

Wow... Sorry, I really botched this up. Too early in the morning...

No matter how you slice it, it doesn't matter, it wasn't intended to be racist, and isn't a racist symbol, just as the Swastika isn't. I bet you think the Confederate flag is racist? Demeaning to blacks?

You sit here and tell us to stop claiming ignorance, but we're not. We are telling it how it is, and you people who are all up in arms about it are the ones being ignorant.

[minus_273 @ Feb 4th 2008 11:33AM]

once again, because of our different experiences in WWII we associate japan with evil and didnt experience the nazis or the holocaust. Once again: Asians are not offended by a swastika but by this flag and westerners are not offended by this flag but by a swastika. is that too difficult to understand?

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 4th 2008 11:41AM]

Whats difficult to understand is how you can be offended by something so simple and pointless. It is associated with Japan and even still used by the Japanese themselves.

I don't get what the big deal is.

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 4th 2008 11:42AM]

I don't know why this comment system sucks so bad. I click reply, it shows who I'm replying to, and when I submit, it doesn't reply, it makes a new post... WTF?

[Iridium @ Feb 4th 2008 12:59PM]

Zeus,

If you are saying that the use of a Swastika will offend you then you have to agree that the Japanese War flag, which is what it is, can offend people of Chinese or Indonesian descent. The holocaust, to some, actually pales in comparison to the wartime atrocities of the Japanese during WWII. It just isn't publicized in the West.

The persecution of Russian Jews during the reign of Stalin was also much greater than what the Germans did during WWII but again was not highly publicized due to the want to spread communism by the elite class in the USA before and after WWII.

The Swastika is a widely used Hindu and Buddhist religious symbol that means "Good Luck" or "Wishing well being". It has been used for thousands of years, only tainted in the West by its use as a symbol of the Nazis. In fact putting a Swastika on a picture of a 360 would be seen by Asians as almost a funny picture, perhaps trying to ward off a red ring of death. I doubt you would see it that way.

The Japanese War flag was only used to symbolize the military of Japan. It has no other use other than to symbolize a fighting force. A fighting force that raped and murdered, by some accounts a few million people. The flag hasn't been used for thousands of years as a symbol of peace. So your argument holds no merit.

Also the Pentagram is not a Satanist symbol by itself but the symbol you use is the symbol of Satanists. You may not be a Satanist but the symbol you use as your Avatar is very offensive. It is in fact the symbol of The Church of Satan, and by free speech you have the right to display it. However with all speech it doesn't stop people from making associations and forming opinions of you based on it. I would hope you think about that.

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 4th 2008 4:33PM]

I was being sarcastic... I figured that would be easy enough to catch on.

I know what the Swastika is and thats why I made my comments earlier about running around with a Swastika on my chest. Its not racist and neither is the "Rising Sun".

Its just like the Confederate flag. The Confederate flag stands for state's rights and freedom, not slavery and all that other crap.

[Mark Leong @ Feb 4th 2008 12:36PM]

This is a freaking joke. I cannot imagine a Halo enthusiast would want to try and get their hands on that buttugly thing! I may Japanese but I hate it when these westerners assume that if stick something japanesey in my face i'd salivate over it and go goo-goo-eyed! Come on! Use your brains. We're not that stupid. Oh, add tokyo drift and american-chinese/thai/viet/korean porn stars with japanese names to the list as well. don't even get me started on california rolls!

[digoxin @ Feb 4th 2008 12:46PM]

Zeus, I think that you need to study a bit more about the Asian side of WWII before you post your insensitive and ignorant comments. The symbol is not simple and pointless as you think. It is not only analogous to the swastika in Europe and the USA, but it represents the military brutality inflicted by the Japanese all across Asia during WWII. It is a symbol of their past transgressions. Joystiq has already apologized for using it before, and there is a large thread about it there as minus_273 has pointed out, so why are you still arguing this?

By the way, just because Japan still uses it doesn't mean it is right for them to do so; I mean, they have this shrine dedicated to soldiers that have murdered millions of people, and generally I don't think that's very sensitive or morally correct on their part. minus_273 puts the death toll across Asia at 20 million. That's actually a really conservative estimate. Official figures are more like 30 million innocent civilians in China alone, 5 fucking times the number killed in the Jewish Holocaust. I would hate to know how many innocents the Japanese butchered and raped all across Asia. Unlike Germany who actually continues to pay and apologize to the victims of the Holocaust my setting up rememberances and memorials, Japan has pretty much done nothing. Anyway, given your ignorance Zeus I guess you wouldn't know (or care) about any of this and will probably keep defending the fascist symbol Engadget has hypocritically put up.

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 4th 2008 4:45PM]

Dude... Assuming that I don't know what happened isn't really a good thing to do.

I know about slaughters, the rapings, and the executions that occurred in the Japanese war on China during World War 2. I'm not ignorant. I know what I'm talking about. The Rising Sun doesn't stand for genocide, rape, murder, or anything like you're making it out to be. You try and make it sound like its racist, when its not. Is a Confederate racist? Does it stand for slavery? No, it doesn't. It stands for freedom and state's rights. What does the Swastika stand for? Well, its used in many ASIAN religions as a symbol of peace and love, but the Nazis used it. Does that make it racist?

God, the ignorance is really flowing here in the Engadget commenting section. Engadget did nothing wrong, get the fuck over it, and if you think its offensive, well then good for you, no one cares, because it's not.

[St. Stephen @ Feb 4th 2008 2:26PM]

and now they censor me!?!?! OMFG I've had it Engadget. This could've been solved with an apology and a retraction of the picture. Not only was this not carried out on this site but your sister site did remove and apologize, but to not post my rebukes to attacks directed at me and to just hope it goes away, is b.s.

I have contact the ADL and I will file a complaint against the operators and owners of this site. If a lawsuit is possible I WILL filed it. Upon further investigation I have found my figure of 20,000,000 deaths was incorrect. The Japanese during WWII killed an estimated 45,000,000 people, mostly Chinese. You, Engadget are scumbags. SCUMBAGS!! SCUMBAGS!!

I pray that someday your type of complete disregard for history, survivors and their families, does not come back to haunt us all. There is a reason history repeats itself, it is because scumbags like you decensitise people to what actually happened. You distort and glorify the truth of history.

P.S. Whoever that scumbag was who called me a racist, I hope you burn in Hell. I am a survivor of Cambodia and the atrocities committed by the Khymer Rouge and Pol Pot. How dare you say I know nothing of war or that I am racist. You have no idea what you are talking about.

[Spiderman_00 @ Feb 4th 2008 3:09PM]

LOL.....

[St. Stephen @ Feb 4th 2008 3:55PM]

oh well, there's nothing that can be done about it all. If engadget wants to run racist epitaphs they have every right to do so. the only recourse is to not visit/support the site, which is what I will do. Such a shame because I really enjoy the other aspects of this page. But I also stand up for what is right and ridicule and expose what is wrong. I find appalling that so few are upset over this. Those who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it. So thank you Engadget for insulting the lives of millions of victims and survivors of one of the worst wars and regimes in human history. I hope you get what's coming to you, in this life or the next.

[minus_273 @ Feb 4th 2008 4:10PM]

We should really post a link to this article on engadget chinese. I am sure the racist imagery on it it will result in an interesting response.

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 4th 2008 4:49PM]

God, guys, you guys are a bunch of ignorant little pussies. Who the fuck cares? Only stupid little bitches who take offense to insignificant flags that are not meant to be, nor are they offensive in anyway.

Minus, go ahead, post away to Engadget Chinese. I doubt they give a shit. It was an interesting picture that caught the eye of the reader, and thats all it was intended to do.

[Ivan Lin @ Feb 4th 2008 5:02PM]

What a shame by a guy " Zeus" call himself a Jewish and not know about the World War history!

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 4th 2008 5:12PM]

Again with the assumptions and broken sarcasm detectors! Aye, when will it ever stop!?

No, I'm not Jewish, and I know more than enough on World War 1 and 2 to understand what is going on.

Read, don't make stupid assumptions, ass.

[Tony @ Feb 4th 2008 6:40PM]

LEAVE MICROSOFT ALONE!!!!!!!!

ALL YOU PEOPLE WANT IS MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE!!!

[Ivan Lin @ Feb 4th 2008 7:15PM]

Zeus.:God
Zeus.:God @ Feb 4th 2008 11:38AM

"As a matter of fact, I'm Jewish. I find your use of the Swastika highly offensive. I'm going to bitch about it ignorantly because I don't like it."

You blow it God, Zeus, and the funny thing is that you still don't know why so many peoples think you are ass.

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 4th 2008 7:39PM]

I was making a point through sarcasm, dipshit, and if you think I care what people think about me over the internet, then you must have no life. You can think I'm an ass all you want. I don't care. It doesn't change the fact that you guys are being ignorant and blowing this out of proportion, when there was nothing offensive about it.

Its like people are TRYING to be offended nowadays.