Xbox One launch didn't ignite Japan, just 23K consoles sold
Xbox failed to make Japan the land of the rising One by a long stretch, with Microsoft's latest console mustering just 23,562 units sold in its opening week. The figures, recorded by Famitsu from Thursday, September 4 to Sunday, September 7, fall well behind the two-day 62,135 sold by the Xbox 360 nearly a decade ago. Three years prior, the original Xbox sold 123,929 units in its opening weekend, more than five times the Xbox One's numbers.
The sales figures are even more unflattering when compared to the more recent launches of the PS4 and Wii U. Sony's console shifted 322,000 units during its first two days in Japan, and the Wii U's launch weekend reaped 308,000 sales back in 2012. According to Famitsu, the PS2 enjoyed the best ever launch in Japan with 630,552 sales across its opening weekend.
In terms of software numbers, the Titanfall bundle helped Repsawn's shooter notch 22,416 sales, while Kinect Sports Rivals and Dead Rising 3 came in at 14,191 and 7,330 units
It's a dismal return for the Xbox One, but not a hugely surprising one given the Xbox 360's struggles in the country, not to mention launching seven months after the PS4 and nearly two years after the Wii U. As Inside Games shows, Microsoft did try to raise excitement for the Xbox One with a launch event last Thursday, but that didn't stop photos of empty queue lines emerging around midnight.
Back in 2013, Microsoft Japan CEO Yasuyuki Higuchi said bringing the Xbox One to his country would be a tough prospect because of the system's image as a living room hub.
Speaking to 4Gamer (via Edge), Higuchi said the console "is geared toward a western lifestyle, and we're looking at whether or not to launch it 'as is' in Japan. We're still figuring out how to deal with things like music and video services in each country. To be honest, [releasing it in Japan] as is would be difficult."
While Japan's figures aren't likely to boost the overall count hugely, Microsoft's console is up 5 million shipped as of April 2014, after selling more than a million units in its opening 24 hours in the West.
[Image: Microsoft]
