Microsoft isn’t happy with the Xbox One’s Japan launch

Microsoft is apparently unhappy with the Xbox One’s slow launch in Japan. The console, which has sold just over 30,000 (Last week it sold a minor 1314 units, tipping it just over the 30,000 total) units in the country after the 3 week mark, has sold less than half of what the Xbox 360 sold during the first weekend of its release.

To add some perspective to these sales figures, Xbox 360 managed to sell 62,135 units during its first 2 days and the original Xbox managed a staggering 123,000 in just three days back in 2002.

This news is pretty strange considering how well Microsoft’s TGS booth was attended - the problem is converting this initial interest into actual sales. Takashi Sensui, the Xbox Japan boss, told Famitsu (according to Kotaku), “It’s not as though we’re satisfied with the current sales state. We hope to continue through taking user feedback and improving [the Xbox One] and offering content that everyone can enjoy. We are also aware that reaching out to let more people know about the Xbox One is vital.”

Despite the initially slow pace in sales, Microsoft remains hopeful that the console will do better over time, the length of this time, however, is unknown.

“The current console generation has become very long. We hope to lay out a long-term vision and to focus on publicity for our consolem. Taking the first step was very important, and as for how to permeate the market from here, we hope to continue to do our best.” he concluded.

The question is, why are people in Japan uninterested in home consoles? The answer to this is most likely Japan’s avid interest in portable gaming. That said, the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo’s Wii U are still outselling the Xbox One by a massive margin - 2:1 for Ps4 and 8:1 for the Wii U. If Microsoft has a trump card hidden up their sleeve it’s probably about time to play it.

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Oliver Zimmerman

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South-African raised, Dublin-resident. Oli loves games in all their shapes and forms. He particularly loves RPGs. He's also a keen wordsmith, and can often be found not just playing games, but also discussing their rights and wrongs.