Okay, the XBOX 360 launched in Japan to a tepid reception. Only about 40% of the initial shipment has sold so far. That’s a bloody shame, but not unexpected, really.
You might ask why the Japanese seem to shun the console we’re adoring. One of the answers is, of course, loyalty. Just the same way we constantly trumpet how people should buy products made in the USA, the Japanese tend to be extremely loyal consumers. This means that they’re more likely to buy from a Japanese corporation, like Sony. That’s right, the kids in Tokyo are itching for the release of the PlayStation 3, and the most Microsoft can hope for is gaining a small measure of the market share in the time it takes Sony to get their own next-gen console to market.
This Asian surplus is reflected in the decided cooling of XBOX 360 auctions on eBay. A Premium Console purchased for $399 (plus applicable taxes) on launch day (November 22) was able to sell on November 23rd for $2000 or more. This overheated demand extended to things like the Core System and hard drive as well. Core Systems valued at $299 were going for $1000, while hard drives were selling for $175, up from their list of $100.
Now there is barely a $150 markup on the Premium console, and a seller is lucky to get a $50 profit for their Core. In a funny twist, I saw an auction where the seller apparently lost $9 on the hard drive.
I am guessing there are a few late-comers who bought a bunch of consoles hoping to make a huge profit. And maybe now they are hurting. I say good! Similarly, there are buyers who paid outrageous prices and are now seeing their ‘investment’ devalued right before their eyes. Hell, even cars depreciate more slowly.
I laugh at them all while enjoying my xbox 360, for which I paid no horrendous markup. Yes yes, I bought the hard drive separately, but I only paid retail. In the end, I still spent less than a lot of the suckers out there. And they are suckers. I love my 360, but I wouldn’t have ever paid $2000 for it. Now there’s a glut in the market as Microsoft decides to redeploy future Asian shipments to the States… and everyone can have one.
And a happy time was had by all the villagers.
Apparently Japanese loyalty doesn’t apply to Apple products?
Also, I think the poor reception probably has more to do with the fact that no great games launched with the 360 in Japan. I think a total of 6 games launched there… No DOA 4… No great RPG. No reason for them to buy a 360 (one figure I saw had them selling 0.9 games per 360 sold).
We shall see how the sales fair when DOA 4 ships, as well as some of the games being developed by Japanese developers. I suspect it will pick-up a bit.
Also, how does the Asian surplus affect sales of North American XBox 360s exactly? Its not like it affects the supply here at all. I don’t think MS can re-deploy Japanese 360s (the rest of Asia has yet to see any, and won’t until it launches in Asia sometime in March), but could possibly reduce future production of Japanese XBox 360s in favor of boosting production of North American and European 360s.
That was my point. Microsoft is rumoered to be thinking about not shipping any more to Japan until the supply crunch is gone here. I don;t know if this theory is accurate or not.
Also, yes, Apple is the Wunderkind on every continent.
Oh, you said re-deploy… so I thought you meant… re-deploy.