Microsoft's "What's wrong with u" 360 Asia campaig

[SirNitram]

I'm fine with Sony getting their asses handed to them on platters by 'dead' Nintendo and 'Frat Boy' Microsoft. It will make them wake up and not be so goddamn stupid, frankly. If it makes Square-Enix transfer the main line of FF's off of the PS3 and onto the Wii, I will do the happy dance. Tickets will be sold.

Microsoft has itself in a bad position in Japan; it's first platform was nearly devoid of Japanese-popular genres, so Word Of Mouth is out. Their launch library was anemic, another strike. Now that it has a larger library, with a few genres which will appeal to the local market, it now has to face the home-team favourite, Nintendo, which has focused on the type of games that are very popular there. The price difference, word of mouth on the fun of the Wii, and so forth are a new set of obstacles. And now they're stabbed themselves in the leg with this insulting marketing ploy.

And what's the X-Box lover's reply? Nationalism. Fanboyism. I've been noticing this reaction whenever someone isn't a fan of either X-Box, since Microsoft first tried to muscle their way in. I don't know if the X-Box attracts more of these folks than the other camps(I wouldn't say it's unlikely; Microsoft has specifically targetted 'hardcore gamers' and the frat boy demographic, neither known for their 'each to their own' views), or if they're just louder, but.

[Vendetta]

I'm fine with Sony getting their asses handed to them on platters by 'dead' Nintendo and 'Frat Boy' Microsoft. It will make them wake up and not be so goddamn stupid, frankly. If it makes Square-Enix transfer the main line of FF's off of the PS3 and onto the Wii, I will do the happy dance. Tickets will be sold.

I don't think they will be able to do that and keep the Final Fantasy ethic of high production value cinematic entertainment. If it were ever at a point where the company's fortunes depended on it, they might, but whilst they can release Dragon Quest on the DS and DQ:Swords on the Wii their cash cow is safe, and they can continue to place Final Fantasy as the biggest and shiniest RPG around.

It will, however, be interesting to see what they do with the Unreal 3 engine, as that would make multiplatform future development a lot easier. (but not for the Wii, as there are no plans to port it there).

[SirNitram]

I'm fine with Sony getting their asses handed to them on platters by 'dead' Nintendo and 'Frat Boy' Microsoft. It will make them wake up and not be so goddamn stupid, frankly. If it makes Square-Enix transfer the main line of FF's off of the PS3 and onto the Wii, I will do the happy dance. Tickets will be sold.

I don't think they will be able to do that and keep the Final Fantasy ethic of high production value cinematic entertainment. If it were ever at a point where the company's fortunes depended on it, they might, but whilst they can release Dragon Quest on the DS and DQ:Swords on the Wii their cash cow is safe, and they can continue to place Final Fantasy as the biggest and shiniest RPG around.

It will, however, be interesting to see what they do with the Unreal 3 engine, as that would make multiplatform future development a lot easier. (but not for the Wii, as there are no plans to port it there).

Interestingly, a sequel to 12 is rumoured to be going on the DS. So I wonder about their ethic of shiny.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings is more than a rumour, and will definitely be on the DS.

[phongn]

Interestingly, a sequel to 12 is rumoured to be going on the DS. So I wonder about their ethic of shiny.

Yeah, but it isn't in the "mainline" series either.

[Shogoki]

I don't think they will be able to do that and keep the Final Fantasy ethic of high production value cinematic entertainment. If it were ever at a point where the company's fortunes depended on it, they might, but whilst they can release Dragon Quest on the DS and DQ:Swords on the Wii their cash cow is safe, and they can continue to place Final Fantasy as the biggest and shiniest RPG around.

The problem with this is that Final Fantasy is not their biggest franchise in Asia, Final Fantasy is what they play in between Dragon Quest releases, and that has already changed platforms.

[Medic]

I'd say this is too little too late. With the Wii now out and the PS3 still hoping to make a go of things, the Xbox family is simply going to have to radicalise its movement in Japan, or admit it will always be a small niche market.

If they had full support back in 2001 and better advertising of that fact, they'd likely not be looking at so many unsold units over in the Far East. The console has broken records in certain nations that were held by the impressive PS2 (Australia for instance), though, again, they're more into Western gaming which is the hurdle that is keeping MS back from a good cut of that Japanese pie.

You say too little too late which is the same product of my own train of thought which echoes MuffinKing's.

The X360 didn't JUST have to prove it was worth buying now, for the Japanese. And 6 launch titles for their region was a disaster. But MORE than just that they had to persuade consumers it WASN'T worth waiting for a PS3. Although MANY of the same criticism made of the X360 launch can ALSO be said of the PS3 launch**, the Sony system didn't have to be stellar since it didn't have the legacy of a Saturn or X-Box.

And I certainly wouldn't call this stellar; notice that even those WITH the Japanese flag are often not region specific either. The PS3 does have the MGS3 ace up their sleeve but their library isn't especially impressive. If not for the fact that X360 wasn't good enough, fast enough and that it's predecessor was an abject failure, then it might be different. It may now release some titles but the competition is so stiff and the market that EITHER the PS3 or X360 are vying for in Japan pales in comparison to the Wii.

**

Now look at the Japanese Xbox 360 launch lineup. First person Shooters, sports and car games. Games that sell really well in America but other than the car games are not to the Japanese taste. // No way he could have predicted PS3 would do the same. Whatever else can be made of Resistance: Fall of Man and Ridge Racer 7? Oh and a Gundam game that runs at 30 fps, has a draw distance of about a few hundred meters or so and actually gets WORSE during combat.

Had they launched with RPGs, simulation games, party games, gambling games and fighters, they might have done a whole lot better. McDonalds changed their company for the Japanese taste. Microsoft tried to change the Japanese taste for their company. //Sony failed here as well with the PS3

There's not much else to be said of the Japanese market; both systems are doing much better in America at least. This really surprised me though. There's still not a lot of substance to it's library and the loss of exclusives still seems like a risk. And the 1 million mark for Japan was reached 2 weeks LATE for the PS3. They're also pulling out all the stops.

Basically (ignoring the runaway Wii) the X360 in Japan is kinda to the Colts how Sony's incompetence is to Rex Grossman. If the X360 ever amounts to anything in Japan, then Sony will be the MVP of that comeback.

[RIPP_n_WIPE]

Well I actually feel sad for sony. Not only are the PS3s not selling well outside of japan, but they lose mony on them (Somewhere in the $80 dollar range) while microsoft actually profits ($53 dollars I believe) though the Wii actually makes a substantial profit (+$100 depending on where sold). I've seen it at wal-mart and I've not really been encouraged to play or try since they

A)Don't have the damn controllers out to try nor do they let you use them if you ask (same goes for every place I've seen them sold).
B)There isn't enough blood splattering and death and killing in their games so far. If I went out to get one, it'd be only for specific games (Smash Bros, Metroid, the classics essentially).
C) When I have gotten to play (game con) I found I really hated the controller. I like having the damn thing in my hand and only moving parts of my hand not twitching my wrists around like a heroin addict (they exaggerate the movements on the commercials) while the idiot next to me thinks he's "0mFG1337!!!" and swings his arms around.

[Ritterin Sophia]

No way he could have predicted PS3 would do the same. Whatever else can be made of Resistance: Fall of Man and Ridge Racer 7? Oh and a Gundam game that runs at 30 fps, has a draw distance of about a few hundred meters or so and actually gets WORSE during combat.[/color]

Actually, I think Microsoft may be getting a nice chunk of Gundam Fans if MSG: Operation Troy/Mobile Ops does as well as it looks, I believe it's the first Gundam Game since Blue Destiny that gives you a cockpit view and Battlefield 2 based games have done really well, at least in America. It's giving Gundam fans two things we're lucky to see once a series, Person Vs Person, and people armed with Anti-MS Missiles fighting MS.

[VF5SS]

Actually, I think Microsoft may be getting a nice chunk of Gundam Fans if MSG: Operation Troy/Mobile Ops does as well as it looks, I believe it's the first Gundam Game since Blue Destiny that gives you a cockpit view and Battlefield 2 based games have done really well, at least in America. It's giving Gundam fans two things we're lucky to see once a series, Person Vs Person, and people armed with Anti-MS Missiles fighting MS.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Rise from the Ashes for Dreamcast also featured an in cockpit view. I honestly hope Mobile Ops is a failure. I hate it when game developers arbitrarily decide that Mobile Suits are supposed to be slow, clunky, and no fun to pilot. I'd be all over a game that even attempts to capture the high speed action of the Gundam: Blue Destiny trilogy.

[General Zod]

A)Don't have the damn controllers out to try nor do they let you use them if you ask (same goes for every place I've seen them sold).

When there's a way to make stealing the Wii controllers difficult I would imagine they'd start putting them on the demos.

B)There isn't enough blood splattering and death and killing in their games so far. If I went out to get one, it'd be only for specific games (Smash Bros, Metroid, the classics essentially).

Fortunately most of the gaming market is more concerned about playability and fun then something incredibly minor and silly like gore.

C) When I have gotten to play (game con) I found I really hated the controller. I like having the damn thing in my hand and only moving parts of my hand not twitching my wrists around like a heroin addict (they exaggerate the movements on the commercials) while the idiot next to me thinks he's "0mFG1337!!!" and swings his arms around.

Heaven forbid people actually have fun while they're playing the games. Considering the amount of people who jerk their standardized PS controllers around and weave them in all kinds of wild directions, I don't see how you're surprised at this. Shit, I remember people doing this with the original NES controllers.

[Sephirius]

Incidentally, Japan has registered a great big "meh" over the PS3 as well, and it's only one place above the 360 in the weekly hardware sales charts (5th and 6th respectively), and is shifting less software units weekly as well.

Of course, launching against the "Holy shit it does what with the controller" Wii at twice the price was a pretty much guaranteed way to get a total shoeing. They should have launched worldwide in March, rather than just in Europe, with the scaler issues and HDMI sound issues (reported by Toms Hardware at least) sorted out and a volume of product manufactured.

X360 is still doing worse than the PS3 in Japan?!

If true, who the fuck is still gonna argue for the Japanese consumers not being biased? Based on what? The PS3 is the demonstrable failure yet it's still outpacing the X360 in Japan. It could be by 1000 units, not an object.

The games are more numerous, the system cheaper, the online community and installed base HUGE, (over here at least; I freely admit I'm not armed with the knowledge of how the ping times and actual game playability would be effected. If it's a losing argument then it's just one less point)

Why ever else it's failed in Japan isn't because it's the worst of ALL 3. (if I were Japanese, I'd go for the Wii too, but if I wanted hi-def graphics, I ... can't... reason... for ... the ... PS3)

Someone, please, enlighten me.

edit: I can think of one possible solution thanks to DSY in the chat that doesn't unnecessarily invoke bias.
1. REASONABLE consumers go for the Wii. I'm sure everyone agrees with that.
2. Sony, however bad it may be, in Japan, DOES HAVE A LOYAL FANBOY BASE, and that's what's keeping it above X360.
3. Xbox failed miserably once before, so most people go back to rule 1
4. there isn't a significantly large market specifically revolving around a desire for graphics. Those though that aren't necessarily thinking around a brand but want 1st class graphics, which I realize is small, are the blithering idiots.

As soon as PS3 gets the big guns out, 360's gonna get hammered in Japan (FFXIII)

[ray245]

Wait...since when did Japan represent the WHOLE of ASIA? Come on, here in singapore,very little people EVEN heard of Wii, let alone see one. I tried finding shops that have that console, no luck so far.

So can you stop saying Wii is doing well in ASIA and just say Japan? By the way, X-Box is much popular here, mainly because blue-ray disc is almost none-existance here, unless anyone want to import.

Furthermore, the console that is well marketed here is the X-Box 360, as I can see the console on almost every electronic shops(except for sony shops).

I don't see that many PS3 here by the way.

[Ritterin Sophia]

I honestly hope Mobile Ops is a failure. I hate it when game developers arbitrarily decide that Mobile Suits are supposed to be slow, clunky, and no fun to pilot. I'd be all over a game that even attempts to capture the high speed action of the Gundam: Blue Destiny trilogy.

Well to be fair, OYW MS haven't been shown to be very agile on the ground, excluding the Mudrock, Doms, and GM-GS. This game is probably gonna be focused on the J/JC-Type Zaku II's MP Ground-Type Gundams and Ground-Type GMs, which aren't really designed for the high-speed maneuvers General Purpose or Space-Combat MS are built to attain in space.

[VF5SS]

０８th　MS Team is nothing but a pack of lies! The original Mobile Suit Gundam showed MS making　all kinds of cool maneuvers, like jumping, lunging, dodging, etc. Even the Guncannon could bust a move.

[Ypoknons]

The Wii was talked about in Hong Kong, but it wasn't exactly the same buzz that it had over here.

[Stark]

B)There isn't enough blood splattering and death and killing in their games so far. If I went out to get one, it'd be only for specific games (Smash Bros, Metroid, the classics essentially).

QUICK TAKE THIS GUY SERIOUSLY!

[Vendetta]

Gallons of blood improve every game.

Imagine the fun you could have with Super Mario Bros if squashing a Goomba was rendered in every realistic detail!

[VF5SS]

Gallons of blood improve every game.

Imagine the fun you could have with Super Mario Bros if squashing a Goomba was rendered in every realistic detail!

Certainly improves every Worms game.

[Stark]

Certainly improves every Worms game.

Every Worms game = every game! Huzzah!

[Vympel]

And what's the X-Box lover's reply? Nationalism. Fanboyism. I've been noticing this reaction whenever someone isn't a fan of either X-Box, since Microsoft first tried to muscle their way in. I don't know if the X-Box attracts more of these folks than the other camps(I wouldn't say it's unlikely; Microsoft has specifically targetted 'hardcore gamers' and the frat boy demographic, neither known for their 'each to their own' views), or if they're just louder, but.

I still think anyone beholden to a specific system like it's their local sports team, as if they have a stake in its success, is mentally ill. The Gamecube sucked, yet people insist it made a profit (in Japan) as some sort of "rebuttal" to the fact that it sucked (ie. shitty games selection, no online functionality [compare to Xbox] because of lack of interest/ proliferation). As if they're Nintendo shareholders or something.

You'll see the same thing with PS3s if it fails (I personally think reports of its failure are vastly overstated)- Sony fanboys will pull out obscure facts from everywhere that mean nothing to them as gamers to prove that it did well.

[VF5SS]

Certainly improves every Worms game.

Every Worms game = every game! Huzzah! :)

You're damn right. If every game included random acts of violence involving sheep, moles, holy hand grenades, and grandmothers then I think the world would be a better place.

[Mobius]

well i have a real proof of the failure of the 360 in japan:
i bought my NTSC/J console on the 31/01/2007 at the yodombashi camera, here i look the manufacturing date 25/11/2005: it's pretty much a launch unit...

[Stark]

You're damn right. If every game included random acts of violence involving sheep, moles, holy hand grenades, and grandmothers then I think the world would be a better place.

The Worms games were neat, but the concept and philosophy isn't very applicable to Guitar Hero or Animal Crossing.

Or *IS* it?

[Vendetta]

The Worms games were neat, but the concept and philosophy isn't very applicable to Guitar Hero or Animal Crossing.

Or *IS* it?

http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=169