X360 Slow start in Japan

Shogoki · Post by **Shogoki** » 2005-12-14 01:44pm

Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:Check out how low Sony's market value is compared to its assets. Yikes! And their ROI is pathetic. Nintendo's isn't exactly rosy, either, though. Enough to keep them afloat, but not what you would really call successful.

They are not that bad (well, actually Sony is just awful, but not Nintendo), Microsoft is just an economic monster (30% profit on revenues is just fucking insane), as much as people may hate them they do know how to run a business.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2005-12-14 02:45pm

As far as I know, the average across all industries is a lot better than Nintendo's 3.3%.

Post by **Kuja** » 2005-12-14 03:02pm

I'm not saying X360 is teh uber great, I'm saying it's next-gen, it's here and it's now.

Whoop-dee-fucking-doo. Why should I give a flying fuck that "OMFG T3H 360 IZ OUT AND IZ UB3Rl33T?" Only fanboys use that kind of logic. Why pay out the wazoo now when in 4-6 months the price'll start dropping to something reasonable?

And I'm not surprised at the lukewarm reception. RPGs and fantasy games tend to dominate the Japanese market. Seriously, does anyone really expect "Tony Hawk's American Wasteland" or Madden '06 to do anything in Japan? 360's starting lineup is virtually all shooters, racers, and sports. Of course it's going to fail in Japan.

Silver Paladin · Post by **Silver Paladin** » 2005-12-14 04:00pm

Kuja wrote:Whoop-dee-fucking-doo. Why should I give a flying fuck that "OMFG T3H 360 IZ OUT AND IZ UB3Rl33T?" Only fanboys use that kind of logic. Why pay out the wazoo now when in 4-6 months the price'll start dropping to something reasonable?

Not really. Hobbyists use that kind of logic as well. What's the difference between spending a ton of money on high end AV gear, fast cars, Game Workshop figurines or videogames? Nothing.

I'm picking it up, just because it's a new console. I'm not a fanboy; I did the same for the PSP and DS, and I will do the same for the PS3 and the Rev.

Besides, in the grand scheme of things paying $299 or $399 once every 5 years is nothing. I spend more on games than I do on consoles, which is the main reason I switched to www.gamefly.com instead of buying games.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2005-12-14 04:41pm

GuppyShark wrote:As if it matters how well the console does in Japan... There are like, three Japanese game studios with any sort of Western pulling power.

Well, I'm not really a console gamer, even if I do have a few DOA3 titles under my belt. Is it just part of console culture that your console of choice must be liked by people who happen to live in Japan?

It rather matters because it's the second largest console market in the world. If you can't make a dent there, you're not being a very successful player in the console business.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2005-12-14 04:42pm

wautd wrote:One of the reasons I heared was like "I wait at the PS3 because when it comes out a few months later, the technology will be better and further ahead by then"

I hate fanboys but between the big 3, Sony fanboys are not only the most annoying, they also seem a lot more stupid

Why thank you. I wanted to be called stupid.

It boils down to one thing, gentlemen... What Games Are Available. Am I gonna play the games that are coming out for Xbox? No? then I'm saving my money for another system that I know will not only have games I'll be interesting in, but also play the games I already have.

Shogoki · Post by **Shogoki** » 2005-12-14 05:33pm

LadyTevar wrote: Why thank you. I wanted to be called stupid.

Does that mean you consider yourself a sony fanboy? Do you realize the generally accepted definition for fanboys pretty much refers to wankers who eat every piece of propaganda the company they worship spouts out like it's blessed semen coming out of the gentle giant's penis? If that's not how you think then you dont really qualify as a fanboy and shouldn't take offense.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2005-12-14 06:18pm

Shogoki wrote:
LadyTevar wrote: Why thank you. I wanted to be called stupid.
Does that mean you consider yourself a sony fanboy? Do you realize the generally accepted definition for fanboys pretty much refers to wankers who eat every piece of propaganda the company they worship spouts out like it's blessed semen coming out of the gentle giant's penis? If that's not how you think then you dont really qualify as a fanboy and shouldn't take offense.

Given the statement he used to identify the fanboys('The PS3 will have superior hardware') is one used by more than just this relatively small sub-section, wautd was being.. Hrm... A dumbass.

The simple fact is that the PS3 was going to launch with given specs.. Then Sony took a long look at the X-Box and decided to liquify the specs and go back to formula. A completely logical choice, and one which leaves the tech question up in the air. But of course, the 360 fanboys.. Of which you'll find more here than Sony ones, trust me.. Continue to use the old specs when we know something will change. The more sensible posters have adopted the traditional 'wait and see' approach.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2005-12-14 06:19pm

Shogoki wrote:
LadyTevar wrote: Why thank you. I wanted to be called stupid.
Does that mean you consider yourself a sony fanboy? Do you realize the generally accepted definition for fanboys pretty much refers to wankers who eat every piece of propaganda the company they worship spouts out like it's blessed semen coming out of the gentle giant's penis? If that's not how you think then you dont really qualify as a fanboy and shouldn't take offense.

To me it seemed that he was defining 'fanboy' as someone who wasn't even going to give the 360 a chance to prove itself because they're waiting for the PS3 which by all things I've seen is going to be the better console, with more games available at release as well as a wider selection of game genres.

Personally, I don't see any of the 360's available games playing to the Female Gamer. Microsoft seems to want the Fratboys and HighSchool Jocks, not the rare but dedicated College Ladies (and older) who prefer games like Myst, FinalFantasy, SIMs, etc.

And, if you think about it for a moment, Female Gamers in the US are asking for the same games that are the biggest hits in Japan.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2005-12-14 07:19pm

Shogoki wrote: They are not that bad (well, actually Sony is just awful, but not Nintendo), Microsoft is just an economic monster (30% profit on revenues is just fucking insane), as much as people may hate them they do know how to run a business.

Anyone could have that sort of result of they created a world spanning monopoly in perhaps the fastest growing industry ever.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2005-12-14 07:33pm

Probably doesn't help that Sony has become so large that it's divisions have been known to fight amongst each other... in fact if I remember right, one division effectively sued another Sony division, or something like that.

Ahh, Sony. It's crazy how the different parts of the company are sabotauging each other.

Sony electronics: let's make a digital music player!
Sony music: No, people will pirate our music! Make it so it can only play from specially ripped CDs! I'm sure people will buy more CDs from to use our player rather than get an iPod and listen to whatever they want.

Sony games: We need a storage medium for the PSP
Sony electronics: Use our overpriced, incompatible with anything else cards!
Sony games: OK, as long as you lock the firmware to keep people from copying games. The fact that it will mean no software for the PSP is irrelevant to us.
Sony electronics: Hey, we're moving to a new, smaller format that won't work with the PSP

Sony-Ericson: Hay you guys, we're making phones that can't use the ATRAC format you've been pushing.
Sony music: We're dumping millions into that you assholes!

Sony movies: People are selling products that duplicate our copyrighted works! Stop them, lawyers!
Sony electronics: You mean the ones we got the supreme court to legalize during the 80's?

Sony computers: Buy a Vaio with a DVD-RW and you can edit movies and media anyway you want!
Sony movies: No dont

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2005-12-14 07:38pm

Microsoft seems to want the Fratboys and HighSchool Jocks, not the rare but dedicated College Ladies (and older) who prefer games like Myst, FinalFantasy, SIMs, etc.

Sounds like they're targeting the larger demographic more inclined to buy games more frequently with the initial lineup. Makes sense to me.

GuppyShark · Post by **GuppyShark** » 2005-12-14 10:18pm

SirNitram wrote:It rather matters because it's the second largest console market in the world. If you can't make a dent there, you're not being a very successful player in the console business.

I'm sure it matters a great deal to their shareholders. Why does it matter to us?

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2005-12-14 10:21pm

GuppyShark wrote:
SirNitram wrote:It rather matters because it's the second largest console market in the world. If you can't make a dent there, you're not being a very successful player in the console business.
I'm sure it matters a great deal to their shareholders. Why does it matter to us?

Because some people like to discuss what's going on in the world outside of their own pointed heads, GuppyShark. If you don't give a shit, why are you wasting bandwidth posting here?

GuppyShark · Post by **GuppyShark** » 2005-12-14 10:31pm

SirNitram wrote:Because some people like to discuss what's going on in the world outside of their own pointed heads, GuppyShark. If you don't give a shit, why are you wasting bandwidth posting here?

There's a difference between not giving a shit and wanting to know why others do.

I'll just chalk this one up to the Console Wars, shall I?

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2005-12-14 10:35pm

GuppyShark wrote:
SirNitram wrote:Because some people like to discuss what's going on in the world outside of their own pointed heads, GuppyShark. If you don't give a shit, why are you wasting bandwidth posting here?
There's a difference between not giving a shit and wanting to know why others do.

I'll just chalk this one up to the Console Wars, shall I?

You could chalk it up to people who might own stock in either.

You could chalk it up to people who want to know what the console future is likely to be like(Say, if Microsoft is going to make a habit of only appealing to the Dorm And Frat demographic, why should others get a 360?).

You could chalk it up to a lot of things by thinking.

Or you could act like you are.

wautd · Post by **wautd** » 2005-12-15 02:35am

LadyTevar wrote:
wautd wrote:One of the reasons I heared was like "I wait at the PS3 because when it comes out a few months later, the technology will be better and further ahead by then"

I hate fanboys but between the big 3, Sony fanboys are not only the most annoying, they also seem a lot more stupid
Why thank you. I wanted to be called stupid.

My idea of "fanboyism" came untill quite recently when the Sony PsP vs Nintendo DS came out. Following some forums for a while (and having both systems) I was by far more annoyed by pre-teen Sony fanboys

So you are a 14 year old going like "Sony is cool, Nintendo is for kids LOL!" then? Stupid fanboy

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-12-15 03:17am

I always found XBox fanboys the worst for that very reason.

My general experience with them is "Our system has the best graphics, so your system sucks, and Nintendo is for kids!". Either that or they start worshiping Halo as God.

PSP fanboys seem very similar to XBox fanboys. "Our system has better graphics, so your system sucks and is kiddie!"

PS2 fanboys on the other hand are generally more mild. They have the worst graphics, but they don't mind because they like the games.

wautd · Post by **wautd** » 2005-12-15 03:42am

Praxis wrote:I always found XBox fanboys the worst for that very reason.

You might be right, but because Microsoft doesn't have a handheld on the market, I wouldn't know

Nephtys · Post by **Nephtys** » 2005-12-15 04:19pm

Praxis wrote:I always found XBox fanboys the worst for that very reason.

My general experience with them is "Our system has the best graphics, so your system sucks, and Nintendo is for kids!". Either that or they start worshiping Halo as God.

PSP fanboys seem very similar to XBox fanboys. "Our system has better graphics, so your system sucks and is kiddie!"

PS2 fanboys on the other hand are generally more mild. They have the worst graphics, but they don't mind because they like the games.

The real issue? XBox games are really PC styled games. Take a look at em. I can't think of a single non-action based title. PS2 games vary, including 'Adventure' (I refuse to call them RPGs), action, and extremely weird niche titles. XBox gamers probably tend to be the same mentality as PC FPS players. Competitive and angry. Very, very angry. But it IS true that there is a serious hardware gap between PS2 and Xbox. It affects performance massively, making unbearable frameskips on some of the more complex PS2 games.

PSP meanwhile? Well. Their titles suck miserably. Of all the launch titles, which um. I've acquired (cough) with older firmware, only Wipeout and Metal Gear are fun and I enjoy them. The real treat? Playing dozens of classic of SNES games.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-12-15 04:38pm

Nephtys wrote: PSP meanwhile? Well. Their titles suck miserably. Of all the launch titles, which um. I've acquired (cough) with older firmware, only Wipeout and Metal Gear are fun and I enjoy them. The real treat? Playing dozens of classic of SNES games.

Which can actually be done on the DS with the right equipment

wautd · Post by **wautd** » 2005-12-15 04:39pm

Nephtys wrote:
Praxis wrote:I always found XBox fanboys the worst for that very reason.

My general experience with them is "Our system has the best graphics, so your system sucks, and Nintendo is for kids!". Either that or they start worshiping Halo as God.

PSP fanboys seem very similar to XBox fanboys. "Our system has better graphics, so your system sucks and is kiddie!"

PS2 fanboys on the other hand are generally more mild. They have the worst graphics, but they don't mind because they like the games.

The real treat? Playing dozens of classic of SNES games.

Sad but oh so true.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2005-12-15 04:48pm

wautd wrote:
LadyTevar wrote:
wautd wrote:One of the reasons I heared was like "I wait at the PS3 because when it comes out a few months later, the technology will be better and further ahead by then"

I hate fanboys but between the big 3, Sony fanboys are not only the most annoying, they also seem a lot more stupid
Why thank you. I wanted to be called stupid.
My idea of "fanboyism" came untill quite recently when the Sony PsP vs Nintendo DS came out. Following some forums for a while (and having both systems) I was by far more annoyed by pre-teen Sony fanboys

So you are a 14 year old going like "Sony is cool, Nintendo is for kids LOL!" then? Stupid fanboy

Lord god, I'm old enough to have a 14yr old.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2005-12-15 04:51pm

Praxis wrote:I always found XBox fanboys the worst for that very reason.

My general experience with them is "Our system has the best graphics, so your system sucks, and Nintendo is for kids!". Either that or they start worshiping Halo as God.

PSP fanboys seem very similar to XBox fanboys. "Our system has better graphics, so your system sucks and is kiddie!"

PS2 fanboys on the other hand are generally more mild. They have the worst graphics, but they don't mind because they like the games.

::proudly wears the PS2 label::
And the graphics aren't 'the worst', they're pretty damn good if you've looked at FinalFantasyX or FFX-2. The cutscenes are damn near movie quality, and that's from a .... what? 4? 5yr old system? And it's still good enough that they're still making Great Games for it!

Silver Paladin · Post by **Silver Paladin** » 2005-12-15 05:28pm

LadyTevar wrote:And the graphics aren't 'the worst', they're pretty damn good if you've looked at FinalFantasyX or FFX-2. The cutscenes are damn near movie quality, and that's from a .... what? 4? 5yr old system? And it's still good enough that they're still making Great Games for it!

The cutscenes you mentioned are pre-rendered, so it's just like playing a MPEG or something like that on your computer. The hardware's "power" really has no bearing on the quality of said cutscene. All the processor intensive calculations were already done on a render farm and you're just getting the end product of said work.

Now if they were rendered real time, that would be something different.