Question regarding Japanese gamers/developers and the XBOX systems

[Riggswolfe]

Two questions really:

Why do they mostly avoid the XBOX systems?
And why, except for Enchanted Arms, do not many JRPGs go to the Xbox and 360?

[Murgos]

Why do they mostly avoid the XBOX systems?

Even with all the changes in Japanese culture they are still an inherently prejudiced people.

[Riggswolfe]

Why do they mostly avoid the XBOX systems?

Even with all the changes in Japanese culture they are still an inherently prejudiced people.

So it really is as simple as Sony and Nintendo are Japanese companies so they go with them?

[Roac]

Two questions really:

Why do they mostly avoid the XBOX systems?
And why, except for Enchanted Arms, do not many JRPGs go to the Xbox and 360?

One reason cited is because the XBOX is the size of a small child, compared to the smaller PS2 and GC (even more so after the "slim" PS2 came out).  Another is certainly because of the branding, in the same way that people in the states like "Made in the USA" stamps on things, or Ford over Nissan for no particular reason except country of origin. 

[Trippy]

Why do they mostly avoid the XBOX systems?

Even with all the changes in Japanese culture they are still an inherently prejudiced people.

Which explains why the iPod and iTunes dominate the music player/download market in Japan.

[Margalis]

It has nothing to do with prejudice.

The original XBox was too big. This is an issue at a place where space is at a premium.
The controller was too large.
Most of the launch games and major games are in genres the Japanese don't care about. Halo? Nobody cares.
Nintendo and Sony have more direct and indirect contact with devs in Japan.
Nintendo and Sony have more reps, technical people, etc, that speak Japanese.
Chicken and egg problem - Japanese consumers won't buy it, so Japanese devs don't make games for it.

Look at the big games for 360 so far. Madden Football? Zero interest in Japan. Call of Duty? Again zero interest in Japan.

[Big Gulp]

The original XBox was too big. This is an issue at a place where space is at a premium.

I get soo damned tired of hearing this.  Japanese people may have smaller living spaces than we do, but they don't live in a fucking Cracker Jack box.  The original PS2 before it got slimmed was roughly the same size as either the XBox or the 360.  This argument is bullshit.

[Trippy]

The original XBox was too big. This is an issue at a place where space is at a premium.

I get soo damned tired of hearing this.  Japanese people may have smaller living spaces than we do, but they don't live in a fucking Cracker Jack box.  The original PS2 before it got slimmed was roughly the same size as either the XBox or the 360.  This argument is bullshit.

The original PS2 is half the volume of the Xbox.

[Yegolev]

The original PS2 before it got slimmed was roughly the same size as either the XBox or the 360.  This argument is bullshit.

Excuse me?  You should put them next to each other and look again.  The Xbox is enormous.  Enormous!  The original controller was too fucking big for me, and I'm a pureblood American.  Put that fucker next to a GC controller  or DualShock and rub thine eyes in disbelief.

Also, when you turn it on, the Xbox goes "BEEYOWW-YOWW... BEEDEEBOOP".  No one likes that shit.  PS2 and GC?  Soothing ocean noises or ambient electronic music.

[Big Gulp]

Excuse me?  You should put them next to each other and look again.  The Xbox is enormous.  Enormous!  The original controller was too fucking big for me, and I'm a pureblood American.  Put that fucker next to a GC controller  or DualShock and rub thine eyes in disbelief.

The controller I'll give you.  The original was enormous and poorly built from just a purely ergonomic point of view.  The console itself, though, wasn't some black obelisk.  People make it sound as though the average Japanese consumer would have had to decide between either their fridge or their XBox because of the lack of space in their tiny little coffin-apartments.

[Fabricated]

Excuse me?  You should put them next to each other and look again.  The Xbox is enormous.  Enormous!  The original controller was too fucking big for me, and I'm a pureblood American.  Put that fucker next to a GC controller  or DualShock and rub thine eyes in disbelief.

The controller I'll give you.  The original was enormous and poorly built from just a purely ergonomic point of view.  The console itself, though, wasn't some black obelisk.  People make it sound as though the average Japanese consumer would have had to decide between either their fridge or their XBox because of the lack of space in their tiny little coffin-apartments.

Do you honestly have any idea how small most Japanese apartments are?

[Margalis]

Also the PS2 could be turned on the side and had a flat top surface. The XBox was not stackable, it had an akward shape. And aesthetically it just looks very ugly compared to Japanese electronics.

It's not like it wouldn't physically fit through the door of a Japanese apartment, but it was unweildy.

[Strazos]

The footprints of both systems were fairly similar though.

And who stacks electronics on consoles. Seriously.

But I can accept the stuff about reps and linguistics.

[Triforcer]

Excuse me?  You should put them next to each other and look again.  The Xbox is enormous.  Enormous!  The original controller was too fucking big for me, and I'm a pureblood American.  Put that fucker next to a GC controller  or DualShock and rub thine eyes in disbelief.

The controller I'll give you.  The original was enormous and poorly built from just a purely ergonomic point of view.  The console itself, though, wasn't some black obelisk.  People make it sound as though the average Japanese consumer would have had to decide between either their fridge or their XBox because of the lack of space in their tiny little coffin-apartments.

Do you honestly have any idea how small most Japanese apartments are?

To build on fabricated's point, my girlfriend is japanese- her parents are pretty well off and have a huge fucking place in Australia (indoor pool and the like) and a TINY TINY two bedroom apartment in Tokyo.  So yes, having random car engines/baby elephants/XBoxes around can be a problem.

[Trippy]

The footprints of both systems were fairly similar though.

The footprint of the Xbox is 60% larger than the big PS2, with most of it (3.5 inches) coming from the extra depth. I can easily see there being an issue with the Xbox sticking out of a "slim" AV stand designed to fit an LCD/DLP/slim TV. Heck it wouldn't even fit in my American-sized bookcase that has a depth of 11" that's next to my TV. The Xbox is 10.5" inches deep but my Monster cable AV connector adds over 3 inches to that depth (the MS-issued connector doesn't stick out quite so much). I suppose if somebody made a funky right angle connector I could've made it fit (though there's still the power connector to contend with) or I could've stuck it on a board/platform to allow it to stick out without slanting downwards (bad for DVD player) but then there's the risk of flipping it off the shelf by accidentally pushing downwards on the end that's sticking out.

[Strazos]

Hmm...I'd have to look at them side-by-side again (I haven't done That for a few years), but that's just the image I have in my head; Obviously, the Xbox is far larger.

[Trippy]

Hmm...I'd have to look at them side-by-side again (I haven't done That for a few years), but that's just the image I have in my head; Obviously, the Xbox is far larger.

Looking at them from the front it's not so extreme. The Xbox is about 3/4" wider and one inch taller.

[Sky]

Two questions really:

Why do they mostly avoid the XBOX systems?
And why, except for Enchanted Arms, do not many JRPGs go to the Xbox and 360?

Because sometimes, just sometimes, the world is beautiful.

[Murgos]

Why do they mostly avoid the XBOX systems?

Even with all the changes in Japanese culture they are still an inherently prejudiced people.

Which explains why the iPod and iTunes dominate the music player/download market in Japan.

I never said anything about the Japanese not being heavily influenced by trends.

[Yegolev]

You might notice that an iPod is small, useful, well-designed and sexy.  The Xbox is not sexy, it's Xtreme like snowboarding or Poochy.  To the max!

[Murgos]

You might also notice that the to the Japanese point of view most things American are large, awkward and clumsy.  This is what we call a prejudice.

There is no functional reason for the xbox to have not sold well in Japan, a footprint an inch or so larger in each dimension is not an unsurmountable obstacle to enjoyment of a video game.

[Big Gulp]

You might also notice that the to the Japanese point of view most things American are large, awkward and clumsy.  This is what we call a prejudice.

I'll take large, awkward, and clumsy over androgynous man/boys, tentacle rape, and an obsession with cuteness (Pikachu, Hello Kitty) so saccharine that it'd send Willy Wonka into a diabetic coma.

Of course, I'm prejudiced too.  I cannot fathom some people's love of anime or modern Japanese culture at all.

[Margalis]

You might also notice that the to the Japanese point of view most things American are large, awkward and clumsy.  This is what we call a prejudice.

There is no functional reason for the xbox to have not sold well in Japan, a footprint an inch or so larger in each dimension is not an unsurmountable obstacle to enjoyment of a video game.

That's because most American things ARE large, awkward and clumsy in Japan. The cars are smaller, the meals are smaller, "small" is a starbucks size, etc. That's not prejudice, that's reality.

There is no functional reason the xbox didn't sell well? How about games that nobody in Japan gives a shit about. There is no functional reason that the Neo Geo Pocket Color didn't sell well here, right? Chalk that one up to prejudice!

The XBox will sell in Japan when people make games for it that Japanese gamers care about. Halo ain't it.

[Morfiend]

Of course, I'm prejudiced too.  I cannot fathom some people's love of anime or modern Japanese culture at all.

I dont know much about modern Japanese culture, but I totally agree with the being unable to fathom some people extreme love of anime.

My girlfriend goes to art school (she wants to do branding and CG) and she said the anime kids at her school are all wierd as hell and very conceted to any one who doesnt like anime.

[Strazos]

One big reason for Anime appeal is simply that it's different from the stuff you get on TV in the US. Just a thought.

[Jain Zar]

Yeah.  That's why I liked it.   Because it was different and cool. 
But then I grew up and mass marketed shit to kids, teens, and deviant basement dwellers stopped appealing to me on any level and I lost my patience for their quirks.

It has just as much likelihood of sucking ass as a western entertainment product does.

The anime scum just haven't learned it yet.

And it cannot be taught.  Mockery solves nothing, just look at those Furries.  Harassment for education, information, or because its just fucking hilarious when they cry has not turned them from their yiffy ways.

They must learn that what they loved too much, took too seriously, and made a giant jackass out of themselves doing in their youth isn't all that and a bag of chips.

Only then can enlightenment be found.

Oh yeah.  Why the Japanese won't buy an X Box.  All the reasons listed.  However when the moronically overpriced PS3 comes out they will happily shovel money towards it even when it will be just as big as the X Box was.  And will probably be heavier in western styled games since its expensive to make software for and we buy more games than they do now anyways.

[Riggswolfe]

I pray that Enchanted Arms is the sign of a change in Xbox 360 software. Hell, I bought it simply to encourage more jrpgs to come to the Xbox 360. I had considered getting a PS3 mostly based on how well supported the PS2 is in RPGs but honestly, between the price and the issues that Sony is admitting (which leads me to believe there are worse issues they are keeping quiet about) I have zero faith in the PS3 at this point.

[HaemishM]

People make it sound as though the average Japanese consumer would have had to decide between either their fridge or their XBox because of the lack of space in their tiny little coffin-apartments.

No, but when the choice is to buy a PS2 and play all the games a Japanese consumer would want, or to buy an X-Box and get 1 maybe 2 games they give a shit about? No choice whatsoever. Also, in America, it isn't uncommon for a gamer to buy both (or all 3), and have plenty of space to fit it in. In Japan, there really wouldn't have been space to do this in entertainment centers comfortably. So why spend the yen on something that doesn't have the games they want to play?

[Yegolev]

Something that I find funny, in contrast to the Xbox, is that Japanese think it is way cool to drink Budweiser.

I also think it's funny, sort of, that any discussion of Japan on F13 will eventually mention tentacle rape.