In some ways, it’s really a shame that Microsoft decided to cut the price of the Xbox 360 in Japan last week– because if they hadn’t, we could say with some degree of certainty that Microsoft’s strategic RPG initative is working wonders for the system’s traditionally stagnant Japanese sales.
According to numbers compiled by Enterbrain (via Kotaku) Japanese retailers sold 28,681 units of the Xbox 360, and 27,057 Wii units. While that’s only a difference of 1600, it wasn’t all that long ago that Microsoft could expect to sell only 1600 units per week.
In mid-August, Tales of Vesperia seemingly drove similar sales of 25,000 units, but the presence of a limited-edition bundle; and the revelation that the unit was not just selling, but selling out, kept our enthusiasm in check. This time, we’re left with the same conclusion — the greater trend of Japanese 360 sales point to an RPG effect, but there’s no real way to tell.
But hey, it’s not every day we get to report that a Microsoft console is doing well in Japan.
Update: Media Create estimates that Xbox 360 didn’t quite surpass the Wii after all. Still, solid numbers.
Image Credit: Videogame-skins.com
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