MS kicks itself in the balls in Japan

[shogun]

So, lets say you're a US game company trying to make inroads into Japan. Your first system flops big-time, selling less than pervious-generation consoles. Clearly you need to make an extra effort next-time around, and make your new system extra-competitive.

So what's a console-maker to do? Simple. Raise game prices $10-$25

That's right, In Japan, 360 games are gonna be $60-$75.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/656/656720p1.html

I imagine Japan is gonna welcome its new foreign console-overlords with open-arms. :p

[Jupiter_x]

Some Xbox Games where I live are as high as $69.99 and $74.99 (Ninja Gaiden at Zellers is still $75...argh) But then again I live in Canada!

M$ might never do well in Japan, they will embrace PS3 or even Rev, the majority will not care a bit about the 360!

N/A will be a different tune altogether, 360 is on the rise over here!

[T.Tashi]

That may not be that bad, depending on what extra crap M$ sells with the game. Japanese gamers tend to get sometimes cool, sometimes really goofy items with their games. When I bought Lunar it came with a leather bound instruction manual that contained interviews with the developers and a bunch of art, a necklace that one of the characters wears in the game (for cosplay? :P), little character popups, a minimap, a CD soundtrack and a CD that contained a "making of" documentary. It was $60 but I got it on sale for $40. I can't imagine M$ trying to sell their games for that price without some kind of extras.

[Renzatic Gear]

I can't imagine M$ trying to sell their games for that price without some kind of extras.
Try and think about it just a tiny bit harder...it's really not much of a stretch of the imagination.

I'd say it's the "We're not gonna sell as much as the other guys, so lets charge em more so we break even on what we do sell" approach.

[T.Tashi]

Try and think about it just a tiny bit harder...it's really not much of a stretch of the imagination.

I'd say it's the "We're not gonna sell as much as the other guys, so lets charge em more so we break even on what we do sell" approach.
I shoulda worded it differently: I can't imagine anyone buying M$ games for that price without some extra content. But so far, every 360 game I've seen priced is $59.99. So I guess $60 is a lock.

[Superior Beatslayer]

in some cases, usually with the new releases, I end up paying 82 bucks or something with tax. Thats like almost a third of the game console itself for **** sakes. Even a quarter of the console is bad enough.

[slade]

Japan has typically paid more for videogames then the West. Sony launched the PS2 for four hundred dollars or so there and brought it in line when they released it here. MS pricing their games high doesn't really matter because they are just following precedent set by the other companies.