http://www.xbox-scene.com/
"Japanese Gamers Speak about Xbox 360
>> There have been enough western press and research firms telling us how the Xbox 360 Launch went in Japan, but what do the Japanese say?
From spong.com:
No one really seems to know what the Japanese gaming community makes of the western aggressor/courtier Microsoft and its new console. We decided that the best thing to do would be to ask.
Interestingly, the main vibe is upbeat, belying sluggish sales and the Western media's thinly disguised glee at what on the surface seems a botched venture. Though from the selection of gamers we spoke to, most are willing to buy into the 360 - when the right software arises and interestingly, several claimed the marketing support for the 360 didn't get the message across...
"There's nothing special about the way Microsoft promotes 360. Many softcore gamers don't care for high specs or high definition," one gamer said. "Microsoft in Japan didn't really explain what Xbox 360 is capable of," commented another. " The main reason why Japanese people weren't attracted to Xbox and 360 was that the promotion was terrible. Bad promotion, yet pretty expensive compared to other game systems."
Read more on
http://spong.com