Japanese 360 sales: Blue Dragon on top, console sales on the up
by Dustin Burg 
{ Jan 28th 2009 at 2:45PM }
It is no secret that the Xbox 360 is not Japan's gaming console of choice. Just look at 2008's software sales and you'll spot just one Xbox 360 game in Japan's top 100. But that doesn't mean Microsoft's Japanese situation is a complete lost cause, because console sales are actually on the rise (year over year) and some games have sold rather well.
Gamezine.co.uk put together a list of the top 30 Xbox 360 games sold in Japan, and sitting proudly on top is none other than Blue Dragon and its 203,740 lifetime unit sales. Rounding out the rest of the top five are Tales of Vesperia, The Last Remnant, Infinite Undiscovery and Lost Odyssey. As far as 360 hardware is concerned, Microsoft has been able to steadily increase console sales year after year, with 2008's total Japanese sales peaking at around 317K units. But don't get confused, the Japanese Xbox 360 situation is still very, very bleak and very, very depressing. These numbers are one of a few "bright spots."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Deck @ Jan 28th 2009 2:57PM
Wish Lost Odyssey was number one, it really is just fantastic! Ahhh well. Guess its not surprising though that they are all JRPGs that are in the 5.
Though sadly, on a broader scare talking about the 360 top 5 in Japan, isn't so "big" per say. :-/
Maverick Saturn @ Jan 28th 2009 3:01PM
Its been a while Blue Dragon :D
velocitySTRIKE @ Jan 28th 2009 3:31PM
Saw Blue Dragon for £4.99 the other day, I should pick it up, right?
Guibs @ Jan 28th 2009 3:48PM
At that price, it would be just bad NOT to pick it up.
It's a decent games that pick up for the better toward the end of the first disk. I thought it was an enjoyable game. The Soundtrack of that game is simply amazing.
HamalSharatan @ Jan 28th 2009 3:42PM
They are not gonna get far if they keep charging for online especially in Asia.
Brian Dragon @ Jan 28th 2009 3:48PM
Blue Dragon is amazing, the demo on Live does no justice to the game and how great it really is, I'm dying for a new Blue Dragon game!!!! To those who have not picked this up yet, it's a definite buy and instant classic. Laterz
AnthonyGalindoX @ Jan 28th 2009 4:57PM
Does anyone know how many original Xbox units were sold in Japan? I wonder how the 360 is doing in comparison to the first Xbox.
mgsrocks1 @ Jan 28th 2009 7:41PM
I'm pretty sure Xbox360 is doing a heck a lot better than the original Xbox.
andyface @ Jan 28th 2009 5:58PM
I think you miss spelt the captions on the photos, it's meant to be Andyface!
andyface @ Jan 28th 2009 6:47PM
I've fixed it for you :D
http://www.andywotherspoon.co.uk/images/andyfaces.jpg
Yes I have too much time on my hands.
I Like Corn @ Jan 29th 2009 10:58AM
Why does this matter?
When I buy a toaster, I don't buy it because it has the greatest lifetime sales worldwide. I buy it because it'll fit my bread and pop-tart toasting needs.
As for the consoles, does it really matter that the 360 doesn't sell in Japan? Why, as fans, do we really care how much money the company makes if we have our console and enjoy our games?
It's an electronic diversion, not a religious cult.
Weezer @ Jan 29th 2009 1:16PM
If you are a fan of a console you should really want it to sell well. Poor sales = crappy games. Look at the gamecube poop sales and even poopier games. (nintendo games excluded).
I Like Corn @ Jan 29th 2009 1:51PM
I have to heavily disagree. Frankly, the Dreamcast is my favorite console of all time. It had AMAZING games.