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[Xbox-Scene]

Japan - 360 Bundled to Move - updated-- Posted by HSDEMONZ on December 13 17:30 EST
From www.kotaku.com:

The train wreck that is the 360 Japan Launch continues. Unloved 360s consoles collect dust, and retailers are unable to return those unwanted Xbox 360s to Msoft due to contractual obligations. To cut loses and cover their arses, stores are left with no choice but to offer discounts. The originally 38,800yen (about $350 US) consoles have been lowered to 18,800yen (about $150 US) with Internet Service Provider contracts so that the shop could get some kickback money from the IP. And this is what, four days from launch?

Eds Note: While this style of pricing is common in the US, electronics stores in Japan tend to do this to move inventory they cannot sell.

Leftyfb sniffed this one out..

HSD - I just saw this, and felt an appropiate EDIT was in order, including a change of title that was less sensationalistic.. I stand by my original assessment that some Japanese retailers have bailed on the 360 and will do whatever is necessary to get them out the door. (nothing wrong with that though)

From www.1up.com:

A picture's worth a thousand words - unless that picture is misleading! This photo has been passed around quite a bit with the tagline that the Xbox 360 prices were slashed in Japan because of slow sales. Indeed, if you look at the photo, it appears that the sticker price of the console has been cut from 38,800 yen (about $350) to 18,800 yen (about $150). Wow!

But...that's not entirely the full story. We contacted our correspondents in Japan to check out the deal, and they report that, according to a phone conversation with retailer Sofmap, the photo depicts a deal the retailer has been promoting with an internet services provider called @TCOM since launch day. The promotion, moreover, is offered only to the first twenty people per store who sign up - and they have to subscribe to the internet service to get the discount. I'm sure you've seen similar deals wrangled by companies like AOL.
Our correspondents note that there is a similar deal going on with Tepco which gives the customer a 10,000 yen discount on anything sold on the store upon signing up for Tepco's internet service.

Finally, our correspondents report, "We asked them specifically if this deal had anything to do with 360s being sold for cheap because everyone has tons of stock, and they said no, that's not the case at all."

[HSDEMONZ]

I have a commentary on my blog.. click below.

This is fucking sad.

[Fireagle89]

anyone know any JP sites to order 360s from? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/muhaha.gif)

[HSDEMONZ]

Lik-Sang http://www.lik-sang.com/list.php?nav=over&category=327&

play-asia http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-bq-70-p6d.html

[Scrufdog]

wow, the Japanese really dislike xbox that much?

well, on the good side, maybe this will keep the US in stock since M$ knows that they dont have to crank out Japanese stock and gear some of those resources to make US 360's.

[BlueCELL]

MS should have said fuck it in the first place.  Should have left the consoles that went to Japen in the USA/Europe.

So much for all the money they inviested trying to make the X360 more Jap friendly.  Kinda pisses me off, just becauses its not from Japen they dont buy.  Fuckin morons!  I REFUSE TO BUY SONY SHIT B/C I'M GERMAN!

lol jk.  But still its dumb...

My 2 cent

[melongstrike]

ok I know I have friends in Japan... time to give them a call. thanks M$

[Gbeav]

Need more info to say if this is a widespread thing or just a couple retailers that hooked up with a ISP. I can't see this happening 4 days in. Electronics stores hold a ton of inventory $'s. They would just cancell future shipments.

Unless this is the way it works over there.

[HSDEMONZ]

.. or some Sony influence.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

(bad rumour monger..)

However, Sony has been charged more than once for predatory biz practices.

[handles25]

Ok I saw this a few days ago.  Its not as it appears.  If you walk into a Japanese store the 360 is normal price, however if you sign up for 2 years of BB service at say $60 a month you get the 360 at discount.  Im sure you guys have walked into Radio Shack and had the guys try to get you to sign up for MSN service and get a 300 gift card to radio shack.  Its the same deal.



I have a friend in Japan who comfirmed it.  Your not getting a 360 for 150 + shipping, even if you could MS studio games are region locked so you cant play MS American realeases.  Nothing to see here people, keep moving.

This post has been edited by handles25: Dec 14 2005, 12:05 AM

[darkblizzard]

Japs and dumb and ignorant...hell...ive played a playstation and made up my mind that it sucks, but they plain just dont wanna buy american products. PS2 just doesnt appeal to me, it has shitty jaggie graphics and its pretty slow as well. The Japs must still be sad from WWII.

[MusashiX2]

QUOTE(BlueCELL @ Dec 13 2005, 05:51 PM)

MS should have said fuck it in the first place.  Should have left the consoles that went to Japen in the USA/Europe.

So much for all the money they inviested trying to make the X360 more Jap friendly.  Kinda pisses me off, just becauses its not from Japen they dont buy.  Fuckin morons!  I REFUSE TO BUY SONY SHIT B/C I'M GERMAN!

lol jk.  But still its dumb...

My 2 cent

the japanese just have a lot of pride in japanese products.  they are encouraged to take products of their nationality over a foreign one because it helps their country.  imagine what would happen to GM, Ford, etc. if almost every american bought an american car.  GM wouldn't be firing 30,000 ppl i can tell you that.

i had a feeling that the 360 would fail in Nihon but i had no idea they would cut prices so quickly and so drastically.  lol, i bet most sales now will be ppl from other countries snatching them up.

[handles25]

Its not as it appears.  I repeat YOU CANNOT GET A 360 IN JAPAN FOR $150 unless you sign up for hundreds of dollars of BB or other service.

HS you really should read the article better before posting such nonsense.  Now were going to get all the "japs are dumb" comments that have no basis in reality.

This post has been edited by handles25: Dec 14 2005, 12:09 AM

[darkblizzard]

QUOTE(MusashiX2 @ Dec 13 2005, 06:05 PM)

the japanese just have a lot of pride in japanese products.  they are encouraged to take products of their nationality over a foreign one because it helps their country.  imagine what would happen to GM, Ford, etc. if almost every american bought an american car.  GM wouldn't be firing 30,000 ppl i can tell you that.

i had a feeling that the 360 would fail in Nihon but i had no idea they would cut prices so quickly and so drastically.  lol, i bet most sales now will be ppl from other countries snatching them up.

uh, arent GM and ford AMERICAN? Wouldnt they be HIRING 30,000....

[HSDEMONZ]

QUOTE(handles25 @ Dec 13 2005, 06:03 PM)

Ok I saw this a few days ago.  Its not as it appears.  If you walk into a Japanese store the 360 is normal price, however if you sign up for 2 years of BB service at say $60 a month you get the 360 at discount.  Im sure you guys have walked into Radio Shack and had the guys try to get you to sign up for MSN service and get a 300 gift card to radio shack.  Its the same deal.
I have a friend in Japan who comfirmed it.  Your not getting a 360 for 150 + shipping, even if you could MS studio games are region locked so you cant play MS American realeases.  Nothing to see here people, keep moving.

what you fail to understand.. is that 2 days ago the console itself.. was selling at full price. Now, for the same price, you get that same console, and about 200$ worth of services that normally would be sold separately.

That has the effect of a SLASHED PRICE when you look at the console.

This does not bode well for a launch.