Xbox is a flop in Japan
Bloomberg spells it out
According to Bloomberg, Xbox is a flop in Japan, and investors are calling for a price cut. Already the most expensive console in Japan - but decidedly cheaper than its European and American equivalents - the Xbox has sold about 165,000 units, a third short of Microsoft's goal to sell out its 250,000-unit launch allocation. Media Create reports that in the week ended Sunday, 4,300 Xboxen were sold, compared to 100,000 PlayStation 2 consoles and 25,000 GameCubes. Heavyweight investors are already publicly calling for a price cut, with one commenting that "Xbox is irrelevant in the Japanese market." Meanwhile, another confessed to being interested in the effect the console's failure will have on part suppliers. Last week rumours surfaced of a rift between Microsoft support and Japanese developers, and just today Microsoft has announced President and COO Rick Belluzzo's departure this coming September. Belluzzo played a key role in the conception of Xbox. Despite the Xbox's low price in Japan relative to its international counterparts, Sony's 15 percent price cut last December and a lack of exclusive Japanese-developed software titles seems to have scuppered the console's chances. Microsoft has yet to comment on the Bloomberg report this morning. Related Feature - Twelfth Night
