Xbox Hits Japan Special @ Gaming Target

Written by Patrick Geurs on February 22, 2002

Special: At long last, our Asian brothers (and sisters) can experience the glory that is the Xbox.

It almost seems funny, hearing about or seeing a launch of a gaming console in Japan after the US. Yet here we are, a full 3 months after experiencing Xbox for ourselves, and the Japanese are just getting started. There is no denying that Xbox will have its work cut out for it in the coming months, going head-to-head with both Sony and it's PS2, and also Nintendo with their Gamecube, both in what is considered their home territory. While a lot of analysts and skeptics are quick to declare Microsoft's Xbox doomed in Japan, the initial turnout it would seem is actually quite good.

Just as in New York City, Bill Gates was personally in downtown Tokyo at midnight to hand out the first Xbox sold in Japan. "Japanese gamers are among the most sophisticated in the world, and Xbox is the future-generation game system that matches their sophistication, fires their imagination, and tests their skills,Ф said Gates.

Robbie Bach, Chief Xbox Officer at Microsoft, had a few feelings of his own. "Today's Xbox launch demonstrates our long-term commitment to Japanese video game players. Xbox is just getting started in Japan, and already the launch lineup of games is very strong. It's amazing to see what many of the legendary Japanese game designers have been able to accomplish on Xbox."

To cater to the tastes of the Japanese market, the launch titles have been slightly altered to appeal more to them. As well as a redesigned controller specifically for the region. Also exclusive to Japan is a limited edition Xbox, boasting an included Advanced AV pack, an autographed Bill Gates key chain, and the Xbox itself, which is made out of a cool translucent black plastic. There are only 50,000 of those systems available out of the estimated 250,000 existing Japanese units, and apparently, have already been sold out long ago.

The Xbox system went on sale for an estimated retail price of 34,800 yen, and the launch list is one of the most impressive I have seen to date. The list of all 12 launch games can be found below:

Launch Listа
Double Stealа(Wreckless in the U.S.)
ESPN Winter X Games Snowboarding
Project Gotham: World Street Racer (Project Gotham Racing in the U.S.)
Tenku: Freestyle Snowboarding. (Amped)
Dead Or Alive 3
Genma Onimusha
Nobunaga's Ambition: Chronicles of Chaos
Airforce Delta Storm
Xtreme 2002 Winter Games
Silent Hill 2: Saigo no Uta (Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams in the U.S.)
Nezmix
Jet Set Radio Future

Final Thoughts
As you can see, the Xbox seems to be off to a great start in Japan. The launch lineup is impressive, and if things keep up, Xbox could in fact be the first American console to actually survive in a land currently dominated by Sony and Nintendo. Only time will tell how well the console does as a whole, but you have to start somewhere, and the Xbox is off to a great one.