Microsoft aiming to sell 1m Xbox 360s in Japan

Xbox Japan's business manager, Yoshihiro Maruyama, has announced that Microsoft is aiming to sell 1 million Xbox 360 units in the region by summer 2006.

In an editorial published in Dengeki Xbox 360 magazine, Maruyama wrote: "It's only a target, but the one million mark is a figure we'd like to reach by next summer."

"And then we'd like to go to 1.5 million, then 2 million in next year's end of year sales rush," Maruyama continued.

"We believe the one million mark to be an important figure. If we cross one million, it will be easier for developers to do business, so we'd of course like to reach it quickly."

Microsoft is clearly hoping that its next-generation console will perform much better in Japan than the original Xbox - sales of which have yet to reach the 500,000 mark in the region. The Xbox 360 is set to launch in Japan on December 10th, priced at YEN 39,800 (GBP 190) for the hard drive-bundled premium system.

Launch day software titles will include Need for Speed: Most Wanted, FIFA 06 and Perfect Dark Zero. However, Tecmo's Dead or Alive 4 - a key title for the Japanese market - has been delayed and will not hit the shelves until December 17th.