Slow start for Xbox 360 in Japan; 28% sell-through reported

The first figures to emerge from Japan regarding the Xbox 360 launch there last week have indicated that almost three quarters of the stock shipped to the region remains unsold, suggesting a tough start for the new console.

Market research firm Media Create estimates that only 28 per cent of the consoles shipped in the territory sold through in the weekend of launch, representing actual sales of just under 42,000 units.

While that baseline figure is by no means disastrous - it's certainly better than the original Xbox console, which sold under half a million units in Japan in its entire lifespan in the region - the low sell-through rate is embarrassing for Microsoft, which has struggled to meet demand for the console in Europe and North America.

In Japan, the Xbox 360 launched at a significantly lower price point than it did elsewhere - with the premium pack, the only version being offered in Japan, retailing for just slightly more than the Core Pack does in the EU and America.

Microsoft has focused strongly on the importance of being first to market with the Xbox 360, a factor which it sees as crucially important in Japan - where in the last generation, it lagged behind rival Sony by a full two years.

As well as launching earlier, Microsoft also hopes to win over Japanese gamers by having more locally developed software for the Xbox 360, including titles from high-profile developers Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Rez, Space Channel 5), Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy) and Yoshiki Okamoto (Street Fighter, Resident Evil).