Japanese support for Xbox 360 up a notch

Japanese support for the Xbox 360 console is steady climbing in the lead up to the console’s December 10 release.

Following September’s Tokyo Game Show, Famitsu Weekly’s statistics indicated that 22% of Japanese gamers were interested in purchasing Microsoft’s next-gen console.

Japanese gamers’ interest in Xbox 360. Source: Famitsu

A survey published in the latest edition of Famitsu has shown that this proportion has now risen to 23.9%.

Interestingly, the Xbox 360’s controller design was cited as the main reason for survey participants’ interest in the console, with the console’s impressive hardware specifications and removable hard drive also key factors in swaying gamers toward the Xbox 360.

Based on the survey results, it appears that Microsoft will need to improve its lineup of games in order to conquer the Japanese market, as this was the reason most often given for lack of interest in or indecision about buying the Xbox 360 console.

Despite trailing rivals Sony and Nintendo, the Xbox 360 looks set to outsell its bulky black predecessor in Japan: only 18.5% of survey respondents currently own an original Xbox console, compared with the 23.9% of Japanese gamers now ready to hand over their cash for Microsoft’s next-generation offering.

Source: Famitsu Weekly No. 880 (week ending 28 October 2005)