Microsoft to sell 1 million Xbox 360 consoles in Japan by summer 2006?

Microsoft is aiming to sell 1 million Xbox 360 consoles in Japan by summer 2006, according to Microsoft Japan’s Xbox operations chief Yoshihiro Maruyama.

Despite sales of less than 500,000 of its original Xbox console in the 4 years since its launch in Japan, Microsoft appears to have high hopes for the Xbox 360 console’s sales potential in the traditionally Sony-oriented Japanese market.

Yoshihiro Maruyama

Speaking to Japanese magazine Dengeki Xbox 360 about Microsoft’s Japanese sales targets, Maruyama stated that,

“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.

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.”

Despite the ever-dwindling list of Japanese launch titles, now down to 6, Microsoft has stated that it expects to make over 100 games available in Japan before the end of 2006.

The official Japanese Xbox 360 launch event is scheduled to take place at 7am this Saturday, December 10, in Shibuya, Tokyo.

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