xbox360 being removed from Japanese Store Shelves

We always knew the Japanese didn't care for the 360 nearly as much as their native systems, but who would have thought that it would have come this far?? I find this news shocking, actually, despite the fact the fact that it's fairly clear the Japanese never had any real love for the system. Japanese developers still produce plenty of games for the system, and it really is such a big player, it's hard to fathom this happening. I think this is definitely an indication of a much larger trend: the vast difference between gamer taste between the U.S. and Japan. While American games don't seem to be selling in Japan, Japanese games seem to be phasing out here as well. This could indeed be the latest step towards a gaming situation where the bulk of games played in a country were developed in that same country...which would be a sad outcome, to say the least.

Any thoughts?

its funny 'we' hate the wii a nintendo console and im sure japan has read this news and are shocked so its no surprise (or to me at least) that japan does not like the 360 i guess that sells are WAY low in japan for them to remove the system that is just extreme to be honest

I wasn't really surprised, the PS3 is its main competitor and you're always going to like stuff from home than abroad. If a console was built in Scotland, I would buy it without hesitation - it just boils down to patrioticism.

Hardly patrioticism. The simple answer to why people are more likely buy from a domestic company is the fact that they understand the local market better. I could get into a rant about the differences in taste between steriotypical American and Japanese gamers, but this comic says it much better than I could (even if it exaggerates a little)

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Here's the link to the TV Tropes article on "Kirby is Hardcore in America" That I got it from - [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I would agree with Smashed. I think there is simply a growing dichotomy in tastes towards games. While I DO NOT agree that the 360 is all about shooters, violence, gore, explosions and other manly and over-the-top American cliches, we must face the fact that that is how most people view it, especially in Japan by the looks of things. I think people in America love Japanese games as they always have, but this popularity seems to be increasingly eclipsed by the rather large shadow of the 360 and American games. It seems to me that Japanese games are falling behind the trends that most American gamers are following, causing Japanese developers to feel less inclined to export their properties stateside. I would argue the reverse is true as well, as I doubt there is a huge market for games like Halo, COD, Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, Bioshock, or even Uncharted in Japan. It's just a different taste, and I fear this dichotomy is growing and could lead to some sad changes in gaming in the future.

While I'm somewhat inclined to think that companies will adapt, I'm pretty much in agreement with what you have to say (despite certain myths about me, I even agree that there's more to the Xbox than shooters and cliches. )

It really boils down to whether the companies can remain profitable in two different markets. Many games, such as Mario or LoZ, can usually be enjoyed across the board, but that's not true of many other quality games. We'll just have to wait and see........this development is certainly more drastic than I would have expected, regardless.

I too am rather surprised. However the exclusives that the 360 boasts likely fall on deaf ears in Japan. It also seems that Japanese developers may fall into the more "patriotic" sentiment that Fire mentioned...it seems they're more inclined to develop for the playstation, which of course would bode well in the Japanese markets.