Microsoft, despite a one-year head start, failed to take advantage of Japan's $5.9 billion gaming market.
Instead, Sony Corp and Nintend Co, especially Nintendo are ruling.
Consequently...Microsoft is heading for Europe.
"The No. 1 objective is to win on a global basis and that may mean winning some markets and losing others,'' said Microsoft's group product manager for the Xbox game console business, in an interview at the Tokyo Game Show yesterday. "Europe is our priority focus right now.''
Cutting prices and increasing the number of local game titles wasn't enough for
Microsoft to make inroads in Japan.
Sony's PS3 outsells the Xbox 360 by a 3:1 margin.
Nintendo's Wii is outselling the Xbox by an 8:1 margin.
The European game market is was worth $7.8 billion in 2006, 16% less than a year earlier, but still bigger than just Japan.
The global game market as a whole expanded 23% in 2006 to $24.7 billion.
Last month the Xbox sold 277,000 consoles in Europe, the Wii sold 404,000 and the PS3 - 131,000.
Which of the three game players is your favorite?
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