Famitsu Weekly quizzed gamers in its most recent issue on the thorny subject of which hardware they are most excited about, with the survey throwing up some interesting results. The Wii captured 68.8% of the voted, leaving the nearest platform, the PlayStation 3, way behind with a mere 21%, surprising given Japan's love of all things SCE.
Perhaps one telling factor was the announced price of the new Sony machine. When asked their opinion on the massive price-tag set for the PlayStation 3 a resounding 88.4% of readers said it was set too high. Another contributing element seems to be the Wii version of Legend of Zelda, a game that made for an unusual cornerstone of Nintendo's E3 offering. Belying its current-gen roots, Twilight Princess topped Famitsu's poll of most wanted software, with Final Fantasy XIII coming a shock second.
It brings us a great deal of hope that our friends in Japan, who very much set the trends gaming follows, focused in on what the Wii represents over and above the offerings of Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata's claims that power no longer mattered, fell flat on first hearing. Now however, they seem grounded and, if the general reaction to E3 is anything to go by, commercially viable.
Perhaps one telling factor was the announced price of the new Sony machine. When asked their opinion on the massive price-tag set for the PlayStation 3 a resounding 88.4% of readers said it was set too high. Another contributing element seems to be the Wii version of Legend of Zelda, a game that made for an unusual cornerstone of Nintendo's E3 offering. Belying its current-gen roots, Twilight Princess topped Famitsu's poll of most wanted software, with Final Fantasy XIII coming a shock second.
It brings us a great deal of hope that our friends in Japan, who very much set the trends gaming follows, focused in on what the Wii represents over and above the offerings of Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata's claims that power no longer mattered, fell flat on first hearing. Now however, they seem grounded and, if the general reaction to E3 is anything to go by, commercially viable.
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Comments
OptimusP 31 May 2006 10:22
1/1
I can see the Wii being a DS-esque like succes in Japan. Sony and certainly MS don't have as much as half a twig to wave at the Wii when it comes to the Japanese market.
And if the Wii is a succes in Japan you'll see more Japanese companies jumping on it, especially small ones (seeing the far lower development cotst on the Wii) which means more quirky Japanese games! Bring it on!!
Also i have been wondering... wouldn't it be cheaper for MS to not launch/support the Xbox360 in Japan then doing what's it doing now over there?
And if the Wii is a succes in Japan you'll see more Japanese companies jumping on it, especially small ones (seeing the far lower development cotst on the Wii) which means more quirky Japanese games! Bring it on!!
Also i have been wondering... wouldn't it be cheaper for MS to not launch/support the Xbox360 in Japan then doing what's it doing now over there?