Xbox 360 Outsells PS3 for Second Week Running; Sony Blames Software

Did we say a week? Make that two weeks, as Japan is on its way to fast becoming a place where miracles can happen:

According to the latest Famitsu tracking data, Microsoft’s often frowned upon Xbox 360 console (in the land of the rising sun), has managed to outsell Sony’s flagship PlayStation 3 (Xbox 360 14k, PS3 8200k), for the second time in consecutive weeks. Can Microsoft strike whilst the iron’s hot and make it three strikes in a row?

Who knows, but Microsoft’s decision to invest heavily in the JRPG sector has definately helped the consoles image somewhat with Japanese gamers. The recent release of RPG titles, Tales of Vesperia and Infinite Undiscovery are testamnet to this with impressive software sales, and have enabled Microsoft some new bragging rights that the majority of the gaming industry never expected. — Xboxkings

Indeed, it seems that Microsoft is winding up with more of the games that Japanese gamers want to play. As Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida said at Games Convention ’08:

It’s mostly a software thing. Price is important, but relative to the the value consumers perceive. There are lots of consumers, game fans in Japan, that are waiting to spend their money.

What’s happening is that lack of support from the Japanese publishers – not necessarily from intentions but from development capabilities. — videogaming247

Thinking about it, what are PS3’s biggest titles? We have Metal Gear Solid 4, admittedly developed in Japan but seemingly with as much or more of an American gamer in mind; Grand Theft Auto IV from Rockstar, LittleBigPlanet by the British Media Molecule, Ratchet & Clank Future by Insomniac… most of these titles don’t exactly scream “Japan” to me.