The next nail in 360's Japanese coffin...

According to various sources, DOA4 is being dropped back a week to the 17th. Potentially more...

That means at launch
Ridge Racer 6,
Perfect Dark Zero,
Need for Speed, - why bother?
Tetris,
Every Party
FIFA 06 - may as well not be released

Now that is a poor launch line up. PS2's seems excellent in comparison! I hope the DOA4 arcade stick is not delayed as well.

BTW does anyone know any good site for the new tetris game, even arika's site is useless. (They will probably put info up once the game is released.) So I am putting off my 360 till n3.

Edit - sorry to those who already know but Tengai is being whacked back to spring as well!

 

Ouch, that's going to leave a mark...

 

Indeed the only mainstream title out of that lot is Ridge Racer 6. Although that Tetris game is VERY good, so I hear, I played the last version in the arcades in Japan quite a bit and there are some ultra hardcore modes to be had. I just want to find out what the xbox 360 specific modes are to find out if it is worth it or not. BTW it could probably run on the DC so I have no idea why it is on the 360.... Maybe it runs in HD.

 

well if sales pick up a week after, it might do pretty well, but yeah microsoft is already going off on a bad start, just like the first xbox, a very week launch, epsecially for a japanese consumer. Still I wouldnt be shocked that whne doa 4 come sout its going to boost sales greatly, or sell 1:1 ratio wtih the 360.

 

That's the best game out of the lot.

 

Wtf, Need for speed best in the lot? HAHAHA.

Japanese gamers are heavly into ridge racer series over any EA racer.

Hey, How come everybody forgets to mention that the 360 is still being bundled with the ffxi beta. I mean thats got to count for something.

 

The vgm - I have never played it, but that series has always sold VERY poorly in Japan. And if you check Japanese news sites it is one of the least remarkable games - you would be lucky to get a screenshot, let alone any info.

As for FFXI is it a full version? Is it on a separate disc, or is it going to be stealing half the hardrive out the box?

 

Some new famitsu 360 scores.

Ridge Racer 6 (Namco) - 9, 8, 9, 9 - (35/40)
Every Party (Microsoft) - 7, 5, 7, 5 - (24/40)
FIFA 2006 (EA) - 7, 6, 8, 6 - (27/40)
Need for Speed Most Wanted (EA) - 8, 9, 9, 8 - (34/40)
Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft) - 8, 8, 8, 7 - (31/40)
Peter Jackson's King Kong (Ubisoft) - 7, 7, 9, 9 - (32/40)
Shin Sangoku Musou 4 Special (Koei) - 7, 7, 8, 8 - (30/40)
Tetris: The Grandmaster Ace (Arika) - 7, 7, 7, 6 - (27/40)
Wrestle Kingdom (Yuke's) - 8, 7, 8, 7 - (30/40)

Need for speed got a pretty decent score but like everybody's grandama knew, Ridge racer 6 still out beats it.


Warakia,

Regarding FFXI I have no idea. I believe it's a bundled disc because I was now told by someone in japan that famitsu has been reporting "suplies will be limited" deal and not every 360 will have it.

I guess it will be pretty close to the full version because I think the ps2 beta was the final release of ffxi for ps2 & the hdd.

 

Yea, unless they decided to do a super early beta like was originally tested in japan, im sure itll be the full thing.

 

Indeed, I have heard tell that there will be something special thrown in with the launch commemoration packs. Maybe that could be FFXI, I doubt that special launch versions will be hard to find a month or two down the line though.... Also the launch 360 may have a special box design. looking at the first wave of jap 360 titles some of the pre-order stuff looks nifty, I hope that is extended to the console itself. Still this lack of information is odd, even if you go to xbox.co.jp there is not a lot of info there. They are being kinda odd, surely you want to be out selling info. Still forgetting the Big Picture of MS overall success in Japan, it looks like there will be some fun stuff for the importers. I might pick up some pre-ordered games (without console) such as Dead or alive with poster and slip case and telephone card, tetris with DVD, etc.

As regards the reviews, nice to see some high marks. But what your average Famitsu reader cares about is the amount of coverage a game receives, not the one or two sentence review it gets! That is why despite NFS being a decent game, the heavil publicised Ridge Racer will win in the marketplace. Annoyed by everyparty - I do like those japanese board games in multiplayer....

 

Who is selling the commemoration pack? or are all systems commemoration pack? I am wondeirng since I am getting the sega direct bundle though a hk import site.

It truely would be nice to see more extra stuff in the jpn collection. Yet for me FFXI is good enough (i was big on the ps2 version when it first came out and looking to get back into the game again on the 360).

I also have to agree with the lack of info. I've tried checking up a bit on the jpn side and nobody has any info. Like I am not sure why the the jpn 360 comes with an AV cable with hd plug (looks like vga plug, i think its d something plug).

 

A d-terminal connection is the HDTV input for most Japanese TVs. As a result, the US "HDTV" cable is switchable between component and composite video with stereo audio, while the Japan "HDTV" cable is switchable between d-terminal and composite video with stereo audio. Both should have an optical audio out on the back of the system plug as well.

-hl718

 

Just out of interest, may I ask which importer you use? I'm always looking for the best, I have been using play-asia for ages now and they are yet to do me wrong - despite getting mildly screwed on the kasumi-chan ex-box.

Again this is due to the "lack of bloody info" thing that is going on - but I think all the launch xbox 360s are of the launch commemoration pack variety. I am also looking to get into FFXI on the 360, even though I can't play it at university (stupid bloody rule). I think this 360-lark is going to be tough on the importers, with silly prices and the fact that no Japanese sites are reporting the 360 (even MS's own) and no western sites are reporting it becasue it is already out over here. I still don't know which stepdown or leads I need. Also if I get a lemon of a 360, I can't even send it back!

 

If you're in the UK, just purchase a "replacement" UK power brick and use that with your import (US or JPN) 360. End result = no converters needed. It's a beautiful thing it is.

-hl718

 

I use buygame2.com

They are a really good import shop in HK. They don't rip you off like play-asian does.

I'm actualy paying ~$560 for my sega direct bundle with ems/dhl 2-4 day shipping.

They only want $460 for the system and the harsh bit just comes from the damn shipping.

Oh don't let their ordering method scare you (you place an order, next day you get a confirmaiton email with an addr to pay for your order, then item ships asap). their actualy a pretty damn good place.

 

Hmm, well I will buy my xbox 360 from a UK based company like VGI, it works out cheaper when you haven't had to pay import tax which can be very cruel in England. Like around 40 pounds-ish on a 300 pound item. I remember I paid about 30 pounds once on two ps2 games I had dhl-ed over. That is except my Dead or Alive 4 360 stick, I'm having that sent with dhl, because you don't have much of a choice. Just try finding the xbox DOA3 arcade stick now.

Anyway hl718, are you sure that will work? Like does the slimline ps2 work with a english power supply? Are you sure that the consoles innards are not somewhat different. (Excuse me if this is ludicrously ignorant - I just want to be sure.)

 

Adam-James already asked this in the other 360 thread, and I responded in detail over there:

http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=114248&postcount=20

Basically, what comes out of the power supply is identical. Swap to a 220V power supply, grab a mains plug to connect to the wall and you're golden.

-hl718

 

USA>Japan

Seriously, what American game is popular over there. I can't think of any.