With no less than two of the world's top-three gaming consoles' manufacturers being based in Japan, it was never really a surprise that Microsoft's Xbox 360 and the Xbox before it never really managed to become household names and enjoy true commercial success on the respective market. However, the arrival of the new, slimmer and more attractive Xbox 360 seems to have changed things a bit, Microsoft managing a more than decent launch on the Japanese market.

So, according to GamesIndustry, Microsoft managed to push out no less than 15,000 units in the first week of availability, which is no less than seven times better than an usual week. Of course, there's no telling whether this trend will continue on the future as well, but at least it's a promising-enough start.

Naturally, one of the main reasons why the new Xbox sold better than expected is related to the launch marketing strategy. So, Microsoft aligned its launch with that of an important game from Capcom, Monster Hunter Frontier Online, which probably pushed adoption rates. Another reason is related directly to the pricing strategy, the new slim model retailing for the equivalent of $339, while the price of the previous Elite version dropped to $282.

As mentioned before, only time will tell whether the slimmer Xbox 360 will manage to prove a worthy competitor for the PS3 and the Wii in Japan, but the arrival of the Kinect controller might actually make it even more popular than ever before.  


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