I couldn’t resist the title. It’s a cool t-shirt I used to own.

Microsoft has had a hard time in Japan and the 360 is finally making some inroads in the difficult to crack Japanese gaming industry. Sony and Nintendo are the powerhouse companies from Japan and obvious choice for most Japanese gamers.

That Microsoft is making progress shows that no matter how strong a company brand is the game player and games are what matters. Xbox is selling units because japanese kids like to play the games and console and thats the bottom line.

I remember playing halo online with some kids in Japan when I had the first Xbox and I am certain they are playing on the 360 now.

TG Daily - Microsoft’s Xbox 360 slaps Sony’s PS3 in Japan

Once again, it is an exclusive game title that is the decisive factor in console sales. In this case, it is worth a special note, as the Xbox 360 sold almost three times more units as the PS3 over the course of one week. Nationally and internationally, the Xbox 360 and the PS3 seem to be involved in a dead heat with sales advantages shifting almost every month. Who will make the winning move?

Microsoft usually has a tough time grabbing positive video game headlines against Nintendo and Sony, but we are sure that Microsoft is celebrating at least this week. According to a Reuters article and an Ascii Media Works report, the Xbox 360 dramatically outsold the PS3 in Japan, a market that has been extremely difficult for Microsoft.

In the week ended August 10, Microsoft sold 28,116 Xbox 360 units of the Xbox 360 compared Sony, which sold 10,705 PS3 units. Microsoft’s success is believed to have been driven by Namco Bandai’s role-playing game “Tales of Vesperia”, an exclusive title for the Xbox 360. The sales result is impressive, but still far behind Nintendo’s Wii, which sold 41,044 in the same time frame.

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