Skip to main content

Microsoft Cuts Xbox 360 Price in Japan

Microsoft Cuts Xbox 360 Price in Japan

In a move to help it better compete with the Nintendo Wii and (perhaps) the Sony PlayStation 3 in those consoles’ home turf, Microsoft is lowering the price of its Xbox 360 game consoles in Japan by 13 percent. The move follows similar price cuts on the Xbox 360 in the U.S. and in Europe earlier this year. The standard Xbox 360 console will now sell for ¥34,800 (or just over $300 USD) while the Xbox 360 Core system will sell for ¥29,800 (just under $260 USD).

Sales figures show the Nintendo Wii is by far the leading video game console in Japan, moving almost 1.8 million units during the first half of 2007, compared to Sony selling about 504,000 PlayStation 3 and Microsoft moving only about 123,000 Xbox 360 systems during the same period. Overall, Microsoft has sold about 11.5 million Xbox 360 systems worldwide, but the console has been on the market a year longer than either the Nintendo Wii or PlayStation 360; since their introductions, Nintendo has sold about 9.3 million Wii consoles, while Sony has sold about 5 million PlayStation 3 systems.

Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Walmart just slashed the price of the all-digital Xbox Series X by $52
The Microsoft Xbox Series X Digital Edition and an Xbox Wireless Controller.

If you're looking for gaming deals that you can take advantage of in the run-up to the holidays, here's one that you won't want to miss: the Microsoft Xbox Series X Digital Edition for only $398, following a $52 discount from Walmart on its original price of $450. You won't always see a discount for this gaming console, which is why we think this offer will attract a lot of attention. Stocks may run out quickly, so if you're interested, you need to push through with your purchase as soon as possible.

Why you should buy the Microsoft Xbox Series X Digital Edition
Before you buy the Microsoft Xbox Series X Digital Edition, you should probably understand what you're getting. This is a new version of the Xbox Series X, which is the flagship model of Microsoft's video game consoles, but without the disc drive. This makes it similar to the Xbox Series S, but with the much more powerful brains of the Xbox Series X and 1TB of storage. You'll also get an Xbox Wireless Controller, alongside all the cables you need to plug and play with the Xbox Series X Digital Edition.

Read more
3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (December 6-8)
Crash Bandicoot in Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled.

Microsoft outlined the last batch of games coming to Xbox Game Pass this year in a post earlier this week, and many of those titles got added to the service later in the week. One surprising trend in this final Game Pass game batch of 2024 is that three great racing games came to different subscription service tiers. Running (or I guess driving) the gamut from extremely cartoonish to overtly simulation-focused, fans of racing games have many new options to choose from this weekend on Xbox Game Pass.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Reveal Trailer

In the wake of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy's success, Activision had its studio Beenox remake Crash Team Racing for modern gaming platforms. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is undeniably the king when it comes to the best cartoon kart racers available nowadays, but Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is the closest any game has come to taking that crown. The wacky world and characters of Crash Bandicoot are a perfect fit for a Kart Racer, and this game even features some crossover content featuring Spyro the Dragon and extras from Crash Team Racing games other than the PS1 original. Its adventure mode also gives it a meatier single-player offering than most racing games, so there's a lot for Game Pass subscribers to sink their teeth into here.

Read more
I didn’t understand the magic of arcades until I visited one in Japan
Photo of arcade machines in Japan.

It took me visiting a Taito Station arcade in Japan to truly understand what makes arcades special.

I’ve always been infatuated with arcade-inspired games. I enjoy revisiting those classics and love learning about their history and importance to the game industry. By the time I was old enough to feel all that, though, arcades had died out in North America. I’m most familiar with arcades as part of larger establishments like Dave & Buster's or bowling alleys rather than standalone entities. While I frequented Galloping Ghost Arcade when I lived in Chicago, that arcade put all of its games into free play and was more focused on preservation. That changed during my visit to Japan.

Read more