The original Xbox had a rough time in Japan. Ditto for the Xbox 360. How are things fairing for the just announced Xbox One? Um…
Xbox Japan put a translated version of the presentation online for Japanese gamers to watch (yes, as Famitsu points out, the console is getting a Japanese release). And on 2ch, the country’s largest forum, people chimed in with opinions. Here is a sample of some, certainly not all, of the comments from various 2ch users:
“It seems like the day has come for me to leave the Xbox. It’s total nonsense that there is no backwards compatibility. Ah, but if The Idolmaster 3 comes out, I guess I’ll have to buy it…”
“Television. The NFL. These things seem the biggest, but in Japan, they’re totally irrelevant. For Japan, it’s totally over. It’s at the point where it doesn’t matter if this doesn’t sell in Japan.”
“I gathered that they didn’t think about Japan at all.”
“I’m looking forward to the new Kinect.”
“The PS4 [reveal] had more of a technical rundown, so it was more interesting.”
“Western internet forums are on fire. lol”
“It was like, you can play those [old games] on the 360.”
“Well, the controller didn’t get worse. But, whatever…”
“Even if the functionality is increased, what you end up with is an old PC. It’s OK they are putting effort into TV and video services. I don’t need that, though, because I’m enjoying my PC gamer life.”
“Put together a presentation for gamers.”
“I wonder how Americans are gaming at home. Whenever I’m playing a game, I never feel like I want to watch TV, so the ability to switch between the two makes no sense to me.”
“They [Microsoft] are not looking at Sony or Nintendo, but are frantically coming up with countermeasures for Apple and Google.”
“And here, I thought they were going put out something with amazingly high specs…”
“The only thing I thought was amazing was the multi-tasking.”
“Kinect is certainly amazing… But, what’s this feeling I have that I cannot really explain… Have I turned into some elderly, decrepit gamer?”
“They’re totally not thinking of Japan…This is worse than the Xbox 360.”
“That D-pad on the controller was good. I guess they won’t put that out on the slim Xbox 360.”
“I like the console’s design. But I have no clue why it’s so damn big.”
“The reaction from foreigners isn’t good. On Twitter, it’s being trashed.”
On Twitter in Japan, the newly announced Xbox One has a couple of new nicknames. However, there is a bit of a good natured dispute over what the Xbox One’s nickname will be: “Batsuichi” (Once Divorced) or “Hako 1” (Box 1).
The name “Xbox” has always been somewhat problematic for Japan, because “X” is “batsu” (ばつ) in Japanese and is used to mark incorrect answers. In the West, “X” can cross things out. But it can also mean “X marks the spot” or carry the nuance of “extreme”. In Japan, however, the circle is used to denote correct items. (This is why on Japanese PlayStation controllers, the circle button is used to select.) Thus, the “X” can have a negative meaning — though, not always. For example, Toyota has a sedan in Japan called “Mark X“. Old Japanese men seem to like it fine!
As mentioned above, one of the nicknames for the “Xbox One” — a nickname that seems to have started on Twitter — is the Japanese word for “divorced”. The shortened “X1” can be read as “batsuichi” (バツイチ), which is literally “one x” and means “once divorced”.
(Interesting side note: the official Twitter account of Japanese electronics company Sharp tweeted a photo of its X1, which was a home computer released in the 1980s. No idea if this product was also called “once divorced” back in the day.)
The other nickname is a continuation of the somewhat disparaging nickname for the Xbox 360, which is “Hako 0” (箱０ or Hako Maru). “Hako” (箱) means “box”, and “maru” means “circle”. In Japanese, calling the console “hako” isn’t rude per se. It just doesn’t sound very cool! So, now Xbox One is also being called “Hako 1” (箱1 is “Hako One” or “Hako Ichi”, with, of course, “ichi” being “one” in Japanese.) In an odd way, calling it “Hako 1” makes sense, especially after the “Hako 0” moniker. It makes more sense than going from “Xbox 360” to “Xbox One”.
From what people are saying online in Japan, it sounds like the Xbox One isn’t exactly hitting the ground running. There’s long been this notion in the West that Japanese people don’t buy foreign goods.
That’s not true. They tend buy the goods that they think are the best, whether they are foreign or Japanese. The Xbox 360 is a fine console, but it never really caught on in Japan. Perhaps, it was the line-up or games or perhaps it was the sinking feeling Japanese gamers had that Microsoft didn’t really care about the Japanese market.
It doesn’t really matter now. Microsoft has had a successful run with the Xbox 360 all over the world. But just think how much better the console would have done globally if Japan became enthralled with it.
マイクロソフトの新ハード『XBOX ONE』のあだ名が早速「バツイチ」に決定？ [ガジェット通信]
XBOXONE反省会 [2ch]
「Xbox One」のあだ名は「バツイチ」？ [IT Media]
Comments
22 responses to “Here’s What People In Japan Think Of Xbox One”
“They [Microsoft] are not looking at Sony or Nintendo, but are frantically coming up with countermeasures for Apple and Google.”
This is exactly what i though watching the reveal, it looked like something Apple would make if they decided to make another console.
Pretty much on the money there mate.
And we all know apple make rubbish 😉
Apple also make a lot of $$$ and have a hardcore loyal fan base (which I hate)
First the surface now this haha hope Microsoft have what it takes to make something truly special, after paying $1000 for my 60gb ps3 only to have the drive die 1month later I don’t have much faith in sony
How did your second one fair after their excellent warranty and return program?
Ah, Japan. They know what’s going on.
“Western internet forums are on fire. lol”
Yeah dude. Pretty much.
I’m truly confused who the hell MS aimed that Press Conference at. People who have no interest in games but love watching TV? I think their TV and Cable system would be fine without the X1.
Gamers, nope they would be interested in games not TV. A friend told me Football fans and that’s probably the most accurate aim yet. American Football fans.
As i said in another post just after the reveal, i was waiting for the American flag to pop out of the top of the console when they were showing it off.
That imagery made me laugh 😀
They aimed it at mainstream media who heard that something ‘big’ in geek circles was happening, and even though they didn’t really understand it, they got the impression that it’s going to be a pretty cool new way to watch TV and maybe even play games!
In the same way Wii tapped the very casual audience, One is going after the “as many people as possible” thing and not just people who play games.
However, at least until E3, they’re going to inadvertently alienate their biggest pocket fillers, the gamers.
I’m just a schmuck at a computer so I’m not the smertest guy but I’m guessing the eggheads in the boardrooms REALLY thought that going after people who want a TV that can do apps and skype AND plays video games must be a lot of untapped dollars, even compared to everyone who already buys consoles for games.
Well they are basically consolidating all those things into one unit, which is convenient for people who use all those things (apps, skype, TV integration etc. etc.).
I may be a minority but i don’t use any of the features at all, hell i don’t even own a mobile phone, so because the reveal was 85% tv blah blah and 15% games of course i was disappointed, the only things i liked was what i saw of Quantum Break and the new COD engine looked nice (and i don’t even play COD).
The other thing that really worries me is the Kinect camera always looking at you (he turned the machine on via Kinect so it must be on even though the console is not), who knows what data it is picking up watching you in your living room or bedroom, to me its a bit scary.
Lets see what they do for E3, either way i will pick one up really late when they are around $200 and will be covering the camera on Kinect whenever i can.
New COD engine not so great https://mobile.twitter.com/bajopants/status/337384878834331650/photo/1
Well, optimization for drivers aside, it still has to run on PC architecture on a machine which has lower specs than your average shitty PC.
It’s pretty clear tho aint it? If you are a gamer get the PS4, at least it looks like they have gamers in mind first and foremost. Xbox’s whole online requirement is nuts imo and locking discs to accounts is equally retarded.
MS have focused purely on the US – just about the whole show was about their TV integration that *gasp* won’t work anywhere else in the world for some time AND requires an external device sold separately.
I think francis did a pretty good take on it – watch it if you haven’t already http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyD1VlQdj2s&feature=player_embedded
So pretty much they’re thinking what we’re thinking, Although I do want to expand on one point:
“I gathered that they didn’t think about Japan at all.”
Well I gathered they didn’t think about anyone other than ‘Murica F*** Yeah! NFL NFL NFL. YURRRRHHHH!!!!!
TV….Sports…..TV….Sports…..TV….Sports…..TV….Sports…..TV….Sports…..TV….Sports…..Calladoodie!!!!
this xbox will not sell well in the asian market, it directed towards the north american consumer, i have no interest in all this tv shit, the ps4 offers what i want in a gaming console (game centric) whilst the xbox does not, japan is the same as here, not giving a shit about all the tv non gaming aspects of the console..
Sadly somehow the console makers have got it in their heads from the success of tablets that the same “does it all” attitude is appropriate to consoles. Its not. Cable is dead in Australia, they are shoring up their position by getting exclusive licenses like for the bbc, but its not enough. We all have too much content available now ; we don’t need teeveez in our exboxers
The Xbone wont dven sell well in Europe.
The European forums are just like this, everyone is dissapointed in the Xbone.
The reveal showed off the one thing everyone allready has, TV.
Sony allready touched that idea with PlayTV. PlayTV is great, it works great, records TV, rewinds live TV and all that with a TV Guide, Sony arent stupid to not be Upgrading PlayTV for PS4. But PlayTV wasnt a massive Success. Why?? Because Consoles are for games, doesnt matter what Microsoft want.
Our Consoles are connected to TV’s allready, all we got to do is grab the remote control, and change Channels to TV, then back to Game again. That also takes a split second. Alot of people allready have TV accessories that Record and Rewind TV.
The First Impression of anything is very important. And Microsoft screwed up XBones first Impression, and that will have a serious effect.
E3 wont be enough now. We now know Kinect is allways watching and Listening which ALOT of people dont like, its a privacy issues. Even if Microsoft say its not allways watching and Listening wont matter, its still their, and Alot of people wont believe Microsoft.
They have a DRM, you cant play used games without paying the full price for the game.
This Game Trading Service is stupid. Yh lets trade games, but their is a catch, you have to pay full price to use the game.
Plus, if you want to even play games, you HAVE to be Connected to the Internet, not all the time, but to Install the Disc onto ur HDD, u need to be connected to internet to Authenticate the game and render the Disk useless, then u have to be connected to internet once a day.
Its obvious Xbone is designed for the American Market. Big problem with that. It has let the PS4 go on a path to Dominate every other market, with The American Market for Xbone going to Suffer cause of used games not allowed.
Plus retailers will suffer if XBone sells more, So retailers are going to want the PS4 to sell 50x more in order to keep the Used Game market operating, which is their main source of income.
So retailers arent gonna heavily market Xbone as the PS4.
Microsoft have also forgotten that alot of People in Europe and Asian have no Internet still or atleast very bad internets so unless Xbone offers Direct-2-HDD downloads of games using this cloud service, then its not gonna do well in that department either.
Sony have allready said that They use a Cloud Service but PS4 games on the PS Store can still install games Direct onto the HDD.
Microsoft have lost it. They arent connecting with gamers.
Even with Games at E3, the console still doesnt feel like a Gaming Console.
Funniest thing is Sony are using E3 just for games and rumours are saying Sony will have a dominating year at E3, they should also be showing the console.
Plus Sony are supposed to have another Large Conference in July to show of more PS4 features and more gameplay of games.
Its funny cause unless ur stupid, you can see that Microsoft are playing right into Sonys Plan.
I can see it, just feels like Sony are holding back big time. Obviously the PS4 has some secrets about it.
And it worked. Even though microsoft showed their Console, everyones eyes are still on PS4 cause they wantto see the PS4’s design. Sony even had important abd respect developers talk about the PS4 at the reveal.
Microsoft had 2 of the most hated and disrespected Companys at the Xbones Reveal, EA and Infinity War.
Good luck microsoft.
To clarify a thing about the X1 having to be online, from what I understand, it needs to connect to the internet at least once a day so the people with bad internet aren’t so boned, but those without the ‘net are totally fux0r3d.
I totally agree with your sentiment that they chose the worst people to join with, EA, I don’t really recall Infinity War (do you mean Ward? Still don’t recall who they are though). I still think that this thing would sell well in America. Apple’s done well there despite the “geeks” (true geeks that is) pointing out that it’s essentially a ramped up touch and speak toy.
To clarify, the smarter gamers will of course, steer clear of this thing at least until the price drops massively. The more windsock-like of the market will of course be caught by the name drops and shell out for it with gusto.