A dearth of Japan-focused titles is why Sony is slowing the roll of the PlayStation 4 there until February 22. In fact, western appetite for a next-generation console well out-paces that in Sony’s home country, said company executives to Eurogamer.
“Perhaps you could say that a few western developers have been more aggressive in readying titles for the hardware,” said Mark Cerny, the PS4’s chief architect. Shuhei Yoshida, the head of Sony Worldwide Studios, backed him up, saying Japan was “a completely different picture of readiness” for new hardware compared to the west.
As a result, Japanese developers really didn’t start climbing aboard the PS4 bandwagon until after it was announced in February, where western developers had been talking about plans for the next generation of consoles before anyone knew what their names were.
Indeed, Richard Eisenbeis’ man-in-the-street polling of Tokyo Game Show-goers found eight of 32 randomly approached folks expressing no interest in either console (to be fair, Xbox has no certain release date in Japan and is definitely second-banana there.) Yoshida pointed out that Japan “is more portable-heavy” which also explains the relative apathy toward a new machine.
“Sony just wants to make sure that when PlayStation 4 launches in Japan, there is a good line-up of titles for Japan,” Cerny told Eurogamer. Might this portend a special treat for Japan sometime in the winter — say The Last Guardian?
Sony explains why PS4 will launch in Japan after the West [Eurogamer]
Comments
11 responses to “Why The PS4 Is Waiting Until February To Launch In Japan”
Pretty much why I will be waiting until next year to get my PS4. The launch line-up leaves a lot to be desired.
Surrreee it is.
Sony’s plan is to have enough PS4’s out in the wild over here to go head to head with the Xbone so no one buys the Xbone (the shame).
In Japan Microsoft has never been a threat and people in Japan will line up for a PS4 regardless of what trickery Sony Pulls, hench the delay.
I think it is the fact they will have a hard time manufacturing enough PS4s for the rest of the world (like you say) yes but I do think the lack of Japanese ready software (as the article states) is also true.
either way I am looking forward to getting my PS4 asap.
Yeah and I pitty the morons who are going to fall for Sonys bullshit again, once you go Xbox you never go back!
it’s like going Major League over pee wee especially comparing Xbox Live to that fecal matter that is Psn
Exactly my issue. I’ve been interested in buying a console but am stuck between the already established PS3 system of awesome games and a cheaper prices vs PS4 with no backwards compatibility and only a few decent games which no one has even played and it won’t be decided for a long time whether the PS4 or the XB1 is better value.
I think kotaku was a bit slow about mentioning this news…
Well…. They already know Japan is in the bag, and want to fight the battles that are still undecided (Europe, USA, Australia). After they’ve done that, they’ll go back and pick the low-hanging fruit, since it’s clear that the overwhelming number of Japanese don’t care about Xbox.
Bullcrap. They’re giving Japan the short straw because it’s a market they know they’ll own, and everybody knows it. I hate it when companies piss on you and tell you it’s raining. It’s an absolute slap in the face to their core fan base that have supported them for many years, but it makes sense from a business perspective and at the end of the day making a profit is more important than making friends.
I think you are thinking to far into it.
They can’t manufacture enough for launch as it is. If the did Japan first and Aus last we’d be saying “we are always last” but instead I think Sony is launching were there is more immediate demand. Japan will be slower to adopt.
Sony are trying to make the best launch they can, their not creepy old con men pissing on anyone and telling them it is raining.
A Sony console slow to adopt in Japan … um … what are you smokin?
“Slower” and,
As I also said the preorders for everywhere else has resulted in no stock till 2014. What do you expect – Sony not to match existing preorders or more stock for Japan to magically appear.
I expect them to do whatever they can to turn the biggest profit, ie, giving the cold shoulder to their home base. Like I said, it’s smart.
Japan is still releasing PSP games…. They are always slow. The west is always ahead.