Japan’s Home Console Market

November 14th, 2008 Posted by Alex Beech

Since the mid-nineties the worldwide console market has stabilised. Where there used to be numerous platforms vying for attention, with battle lines drawn between regions, resent years have seen the market consolidate with only three platforms fighting for our money each generation.

Japan’s market has been the most stagnant. In part this was due to their conquest of the western market in previous generations. Their dominance became assumed. They have continued to develop ethnocentric games solely for their home market. So now, although Japanese consoles are still popular worldwide, outside Japan they have become more dependent on Western developed games.

But what effects the console market within Japan it’s self? How has Wii sold more than the other two platforms combined? Why does Microsoft continue to struggle? And why are PS3 sales more than three times that of 360? Factors effecting of each console are discussed in the links below.