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Despite Lack of Sales in the Region, They're Opening a XBox 360 Store in Japan

As you have read in my previous blogs, Microsoft's XBox 360 isn't doing that well in Japan. Microsoft's lack of success is huge as it only sells from two to three thousand consoles a week in Japan. And with news of pulling most materials for the console from Japanese stores, it hasn't stopped one shop in Yamaguchi Prefecture from making a store dedicated to the XBox 360 (according to this article on Kotaku).

Japanese blogger Mirian, who runs Xbox 360-centric blog Hakomaru Purasu opened an Xbox 360-centric retail shop called Game Shop Clarith. And while the shop does feature items for Xbox's competitors Nintendo and Sony, the ratio is totally different from the typical Japanese game shop. Usually Xbox 360 games are in the minority or destined for the bargain bin, while the shelves are all PS3 and Wii games, it's the opposite in Mirian's shop. It's very backwards in Japanese gaming culture.

Though people question this shop. Yamaguchi Prefecture is rural compared to say, Akihabara (Tokyo's electronics "town") where there are few shops dedicated to the Xbox 360, which makes Japanese technology outlets say "is this kind of shop okay?"

But Mirian is okay with it. As the 360 owners in Japan have been resorting to going online for their peripherals and games due to their own kind being shoved and repressed in the local gaming society, Mirian decided to take charge and make a shop for his own kind. In his own words:

"I wanted a store where you could just walk in, look at a game on the rack while talking with a friend and buy it...that's why I made this game shop."

 

SOURCES:
/blog/xbox-in-japan-update-microsoft-begins-its-slow-retreat
/blog/xbox-360-modding-required-for-regional-breakthrough
http://kotaku.com/5871254/japan-gets-a-store-specializing-inthe-xbox-360-huh/gallery/1
http://blog.livedoor.jp/babyplus/ (Japanese)