A shortage is a good sign because it shows the product is popular? No sir, it doesn't show this, it just shows the product is more popular than the sales projector (?) suspected (or the distribution's screwed up).

Even with sales of 10units/year you'd get a shortage if you stock 5. And conversely, massively overstocking a popular product doesn't mean it's losing popularity, it just means overstocking.

" But the firm will probably carve a notch in its sales bedpost, because the shortage does prove that the console’s still opular over there."

Well, technically true, but it all depends how many they shipped/produced for the Land of the Rising Sun.

It's a bit like Nintendo saying that they have none left in the shops, knowing full well that outside of the UK and US there were STACKS of them lying in aisles across Europe.

This is just the type of FUD that comes from MS, Nintendo, & Sony.

"Shock! We've run out!! Must be selling like hotcakes!!" (then behind the proverbial curtain) "... But we still have masses of stock available elsewhere.."

This can NOT possibly be news... Scraping the barrel El Reg?

Huh?!?!? Surely these machines are actually made *IN* Japan? (clueless to the extreme, what with being a PS3 user :) )

Possible marketing spin for......

'We've run out of Japanese XBOX consoles, because our hardware and software systems are still in beta and we've had to replace most of the units. We don't even know when more are coming, we really shouldn't make anything complex, for the love of God, just look at Vista'

Well, that's how I read that article..

Clearly Microsoft's Japan tactics are to con consumers in the same ay Nintendo has with the Wii.

Who wants to bet that there is a big warehouse in Tokyo full of 360's hidden from stock to try and spur demand.

Shame on you Microsoft for taking advantage of stupid consumers.

... even I realize this is BS. Unless they only sent a few thousand over to Japan, I can't see them selling enough to actually run out.

Is MS now using Nintendo's tactic? Pretendind there's a shortage to boost sales deep into PS3 territory? They will be lucky!

/walks out in disgust...

no one buys them there anyway.

Thats 1 sold then

Time to ship another half dozen, then. Should keep them through to next year at least.

Looks like they launched an RPG and that week sold out of consoles.

http://webwereld.nl/articles/52329/xbox-360-beats-playstation-3-in-japan-weekly-sales-chart.html

"The console sold 24,962 units in the week of Aug. 4 to 10..."

"PS3 sold 9,673 units and Nintendo's Wii sold 38,506 units,"

So the game gave them a bump above the PS3 but not enough to catch the Wii (for that week... no doubt we'll find out what September,Oct Nov brings).

They usually sell 10 360s a week in Japan, and stock accordingly. Last week they sold 15 consoles, because a new game came out, and guess what, they ran dry...

The fact that Microsoft issued a press release to announce this, really shows how desperate they are getting...

Theres a lot of bitterness in this post by PS3 or suspected PS3 owners. Do you have nothing better to do then just watch out for the latest XBOX 360 article and then flame it. Who cares who sells more or what console is better

its a lil different than the wii situation, because in the UK eeeeverybody wanted one; stock was sold out because altho there were tens of thousands being sent here, demand was outstripping stock 5-1 easily (i got offered £300 for mine but that look my nephew gives me when hes disappointed could make birds fall out of the sky so passed it up)

so in JP all they've done is underestimated it by a few thousand

and good for 'em! the more consoles out there, the more competition, the more ppl are gonna work hard to create better games and better products

i don't know about you guys but i'm a GAME fanboy and all this favourtism etc. well..its a tad pathetic :x

"Who cares who sells more or what console is better"

Eeerr, you do apparantly.... We only have to read your post to work that out.

This is not about what console is best, or who sells more (despite PS3 winning both those arguments), it's about Microsoft's stupid games they are playing in Japan to try and increase their miniscule marketshare.

Microsoft Japan have gone to town in Japan now, they're throwing money at game producers like nobodies business. Apparently Square are now releasing on the XBox 360, so PS3 no longer has solo access to titles like Final Fantasy.

There are other companies and titles that are now going xbox - also xbox arcade has signed up the main producer of arcade titles in Japan, which are still big business over there.

The age of Sony console dominance in Japan may be waining.

The Wii demand was only there because people could not get one. It was hype fueled sales (look at how many are now gathering dust in cupboards).

The more Nintendo drip-fed stocks, the more people paid insane money on ebay, and the more people would kill for a Wii.

Every wondered why the stocks came in dribs and drabs? Because they would feed North America, and let people go bannanas in Europe and Japan, and then swap things around...

Sales number here, not pretty for XBOX360, very good for PSP.

http://www.famitsu.com/game/rank/hard/1217443_1140.html