The abundance of Halo 3

[Breetai]

I have no idea about what it's like in the stores of North America/Europe/OZ/etc., but here in Japan there are plenty of Halo 3 games on the shelves. I was just in my local game store earlier today to see the couple copies of Halo 3 that the store has in its inventory starting to collect dust... kind of like every other 360 game here.

I'm assuming that they're flying off the shelves in western counties. Am I right?

 

[Weasel7711]

Not sure, I checked out of the halo fad a while back. I'm a Tom Clancy nut.
But a lot of guys on my hall at here at college stayed up till 3am beating it on legendary.

What does sell well over there? The Wii?

 

[Breetai]

What does sell well over there? The Wii?

I'd say that the PS2, the DS and the Wii currently take of 80% of floor space in stores, in that order. The PS3 is usually given a nice big display section at the front of most stores, and the PSP has a respectable section as well. The 360 section is often confined to a back corner somewhere. Halo 3 is currently playing on a lot of the 360 displays, but it's often given the smallest screen of all while Dragon Ball, Naruto, Gundam and whatever the newest RPG or baseball game at the time is given the largest screens.

 

[FlaymSior]

Let's see: Nintendo = Japanese. Sony = Japanese. Xbox 360 = American. Of course it's gonna have a small display. The national loyalties are different there. The western countries want shoot'em-ups while Japanese are more into puzzles and RPGs such as Blue Dragon. That's just the way it is, I guess.

 

[JCMLR]

I heard the Dead Or Alive series was huge in Japan.

 

[Breetai]

Let's see: Nintendo = Japanese. Sony = Japanese. Xbox 360 = American.

I really don't think that's the main issue.

The western countries want shoot'em-ups while Japanese are more into puzzles and RPGs such as Blue Dragon. That's just the way it is, I guess.

I haven't seen any Pachinko games for the 360 either, but there are two or three on the PS3.

 

[Gamezilla]

I have no idea about what it's like in the stores of North America/Europe/OZ/etc., but here in Japan there are plenty of Halo 3 games on the shelves. I was just in my local game store earlier today to see the couple copies of Halo 3 that the store has in its inventory starting to collect dust... kind of like every other 360 game here.

I'm assuming that they're flying off the shelves in western counties. Am I right?

Oh, yea! Halo 3 has been selling like crazy over here.

 

[theartist87]

From what I saw, Halo 3 sold a lot in Japan compared to that blue dragon or whatever game, which was supposed to be really big over there.

They have many on the shelves here, but I think it's just because they made so many of them. The preorders alone were insane, they just made so many extra because they know they will sell in the coming months. Especially with christmas coming up.

 

[FlaymSior]

I really don't think that's the main issue.

I haven't seen any Pachinko games for the 360 either, but there are two or three on the PS3.

It's a rather large issue, as the demographics are completely different. MS goes for the West cause that's where they're from. Sony and Nintendo know what the Japanese like and want so gear more to them (with Sony trying to get attention in the US, too). Nintendo's doing great with mini-games and such obligatory topics as cooking in games, but in the West it's more of a novelty that's quickly losing its appeal. It's who they're aiming for, it's who they are, where they are.

Pachinko?

 

[12ogue]

I have no idea about what it's like in the stores of North America/Europe/OZ/etc., but here in Japan there are plenty of Halo 3 games on the shelves. I was just in my local game store earlier today to see the couple copies of Halo 3 that the store has in its inventory starting to collect dust... kind of like every other 360 game here.

I'm assuming that they're flying off the shelves in western counties. Am I right?

It's funny. I went to Costco's Wholesale Store here in California the day Halo 3 came out. There was literally hundreds of copies they were selling. Nobody even bought them.

 

[Breetai]

From what I saw, Halo 3 sold a lot in Japan compared to that blue dragon or whatever game, which was supposed to be really big over there.

Big in comparison to other 360 games, which is not big compared to any other system.

The 360 just doesn't have the quirky games that people here like, like Pachinko and Majong games.

Pachinko?

Yup! It's a silly example, but it is relevant. I go into a game store and I see tons of Wii, DS, PS2, PSP and plenty of PS3 games catering to what's popular here, but almost non of these games are appearing on the 360. Why would anyone buy a system where you can't play pachinko or horse racing on (actually, I'm pretty sure you can get horse racing on the 360)?

...in the West it's more of a novelty that's quickly losing its appeal.

Really? I hope not! I kind of like these quirky games. I've got a train simulator game on the PS3 where I can be the engineer, controlling a train as it goes on various trainlines here in Japan (and even in Chicago). It's actually really cool!

 

[Breetai]

They have many on the shelves here, but I think it's just because they made so many of them. The preorders alone were insane, they just made so many extra because they know they will sell in the coming months. Especially with christmas coming up.

Good! It's nice to see demand being met finally.

 

[FlaymSior]

Big in comparison to other 360 games, which is not big compared to any other system.

The 360 just doesn't have the quirky games that people here like, like Pachinko and Majong games.

Yup! It's a silly example, but it is relevant. I go into a game store and I see tons of Wii, DS, PS2, PSP and plenty of PS3 games catering to what's popular here, but almost non of these games are appearing on the 360. Why would anyone buy a system where you can't play pachinko or horse racing on (actually, I'm pretty sure you can get horse racing on the 360)?

Really? I hope not! I kind of like these quirky games. I've got a train simulator game on the PS3 where I can be the engineer, controlling a train as it goes on various trainlines here in Japan (and even in Chicago). It's actually really cool!

Exactly, all those quirky games are on the Japanese-made systems (and don't even have an American equivalent in most cases, if I'm not mistaken.) Demographics

 

[OdwinOddball]

Pachinko?

Its sort of like a vertical pinball game. Think Plinko from the Price is right, but with lights and buzzers.

I don't know how popular it is these days, but they used to have arcades with just Pachinko machines back in the 60's/70's. Often you can gamble on the machines.

 

[mrpiddly]

who plays with a train simulator. Flight sims are one thing, they have full environments where you can basically go anywhere and do anything but with a train simulator, its just a track you can drive on.

There is no freedom. The biggest choice is what kind of train you will use and then defining its specs. Then all you control is basically the speed while preforming a bunch of other tasks that dont even matter. The only way to entertain yourself with a train simulator is to go as fast as possible down a large hill into a curve and watch the train fly off the track, or hit another train doing the same thing.





Im sure things like Pachinkoa are just on the cutting edge of graphical technology too!!

(not that halo 3 was the cutting edge)

 

[Slambo]

I guess for the same reason people play those stupid twitch shooters. Personal taste.

 

[Breetai]

I don't know how popular it is these days, but they used to have arcades with just Pachinko machines back in the 60's/70's. Often you can gamble on the machines.

There are daily line-ups in front of the Pachinko building entrances at least a half-hour before opening daily. It's kind of disturbing.

 

[Breetai]

The biggest choice is what kind of train you will use and then defining its specs. Then all you control is basically the speed while preforming a bunch of other tasks that dont even matter. The only way to entertain yourself with a train simulator is to go as fast as possible down a large hill into a curve and watch the train fly off the track, or hit another train doing the same thing.

You can't do those things.

It's cool for me because the one of the trainlines in said game isn't far from my apartment. It was worth the discount price for me.

I didn't opt for the custom train controller, though.

 

[mrpiddly]

You can't do those things.

It's cool for me because the one of the trainlines in said game isn't far from my apartment. It was worth the discount price for me.

I didn't opt for the custom train controller, though.

please do not question my knowledge on games that i hate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_Simulator

It does all that and more


(there is also a freeware version that used physics but it was like from 1999, It actually had pretty good physics though. I forgot the name since it only ran in classic and it was too much troubble to play after the intel switch. )

 

[FlaymSior]

please do not question my knowledge on games that i hate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_Simulator

It does all that and more


(there is also a freeware version that used physics but it was like from 1999, It actually had pretty good physics though. I forgot the name since it only ran in classic and it was too much troubble to play after the intel switch. )

You amuse me! Unless I'm mistaken, the game being referred to was actually Railfan, released 12/21/2006 in Japan on PS3, as was said prior. So much for research, eh?

*removes needle from place your bubble was floating just seconds before*