news | reviews | articles
| Gamer in Japan | // article |
| Konichiwa again Sushi fans, last weeks article was several shades of weak "Matcha" (really expensive Japanese Tea), so this week I'm kicking off the jetlag to bring you an issue with a little more zest, a little more Wasabi sauce if you will! Sunday was my first big day off and I took the opportunity to explore Sapporo in a little more detail, my findings were both interesting and nostalgic, first though, Xbox 360 time! Those in the know will tell you the Xbox 360 centre in Tokyo is open till at least early February, so if you're in downtown Tokyo with Godzilla and the JSRF crew, head in and have a look. If I can make it before they close shop I will and you'll be the first to hear of it, anyway, lets get on with the show! Heading into the centre of Sapporo I did my best to locate the Sega centre and the extremely attractive Xbox 360 set-up to no avail, however, you shouldn't take my inability to find any exterior advertising as a sign of Microsoft giving up in Sony's home territory, oh far from it. Stepping into HMV I was quickly drawn to the magazines rack, where, as I later found to be repeated in many other stores, the big M had given delivery of a very suave looking magazine aimed at cracking the mature and teen gaming markets. Outwardly the magazine speaks of style and that Microsoft touch we're coming to expect which says; "Hey you, super geek, take a look at all the ladies that play our console! What's up? Why aren't you playing too? Have we done something to offend you?" Well, maybe not that last part, but the gist of things is that Microsoft are still making a concerted effort in Japan, it may not be the kind of push we're used to, in fact its far more subtle, a tweaking of the collective conscious if you will, with the most popular TV programs featuring a simple "Xbox 360" text advert and the non-obtrusive, but evidently stylish coffee table magazines that worm into the minds of the young and suggest quite certainly that Xbox 360 is where the action is. It may not be working as well as Microsoft would hope, but Japan was always going to be a tough nut to crack, fortunately, Microsoft seems to have the patience to keep going for a while yet. Now for a bit of nostalgia, yes I know, the Xbox 360 side of things is lacking, but I've got to keep some content for next week! Moving on… Sapporo, like any major Japanese city, has its share of games stores, ranging from the colossal "Yodobashi Camera" electronics store, to my pleasantly local and deceptively small store whose name is utterly indecipherable under the neon glare of "Mr Donut". Now, I could go on for hours regarding the extensive range of Gundam memorabilia available in Yodobashi Camera, but I won't, because that particular range is the very reason I got lost and failed to find the Xbox 360 area, still, something for another day! However, my local games, CDs and DVDs store was much more forgiving. Walking into the store, one could be forgiven for thinking it was little more than a hut, then one would be slapped with some manner of wet fish as one was similarly assaulted by around 4 different TVs blaring Final Fantasy on a volume setting perilously close to "William Shatner". The first 10 square meters or so were entirely stocked with Playstation games, some familiar, many looking to be little more than pornography that requires the use of a D-Pad. However, as I moved further into the store, I was comforted to see a surprisingly large Xbox 360 area, which, although showing some horrifically low price tags (under £200 for a Premium console and 2 games anyone?), did seem to be gaining public interest, as the entirety of the shops 4 customers were gathered here, without the use of coercion I might add. Now, before I forget, I mentioned nostalgia didn't I? Well here it goes, in an area substantially bigger than that of the Playstation 2 aisles, were arrayed consoles from the Xbox, right back to the SNES, now, the SNES isn't all that old, but to see it on sale in a similar manner to that of the PS2 or Xbox 360 was surprising, and to then see a Pikachu N64, Japanese Perfect Dark box and all manner of SNES games (Mario Kart included) was nearly too much as a school-boy-esque grin spread across my face and I considered purchasing the Japanese copy of Perfect Dark, just so I could be the ultimate in PD fanatic sadness. Of course, such things are fleeting and my attention was soon yanked away as I spied a copy of Phantom Crash for the Xbox, sitting proudly alongside DOA3 and Halo 2 as if it had always been an XBox top seller (it really should have been you know). Alas, the money situation is not quite what it could be, and I moved on, somewhat cheered by the sheer brutal force of Pikachu, Mario Kart, Perfect Dark and Phantom Crash in such proximity to each other. I might almost have giggled with glee, had not the attendant staff already begun to wonder at my being foreign (everyone stares at foreigners in Japan and that's not just because I look weird, they do it to other foreigners too!). Hmm, it would appear I have once again prattled on well past my time, till next week folks, enjoy the Sake and remember, one should never laugh when trying to say Japanese numbers in excess of 1000, no matter how funny they might sound. Oyasumi Nasai! | |
| << review index | |