The Xbox 360 launched December 10 in Japan. Initial estimates for sales in the opening weekend was around 62,000 units, according to Japanese gaming magazine gurus Enterbrain/Famitsu (via Reuters). That’s less than a third of the total Xbox 360s that Microsoft had available for the launch window. And, more shamefully, it’s around a half of the 123,000 Xbox units Microsoft sold in the opening weekend for its original console launch.

Microsoft hasn’t learned the lessons of its own past, apparently. Microsoft executives had many times in the run-up to the Xbox 360 launch stated how they would crack Japan this time. But actions speak louder than words. 212 Xbox games were backwards-compatible on the Xbox 360 at launch in the US. How many in Japan? 12, including two versions of Ninja Gaiden. Even if there wasn’t the demand for games to be backwards-compatible, it sends out a strong message: “We don’t care about Japan”.

Then the launch line-up onœ again shooter, racing and sports heavy. Not ideal even for European and US audiences, but for Japanese gamers? Woeful. Beat ‘em up Dead Or Alive 4 slipping to late December caused a wave of pre-order cancellations. The epic role-playing games Japanese gamers love are all somewhere into 2006 at the earliest.

The Xbox 360 is an excellent console. But Microsoft’s launch has been badly botched on this and other measures. Going into Christmas it now has no goodwill factor, no momentum amongst mass-market gamers anywhere, not enough stock to satisfy the hardcore in the US or Europe, and the looming spectre of the PS3 coming soon in 2006.