Namco’s Ridge Racer 6 is the lowest selling Xbox 360 game in America selling only 9,091 units. By comparison the highest selling title, Call of Duty 2, has sold 250,730. Things couldn’t be more different in Japan. While Microsoft’s white box is about as elusive as a certain white whale in the US, they are readily available in Japan. Ridge Racer 6 is also the highest selling game title in Japan selling 29,891 units. Call of Duty 2 isn’t even in the top 3.
This only reiterates how difficult it will be for Microsoft to succeed in the Japanese market. While they have made great inroads in America, establishing themselves as a serious threat to Sony’s console hegemony, they have been unable to duplicate a fraction of that success in Japan.