Microsoft Japan Launching Core Xbox 360 Bundle

Hoping to regain a competitive edge in its traditionally tough Japanese market, Microsoft is planning to release the Core package of its Xbox 360 console at a rate discounted by approximately 10,000 yen, according to an official statement. The Japanese core package, which will retail for 29,800 yen ($256), is identical in hardware to the Core package released in Western regions, with no included hard drive, Ethernet cable, or headset. The package will, however, be bundled with two Xbox 360 games, Bizarre Creations' Project Gotham Racing 3 and Q/Phantagram's Ninety-Nine Nights, making it compelling value for money for Japanese consumers intrigued by the console, given that each game currently retails for close to 7,000 yen ($60). The release of the new package is currently slated for November 2nd, a date apparently timed carefully, as it is the week before Sony is set to launch its own Playstation 3 in that market. With launch supplies of the PS3 in that region recently downsized to "about" 100,000 units, the re-release of a less expensive bundled version of the Xbox 360 -- coming it at nearly half the cost of Sony's console -- could be an attractive enough bargain for consumers to woo them away from the competition. However, the Xbox 360 continues to struggle in terms of Japanese sales, with the latest charts showing just 1,250 units sold in the last week, compared to 22,703 units of the PlayStation 2 and a titanic 229,259 units for the Nintendo DS.