the real reason the xbox 360 failed in japan

July 18th, 2007 post a comment (25) stumble it! by: technabob

[Every once in a while, I'll dig through the archives here at Technabob and dust off an oldie, but goody for your enjoyment. With all of the E3 buzz surrounding the Xbox 360 last week, I figured I'd bring you this classic from about a year ago. Enjoy...]

Xbox 360 Japan Do!Do!Do!

Ok, I know they don’t care for the same sort of games we do in the US and UK, but I think this commercial for the Xbox 360 really sums up everything that’s wrong about Microsoft’s presence in Japan. Or maybe it’s just weird enough to be right for the market - who knows?

click to view this video clip

Now wasn’t that a knee-slapping good time? Ah, memories.

July 18th, 2007 post a comment (25) stumble it! by: technabob

25 comments post a comment

1. Silent Bob | July 26th, 2006 at 6:57 pm

This advert made me puke inside.
2. Deez Drinkin | July 26th, 2006 at 7:04 pm

are you kidding me?! With that commercial you couldn’t sell anything anywhere!
3. Alex Price | July 26th, 2006 at 7:09 pm

Hahahahahaahhahahhahahahaah. It this real?
4. Lo | July 26th, 2006 at 7:20 pm

That’s so funny!!! Just getting into the website is particularly awesome. Memorable but what the hell does DO DO DO have to do with XBOX 360?
5. nitroburn | July 26th, 2006 at 7:25 pm

Because its a pile of DO DO DO.
6. Coldacid | July 26th, 2006 at 7:36 pm

I like it better than the Jump Rope ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-hH8nLeigQ
7. Iced_Eagle | July 26th, 2006 at 7:41 pm

Actually, that is a popular pop band in Japan apparently…

Sure it won’t sell to other markets (which is why you haven’t seen those types of commercials in other countries), but to the Japanese things like that might work actually.
8. spirkinator | July 26th, 2006 at 7:44 pm

The same crap flies here in the US, too. “Ba-dat dat-dat dah” is to McDonald’s whtat “Do Do Do” is to the XBox 360. Stupid but catchy.
9. Kyotocutie | July 26th, 2006 at 7:48 pm

I agree with Iced_Eagle. This kind of ad is common in Japan, and seems to work for products from ramen to video games. It’s awfully short, though, and I wonder if there is a longer version that may make a little more sense. In America too, advertisers do that trick making a full-length and a “teaser” commercial. In addition, Japanese are notorious for not checking possible misinterpretations of their Japanglish slogans. The meaning of the English isn’t as important as having English in the ad.
10. xitrium | July 26th, 2006 at 8:44 pm

I like how separate adverts and the products they advertise are nowadays.
11. Jason | July 26th, 2006 at 9:32 pm

I think people get the wrong idea. We’re an import society but it’s not the same overseas. I think the xBox is failing more-so from a “Not Invented Here” situation. The world loves our hollywood, the music, movies, and clothes. But unfortunately, the buck often stops there.
12. Administrator | July 26th, 2006 at 9:33 pm

BTW… I’m seeing alot of SERIOUS comments here and on Digg about how this isn’t the real reason that the 360 failed in Japan.

C’mon guys, haven’t you heard of sarcasm?
13. Cibbuano | July 26th, 2006 at 10:37 pm

Without the Xbox360, that could have been an 80s commercial for Starburst or jumpropes…
14. xekusion | July 26th, 2006 at 11:25 pm

Well it’s right isn’t it? The xbox is a pile of do do? also known as shit. Even if it was a better ad, no one in Japan would buy it.
15. Administrator | July 26th, 2006 at 11:32 pm

Now, now. I’ve gotten plenty of enjoyment out of my 360 except for the time that it melted down and died and I had to spend another $300 to buy a new one. Other than that it’s great.

Not that I’m hearing raves about the PS3 from the development community either.
16. Smoking Gun | July 27th, 2006 at 12:07 am

I love the little green Matrix X’s.
17. Iced_Eagle | July 27th, 2006 at 2:06 am

http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2006/07/16/536215.aspx

There is a link to the full video.
18. Gavin | July 27th, 2006 at 3:15 am

Yeah, it is kinda lame but I’ve seen faaaaar worse ads out of Japan.
19. Keith | July 27th, 2006 at 10:00 am

There is only one main reason I can think of. Today’s games are getting far too sophisticated! Despite of the marketing strategy, ultimately, the other factor also is attributed to the game console itself.
20. LoneWolf7 | July 28th, 2006 at 5:07 pm

Wow did they just call Xbox “do do” ….. i think the japanese wont like it if its “do do”
21. Deacon Nikolai | July 29th, 2006 at 11:23 pm

X-Box is Doo-Doo and the Japanese know it! :-p
22. Marketing.fm » Adve&hellip | August 5th, 2006 at 7:38 pm

[...] Checkout this hilarious clip of why technabob thinks xbox 360 failed in Japan: [...]
23. pretentious polemic &raqu&hellip | August 11th, 2006 at 5:32 am

[...] WRONG! h u e g was the correct answer. [...]
24. Comedy Videos » The&hellip | August 21st, 2006 at 4:33 am

[...] If this Japanese Xbox 360 commercial is any indication of how the system was marketed, no wonder it bombed. Be sure to check out the link at the bottom for the Xbox Japan Marketing Site too. It’s priceless. I guess Microsoft figured that if Nintendo can have a “wii” they can have “do do do”. Enjoy.read more | digg story [...]
25. Poor Sony | October 8th, 2006 at 11:05 pm

With “Wii” and “Do” already taken, how can Sony possibly compete in the next-gen scat-fest?