The anime movie download service might do the trick, but I think anime based RPGs and causual games are likely to be more sucessful.

There’s only one possible way for Microsoft to make the 360 a success in Japan

1. They need to give it away for free to anyone who signs up for 2 years of XBox Live. Throw a bunch of XBox Live Arcade titles in for free too, but no full retail games.

2. MS needs to drop the retail price of all 360 games to $10 cheaper than either PS3 or Wii games, or even less where they can.

3. Go live with XBox Live Video Marketplace RIGHT NOW and load it up with every major Japanese TV show and Anime movie they can crank out. Get people used to the idea of buying by giving them all 1000 Live points when they sign up and an extra 200 a month. Also give the first episode or two of every TV series away (just like they do with Witchblade in the U.S. - I never would have bought it except for I downloaded the free first episode and really liked it).

Bottom line, if Microsoft wants to crack the Japanese market, they need to subsidize the hardware. They’re making a huge mistake by pushing the system without a hard drive when Video sales are the #1 way they can recoup their investment. Yes MS charges a lot of money for the 360 hard drives but they don’t COST that much - they are just standard 2.5″ SATA laptop drives in a custom plastic enclosure.”

or they could just include a soiled pair of girls undies and the system would sell like crazy:)

1. They need to give it away for free to anyone who signs up for 2 years of XBox Live. Throw a bunch of XBox Live Arcade titles in for free too, but no full retail games.

2. MS needs to drop the retail price of all 360 games to $10 cheaper than either PS3 or Wii games, or even less where they can.

3. Go live with XBox Live Video Marketplace RIGHT NOW and load it up with every major Japanese TV show and Anime movie they can crank out. Get people used to the idea of buying by giving them all 1000 Live points when they sign up and an extra 200 a month. Also give the first episode or two of every TV series away (just like they do with Witchblade in the U.S. - I never would have bought it except for I downloaded the free first episode and really liked it).

Bottom line, if Microsoft wants to crack the Japanese market, they need to subsidize the hardware. They’re making a huge mistake by pushing the system without a hard drive when Video sales are the #1 way they can recoup their investment. Yes MS charges a lot of money for the 360 hard drives but they don’t COST that much - they are just standard 2.5″ SATA laptop drives in a custom plastic enclosure.

P.S. Fuck wii too

This price also seems to make the rumour of a pricedrop for the Arcade in europe to €199 more likely. Probably before the launch of GTAIV. Microsoft didn’t invest all those millions in that game for nothing. They want it to sell a lot machines. And at 199 it’s quite a steal.