Survey predicts another tough fight ahead for MS in Japan

A new survey has found that while more and more Japanese gamers are expressing an interest in the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 is still the most eagerly anticipated next-gen console.

The survey was conducted by market research firm Infoplant, which questioned 500 male and 500 female console owners equally split from four age groups - teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. In total, 5.8 per cent of those questioned said they were interested in Microsoft's next-gen console, marking a significant increase - the figure stood at only 2 per cent following a similar survey back in July.

The popularity of the Nintendo Revolution also rose since the previous survey, up from 8 per cent to 21.9 per cent. But Sony's PS3 remains the firm favourite with Japanese consumers - 72.3 per cent of those questioned said they were considering buying the console.

In addition, 21.5 per cent of gamers expressed no interest in any of the next-generation consoles. Since respondents were permitted to give multiple choice answers, it follows that almost all of those who said they were looking forward to at least one of the new consoles picked PS3.

The results of the survey suggest that Microsoft will have another tough fight on its hands when it comes to the Japanese market - despite the fact that it has a head start with the Xbox 360 launching months before the PS3 and Revolution.

The current generation Xbox has failed to take off in Japan, with sales consistently lagging behind those of the Gamecube and PlayStation 2. Since the start of 2005, more than 1.15 million PS2s have been sold to Japanese consumers, compared to less than 10,000 Xbox units.