Four hundred thousand is the number of Xbox consoles Microsoft has sold in Japan since launching the system in February, 2002. It is roughly the number of copies of Grand Theft Auto that Capcom has sold into the Japanese market. And, historically speaking, it is the approximate number of 3DO consoles in Japan as well. "[Capcom has] sold about 400,000 copies [of Grand Theft Auto]," said Masahiro Koide, group senior manager, platform, and brand marketing group for Xbox. "Also, our user base is 400,000, and also 3DO sold 400,000. That is the yogei-acceptable number in Japan." [The term "yogei" refers to foreign or Western.] Koide, a quiet but humorous man, makes an interesting point. Whether you call it 'glass,' or 'silk,' or 'bamboo,' there does seem to be a ceiling to the success foreign game companies can have in Japan. Some have called the problem "jingoistic." At Microsoft, however, the feeling is that the market is somewhat closed, but for all the right reasons.
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