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[Canis lupus]

from Kotaku, 2ch comments on the XBOXO

On Twitter in Japan, the newly announced Xbox One has a couple of new nicknames. However, there is a bit of a good natured dispute over what the Xbox One's nickname will be: "Batsuichi" (Once Divorced) or "Hako 1" (Box 1).

The name "Xbox" has always been somewhat problematic for Japan, because "X" is "batsu" (ば&#12388 in Japanese and is used to mark incorrect answers. In the West, "X" can cross things out. But it can also mean "X marks the spot" or carry the nuance of "extreme". In Japan, however, the circle is used to denote correct items. (This is why on Japanese PlayStation controllers, the circle button is used to select.) Thus, the "X" can have a negative meaning—though, not always. For example, Toyota has a sedan in Japan called "Mark X". Old Japanese men seem to like it fine!

As mentioned above, one of the nicknames for the "Xbox One"—a nickname that seems to have started on Twitter—is the Japanese word for "divorced". The shortened "X1" can be read as "batsuichi" (バツイ&#12481, which is literally "one x" and means "once divorced".

(Interesting side note: the official Twitter account of Japanese electronics company Sharp tweeted a photo of its X1, which was a home computer released in the 1980s. No idea if this product was also called "once divorced" back in the day.)

The other nickname is a continuation of the somewhat disparaging nickname for the Xbox 360, which is "Hako 0" (箱０ or Hako Maru). "Hako" (&#31665 means "box", and "maru" means "circle". In Japanese, calling the console "hako" isn't rude per se. It just doesn't sound very cool! So, now Xbox One is also being called "Hako 1" (箱1 is "Hako One" or "Hako Ichi", with, of course, "ichi" being "one" in Japanese.) In an odd way, calling it "Hako 1" makes sense, especially after the "Hako 0" moniker. It makes more sense than going from "Xbox 360" to "Xbox One".

From what people are saying online in Japan, it sounds like the Xbox One isn't exactly hitting the ground running. There's long been this notion in the West that Japanese people don't buy foreign goods.

That's not true. They tend buy the goods that they think are the best, whether they are foreign or Japanese. The Xbox 360 is a fine console, but it never really caught on in Japan. Perhaps, it was the line-up or games or perhaps it was the sinking feeling Japanese gamers had that Microsoft didn't really care about the Japanese market.

http://kotaku.com/heres-what-people-in-japan-think-of-xbox-one-509246328

http://anago.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/ghard/1369158822/

http://news.ameba.jp/20130522-106/

looks like the console is confirmed for Japan
http://www.famitsu.com/news/201305/22033659.html

 

[intheinbetween]

I guess it could be worse?

 

[Aguirre]

i forgot all about the idol master angle.

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

Lol at the guy that said he will have to buy it for Idolmaster 3. System seller right there.

 

[Kokonoe]

"Ah, but if The Idolmaster 3 comes out, I guess I'll have to buy it..."

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

"As mentioned above, one of the nicknames for the "Xbox One"—a nickname that seems to have started on Twitter—is the Japanese word for "divorced". The shortened "X1" can be read as "batsuichi" (バツイ&#12481, which is literally "one x" and means "once divorced"."

So you have one console that is death, and other is divorced. Great.

 

[King Beyond the wall]

'The one X' ... I like it. Seriously though microsofts new console is clearly designed primarily for the US. They don't really care about Europe or Japan

 

[Aguirre]

Lol at the guy that said he will have to buy it for Idolmaster 3. System seller right there.

i swear if kentaro miura buys an xbox one for idol master, then we'll never get a new chapter for berserk >.<

 

[Zomba13]

"As mentioned above, one of the nicknames for the "Xbox One"—a nickname that seems to have started on Twitter—is the Japanese word for "divorced". The shortened "X1" can be read as "batsuichi" (&#12496;&#12484;&#12452;&#12481, which is literally "one x" and means "once divorced"."

So you have one console that is death, and other is divorced. Great.

Wii U wins best name of the generation in Japan!

 

[Forkball]

"We're not so different, you and I..."

 

[Paddington Bear]

"The controller didn't get worse."

Japanese people always looking on the bright side

 

[Drencrom]

i swear if kentaro miura buys an xbox one for idol master, then we'll never get a new chapter for berserk >.<

Shit...

 

[sakipon]

The first guy, the Idolmaster dude... He sure likes his waifus.

 

[Kusagari]

Going off those comments they took the thing better than GAF did.

 

[The Cartographer]

i swear if kentaro miura buys an xbox one for idol master, then we'll never get a new chapter for berserk >.<

Volume 38 never.

 

[The Living Tribunal]

Can't believe Idolmaster sells consoles.

 

[Kokonoe]

Lol at the guy that said he will have to buy it for Idolmaster 3. System seller right there.

That place looks really clean.

 

[Uncle Rupee]

Going off those comments they took the thing better than GAF did.

It's hard to be passionate about something that has been largely irrelevant to you.
Zero or even negative hype can lead to a happy medium of undisappointment.

 

[E-Cat]

Not like it matters anyway. They've sold like, what, 1.6 million 360s over there?

 

[Parakeetman]

&#12496;&#12484;&#12452;&#12481; L O fucking L.

Seriously someone in the MS HQ didnt have their dick on straight when considering the name of the console.

 

[Radec]

To be fair, MS thinks Japan is irrelevant anyway.

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

MS made great efforts at Xbox 360's launch to appeal japanese gamers, both with the console design and the development of japanese titles. Japan answer was very cold, so we can't blame them for totally dopping the ball over there. I'll be surprised if Xbox One will even be sold in Japan.

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

"I wonder how Americans are gaming at home"

Sony just shot themselves in the foot.

I don't know how much the rest of you know about American culture (I'm an expert), but watching TV while playing games at the same time is a huge part of it.

 

[Kusagari]

It's hard to be passionate about something that has been largely irrelevant to you.
Zero or even negative hype can lead to a happy medium of undisappointment.

It wasn't irrelevant to Idolmaster man!

 

[dosh]

i swear if kentaro miura buys an xbox one for idol master, then we'll never get a new chapter for berserk >.<

Hey that's one way of looking at it: xbox one fails in Japan, no Idol Master, more Berserk. See, the reveal finally brings some good news after all.

 

[Replicant]

DEAD @ BATSUICHI nickname.

 

[lenovox1]

Not like it matters anyway. They've sold like, what, 1.6 million 360s over there?

Microsoft is projecting that the home console market will grow 20%, so any little bit matters.

 

[Negator]

There is absolutely no way Bandai Namco would put Idolmaster on the Xbox One at this point instead of PS3/PS4. In what universe would that ever be a good decision?

 

[Triton55]

"Western internet forums are on fire. lol"

Best one. lol

 

[Boogybro]

I guess it could be worse?

Oh yeah?

 

[Parakeetman]

MS made great efforts at Xbox 360's launch to appeal japanese gamers, both with the console design and the development of japanese titles. Japan answer was very cold, so we can't blame them for totally dopping the ball over there. I'll be surprised if Xbox One will even be sold in Japan.

More like MS screwed over the gamers initially with the original Xbox and the last straw was them shitcanning TFOL.

Thats the real reason why people were so hesitant about the 360. Didnt help as the consoles life progressed so did all the reports of RRODs and no clear sign of what MS planned to do about it in the longest time when they were in the state of denial.

 

[Valkyria]

"I wonder how Americans are gaming at home"

Sony just shot themselves in the foot.

I don't know how much the rest of you know about American culture (I'm an expert), but watching TV while playing games at the same time is a huge part of it.

Perfect lol.

 

[CaptainTiptop]

"Western internet forums are on fire. lol"

Japan reads GAF confirmed, hahaha.

 

[E-Cat]

Microsoft is projecting that the home console market will grow 20%, so any little bit matters.

Now what'd be real funny is if it grew 20% only in Japan.

 

[Jubern]

I died at the Batsuichi nickname when I read it earlier today. Works pretty damn well.

 

[Dennis]

 

[Risette]

Microsoft is projecting that the home console market will grow 20%, so any little bit matters.

Yeah, if you want to grow, forfeiting markets isn't a good thing to do. And Microsoft basically just relegated themselves to the US, if that.

 

[Valnen]

"I wonder how Americans are gaming at home"

Sony just shot themselves in the foot.

I don't know how much the rest of you know about American culture (I'm an expert), but watching TV while playing games at the same time is a huge part of it.

And they revoke our citizenship if we don't care about the NFL, apparently.

 

[BlackJace]

They really didn't think of Japan one bit.

 

[wildfire]

Going off those comments they took the thing better than GAF did.

Some of them are using filing for divorce as a euphamism for X1. Their rage is just more highbrow.

 

[nailbombxx]

This whole thing couldn't have turned out any more hilariously awful.

 

[IrishNinja]

that first comment was actually by Kentaro Miura
*edit crap i was way late on this joke

"Western internet forums are on fire. lol"

Best one. lol

yeah, that one was remarkably perceptive

 

[InfiniteNine]

Hey that's one way of looking at it: xbox one fails in Japan, no Idol Master, more Berserk. See, the reveal finally brings some good news after all.

They'd just put it on the PS4 or handhelds since IM@S 2 is already on the PS3 after all and the music game is on PSP and iOS.

 

[BGBW]

 

[Captain Tuttle]

To be fair, MS thinks Japan is irrelevant anyway.

Seriously. Of all the controversial things about the XboxOne how the Japanese feel about it is pretty far down the list, so far down as to be irrelevant.

 

[Poetic.Injustice]

"Even if the functionality is increased, what you end up with is an old PC. It's okay they are putting effort into TV and video services. I don't need that, though, because I'm enjoying my PC gamer life."

Haha looks like Japan has it's share of PC gaming elitists.

 

[Phonomezer]

MS made great efforts at Xbox 360's launch to appeal japanese gamers, both with the console design and the development of japanese titles. Japan answer was very cold, so we can't blame them for totally dopping the ball over there. I'll be surprised if Xbox One will even be sold in Japan.

Yep. Why should they pander to a market that has given them the cold shoulder for a decade?

Microsoft trying for China and Korea makes much more sense, they're more receptive to Western/PC gaming in general.

 

[PuppetMaster]

lol lol lol! I didn't even notice till I saw this jpg.

Batsu-ichi in Japanese literally means "X" and "One". But it also means divorce.

Edit: Oh it says at much in the comments below it... Still huge lol!

 

[Westlo]

There is absolutely no way Bandai Namco would put Idolmaster on the Xbox One at this point instead of PS3/PS4. In what universe would that ever be a good decision?

Exactly, it's going to be a ps4 game if on console, or go to the handhelds.

But that comment was gold.... gold jerry!

 

[uuaschbaer]

Icing on the cake, this news; I thought the gift had ceased giving.