A recent survey in Japanese magazine Famitsu indicates that the PS3 has a strong lead over rival consoles Xbox 360 and Nintendo Revolution in the Japanese market.

Of the 1392 people surveyed, an overwhelming 63.2% indicated that they intend to buy the Playstation 3 console when it is released.

It appears that the PS3’s hardware specifications have impressed the Japanese, with 70.4% of potential buyers indicating that they would buy the console based on its improved graphical abilities and processing power.

The Playstation 3’s games lineup and backwards compatibility were also cited as reasons for buyers preferring Sony’s next-gen console.

Nintendo’s Revolution console came in a distant second, with 36% of survey participants signalling their interest in Nintendo’s next-gen offering.

It appears that Nintendo’s decision to make retro games available for download was a smart move: a startling 80% of would-be Revolution purchasers named this as the top reason for their interest in the console.

The Revolution’s WiFi connectivity was another drawcard. Perhaps surprisingly, the Revolution’s controversial controller design placed only third on the list of the console’s most enticing features.

Bringing up the rear is Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console, with a lackluster 23.9% of respondents expressing interest in the console. Of this small proportion of Xbox 360 enthusiasts, 82.2% claimed that the controller design was the most significant factor in their decision.

It’s possible that this is due to the fact that both Sony and Nintendo have exhibited somewhat bizarre controller designs, with Microsoft opting to stick with a more conventional design.

Source: Famitsu Weekly No. 880 (week ending 28 October 2005)

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