Even though Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console is expected to be available in months, whereas PlayStation 3 is still about a year away, Japanese consumers are more interested in the latter, as a survey of 1000 consumers aged 10-59 years old conducted by C-News news service shows.

According to the study, 60% of consumers claimed PlayStation 3 to be the most interesting among the next-generation consoles, 8% were looking forward Nintendo Revolution gaming machine and only 2% were to acquire Microsoft Xbox 360. About 30% could not decide.

The most popular reasons given for choosing the PlayStation 3 were that it was thought likely to have the largest range of software, that it is a Sony product, and the console perceived technological superiority, including Blu-ray support, notes Gamasutra web-site.

Given that the survey was conducted in Japan, where gamers are very loyal to Sony gaming machines and generally prefer a set of games for the PlayStation, the results of Sony’s success in the survey could be predictable. Microsoft, who currently has the worst result, is likely to launch a huge marketing campaign in Japan in order to address primarily those, who remain undecided.

In general, analysts are more optimistic about Microsoft’s positioning in the market of game consoles.

“I think when we have this talk in 2010, Sony is going to have 55%, Microsoft is going to have 35% and Nintendo 10%, with all three of those having +/- 5%,” Wedbush Morgan Securities’ interactive entertainment industry analyst Michael Pachter said in an interview with a web-site.

The customers polled in Japan also revealed their preferences about game genres during the survey. With multiply answers allowed, 71.2% indicated interest in role-playing games; 52.8%  opted for simulations which includes strategy titles in Japan; 47.9% preferred general action titles, 41.1% – adventures and 23.4% would like to play shooters.

X-bit labs will conduct similar poll among its audience.