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Gadgets XBOX 360 Now Primed For Japan
Marcus Yam (Blog) - September 27, 2006 4:43 PM
Print 27 comment(s) - last by umerok.. on Sep 29 at 11:13 AM

Photo: Reuters
Microsoft hopes to crack Japan with a killer app or two

It’s been no secret (unless you ask Microsoft how many XBOX 360 units it has sold it Japan) that sales of XBOX 360 in Japan have been slow as molasses, and in some months, virtually non-existent. With the XBOX 360 having 10 months under its belt and next-generation competition just a couple months away, Microsoft now more than ever needs the attention of the Japanese gaming public.

 GameIndustry.biz spoke with Takashi Sensui, the man responsible for XBOX in Japan, to get his comments. "Japanese consumers are somewhat reluctant to take in new brands, particularly if the brand has come from outside Japan," he said. "We've been here for several years now and we've launched a new campaign this summer for 360. The response has been very positive – people now feel they're very close to 360, that it's more relevant to their lives and particularly for gamers that XBOX 360 is the best platform there is." 

His optimism could stem from the fact that Mistwalker’s Blue Dragon is set to release this holiday season. Japanese gamers are fanatical over RPG franchises Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Blue Dragon is a game from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi's new studio, explaining Microsoft’s anticipation of capturing Japanese attention. 

With that, Sensui remains admirably optimistic. "At least with these three consoles in the market this holiday [360, PS3 and Wii], the market itself in Japan will expand and we have a great chance of taking a good share in that market."

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That's not enough
By NoSoftwarePatents on 9/27/2006 5:48:41 PM , Rating: 4
If you are an outsider, you MUST partner with a local Nihongo (Japanese) company as a simple rule of business. That's why partnerships are so common over there. It's not necessarily fair, but it's the way it is. Take any basic "how to do business in Japan" class and the ideas are the same.

Microsoft brings a, "we exclusively make the sandbox and you'll play in it" attitude, that works for the USA and Europe to a lesser extent, but it won't work in Japan.

However, Microsoft has tons of money and can take many, many body blows, so maybe they'll get this message by the time the XBOX-3 comes out. The XBOX 360 may be successful in the USA and Europe, but it the Sony Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii will do FAR better, sales-wise over time, despite Sony's strange hyper-arrogant attitude. Simply having Nihongo employees is not enough.




RE: That's not enough
By exdeath on 9/27/06, Rating: 0
RE: That's not enough
By NoSoftwarePatents on 9/27/2006 7:41:08 PM , Rating: 1
What exactly does a "Japanese language company" have to do with this thread?


RE: That's not enough
By nowei on 9/27/2006 7:56:40 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
local Nihongo (Japanese) company


Nihongo = Japanese Language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihongo


RE: That's not enough
By NoSoftwarePatents on 9/27/2006 9:33:51 PM , Rating: 1
Not exclusively, thus reinforcing my original point.

http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-bin/j-e.cgi...



RE: That's not enough
By drpepper128 on 9/28/2006 4:54:02 AM , Rating: 2
The website you found shows that "nihon-go" means Japanese language and Japanese because in the English language you can use the word Japanese to refer to the Japanese language. If you wanted to talk about a Japanese company, which is different, then you need to use “Nihon no company” or possibly just “Nihon company”. You should have just said Japanese company though.

I’m sorry, but I’m picky about other people’s Japanese.


RE: That's not enough
By Flunk on 9/28/2006 9:58:19 AM , Rating: 2
Nihon no Kaisha?

Yeah, the picky guy is right. Nihon = Japan ~go = language.


RE: That's not enough
By chrnochime on 9/28/2006 10:42:33 AM , Rating: 2
And here I go thinking I've forgotten so much Japanese already. It would be wise to refrain from using foreign language words if you just looked them up on some website...


Too little, too late
By Alphafox78 on 9/27/2006 4:57:06 PM , Rating: 2
they have had the 360 there 10 months and they are just now releasing a title they will like? and its coming out right when the other consoles will come out they want more? doesnt sound too appealing, if I were them.




RE: Too little, too late
By therealnickdanger on 9/27/2006 5:08:28 PM , Rating: 2
I have to give them credit for trying though. Even in my most optimistic view of the Xbox brand, I can't ever see Microsoft succeeding in Japan. Near impossible events would have to occur for MS to capture a respectable chunk of the market. IMO, the issue at hand is not quality or even necessarily Japanese pride, it simply comes down to making games that pander solely to Japanese gamers. In essence: weird crap. :D


RE: Too little, too late
By chrnochime on 9/28/2006 10:50:20 AM , Rating: 2
Weird Crap? Beats more rehashs of football/basketball/hockey/FPS games on the 360.


That woman
By thecoolnessrune on 9/27/2006 11:31:04 PM , Rating: 2
has a really bad smile IMO. "I hate M$ f***** guts but i cant stand that disgrace of a PS3! So I'll just grin, bear it, and take the money..."




RE: That woman
By nerdye on 9/28/2006 12:25:50 AM , Rating: 2
I understand peoples disgust with xbox/360 due to the lack of japanese support/game types/developers we all grew up with. Microsoft made its mistakes with xbox 1, not signing japanese game companies even if it meant bribery, having the original controller too large, using x86 intel celeron based cpu when the next generation they would use a triple core risc based cpus "backworks compatibility anyone?". Yet I've enjoyed xbox a ton and xbox 360, yet I'm getting wii and ps3 as well so I love em all.


RPG not enough to win Japan
By Loc13 on 9/28/2006 9:48:46 AM , Rating: 3
even if MS has a couple good RPG games, it's still not enough to win market share in Japan. Japanese people are known to be creative, just look at some of the important games. They're just crazy/silly games and it's tough to Westerners to enjoy or understand their greatness. Beside those silly games, MS needs a more diversified game library. How about games like Mario franchise, Harvest Moon, Gundam, Tales franchise, Mana franchise, Fire Emblem franchise, Winning Eleven franchise. MS will have the Pro Evolution soccer (european version of Winning Eleven), so that's one step toward the right direction. But I've played all the lastest Pro Evolution Soccer released on PC. They just don't feel the same as winning eleven. But it will definitely appeal to the European gamers.




Sad
By Trisped on 9/28/2006 11:05:31 AM , Rating: 3
It is pretty said that Microsoft has to depened on 1 or 2 good titles to sell its hardware. People are going to buy it for that 1 title, then relize that there isn't anything else they want to play. Sounds stupid to me.




If you create content
By 05SilverGT on 9/27/2006 5:06:08 PM , Rating: 2
the Japaneese gamers will come. Just give them the games they like!




retake
By zam786 on 9/27/2006 5:47:50 PM , Rating: 2
if u build it they will come wait a minute no thats for kevin kostner




iBox 360
By mac noob on 9/27/06, Rating: -1
RE: iBox 360
By wien on 9/27/2006 5:40:55 PM , Rating: 1
Who's this Mac fella then, ey?


RE: iBox 360
By umerok on 9/29/2006 11:13:28 AM , Rating: 2
MacGuyver

He can put an Intel into an Xbox 360, and make every Japanese person in the world like it, then post about it on DT without previewing using only a paperclip, a toilet brush, a comb, and an uncooked egg.


RE: iBox 360
By spwrozek on 9/27/2006 6:05:32 PM , Rating: 2
That was possibly the worst comment ever.


RE: iBox 360
By RapidSnail on 9/27/2006 9:20:10 PM , Rating: 2
lawl


Who cares about Japan?
By knitecrow on 9/27/06, Rating: -1
RE: Who cares about Japan?
By Loser on 9/27/2006 5:42:26 PM , Rating: 2
because ones its popular in japan, it sales in millions. even tho there arent as many ppl there a lot more buyers


RE: Who cares about Japan?
By Lonyo on 9/27/2006 6:15:35 PM , Rating: 2
If Japan was a small market, your comment would make sense, but it's not a small market.


RE: Who cares about Japan?
By Xavian on 9/28/2006 2:19:32 AM , Rating: 3
Japan is as equally as large video game market as the others. If you want the most marketshare and 'win' the console war generation, you NEED to have majority marketshare in Japan... or atleast not selling worse then the GBA.

Xbox needs Japan, but in all honesty i seriously doubt that this Blue Dragon game is going to be the saviour of the Xbox in Japan, its not a killer app like some people have been suggesting, there are only three franchises that Japan goes crazy about... 'Final Fantasy','Biohazard (Resident Evil)' and 'Pokemon'. Get one of those on your system then you might just start to compete in the Japanese marketplace (obviously not Pokemon though).


RE: Who cares about Japan?
By EclipsedAurora on 9/28/2006 11:32:49 AM , Rating: 2
It seems you don't have much knowledge in Video game marketing. Let me tell you some turth.

Japan is the largest electronic game market in the world, no matter in console, PC or arcade area. The same market in USA is just around half size of that in Japan, in terms of market capital.

Many statistics also shows that Japanese spend more time in electronic games than any other people in the world.

Besides, the whole Asia-Pacific video game market greatly follows Japanese's gaming style. That is part of the reason why XBox can have no way to defeat Sony globally. If they can't do well in Japan, they will lose out in Asia-Pacific and Australia as well. It had been proved that both original XBox and 360 have never been well accepted in Asia-Pacific regions.


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