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[Agnostic Priest]

I think people are taking the term "good business decision" the wrong way. In business, good has nothing to do with morals or the "right" thing to do. A good business decision can negatively impact many people, but can be the best course of action for the business.

 

[Melchiah]

Nothing about this is "console warring" it's reality of business. Let me tell you how we got Yakuza, which some of think should be on Xbox by default, back in the West.

Sega was done with Yakuza series in the west. They had tried localizing with good quality voice acting, they tried saving money with just Japanese voices, they tried saving even more money by making it digital only. None of it made money. And all this happen on PlayStation with its Japanese games loving audience.

When Gio started his build the list campaign we threw whatever names we could, often half jokingly, and Yakuza was one of them.

At the same time, PlayStation found new audience in China and Hong Kong and so did Yakuza. Hong Kong has a sizable English speaking population, so it made sense for Sega to do English subtitles for release in that region.

Both of these factors are responsible for getting Yakuza back to west. Nothing about this was default. In fact, outside of Japan, China and Hong Kong continues to be priority for Sega when it comes Yakuza games, not North America or Europe. PlayStation's global audience and actively working with Japanese devs and publishers is the reason it gets those games.

Xbox with its North American focus can't change that with Phil taking one trip to Japan.

Good and informative post. I never knew about the hardships of the Yakuza series.

 

[Ghost Slayer]

Good and informative post. I never knew about the hardships of the Yakuza series.

Since the start of this gen, many Japanese games had Chinese localization first then English later. Asia is a growing market and PS is pushing there with their localization effort. It's funny that this strategy worked before for PS when they try to establish localization team in some Europe countries. If they MS really want to expand their audience I think they should follow the same strategy (but again they seem satisfied with NA and UK)

 

[Melchiah]

Since the start of this gen, many Japanese games had Chinese localization first then English later. Asia is a growing market and PS is pushing there with their localization effort. It's funny that this strategy worked before for PS when they try to establish localization team in some Europe countries. If they MS really want to expand their audience I think they should follow the same strategy (but again they seem satisfied with NA and UK)

Yeah, I remember reading about the PS1 days, when the European division did the same here. Establishing and serving a global userbase has turned out to be very beneficial for them.

 

[Nightengale]

Since the start of this gen, many Japanese games had Chinese localization first then English later. Asia is a growing market and PS is pushing there with their localization effort. It's funny that this strategy worked before for PS when they try to establish localization team in some Europe countries. If they MS really want to expand their audience I think they should follow the same strategy (but again they seem satisfied with NA and UK)

Simplified Chinese localisation efforts is a PS-Taiwan effort that, afaik, is not replicated by any other Sony divisions in the rest of the world.

 

[Frozenprince]

I mean. It's pretty simple to understand why this is bullshit PR.

YTD there are just over 80K XBones sold in Japan and for every single franchise but one or two, the Japanese market is where you get the bulk of Japanese game sales (shocking I know) why would a developer take the time to spend any development at all to Port to a console with an install base that doesn't even warrant a full print run of one pressing of a game?

This is a blatant lie. There isn't the install base even in ALL OF ASIA to justify it if you wanna extrapolate it out.

 

[Team Andromeda]

He didn't say that? Compared to the Xbox and 360, the XB1 had a compartively poor Japanese lineup.

Depends on the OG XBox it had no Resident Evil, no Tekken, no Ace Combat and only one Final Fantasy game. I really don't know how anyone can say the likes of RE 7, Dark Souls III, Tekken 7, Metal Gear Solid 5, FF 15 are 'poor Japanese games'

The Switch has none of those games, pretty poor 3rd party support and yet this board loves it and has no trouble with its line up, can't work it out myself

 

[BritBloke916]

The Switch has none of those games, pretty poor 3rd party support and yet this board loves it and has no trouble with its line up, can't work it out myself

Rest assured that Nintendo are routinely crucified on GAF over the state of their 3rd party situation; for most here it's simply not viable as a 'one and done' platform (although it's going to be one Hell of a secondary console). As for why it's loved? The scores on Metacritic for its exclusives will answer that one for you.

 

[oti]

The Switch has none of those games, pretty poor 3rd party support and yet this board loves it and has no trouble with its line up, can't work it out myself

The Switch is also a tablet. Compare that to the similar PS4 and Xbox One and I'm sure most are smart or sensible enough to understand why expecting all those big current games on Switch doesn't make a whole lot of sense. We'll see how Dragon Quest XI will look and sell on Switch. That should be a good indicator for the things to come or not.

 

[Team Andromeda]

Rest assured that Nintendo are routinely crucified on GAF over the state of their 3rd party situation; for most here it's simply not viable as a 'one and done' platform (although it's going to be one Hell of a secondary console). As for why it's loved? The scores on Metacritic for its exclusives will answer that one for you.

Secondary console? Like one can't do that and own both a PS4 and XBox One and please let's not go on metacritic because that's the stuff for fanboys and gameFAQ's.

When it comes down it, the Switch is the console really lacking for games and 3rd party support just like with Wii U I mean we even have a thread on here on Neo Geo ports on the Switch, like those games also aren't out on the One or PS4. If you're a Nintendo owner you've had a pretty rubbish deal in terms of 3rd party support this and last gen and missed out on classics like Dark Souls, Resident Evil 7, MGS V, GTA V, Doom. Wolfletsine and loads more.

 

[Primethius]

Depends on the OG XBox it had no Resident Evil, no Tekken, no Ace Combat and only one Final Fantasy game. I really don't know how anyone can say the likes of RE 7, Dark Souls III, Tekken 7, Metal Gear Solid 5, FF 15 are 'poor Japanese games'

The Switch has none of those games, pretty poor 3rd party support and yet this board loves it and has no trouble with its line up, can't work it out myself

Because no one is calling them poor games and yet you continue on insisting as if someone is.

 

[Subpar Scrub]

As a massive xbone fanboy, put your money where your mouth is FFS. Cancelling phantom dust and scale bound sure didn't help put Japanese games on the system, did it?

 

[Leflus]

As a massive xbone fanboy, put your money where your mouth is FFS. Cancelling phantom dust and scale bound sure didn't help put Japanese games on the system, did it?

Phantom Dust was an American project.

Having a big Japanese game like Scalebound would probably have helped though.

 

[oti]

Phantom Dust was an American project.

Having a big Japanese game like Scalebound would probably have helped though.

Having shipped a big game in co-operation with one of the most-trusted Japanese developers would probably have helped too. Platinum is well-connected in the industry. Such a shame.

 

[Subpar Scrub]

Phantom Dust was an American project.

Fuck, my bad. I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated that we get this message every year or two. It doesn't really affect me as I have a PS4 and PC, but it's not fair to the fans who see exclusive after exclusive go the the PS4 and still believe Xbox division will turn it around.

Even if future Japanese games come out on Xbox as multiplats and not exclusives, if they said they had to fight tooth and nail to get those onto the system I'd be happy.

 

[semiconscious]

Fuck, my bad. I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated that we get this message every year or two. It doesn't really affect me as I have a PS4 and PC, but it's not fair to the fans who see exclusive after exclusive go the the PS4 and still believe Xbox division will turn it around.

i would suggest to you that, at this point, these 'fans' are simply delusional ...

 

[Pif]

Same song and dance since the first Xbox days.

Japanese companies are simply not happening on a western focused platform.

I was actually surprised the platform got the Tales of series and a japan focused monster hunter back in the 360 days.

 

[Subpar Scrub]

i would suggest to you that, at this point, these 'fans' are simply delusional ...

Not even really delusional, but I have very casual gaming friends who bought the system on the promise of cancelled games and trust the PR crap spouted every now and again. Like, they think of games companies like a car company or something. "Surely they'll deliver on their promises, I'm a consumer, why wouldn't they want to make me happy?" Sort of stuff.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

Not happening and after Scalebound fiasco I doubt any Japanese dev will want to make a Xbox exclusive any time soon.

Nonsense.

 

[Steroyd]

Depends on the OG XBox it had no Resident Evil, no Tekken, no Ace Combat and only one Final Fantasy game. I really don't know how anyone can say the likes of RE 7, Dark Souls III, Tekken 7, Metal Gear Solid 5, FF 15 are 'poor Japanese games'

The Switch has none of those games, pretty poor 3rd party support and yet this board loves it and has no trouble with its line up, can't work it out myself

You don't visit many threads where a japaneese game gets announced for PS4 (and PC) and within 5 posts there's a "coming out for switch?" question do you?

Plus Nintendo has a vast stable of games to pool from which they've come out strong out of the gate with the Switch so far, add in that MS's first party games come with the cavaet that they're on PC as well and you get diminishing enthusiasm for the console.

 

[madmackem]

Proof is in the pudding as they say, ms has been lacking big time with games from Asia since the early days of 360.

 

[Team Andromeda]

Because no one is calling them poor games and yet you continue on insisting as if someone is.

the XB1 had a compartively poor Japanese lineup.

Say no more

 

[Team Andromeda]

You don't visit many threads where a japaneese game gets announced for PS4 (and PC) and within 5 posts there's a "coming out for switch?" question do you?

Plus Nintendo has a vast stable of games to pool from which they've come out strong out of the gate with the Switch so far, add in that MS's first party games come with the cavaet that they're on PC as well and you get diminishing enthusiasm for the console.

Strong I hardly call SWITCH line up strong, more so when most its best games are Wi U ports like Also so what if MS games come out on the PC MS makes money from the PC not just on the games its publishes and funds, but also from games using Direct X and windows.

 

[Com Truise]

The Switch is six months old Jesus fucking Christ. You don't make the Xbox One Japanese line-up look good by comparing it to a console that just came out wtf. And someone who is interested in Japanese games will get way more out of the Switch than an Xbox One in the coming years anyway, why are you even bothering with this silly line of argumentation.

 

[Cthulhu_Steev]

Strong I hardly call SWITCH line up strong, more so when most its best games are Wi U ports like Also so what if MS games come out on the PC MS makes money from the PC not just on the games its publishes and funds, but also from games using Direct X and windows.

please don't start shitting up another thread with your 'Switch/WiiU ports' rubbish.

 

[notaskwid]

Nonsense.

I'm sure they're lining up.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

Say no more

They mean the line up is lacking, not that the games themselves are poor. Xbox has the following:

Naruto
Dragon Ball Z
Monster Hunter
Final Fantasy (mainline titles)
Kingdom Hearts (KHIII, specifically)
Dark Souls
Metal Gear Solid
Resident Evil
Tekken
Marvel Vs. Capcom
Devil May Cry

Relatively speaking, that's not actually too bad. They at least have a presence from most of the big non-Nintendo Japanese games on their system which I believe they're happy with. Actually, laying it out like that, I don't think the situation is as dire as it could be.

The moment it starts to look "bad" I guess is when games like Persona, Nier, Nioh, Gundam, Yakuza, Dragon Quest, Guilty Gear, Street Fighter, Ys, various Final Fantasy spin-offs and the remake of VII, Tales of etc. all skip the system, when early last generation, many of those franchises would be shoe-ins for an Xbox release. It's worth noting though that in the case of Nioh and Yakuza, Sony was heavily involved in making those a reality in the west, Yakuza especially.

If you look at the franchises missing on Xbox One, I doubt that they really have much of an audience on the system, save for maybe Guilty Gear, Street Fighter and Nioh. There isn't much to gain from releasing those games on Xbox when PC/Steam has basically replaced Xbox as the PlayStation alternative for niche Japanese titles, with the Switch possible soon joining it. I can imagine that the reality is that Microsoft is happy with having the Japanese franchises with the most worldwide appeal on their system. Xbox will get more Japanese games, but they'll be more along the lines of the ones listed in my first list rather than my second list.

 

[Steroyd]

Say no more

Comparatively poor Japanese games lineup does not mean the Japanese games themselves are poor.

Which has the better Japanese line-up?

Tekken 7, Resi Evil 7, FFXV, Dark Souls 3.

Compared to.

Tekken 7, Resi Evil 7, FFXV, Dark Souls 3, Nier, Persona 5, Ni-Oh, Gravity Rush 2,,Tales of Beseria, Kingdom Hearts collection, FFXII Zodiac... You should get the idea.

Strong I hardly call SWITCH line up strong, more so when most its best games are Wi U ports like Also so what if MS games come out on the PC MS makes money from the PC not just on the games its publishes and funds, but also from games using Direct X and windows.

It's stronger than most first year launches barring a Mario Odyssey delay between Splatoon 2 and Arms with things like Ultra Street Fighter 2 and Bomber man R complimenting the line - up Nintendo has a lot of critically and commercial successes even the Wii U port of Zelda sold embarrassingly more on the Switch than it did on the Wii U, it may as well be counted as a flagships system seller at this point.

And MS games being on the PC only raises the question of "why buy an Xbox" which was the main point I was making.

 

[Rolf NB]

In Splatoon 2 launch week, Switch sold more than the Xbox One LTD.
The 3DS and PS4 both did the same when DQ XI launched. And they've both done it before, multiple weeks in a row during the holidays.

The Xbox is dead as a doornail in Japan.

 

[Primethius]

Say no more

Do you know what compartively poor actually means?

Because listing games from just one console doesn't somehow negate the point.

 

[Stanng243]

No, that's a ridiculous thing to say. "Good" for who?

Canceling the game may have been the "right" thing from a business point of view, but in no way was it "good."

Didn't you see the Phil Spencer quote? Cancelling it was better for Xbox gamers.

 

[Matt]

Didn't you see the Phil Spencer quote? Cancelling it was better for Xbox gamers.

Oh. In that case, I take it back.

 

[Team Andromeda]

The Switch is six months old Jesus fucking Christ. You don't make the Xbox One Japanese line-up look good by comparing it to a console that just came out wtf. And someone who is interested in Japanese games will get way more out of the Switch than an Xbox One in the coming years anyway, why are you even bothering with this silly line of argumentation.

It's having a debate with a child and in comes the shouting and swearing because they are not getting their own way. I much rather play the likes of Resident Evil 7 or Dark Souls III than most of the stuff on the Switch, from Japan or not.
One look at the Swtwich up coming schedule shows it pretty much the Wii U all over again and most of the 3rd parties (even Japanese) are putting their Big budget AAA games on the One, PC and PS4

The PS4 and XBox One line up for the next year looks so much better than the Switch