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[IbizaPocholo]

https://www.dualshockers.com/greenberg-xbox-japanese-games/

“We love Japan. Phil goes there every year and in many cases multiple times a year. If you looked at our E3 briefing we had the most Japanese content we’ve ever shown in our briefing ever.​

I think that is speaking to the partnerships and relationships we’ve built. Right behind you, we have hands-on Kingdom Hearts III from our partners at Square Enix here at Gamescom. That’s a franchise that we know is love, and being able to announce a world premiere of something like Jump Force from our partners at Bandai Namco, it’s great.​

I think our commitment and our support from Japanese developers has never been stronger, and we wanna help them succeed on the global stage, and that continues to be our focus. We know our fans want those great Japanese games. That’s why even some of the games we got later, we made sure that we showed them at E3, we made sure we highlighted them so you know they matter to our fans.​

Again, we always take that lens of putting our fans first as we think about content, and we know Japanese content is important and that’s why you see us grow our content, and we’ll continue to focus on that. “​

 

[Danjin44]

Thats great that they bring more Japanese games to Xbox but with being said they still only have Japanese games that you can just get it on other systems. They need exclusive Japanese games like Playstation and Nintendo. Not only that, they still not getting games that gets released on PC like Ni no Kuni 2 and Dragon Quest XI and they not getting HD collection of KH and Valkyria Chronicles 1 even tho the KHIII and VC4 coming to Xbox.

Bottom line is I still wouldn't recommend Xbox to someone who's fan of Japanese games.

 

[Manila]

Thats great that they bring more Japanese games to Xbox but with being said they still only have Japanese games that you can just get it on other systems. They need exclusive Japanese games like Playstation and Nintendo. Not only they that, they still not getting games that gets released on PC like Ni no Kuni 2 and Dragon Quest XI and they not getting HD collection of KH and Valkyria Chronicles 1 even tho the KHIII and VC4 coming to Xbox.

Bottom line is I still wouldn't recommend Xbox to someone who's fan of Japanese games.

Totally agree! Hope it will be more popular sooner or later to have Japanese games not only on PC

 

[EDMIX]

Thats great that they bring more Japanese games to Xbox but with being said they still only have Japanese games that you can just get it on other systems. They need exclusive Japanese games like Playstation and Nintendo. Not only that, they still not getting games that gets released on PC like Ni no Kuni 2 and Dragon Quest XI and they not getting HD collection of KH and Valkyria Chronicles 1 even tho the KHIII and VC4 coming to Xbox.

Bottom line is I still wouldn't recommend Xbox to someone who's fan of Japanese games.

This.

 

[Shin]

If it leads to bigger and better things down the road then more power to them. As for me as a consumer (pro Sony one at that) I can honestly say I'm seeing the improvements in a lot of area's of their business and/or vision. While they did drop the ball on first and second party output this generation they are focusing on other aspects the other team isn't. If their efforts pay off next-generation they will be in a great position moving forward (if they can maintain a stable and diverse lineup of games).

Afterall Rome wasn't built overnight and there is more than one road that leads to it.

 

[WaterAstro]

"Japanese content is important. That's why we cancelled Scalebound."

 

[Leonidas]

I hope they acquire or create a Japanese Studio.

not getting HD collection of KH and Valkyria Chronicles 1...

Bottom line is I still wouldn't recommend Xbox to someone who's fan of Japanese games.

I would recommend it on the fact that you can play Panzer Dragoon Orta and Ninja Gaiden Black better than ever before, those are exclusive to Xbox. On top of that the huge amount of 360 Japanese exclusives and multiplats that are only playable this generation on Xbox One.

Why include those old games and exclude the huge number of Japanese exclusives on Xbox One via BC.

 

[Danjin44]

I hope they acquire or create a Japanese Studio.


I would recommend it on the fact that you can play Panzer Dragoon Orta and Ninja Gaiden Black better than you can on any other console. On top of that the huge amount of 360 Japanese exclusives and multiplats that are only playable this generation on Xbox One.

Why include those old games and exclude the huge number of Japanese exclusives on Xbox One via BC.

I wouldn't recommend Xbox because at end of the day most fans want to play recent release Japanese games like Persona 5, DQXI, Ni no Kuni 2, Yakuza and Fist of the North Star. MS can't just rely on BC for Japanese games forever.

"Japanese content is important. That's why we cancelled Scalebound."

Come on, you cant just bring this up every time this topic comes up. Its was clear that the project wasn't going so well so MS made decision to cut their losses and cancel the game.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

MS just needs more anime tiddies so they can sell Xbox over there tbh.

 

[Danjin44]

MS just needs more anime tiddies so they can sell Xbox over there tbh.

But didn't they had bunch of Idolmaster games exclusives for xbox over there?

 

[Barakov]

Thats great that they bring more Japanese games to Xbox but with being said they still only have Japanese games that you can just get it on other systems. They need exclusive Japanese games like Playstation and Nintendo. Not only that, they still not getting games that gets released on PC like Ni no Kuni 2 and Dragon Quest XI and they not getting HD collection of KH and Valkyria Chronicles 1 even tho the KHIII and VC4 coming to Xbox.

Bottom line is I still wouldn't recommend Xbox to someone who's fan of Japanese games.

Definitely agree. Xbox this gen is a real hard sell. Especially with a bunch of their exclusives on PC. At this point, even if you have only a vague interest in Japanese games you have a PS4.

 

[Danjin44]

Definitely agree. Xbox this gen is a real hard sell. Especially with a bunch of their exclusives on PC. At this point, even if you have only a vague interest in Japanese games you have a PS4.

Think about this, SE spending lot of resources to bring DQXI to Switch while it would have been much, much easier bring it to Xbox. Because at end of the day they know DQXI on Switch will sell much better than in Xbox in japan and even in west. MS needs to fix that.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

But didn't they had bunch of Idolmaster games exclusives for xbox over there?

Tiddies not big enough. ;P

 

[Schrödinger's cat]

I don't really know of anyone who felt they weren't important - I'm glad Greenberg and co agree.
So.. now what?

 

[camelCase]

They have japanese games on xbox?

 

[Gander]

I feel like I've heard this speech before.

 

[Louis Cyphre]

It's the same argument made about VR being important, if the install base isn't there you are not going to invest a lot of resources into it. What Microsoft needs to do is curate the Japanese indie scene more (games like D4 were great). What Microsoft is doing is getting bigger titles that also sell in the West that used to be console exclusive like Devil May Cry. They know multiplat games are also very important in a game library, not just exclusives.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

Thats great that they bring more Japanese games to Xbox but with being said they still only have Japanese games that you can just get it on other systems. They need exclusive Japanese games like Playstation and Nintendo. Not only that, they still not getting games that gets released on PC like Ni no Kuni 2 and Dragon Quest XI and they not getting HD collection of KH and Valkyria Chronicles 1 even tho the KHIII and VC4 coming to Xbox.

Bottom line is I still wouldn't recommend Xbox to someone who's fan of Japanese games.

I definitely agree with you. Problem is, which Japanese developers are confident enough or willing to provide Microsoft with an exclusive knowing that they will be missing out on the majority of the install base. Unless Microsoft is willing to help fund the game or compensate the developer if it is not profitable.

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't what sank Xbox in Japan from the start was that the original console was simply too big for Japanese homes?

It's a shame because Xbox actually had good Japanese support at first, but it's been a barren wasteland ever since the release of Ninja Gaiden II a full decade ago.

 

[Cranberrys]

I still can't understand why a game that's been released on PC like Ni No Kuni 2 can't be released on Xbox One as well ? Is it so hard to port a PC game on Xbox One ?

 

[Louis Cyphre]

I still can't understand why a game that's been released on PC like Ni No Kuni 2 can't be released on Xbox One as well ? Is it so hard to port a PC game on Xbox One ?

This is where Microsoft needs to help funding on ports then if the publisher doesn't think it's worth it for them. Do it for all third party like Yakuza, Valkyria Chronicles, Persona, and then promote the Xbox One X as the best console to play them on. But first off they need to go after those in development and get same day release.

 

[nowhat]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't what sank Xbox in Japan from the start was that the original console was simply too big for Japanese homes?

Japanese homes are certainly on average smaller than Western ones , but not that small Rather, aesthetically it just didn't appeal to the Japanese, at all, especially the controller. This has been linked recently in another thread (can't remember which), but if you're interested in the subject it's a good watch:

 

[TheShadowLord]

Japanese homes are certainly on average smaller than Western ones , but not that small Rather, aesthetically it just didn't appeal to the Japanese, at all, especially the controller. This has been linked recently in another thread (can't remember which), but if you're interested in the subject it's a good watch:

not to mention it called the XBOX something. X means death over there. So I guess it is known over there as Death Box/Death Box 360/ Death Box One/ Death Box One Death. I have no idea what I am talking about lol.

 

[MayauMiao]

If Microsoft brings a game like Senran Kagura to the Xbox, then maybe they do take Japanese content seriously.

 

[Vlaphor]

Xbox did good early on with Japanese support (Xbox especially, though 360 had some good exclusives as well), but I think that moment has passed. MS would either have to directly fund a Japanese game or settle for a non-exclusive at this point, since I can't seen any Japanese developer choosing Xbox over PS4, Switch, or even PC.

 

[Redshirt]

MS always says stuff like this but never really acts on it.

And I feel like the fact that it doesn't, tells you all you need to know about how well most Japanese games sell n the U.S.

Xbox did good early on with Japanese support (Xbox especially, though 360 had some good exclusives as well), but I think that moment has passed. MS would either have to directly fund a Japanese game or settle for a non-exclusive at this point, since I can't seen any Japanese developer choosing Xbox over PS4, Switch, or even PC.

I couldn't see a Japanese publisher/developer choosing Xbox over PlayStation either, but what about the games that are already on PC?

Seems strange since PC<->Xbox is supposedly much easier than PC<->PS4.

 

[sublimit]

Words are easy and they always sound nice but in the end this is nothing more than PR talk. It's one thing to celebrate that you have finally got some big Japanese multiplatform titles on your platform (and not even half of them) that they should have been there in the first place anyway and another thing to show true commitment and the right corporate culture that will rebuild the trust between both fans of Japanese games and Japanese publishers/developers as well. In the early days of the 360 Microsoft showed that they did care to expand their portfolio of exclusive Japanese titles but they gave up very quickly even before that generation had finished. That's the difference between them and Sony/Nintendo. They give up and change strategies way too easily and that doesn't resonate very well with fans of Japanese games and Japanese companies.

We will see if this time they are in for the long term or if they will once again forget about Japanese games once their platform becomes again as dominant (in the West) as the 360 was. I hope it's the first.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

Think about this, SE spending lot of resources to bring DQXI to Switch while it would have been much, much easier bring it to Xbox. Because at end of the day they know DQXI on Switch will sell much better than in Xbox in japan and even in west. MS needs to fix that.

Not sure if Microsoft can even fix that unfortunately. Seems like most Xbox fans aren’t really into many Japanese games based on the sales statistics and Japanese gaming is typically associated with Sony or even Nintendo.

 

[Vlaphor]

MS always says stuff like this but never really acts on it.

And I feel like the fact that it doesn't, tells you all you need to know about how well most Japanese games sell n the U.S.



I couldn't see a Japanese publisher/developer choosing Xbox over PlayStation either, but what about the games that are already on PC?

Seems strange since PC<->Xbox is supposedly much easier than PC<->PS4.

I can't really think of a single PC exclusive Japanese game, other than various eroge, and XBONE sales aren't that low yet.

 

[Dee Dah Dave]

I wouldn't say it's that important for Xbox and would submit most of their customers don't care a deal. They should focus on making sure they get the big 3rd party Japanese games though. But don't invest big in exclusives, the money is better off spent elsewhere. They can make stuff like new Fable to bridge the gap of RPG type stuff, things which are more appropriate for their primary western audience.

Other than that they could go nuts and buy a big name like SEGA or Konami, companies which are from that area of the world but have a more global / western focus.

 

[48086]

Not sure if Microsoft can even fix that unfortunately. Seems like most Xbox fans aren’t really into many Japanese games based on the sales statistics and Japanese gaming is typically associated with Sony or even Nintendo.

Is that not many Xbox gamers are interested in Japanese games or is it that not many people in Japan are interested in Xbox so Japanese devs just focus on Playstation on Nintendo?

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

Is that not many Xbox gamers are interested in Japanese games or is it that not many people in Japan are interested in Xbox so Japanese devs just focus on Playstation on Nintendo?

Probably a combination of both. Xbox not selling well 3 generations in a row in Japan is probably an immense contributing factor. Imho, they should probably just leave Japan alone and focus more on the West where they are much stronger.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

If you want "Japanese games", both the PS4 and the Switch are too far ahead of the Xbox One for it to ever catch up.

But thanks for re-re-recommitting to Japan, Xbox! I'm sure 4th time is the charm.

 

[Mochilador]

Thats great that they bring more Japanese games to Xbox but with being said they still only have Japanese games that you can just get it on other systems. They need exclusive Japanese games like Playstation and Nintendo. Not only that, they still not getting games that gets released on PC like Ni no Kuni 2 and Dragon Quest XI and they not getting HD collection of KH and Valkyria Chronicles 1 even tho the KHIII and VC4 coming to Xbox.

Bottom line is I still wouldn't recommend Xbox to someone who's fan of Japanese games.

Right now, in my opinion, they need to focus on multiplatform games and then worry later about japanese exclusives.
Like you said above, they are still missing a lot of these games.

 

[Redshirt]

I can't really think of a single PC exclusive Japanese game, other than various eroge, and XBONE sales aren't that low yet.

Not PC exclusive. I just mean if a publisher goes through the trouble of bringing to the PC, it seems strange it wouldn't bring it to the Xbox as well.

 

[Elenchus]

"Japanese content is important. That's why we cancelled Scalebound."

Sony: “PSVR is important. That’s why we closed Guerilla Cambridge and broke our promise to provide post launch support for RIGS (which is now a dead game as a result).”

 

[DonF]

Sony: “PSVR is important. That’s why we closed Guerilla Cambridge and broke our promise to provide post launch support for RIGS (which is now a dead game as a result).”

wtf does that have to do with anything?
Back to topic. Great! More support for Japanese devs = more Japanese games.

 

[TheShadowLord]

If you want "Japanese games", both the PS4 and the Switch are too far ahead of the Xbox One for it to ever catch up.

But thanks for re-re-recommitting to Japan, Xbox! I'm sure 4th time is the charm.

are we excluding the MSX?

 

[Dabaus]

If xbox wants to help Japanese games on a global scale then they need to stay the hell away from them as much as possible. Yes im serious. Tales of, Star Ocean, and Ace combat franchises almost went under because of their timed exclusivity with the 360. Eternal Sonata, Lost Odyssey, And blue dragon all bombed. And multiplatform games sell at least 5:1 in favor of Playstation instead of xbox. Xbox has no business destroying Japanese Devs so Fanboys can wank about what a great e3 show Microsoft had.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Sure hope they show more effort again like in the 360 days. I doubt that it'll help them much in Japan but as we've seen lately Japanese games are well received in Europe and the US.

 

[jshackles]

It definitely seems weird that more Japanese-developed games are coming to PC but that Microsoft has so far been unsuccessful in swaying those developers to also publish on Xbox or take advantage of their "Play Anywhere" program, especially considering how apparently easy it is to port projects from PC -> Xbox.

Considering how late we are in this console generation, and Microsoft's push for backwards compatibility going forward, developing a new game for the Xbox now (especially if it's already being brought to PC) seems like a no-brainer for long term sales of your new game well into the next console generation.

 

[SNG32]

I think in terms of Xbox getting Japanese exclusives I think that ship has sailed a long time ago. All I think Microsoft is concerned about is getting in some of the games that are already releasing on PS4, switch and PC. Microsoft knows the Xbox one is weak over in japan and there no going to pay for a Japanese exclusive they know that will flop. Better for them to invest there own studios then focus on japan. They’ve been trying for 3 decades now and I don’t see that changing when they drop the next gen console. If you care about Japanese titles you know who to stick with Sony, Nintendo or PC.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

are we excluding the MSX?

Everyone excludes the MSX...

 

[Bernkastel]

I don't get why people are calling this PR talk. Ever since 2017 I am seeing many games on Xbox that shouldn't be here in Xbox even during the 360 days like Digimon Survive, Okami HD, Tales Vesperia, Shining Resonance Refrain, Valkyrie Revolution,VC 4, SAO FB,many anime based games and many more niche Japanese titles. It's clear Microsoft is putting a lot of effort into this. Although Xbox lacks the Japanese exclusives it originally had. The only one I know is this

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

I don't get why people are calling this PR talk. Ever since 2017 I am seeing many games on Xbox that shouldn't be here in Xbox even during the 360 days like Digimon Survive, Okami HD, Tales Vesperia, Shining Resonance Refrain, Valkyrie Revolution,VC 4, SAO FB,many anime based games and many more niche Japanese titles. It's clear Microsoft is putting a lot of effort into this. Although Xbox lacks the Japanese exclusives it originally had. The only one I know is this

And that's the heart of the criticism. Xbox 360 brought over quite a few niche Japanese games (shmups, particularly). Those same sort of games are coming out on Switch and/or PS4 and/or PC but avoiding the X1 entirely.

 

[Blam]

Tiddies not big enough. ;P

Gotta get more Senran.

 

[LittleBusters]

They should rename it to Microsoft Gamestation, since apparently 'X' = death in Japanese culture.

 

[nowhat]

They should rename it to Microsoft Gamestation, since apparently 'X' = death in Japanese culture.

To be fair, it's hard with global brands. Something that may seem quite neutral may be something else in other regions. Case in point, Mitsubishi Pajero.

(depending on the Spanish dialect, "pajero" may mean "wanker", which is probably not the association a manufacturer would want with their car)

 

[Louis Cyphre]

They should rename it to Microsoft Gamestation, since apparently 'X' = death in Japanese culture.

So no iPhone X in Japan?

 

[stargateheaven]

X doesnt mean death.
it means no / no good / wrong. The wrong box. The no good box.

iphone X is selling fine. X is pronounced "ten" by the way.