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Microsoft's next generation in Japan

S

Shiloa

Member
LGKZU.jpg


Before the release of the 360 there are was a big hoorah about how this time Microsoft are going to target Japan and do a lot better over there. Many saw it as a necessity for success in the console market at the time; especially considering the PS2's success. Microsoft certainly did try and they tried very hard. Mistwalker studios was a bold start to getting a Japanese oriented software pool, while there was also a significant promotional push over there with celebrities and such. The launch in Japan ended up being very muted and the console has generally not fared too well since bar the occasional spike. Considering the amount of promotion in the region, poor software performance and loss-making hardware, I doubt they made any worthwhile amount of money from Japan

4dKHkl.jpg


Fast forward to now and we are wondering what MS will have for us with their next generation console. Kinect has been a hit in the west, but it's the complete opposite of what Japan wants. With rumours of a 360 withdrawal last year, one does wonder what strategy they will employ with the new console. Are they going to have a Kinect 2? They might aswell not even bother with the country. Will they pour as much effort in as they did with the 360?
 
N

Nora Kisaragi

Banned
I don't think they will even bother.

The 360 console is a complete niche in Japan, with some successul visual novels like Steins;Gate and some exclusive RPGs like Lost Odyssey, but even that wasn't enough. They spent way too much for too little of a return

The only hope for them is a unified microsoft/sony console. If Microsoft wants to succeed and grab Japan, the next console would have to be a collaboration between Sony and Microsoft, and even that would meet a bunch of criticism in the region.
 
S

Shiloa

Member
Why would they release in Japan? Because it's more than just a case of sales to the end consumer. Not having a presence in Japan, no matter how small, would no doubt affect the perceptions among Japanese developers.
 
P

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
MS still has Cave and has[had] im@s, though. But im@s 2 is now on the PS3 and Cave is making a Vita game so maybe next gen will be different.

I wonder what the highest selling 360 games in Japan are.
 
S

Sean

Banned
I see no compelling reason for Microsoft to bother with the Japanese market next time around.

They were very agressive early on with the Mistwalker deal and whatnot, but it got them nowhere. I'd say it's best to pull out and refocus their efforts on increasing sales in Europe.
 
Z

ZombiePlatypus

Member
Waste of time. Granted this isn't completely Microsoft's fault, but considering how un-Japanese-game-centric the 360 has become, I have absolute 0 faith in 720's offerings in that department.
 
Auto_aim1

Auto_aim1

MeisaMcCaffrey
Microsoft spent some resources on Japan when the 360 came out, but unfortunately for them, it didn't work out. They definitely deserve a lot more success than they did in that market. Next gen, I'm not really sure what they can do differently that would make Xbox 360's successor appealing to them.
 
D

Derrick01

Banned
Really I don't even see why they should bother. Japan means nothing to the overall gaming world anymore in both sales and game quality and what little there is in Japan they despise MS.

So in all seriousness they should skip Japan next gen.
 
B

BigDug13

Member
Here's how Microsoft can sell in Japan. Form an alliance with Mercedes or BMW to put one of their symbols on it and call it Mercedes something or BMW something.

Then Japanese people will buy it. Otherwise, not Japanese made, no buy.
 
W

wrowa

Member
I don't think they'll even try next time. After sinking a whole bunch of money earlier this generation, they stopped putting any effort whatsoever into the Japanese market by now. I don't think this'll change next generation. Microsoft learned that they simply won't success even if they try -- and considering the current state of the Japanese market it doesn't even matter. All big Japanese third parties are trying to focus on the Western markets by now, and the prospect of selling 5-10 million additional consoles in the very best case isn't a meaningful one either.
 
A

APZonerunner

Member
Loxley said:
Given that the U.K. overtook Japan and became the second-largest market in the industry in the middle of this generation...I really doubt MS will put anymore effort into marketing their next console over there than they did with the 360. Why bother when your two biggest places for sales and revenue are in the west? It certainly doesn't look like Japanese gaming sales are heading towards some sort of meteoric rise anytime soon.
Click to expand...

This is the thing people need to consider most of all, I think. 3rd biggest is still significant, but in general this links back into the incredible downward slide of the JRPG and other top-tier Japanese companies, franchises and genres this generation - Japan isn't what it was - and probably isn't as worth chasing to Microsoft 6 years ago.

I still predict they'll have a crack, though, funding another batch of JRPGs and other Japanese-aimed titles and buying up exclusives early in the generation.
 
N

neptunes

Member
I think they've realized they will probably never make much headway in Japan. At least I hope they've realized this, because they'd be delusional to think otherwise. Their resources could be better spent on emerging markets like India, Asia, and South America. Continuing to nurture those markets could really benefit them in a few years time.
 
M

Miles X

Member
If MS want to succeed in Japan, or at least hit a respectable number, 5m? They have to go all or nothing. Money hat Tales, FF, MH ect, buy Mistwalker and a couple of other Japanese devs, be very price competitive, perhaps completely different branding.
 
C

cosmicblizzard

Banned
Derrick01 said:
Really I don't even see why they should bother. Japan means nothing to the overall gaming world anymore in both sales and game quality and what little there is in Japan they despise MS.

So in all seriousness they should skip Japan next gen.
Click to expand...

Your shtick is getting really old, dude.
 
W

wrowa

Member
Dynopia said:
If MS want to succeed in Japan, or at least hit a respectable number, 5m? They have to go all or nothing. Money hat Tales, FF, MH ect, buy Mistwalker and a couple of other Japanese devs, be very price competitive, perhaps completely different branding.
Click to expand...

They moneyhatted Tales, they moneyhatted Mistwalker, they moneyhatted a whole bunch of other games. It doesn't work.
 
T

The Albatross

Member
I do not see them doing this and I doubt they will. Microsoft proved that they could be successful by focusing on their core American market, while still supporting the European market. They completely failed in Japan, but simultaneously, this generation saw the biggest move away from Japan as the prime game target that we've ever seen in this industry.

A better question may be: What is Microsoft going to do in China, or in India?
 
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