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Microsoft determined to crack Japanese market

23 September 2006 13:33 by Ben "Lethal_B" Reid | 13 comments

Despite the fact that gamers in Japan have yet to take to its Xbox 360 console, Microsoft remains focused on breaking into the Japanese market - the second largest gaming market in the world behind North America.

Xbox chief Peter Moore is fully aware that cracking the lucrative Japanese market is decisive to the console's overall sucess. "We didn't get the right content and we admit that we didn't do a great job here," said Mr Moore, talking to BBC News. "There is probably no more challenging a market for us than the Japanese market."

Microsoft has struggled so far to make an impact on a Japanese market in which gamers are fiercely loyal to home grown brands and games. Sony, for example, has shifted more 23 million of its PlayStation 2 consoles in its native country - accounting for nearly a quarter of overall worldwide sales, whereas Microsoft has only managed to sell a mere 1.8 million units of its original Xbox console throughout the whole of Asia, including Japan.

Microsoft will be launching a new wave of Xbox 360 games, including 'Lost Odyssey' and 'Blue Dragon', designed by Hironobu Sakaguchi - the man who pioneered the Final Fantasy series. The aim of releasing such titles is to give the 360's catalogue a more "Japanese feel", in order to woo Japanese gamers. "We're doing a lot to feel more Japanese, less American and less like an imported product," said Mr Moore.

Meanwhile, Sony remains confident that its upcoming Playstation 3 console will follow the lead of its predecessor and be a hit in Japan. "I can't speak for every Japanese consumer, but I do feel that what we have showed at the Tokyo Game Show has shocked and impressed them," said Phil Harrison, Sony's President of worldwide studios. "I feel that the Japanese market is very loyal to Sony and we are very loyal to them."

Source:
BBC

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Discuss this article!
DarkJello (Senior Member) 23 September 2006 15:06
Anyone think Microsoft will drop their price to try and match Sony's move to keep the competetive price edge? [ + quote]
21Q (Senior Member) 23 September 2006 16:32
nah, 360 will flop just like the xbox in japan [ + quote]
djscoop (AfterDawn Addict) 23 September 2006 18:16
the Japanese are smart enough to realize that microsoft is a software company, and supports Sony as the real gaming leader. [ + quote]
ICyou2 (Newbie) 23 September 2006 20:37
Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon is not exclusived to 360, according to some Japanese gamers and contract signed with M$, if the games don't sell well on 360, it will eventually be port to the PS3. [ + quote]
Ofnir1 (Senior Member) 24 September 2006 0:28
I wouldn't say that the PS2 sold more in Japan because of Sony being the home brand. I'd say it's because the games sold for the PS2 are what the Japanese like. I'm in America, and I chose the PS2 over the Xbox. I do plan on buying one way later because you can play all the older games on it. Though if it weren't for that, I don't think I'd get one. The PS2 has more games I like. [ + quote]
georgeluv (Member) 24 September 2006 12:29
ill purchase wichever one is easier to bootleg games for. im sure the asian market considere dthis when they chose ps2 over box, those crazy asians love piracy. [ + quote]
gozilla (Member) 24 September 2006 22:09
@georgeluv i like your motivations for buying a console [ + quote]
akkuma (Junior Member) 25 September 2006 3:32
looking at the numbers makes me wanna say F sony and japan! funny how they will NEVER support an american made system, yet we buy thier system at a blinding pace! 1 million x-boxes sold in all of asia?? [ + quote]
gozilla (Member) 25 September 2006 3:41
Quote: NEVER support an american made system please name another american console that was successful in it's homeland, but ignored in japan. [ + quote]
Ofnir1 (Senior Member) 26 September 2006 18:39
I think if all the PS2 games were put onto the Xbox, the Xbox would sell more in Japan. Actually, now that I recall, wasn't there a size issue of the Xbox? The Japanese didn't like the size of it or something like that. [ + quote]
ZippyDSM (AfterDawn Addict) 27 September 2006 4:27
djscoop 75-100 a game sony blows....I am ignoring everything sony for acouple years till BR burners are under 300$ so I can perpare to fight sony every step of the way.... the 360 is a piss poor system but you know what....Sony has gotten to fcking arrogant.... MS needs more gadgety things for the 360 as well as more RPGs and well just more bloody games if they really want to crack do what SOny is doign and cut the price in japan to 200 for the core get this sht over with and force it into households at a cheap price they can do this with recertified and launch systems they can do something but I just don't see them really trying anything.... [ + quote]
Ofnir1 (Senior Member) 27 September 2006 19:30
Yeah as far as the price for a game goes, it is VERY expensive. I remember when most N64 games were 60 bucks, and those were on cartridges! I wonder how much MGS4 will be? And I bet why the BD-R burners are so expensive, probably to fend off those who wish to hack the PS3 into playing backups. Well, the testing purpose anyway. [ + quote]
beatsuite (Newbie) 29 September 2006 6:25
Looks to me like Sony will be stepping down to MS and Nintendo this time round. They have literally nothing to compete with. Their console is the lesser of the pack... MS - online service and established 1 year next-gen and plenty of amazing games on the way Nintendo - revolutionary new motion sensored gaming system Sony - WAY over-priced console, very cut down slimmed version of Xbox Live and gimmicky attempt at motion sensor controllers... Mark Malekpour http://www.beatsuite.com mark.malekpour@beatsuite.com [ + quote]