Xbox In Japan

[Techno]

Xbox is currently trying to expand in Japan. How do you think they can do this? So far, they brought over multiple older Japanize games like Ni No Kuni and Persona.

[Kane99]

They haven't been able to get a foothold in any foreign markets, especially Japan. They've tried to sell in Japan and other foreign countries, but the foreign markets don't seem to care for Microsoft consoles, or any American made consoles it seems. 

Sales may have went up, but they are probably nowhere near what Sony and Nintendo do over there. 

 

[Justin11]

Definitely I wouldn't suggest anything to the company, because my suggestion here wouldn't add anything nor improve them, they're already on a massive growth. Xbox definitely will grow in Japan and rest of the world due to the massive work put in place. 

[Empire]

I know japanese made games are still as important as ever to international gaming companies, but how important is Japan as a consumer market currently. Seems like regionally Asia as a whole is more important than japan specifically

[Yaramaki]

On 9/22/2022 at 4:49 PM, Techno said:

Xbox is currently trying to expand in Japan. How do you think they can do this? So far, they brought over multiple older Japanize games like Ni No Kuni and Persona.

As xbox fan this always good news like music to my ears now if they slap future jrpg's on a disc and i'd be even more happy. I feel like the recent flux of jrpg's its more catered to the west tough as i doubt japanese are going to switch over to xbox, you also have to know that in japan internet is not as fast as we have over in the west, it's also one of the reason many japanese sites still look they were made 20+ years ago, so i doubt gamepass is an option for those people that live in rural japan, maybe things have changed since i last was in japan but i doubt it. 

As for How do you think they can do this? The only way i can think off make sure you have games that are worth getting an xbox for and try to keep all these more nicher japanese games out of sony and nintento claws by getting them on xbox aswell, pretty unbelievable that a big game like persona 5 and both ni no kuni games toke this long to get on an xbox platform. With the amounts of cash microsoft has you would guessed they give smaller japanese companies a sack of cash to get port their games on xbox, but no it only toke them an entire console generation to figure out that western audiences also like something more then halo/forza and gears.

Speaking from a collectors standpoint i've started to notice that a lot more smaller releases seem to be getting a physical release on xbox, where it used to be playstation and switch only mainly because microsoft their unit demand was way too big, so that is a good step in the right direction, again it only toke them an entire generation to figure out that people still buy physical games and there is money to be made.

But overall i feel like Microsoft their tokyo game show was as much focused on the west then it was focussed on japan. The message i got from it was hey we are commiting to bringing over more japanese titles so you don't need to get a playstation anymore if you want to play those games.

I'd wouldn't mind dabbling a bit in the history of xbox in japan but it would take me another hour to write and you know i doubt many even give a shit.

But yeah good topic @Techno thanks for creating it also if you feel like it please share your oppions aswell.

Edited September 24, 2022 by Yaramaki

[Shagger]

2 hours ago, Yaramaki said:

As xbox fan this always good news like music to my ears now if they slap future jrpg's on a disc and i'd be even more happy. I feel like the recent flux of jrpg's its more catered to the west tough as i doubt japanese are going to switch over to xbox, you also have to know that in japan internet is not as fast as we have over in the west, it's also one of the reason many japanese sites still look they were made 20+ years ago, so i doubt gamepass is an option for those people that live in rural japan, maybe things have changed since i last was in japan but i doubt it. 

As for How do you think they can do this? The only way i can think off make sure you have games that are worth getting an xbox for and try to keep all these more nicher japanese games out of sony and nintento claws by getting them on xbox aswell, pretty unbelievable that a big game like persona 5 and both ni no kuni games toke this long to get on an xbox platform. With the amounts of cash microsoft has you would guessed they give smaller japanese companies a sack of cash to get port their games on xbox, but no it only toke them an entire console generation to figure out that western audiences also like something more then halo/forza and gears.

Speaking from a collectors standpoint i've started to notice that a lot more smaller releases seem to be getting a physical release on xbox, where it used to be playstation and switch only mainly because microsoft their unit demand was way too big, so that is a good step in the right direction, again it only toke them an entire generation to figure out that people still buy physical games and there is money to be made.

But overall i feel like Microsoft their tokyo game show was as much focused on the west then it was focussed on japan. The message i got from it was hey we are commiting to bringing over more japanese titles so you don't need to get a playstation anymore if you want to play those games.

I'd wouldn't mind dabbling a bit in the history of xbox in japan but it would take me another hour to write and you know i doubt many even give a shit.

But yeah good topic @Techno thanks for creating it also if you feel like it please share your oppions aswell.

 

You have pretty much covered it there to the point I don't really have much to add. Between Sony and Nintendo, two home bread companies that know the demographic well, they get what they're looking for out of games without having to look much further. I know japan is comparatively slow to embrace new consoles, so that combined with Microsoft's focus on digital distribution won't help them in Japan either given what you said about the quality of internet in Japan. Mostly though, it does come down to games I think the kind of exclusives Xbox offer, it's just not the sort of things that have mass appeal in Japan I think.

[Techno]

My personal opinion is already being done over. They got Kojima making a Xbox game, that's a big deal. The only thing would be Japanese exclusives but I'm not sure who they would get to do it other than Kojima. Phil said something about buying Japanese studios so that could be something.

[Shagger]

11 minutes ago, Techno said:

My personal opinion is already being done over. They got Kojima making a Xbox game, that's a big deal. The only thing would be Japanese exclusives but I'm not sure who they would get to do it other than Kojima. Phil said something about buying Japanese studios so that could be something.

 

I could see Xbox eyeing up Bandai Namco for that very reason. That's a lot of JRPG franchises like the Tales series and Japanese licences like Dragonball Z in one bag.

[Techno]

Just now, Shagger said:

 

I could see Xbox eyeing up Bandai Namco for that very reason. That's a lot of JRPG franchises like the Tales series and Japanese licences like Dragonball Z in one bag.

Nanco? I don't know of any real connection with them and Xbox. I mean sure it's as much of a long shot as say Konami or Sega, but I'm just curious. Is Bandi Nanco looking to be bought by them?

[Shagger]

3 minutes ago, Techno said:

Nanco? I don't know of any real connection with them and Xbox. I mean sure it's as much of a long shot as say Konami or Sega, but I'm just curious. Is Bandi Nanco looking to be bought by them?

 

No, I'm just speculating that if Xbox were looking for a publisher to buy up to better improve their market share in Japan and obtain a nice collection of popular Japanese IP's in the process, that might be the way to go.

[Demon_skeith]

Their actual increase in video games being made for Xbox is sure to help them, but I think they will still struggle for a foothold in Japan.

[Yaramaki]

The thing is Microsoft tried really hard to appeal to the japanese market but alas failed quite a bit. With the first xbox you have exclusives like shin megami tensei nine, innocent fears and a whole slew of other more japanese oriented games like jockey road and the highly experimental N.U.D.E., you can find a decent write over at the gamer if anyone care here and then i haven't talk about the slew of sega games that were xbox exclusive like sega gt 2002, jet grind radio and panzer dragoon orta to just name a few. Those games were selling points to get the system and now that i think of it damn i'm even forgetting dead or alive 3, xtreme volleyball and ninja gaiden duo of games.

With the 360 they really pushed to get a foothold into the japanese market, Who remembers the trilogy of rpg's that were 360 exclusives Blue dragon, lost odyssey and infinite undiscovery. Even tales of vesperia was a 360 exclusive for the longest time. Microsoft even managed to get the first 2 idolm@ster games exclusive before things blew up. Man and let's not forget the many bullet hell shooters were many are still console exclusives and offcourse the visual novel galore. So it's not like they diden't try.

With the xbox one you had nothing of that, i think there were barly 200 games released in physical format in japan and no i'm not planning on collecting them anytime soon lol. Eventough a complete japanese physical xbox collection does sound nice but you know i've got to draw a line somewhere.

It's too early to talk about series x as i see it's still those going well above the original retail price on sites like yahoo auctions japan and mercari. So it's asummable that avaibility is still scarce.

 

Edited September 26, 2022 by Yaramaki

[Yaramaki]

 

On 9/24/2022 at 7:04 PM, Shagger said:

 

I could see Xbox eyeing up Bandai Namco for that very reason. That's a lot of JRPG franchises like the Tales series and Japanese licences like Dragonball Z in one bag.

I feel like tecmo koei would be a better and cheaper option for microsoft like you have Dead or alive, Ninja gaiden, the Atelier series and the entire Musou shebang as potential exclusives alongside whatever else tecmo koei has as ip's it would be a much better option for microsoft as you can reach a much more nicher type of gamers with these type of games and those usually like spending more money on games then more casual gamers. Like for example turning something like the Fable series into a musou game would make perfect sense for a spin off fable game instead of that sorry excuse kinect game that pretty much killed the franchise.

I don't think microsoft needs to buy bandai namco, give BD a big sack of cash for a Tales exclusive and they are good to go. Maybe if uncle Bill finds some pocket change under his couch why not go for a new ridge racer aswell.

Edited September 26, 2022 by Yaramaki

[Kane99]

I don't think MS buying up Japanese studios would help them any though. I think it would 1) Annoy the fans if it's a hugely popular company and 2) I believe they've tried to buy Japanese studios before and it didn't help them secure a better position in the Japanese market. 

It has been forever known that Microsoft doesn't do well in most foreign markets, especially in Japan. Even buying up Japanese developers and teams doesn't mean they will do better. 

I hope to god they don't buy any studios like Bandai Namco. Because I feel they'd hurt that company more than help it, and I don't think it'll result in more sales in Japan. Even with a big name Japanese company under their banner. 

[Ajibusu]

On 9/24/2022 at 12:37 PM, Empire said:

I know japanese made games are still as important as ever to international gaming companies, but how important is Japan as a consumer market currently. Seems like regionally Asia as a whole is more important than japan specifically

Japan got a large market for the gaming industry. How Microsoft penetrate the market and which popular games will they use is what I am looking forward to seeing in the future.