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New Western Xbox Titles For Japan Announced

Posted by simoniker on from the outlaw-golf-defining-point-of-western-civilization dept.

Thanks to The Magic Box for their report that the first set of earlier rumored Western titles for the Xbox are being released in Japan this October. According to the site, "Microsoft announced they will release the Xbox World Collection series for Xbox in Japan on October 23, five titles will be available, and a total of 20 titles will be released by summer 2004." The first five titles unveiled are Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus, Inside Pitch 2003, NFL Fever 2004, Outlaw Golf, and Outlaw Volleyball, as Microsoft tries to expand their Japanese Xbox support by importing a mass of American/European titles.

12 of 24 comments (clear)

  1. Good old strategy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    From the McDonalds school of overseas business expansion I see.

    "Quick, get a million units from the States and put them *everywhere*! The bastards won't be able to escape us now!"

  2. Is it me... by JFMulder · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... or the problem with the xbox over Japan is exactly that, western games? I don't think that this method of throwing more money at the problem will resolve it, especially with games like Outlaw Volleyball. Since the Japanase are suckers for special editions (see all the incarnations and skins for GBA), why not re-release DOA:Extreme Volleyball in Japan, since it's the most popular Xbox title over there, in a silver box with a hologram of one of the girls breasts bouncing up and down? I'm sure the Japanese will be all over it like Ben Affleck on a stripper.

    1. Re:Is it me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Even better, release a special edition of the Xbox itself and rename it "PlayStation". Or "Game Boy".

    2. Re:Is it me... by Rayonic · · Score: 1

      ... or the problem with the xbox over Japan is exactly that, western games?

      Apparently the Japanese market didn't like the good Western games they brought over before, so they're going to try bringing some bad* Western games over. To tell the truth, this doesn't sound like a bad idea.

      * (Note: I hear Outlaw Volleyball is actually pretty good, gameplay-wise. Better than the volleyball portion of DOA: Extreme Volleyball.)

      --
      [PowerPoint] is a tool for capitalist presentation
    3. Re:Is it me... by gamgee5273 · · Score: 1
      I think you mistyped above - Halo is a singular game, not plural (as in "games"). Thus, there haven't been good Western "games" brought to Japan for the Xbox...there's just been a good Western game.

      When KOTOR gets over there, then you can add the "s."

    4. Re:Is it me... by MMaestro · · Score: 1

      "why not re-release DOA:Extreme Volleyball in Japan, since it's the most popular Xbox title over there, in a silver box with a hologram of one of the girls breasts bouncing up and down? "

      Step one : Put girls with bouncy breasts in game
      Step two : Put girls with bouncy breasts on cover
      Step three : ?
      Step four : Profit!

      The only thing thats probably keeping Microsoft from doing this is the censorship in America. Seriously, DOA:Extreme Volleyball caught enough protest just by being released with bouncy breasts in the game, can you imagine the outcry if Little Billy saw a game with a holographic image of a girl's breasts bouncing?

    5. Re:Is it me... by JFMulder · · Score: 1, Redundant

      can you imagine the outcry if Little Billy saw a game with a holographic image of a girl's breasts bouncing
      <sarcasm>Yeah, it's sooooo much worse than seeing some guy with gun pointed at someone else.</sarcasm>

      I just don't get it. What's more harmfull? Breasts or guns? Last time I checked, nobody got hurt from a pair of breasts.

    6. Re:Is it me... by MMaestro · · Score: 1
      Well considering they censored the art statue in the game Maniac Mansion, as noted in a previous article, yes. I do have to say breasts do cause a lot of outcry in the U.S.

      As for guns on video game covers, I dare you to take a screenshot of a cut up, shot person from Soldier of Fortune 2, with gore on, print it out and show it in a public area. Its just a screenshot of the game, but I doubt you'll be able to show it to a police officer without him tailing you until you leave area.

  3. Just what Japan's missing! by DarkGamer20X6 · · Score: 1

    Microsoft: bringing America's 'greatest' games to the entire world!

    Honestly, with the exception of Tao Feng, those are all sports games...very, very American sports games.

    Is Microsoft retarded? (Rhetorical question /.ers, rhetorical... We all know the answer to that one.)

  4. Gee, how about releasing some GOOD games? by MikeyNg · · Score: 1, Informative

    Star Wars: KOTOR may be rather problematic as far as the localization will go, but that'd be one awesome product to get into the Japanese market. They enjoy the Star Wars universe at least comparably to Americans. It's an RPG, and it's a damn good game to boot.

    Maybe instead of shovelling crap over to Japan and then wondering why it doesn't sell, they should be sending over some of the better games to Japan. I understand that there are some cultural differences to work out, but at least send a good representative!

    --
    Where the wind blows, the tumbleweed goes.
  5. Western titles: "Tao Feng: First of the Lotus" by KNicolson · · Score: 1

    It's ironic (yes, I'm using it wrongly, just to annoy all you're grammer Nazis) that the first title is some sort of Chinese-themed beat-em-up, a genre that was invented in Japan.

  6. Ummm, here guys have some, um games. by superultra · · Score: 1

    Well, after canning nearly the entire Japan MS staff, I don't think that this is a way to seduce Japan into buying Xbox games. I see this as merely a way of tossing a proverbial bone, as if to say, "Here guys, we're still interested in you...a little." For all sakes and purposes, I really think Microsoft has pretty much written off Xbox as being any kind of viable system in Japan and is hoping for a revamp with an Xbox2

    Which is a shame, because the Japan office managed to snag Otogi as an Xbox exclusive. I'm playing through that bastard of a game, and boy is it good. Makes up for Sneakers at least.