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Xbox Japan Boss Explains New Price Cuts

Posted by simoniker on from the it's-like-this dept.

Thanks to 1UP for their article covering Japanese Xbox boss Yoshihiro Maruyama's comments regarding yesterday's significant Xbox price drop in Japan. Maruyama explained that the price cut wasn't a reaction to Sony's Japanese PS2 price drop: "This discount was in the works for the end-of-year shopping season before SCE's announcement. The timing was on our own terms, and we aren't simply following the leader here." He also tried to explain why the Japanese videogame market is shrinking, suggesting: "You see companies in the U.S. using a multiplatform strategy, developing games for several consoles at once, with Electronic Arts leading the way. However, Japan concentrates all its development on the top platform alone, so it's easy to run into dead ends."

4 of 37 comments (clear)

  1. Not really... by Bagels · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It goes without saying that the top console in Japan right now is the PS2. But hardly all of the development goes solely towards the PS2 - Nintendo's gotten a fair number of exclusive titles for its system (primarily from Capcom), and will be getting some more in the future (FF: Crystal Chronicles, anyone?). Sega has made some good GCN exclusive games (Billy Hatcher, the Sonic series, Super Monkey Ball), too. So what's Microsoft's excuse now?

    --
    --- Bwah?
    1. Re:Not really... by unclethursday · · Score: 2, Insightful
      More than the other three consoles, Xbox has the most to gain from multiplatform releases since, besides the political issue of online capability (see EA and others), multiplatform releases can look and play better on the Xbox due to its superior hardware.

      I'll give you the look part, most of the time. I'll say the sound better part is there, even though you didn't mention it. But play better? I would say that is false. Most multi-platform games are designed with the PS2 in mind, and the PS2's controller as well. With the Xbox not having as many shoulder buttons as the PS2, it automatically loses functionality for games designed around the PS2 controller. Same with the GC.

      A perfect example is the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series. The GC and Xbox versions look much better than the PS2 version; but the game was designed around the PS2 controller, so it PLAYS the best on the PS2.

      This is true of 9 out of 10 multi-platform titles. They'll look better on the GC and Xbox, but generally be easier to use on the PS2, meaning they play better on the PS2. Graphics don't determine playability, nor does superior hardware, but the control interface the game was designed for.

      The only real exception I can think of is Splinter Cell, which was designed for the Xbox first, and then ported to the other 2 consoles. Thus, it most likely plays better on the Xbox than the other 2.

      Thursdae

  2. Re:FP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    "The US has the right idea (kinda). Give people platform freedom and more people will buy your product. Restrict them to a single platform and they will boycott your product."

    I don't think there is a boycott mentality in the mindset of most American consumers. If that were the case, Microsoft wouldn't have that many Xbox customers, based on their shenanigans and poor track record of product quality in other industries. American consumers have poor long-term memory.

    "I won't be buying FFX, for example, until I can rip the DVD and use an emulator and play it on my PC because I prefer to play all games on computer."

    How many console games do you own then, considering there are no commercial-quality emulators for any of the current-generation consoles?

    Your point of view is in the serious minority - the "I don't buy things that do what they are supposed to do, so please meet my unreasonable demands before I consider your product" minority.

  3. For the unbias... by MMaestro · · Score: 3, Insightful
    For those who could care less about the Xbox vs PS2 vs GC war, heres a basic summary of why they cut the price.

    CHRISTMAS SALES. Anyone in retail knows what I'm talking about. The only one I don't see doing a price cut is GC and thats because they're already cheap and they're using the free game trick.