Microsoft Plans More Japan-Specific Xbox 2 Games

Thanks to Bloomberg.com for its report discussing Microsoft's plans to recruit local developers to help the Xbox 2 succeed in Japan. Norman Cheuk of Microsoft Japan indicates: "A lot of what we're doing today is to position ourselves. We're looking at the future generations where we'd like to be successful", though efforts to encourage more Japanese Xbox exclusives (following on from Tecmo's Dead Or Alive 3/Dead Or Alive Ultimate) have recently been stymied: "Capcom Co., Japan's third-biggest game maker, has turned down offers from Microsoft in recent months to help pay distribution and development costs in return for more exclusive games for the Xbox, said Kazuhiko Abe, head of Capcom's corporate strategy division, without giving details." Abe also stated Capcom "isn't interested in developing more" Xbox titles, simply saying: "There are no plans... It's just not profitable enough."

Comments

If I were Japanese...

[lunarscape]

If I were Japanese, why in the world would I buy an Xbox when the JP-PS2 has more than 10 times as many titles as the JP-Xbox?

In the U.S., a person who can only afford the hardware and games for one or two systems has a more difficult decision to make between the Big Three. While the PS2 does win in sheer size of its game library, the Gamecube and Xbox have better games in certain categories.

In Japan, where Sony and Nintendo have been household names for decades, it'll be much more difficult for an American company with a smaller game library to find a place in the market.

So unless Microsoft makes some shady exclusivity deals with a good number of developers over there, I just don't see Xbox [insert number here] doing well at all in Japan.

Re:If I were Japanese...

[Lynxara]

And Microsoft is not likely to get the exclusivity deals they need (even shady ones) unless they're willing to absolutely hemorrhage money at Japanese developers. Why should Japanese manufacturers want to make games that will be exclusive to a highly unpopular console unless they're guaranteed to turn a profit before development even begins? Especially when other Japanese companies will probably bribe them more simply not to take MS's bribes?

MS doesn't seem to have done anything to persuade the shrinking Japanese gaming industry that they should be allowed to have a share of the profits, anyway. Until MS is willing to play ball with the companies already there, the doors they need open to make the X-Box big in Japan will not be opened. The "lone cowboy with the biggest technical specs and his own proprietary apps" schtick isn't going to fly in the incestuous Japanese economy.

Forget Japan

[guybrush876]

and invest in Europe, the Japanese market isn't growing any more, as stated in previous article, so we can safely say that Xbox lost and it would take insane amounts of money to win it, on the other hand European market is still growing, EU as 500+ million people and lots of them aren't playing yet, and if they treat the EU market as they do the US they could win a market share. This would be easy because Sony treats EU market badly, prices are higher and games arrive later than US, so with a small effort from Microsoft the market share could rise. I understand that the EU market could be a little more complicated because of the different languages, but let's face it how hard is it to translate a game? Not much just prepare it advance to support different languages and get good translators, (don't hire any Portuguese because I prefer the games in English :)).

Pssss...Capcom.......

[superultra]

Abe also stated Capcom "isn't interested in developing more" Xbox titles, simply saying: "There are no plans... It's just not profitable enough."

Call me crazy, but maybe Capcom should try making xbox games for $50 instead of, you know, $200.

Re:Ummmm....

[DeadScreenSky]

Now, I may be missing the point, but why in God's name are they trying to encourage a market in which one popular arcade title consists of sticking a plastic Finger up someone's digital ass?

I wouldn't call Boon-ga Boon-ga a popular game. It is just a quirky niche game - it isn't the next Street Fighter II or something! And the country that invented games like (the tremendously popular in comparison) Mortal Kombat or Custer's Revenge probably shouldn't criticize other countries for their tastes in gaming. Some developers are just going to make disturbing, 'gross' games - it doesn't reflect on that country's whole gaming market! It isn't like every Japanese or American gamer gets together and votes for a "poke your boss' anus"game or "rip off a woman's head for bonus points" game.

The rest of your less-trollish analysis isn't necessarily wrong, though you probably overstate how much "quirky" games sell there. They are made more over there (easier to get published), but they usually don't sell well. Japanese gamers mainly buy franchise games, just like Western gamers do. They are just different franchises in many cases.

MS has been actually doing a pretty good job going for Europe from the start (some of the Xbox's best games are European developed and focused, like the Project Gotham and Rallisport Challenge series), but I agree going for it more wouldn't hurt.