Japan: What can Microsoft Do? do? do?
by Richard Mitchell 
{ Jan 31st 2007 at 4:00PM }
While those in the west see the Xbox 360 a definite success (so far), Japan is a completely different story. Having only sold 300,000 units throughout the first year in its lifespan, the 360 has a long way to go in the land of the rising sun. Gamasutra sits down with a localization specialist and Kotaku's Japanese correspondent to discuss Microsoft's prospects in Japan. The prognosis: it needs work. While the two disagree on a few points (the localization director sees the glass half-empty, whereas the other sees it half-full) the overall picture is somewhat grim. The Xbox 360 has been gaining some ground in the past few months. Titles like Blue Dragon (and to a lesser extent Gears of War) have helped generate 360 sales, but it's not nearly enough to gain a decent market share. Microsoft's biggest hurdle will be penetrating the culture barrier and understanding Japanese consumers (and apparently Do! do! do! isn't cutting it).With more Japanese titles on the way (namely Lost Odyssey), Microsoft better get its marketing crew in gear if they want to stand a chance in Japan. If MS can get a foothold in Japan, it means more variety for everyone, and that's always a good thing.
[Via Xbox-Scene]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
NitroFrost @ Jan 31st 2007 4:25PM
I was thinking to myself that I wanted to play FF a few days ago and thought of turning on my ps2 but then I thought I have the 360 and then I realized no good RPG's were really out there so I did some research and saw Lost Odyssey. Looks alot like FF so most likely I will pick that game up as for 360 in Japan. They need to some how get MGS4 to the 360, FF would help a ton. It will be tuff but if Microsoft can just get some people that can analyze the Japanese culture and the trend of the games they like that are on Playstation then they would have something to ask developers for.
I think the 360 can get some pull in the Japanese market but its alot of work for them, maybe if they can get the 360 released in China then Japan would want it more (just a thought)
VampireHunter Z @ Jan 31st 2007 4:43PM
All they can do is just keep releasing titles. The games will have to speak for themselves. Well, obviously the marketing crew have to alert the masses about these games. If not then titles will go the way of Psychonauts. A timely release schedule is also key. Once the hype gets going they have to follow up with more AAA games before the hype dies down.
Doc @ Jan 31st 2007 5:53PM
fuck japan they are racist anyways unless your from japan(console wise)they shit on you and always will!! they just desiguised as coultural differences , but their racist! MS needs to kiss north americas ass and even europes ass those are the real markets for them
L @ Jan 31st 2007 6:30PM
really if i tell the truth M$ will never really get hold of the japan market
Part of me thinks its down to the hardware and where its from!!
but really like that shoulden be a problem cause for the past 20 years in gamin ...we people in the west have played on systems from the east!! :S .... SO i like to rule out that problem
So yes number one problems are the games!!!!
Like we are so lucky that we get games from team Ninja :O because there games would sell so much better on PS3.......
Next problem is any games that are made in japan for 360 .....alot of them same to be made for the west!! only cause they know more systems are sold over here
Last thing _____ sOrry to sound Bla bla
But i really don,t care what happens in Japan ...as far as i can tell M$ will be just find if they could hold 1st place in the US_ and hopefully 1st in UK/euro.... 3rd in japan
^_^
aragorn @ Jan 31st 2007 5:31PM
Now we find out how far Microsoft will go to curry favor in japan. Are they expecting a few games to bring a 360 into every 10X8 apt in japan, or are they going to continue appealing to japanese culture for years to come?
on that note... is it actually worth the effort?
Nate @ Jan 31st 2007 6:01PM
I wont say they are racist but the Japanese do seem to poo-poo anything microsoft without giving it a chance. And why are they so afraid of big things? The 360 isnt even that big, but I swear they want something microscopic to fit in their tiny homes.
Ethan @ Jan 31st 2007 6:31PM
The Japanese do not buy anything that is not "Japanese" If you look at Coke, they had to make the product a "Japanese Product." That's Why I always find it funny that it's a double standard with the auto industry. we'll buy their stuff but they won't buy ours becuase it's not their product. I guess that's just life. Oh well, at least it's good to see the japanese econony coming back after the no spending spree the japanese did in the late 80's. Eventually the japanese will break, just like we have and start buying imports, it's just a matter of time. (60 years?) lol Who knows?
NitroFrost @ Jan 31st 2007 6:29PM
"5" PS3 Is huge!
James @ Jan 31st 2007 7:23PM
The "Japanese Don't Buy American Products" thing is bullshit. Have any of you even been to Japan? My girl is Japanese and I'm over there all the time. Japan is practically obsessed with American culture... it's like a neverending fad over there. iPods sell like goddamn wildfire, and Apple is obviously an American company. The car thing is because American cars have an exaggerated but somewhat deserved reputation for being of inferior quality and being too big.
Put simply, the Japanese don't buy things that don't appeal to their sensibilities. The Xbox line-up is full of dark, gritty shooters. These games appeal to the adolescent teenager that is America, but Japanese prefer things to be epic/flamoyant/cute/quirky/noble. "Tough soldiers with big guns" don't appeal over there like they do here. PC games, for example, don't sell as well either because they tend to be the same type of shooter fare that's on the 360 now. The strategy games do better.
The Xbox 360 line-up is culture specific and that's why it doesn't sell. The Xbox 360 is pretty much this generations equivalent to the Genesis in this regard (somehow appears "cool" to Americans, Japanese could care less).
The only way out of this is for Gates to just pony up and buy Capcom or Sega or something along those lines. Having American developers make games like Gears of War, Halo 3, Bioshock, etc. won't do anything to help the Japanese situation.
aragorn @ Jan 31st 2007 7:25PM
For the record guys, The ipod has done very very well in japan.
so, there is a barrier, but it can be broken.
Virtua Fanboy @ Jan 31st 2007 7:28PM
The only way that MS will come close to being successful in Jpn is if they start or just buy out some smaller Japanese company. Let Japanese people make Japanese games and have a Gears and Halo every once in a while for the small market that appreciates American products. Easier said than done but that's gonna be the only way. Period.
James @ Jan 31st 2007 7:51PM
Doc, did you even read the article? That's a nice post you wrote up there. Not only did you manage to offend me but probably all of my friends. Keep it up, you'll go far.
John from http://www.nokonoko.net/ says in the Gamasutra article...
"JR: Most developers I know here are actually very enthusiastic about the 360. The problem is simply a matter of economics; there's no market to work with in Japan, so unless you can get major backing from Microsoft or another publisher with a strong presence overseas, there's no way to justify the risk..."
Additionally, there was a good article post up on Joystiq about the differences in markets. I just don't have the link on hand at the moment -_-;;
aragorn @ Jan 31st 2007 8:05PM
james: if you were offended by that, than frankly, you and your friends are a bit too militant :p
T Ghost @ Jan 31st 2007 9:55PM
Read the anecdotes part on the articles. I think M$ is messing up a little bit.
It feels like things there do not work as here marketing wise.
But how come M$ money can't buy good marketing consulting from japanese marketing companies?
That just doesn't make sense.
Anyways, the "there's no games that appeal to japanese gamer's taste" excuse went thru the window with the recent releases.
The "they don't release many games there" is also thrown away as we reached 74 full disc titles for XBOX 360 in Japan already released .
The Ipod, McDonalds, Levi's, Coca-cola thing also rules out Xenofobism, even that's just BS in my oppinion once besides Ipod what other american product is leader of it's class in Japan? Is McDonalds the top fast food chain in Japan? Is coke the #1 cold drink in Japan? So.
Looks like we're out of justifications or "excuses" for Why japanese gamers are not buying XBOX 360's.
On another hand they're not getting PS3's as expected as well...
T Ghost @ Jan 31st 2007 9:55PM
Read the anecdotes part on the articles. I think M$ is messing up a little bit.
It feels like things there do not work as here marketing wise.
But how come M$ money can't buy good marketing consulting from japanese marketing companies?
That just doesn't make sense.
Anyways, the "there's no games that appeal to japanese gamer's taste" excuse went thru the window with the recent releases.
The "they don't release many games there" is also thrown away as we reached 74 full disc titles for XBOX 360 in Japan already released .
The Ipod, McDonalds, Levi's, Coca-cola thing also rules out Xenofobism, even that's just BS in my oppinion once besides Ipod what other american product is leader of it's class in Japan? Is McDonalds the top fast food chain in Japan? Is coke the #1 cold drink in Japan? So.
Looks like we're out of justifications or "excuses" for Why japanese gamers are not buying XBOX 360's.
On another hand they're not getting PS3's as expected as well...
d-dove @ Jan 31st 2007 10:12PM
AFTER SEEING THOSE RETARDED ADS I CANT BLAME THE JAPANESE FOR OVERLOOKING THE 360. THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC DOES NOT LISTEN TO J-POP. THEY LIKE AMERICAN MUSIC, ESPECIALLY ROCK AND HIP HOP.
I've been to Japan twice and can honestly say all M$ would need to do is show two African Americans speaking hip hop slang having a blast playing Xbox Live, perhaps Gears of War, and boom, 360 would make an impact.
d-dove @ Jan 31st 2007 10:19PM
IN OTHER WORDS SHOW HOW AMERICAN THE XBOX IS. DONT TURN IT INTO SOMETHING ITS NOT....XBOX...BE YOURSELF....
honestly i should be in microsoft marketing department, if any M$ marketing people are reading this send me an email.
James @ Jan 31st 2007 10:25PM
T Ghost:
What recent releases have appealed to Japanese taste? Blue Dragon? One game? They are suppossed to buy a $400 system because it has one *decent*, not amazing, game? By that logic all the shooter-loving Americans should have bought PS3s just for Resistance.
The Xbox library is too dark and shooter-reliant for the Japanese. That's the problem.
Evershot @ Jan 31st 2007 11:39PM
Japan is an important market in terms of video gaming. I don't feel M$ needs to completely win this market over in order to be successfull overall in the video game console market. However not completely dominating an important market like Japan leaves the door open for more competition.
I hope M$ and the xbox 360 NEVER wins over Japan, because more competition means M$ will have to continue to work at getting into that market which will lead to better games and prices for the consumers overall.
Open competition is good for the gamers. I would rather M$ continue to struggle in Japan because the rest of the gaming world can only benefit. A good example is blue dragon because without M$ struggles in Japan they may have never gotten around to making an RPG.
So rather than bashing Japan for not accepting the xbox 360 every xbox 360 owner should be hoping Japan stays defiant because the gaming world needs good open competition.
prince david @ Feb 2nd 2007 10:51AM
From what I can see, the xbox360 might start to take off. The Japanese with their "Moe" Culture, seems to be latching onto that new Idolm@ster game. I have seen it become pretty popular on the internet, on 2channel and youtube. However.. this might end up giving the xbox360 the reputation as being a porngraphic system do to the.. perverted nature of this game
SuicideNinja @ Feb 1st 2007 8:56AM
I don't know what Japan's problem is. I have all three consoles as of last week...but all the good games are currently on the 360.
The Wii's popularity is understandable...it's different. We'll see how long it lasts. Aside from Wii Sports...there's not much going on. I'm not sure if anything coming out this year will be that great.
The PS3 is a worthless brick with no worthwhile games of its own for the moment. It makes no sense to buy one for another year. I wish I hadn't most of the time.
Christian @ Feb 1st 2007 5:59PM
Probably the one and number two problem with Xbox in Japan is that it is American. First, our gaming styles are totally different, and thankfully most Xbox games appeal to Americans (unlike Nintendo). Xbox will have to come out with some weird, cartoonish RPGs to have success in Japan. Or they could release the really successful driving a train game, yes driving a train is a major arcade game. Also, there is a lot of aminee porn available for Playstation (another really weird Japanese deal), so maybe Xbox needs to start appealing to aminee porn makers for some success.
Finally, the Japanese are hands down nationalists (not racists since American is not a race). They will only buy Japanese products. As far as crazy for American culture that is true in the sense that they like whering only Nike shoes, boy scout uniforms, Madonna.
Good Luck Xbox. Now I think they would have a great market in China where they hate the Japanese would gladly buy American over anything made in Japan. Plus they have a lot of people. Forget Japan and go for China.
ruiner @ Feb 1st 2007 4:32PM
I could care less what happens in Japan. Generally, I feel that the games which cater to the Japanese market are terrible. I prefer games I can play, rather than watching CG cut scenes and lame drama played out between brief moments of action. I also prefer my fighting in "real time" and not waiting for my turn to use a sword or spell!