Microsoft pins Japan hopes on new RPGs

Microsoft has released further details of the titles it hopes will ignite the Xbox 360's ailing sales in Japan at a press event in Tokyo today.

At the Xbox 360 RPG Premiere 2008 stage show, Corporation executives introduced a number of games to be released in the territory in the next 12-18 months, including projects from both Namco Bandai and Square Enix.

[sinncross]

Those Square and Namco RPG's will hit PS3.

i fail these will make much impact for Xbox tbqh.

[LaChance]

Tales of Ves in August.

Too Human in August.

Inf Undisc in October.

A bit too crowded to me : I really hope that one of these isn't going down the drain.

3 games targeting almost the same audience coming out all at the same time can be quite dangerous for one of them...dont know which one though...

[Hellraizer]

Sacred 2

Fable 2

Fallout 3

RPG heaven coming at the end of 2008.

[green]

Last Remnant this winter worldwide.Also expect to see Cry on at E3 or Tokyo game show.

[Spike47]

out of three Lachance mentioned only one will make an impact in sales and that's Too Human IF Ms hypes it up like mass effect, halo, and gears.
(And yeah I know you are talking about the great quantity of Jrpgs and that's really good for MS and console owners)

I really don't see any of MS's rpgs making a difference in Japan or any other countries.

Sony may not have much but atleast when they have some they really deliver.

[pow3r of t3h c3ll]

Remember when when M$ were saying about how they didnt care about Japan but all this time behind the scenes they have been secretly and sleazily
buying exclusive jrpgs.

But of course they will fail cus Japanese consumers would never buy inferior american electronics when the whole world knows japan make the best and secondly cus M$ have not managed to buy the biggest of them all:FINAL FANTASY!!!

Xflop am fail in Japan(and everywhere else 2 lol)

[beavis4play]

i can't believe that MS is serious? it's been out almost 3 years; the time for gaining even modest respectability in Japan is long gone.

i can't imagine MS ever sending their next console(x720?) there.

[Captain Tuttle]

JRPG's sell in the West too. Personally I don't understand their appeal but lots of people love 'em.

[Superfragilistic]

I actually think this is a move to shore up a wider offering for Western audiences whilst also building a rep in Japan for future generations.

Microsoft have already admitted Japan a lost cause this generation but you have to remember that it took Sony the PS1 to build the stellar support with the PS2, I suspect MS is attempting the same thing. Build goodwill and the sales will come (albeit a long time later). Or at least that's their hope!

Having said that Japan is pretty much irrelevant to both consoles. The PS3 averages about 10K/week whilst the 360 averages about 2K/week. In contrast the Wii averages 50K/wk, and yet that ignores where the Japanese market has its focus. The Japanese market is dominated by handhelds, namely the DS and PSP, the console market in comparison is for all intensive purposes currently financially dead other than the Wii.

[Captain Tuttle]

I agree, especially with your last paragraph. The Japanese market seems to be moving away from traditional consoles and towards handhelds. I think MS came too late to the party.

[Superfragilistic]

"I think MS came too late to the party."

I agree, but I'd add that being a foreign company was always a major barrier to Microsoft's cause and perhaps explains their efforts to build goodwill with Japan, despite the poor sales, with hopes for future generations.

But Japan really is all about handhelds for the forseeable future and is largely irrelevant to the outcome between Sony and MS in terms of hardware. This is why we're seeing companies like Square, Atlus, Namco and Mistwalker increasingly target Western audiences with their new offerings.

Europe and America are the battlefields that matter this generation.

[BeaArthur]

That works for me because I am an RPG fan. If they want to keep trying to capture the Japanese market with RPG's that is fine with me.

[Coke-a-Cola]

( sometimes it works )

[sumfood4u]

XBOX enjoy the Fun! Most Jap games match their Anime so Ohh Yeah its going to be Nostalgic!

[keony]

Why would the Japs buy these games for the 360 if they also will be for the ps3 later? All those exclusive 360 rpg's in the past havent the effect. Why would it now? These (time) exclusive deals are just free money for SE.

[dragunrising]

If you want a game now...or later, which would you decide? Depending on how much the game in question means to you the decision isn't too hard. Ultimately, I feel this japan rpg initiative is set for success. Keep in mind that "success" at this point is selling more than 10,000 consoles a month. If the 360 can sell over half as many consoles as PS3 I would think this is reasonably successful. The pursuit of Japan was never a short term endeavor. Build the Xbox brand and people will inevitably follow.

[Genki]

Say what you want about them being dead in the water in Japan, but as of right now they're making the right moves to get more RPG's on their machine.

[socomnick]

Xbox 360 home of the RPGS.

[kewlkat007]

Plenty out there and more coming....

while it should help , I hope they see the other strong factors that are barriers to that market.

your console is no longer JRPGless and is not that FAT.

Anything helps I guess.

[SL1M DADDY]

Then more power to them. No number of JRPG titles will save the 360 in Japan. Personally, MS should pour their money into the West and Europe and forget about Japan. They just cannot seem to make an impact there no matter the RPG's they have.

[Gun_Senshi]

Level-5 is where best JRPGs are nowdays.

[OLD MAN]

working behind the scenes, any game is possible to go to multiplatform, even a sony original exclusive that got its start on a playstation platform.

and please stop stating nintendo so big, didnt i tell you all a long time ago that the hype machine WII is coming down in due time, what you all dont get is that the true ps3 exclusives havent hit yet, do you not understand that, i heard someone at the top comparing 50k wiis to 10k to 12k ps3s, that number will change this coming monday by a HUGE margin and you can assure that, wii has NOTHING to combat MGS4, infact nothing can, and didnt i tell you that WII will do good for 2 years tops, and then fall off? well that 2 years isnt over yet, im telling you the technology age is coming into affect, i mean in 2009 you have to have your tv digitalized, and VHS is about to be removed, dvd not long after, soon the world is going to get tired of wiis 3 and a half years ago graphics and will be only interested in 3 platforms, ps3, pc and 180, and that will fall soon after, wii is bought only cause its the cheapest fun thing that you can buy that is a gaming machine that came out in the new generation; if not for that i assure you that machine wouldnt have near half the sales it currently has, but if you notice WII isnt on that speedy selling spree it was on when it first released, this is all leading up to that 2 year fortold sink, as i told you 1 year or so ago what will happen when the true ps3 exclusives release, and now look at metal gear, its not had 1/2 of halo 3s hype and marketing but will set world records in sales and launches, and the list doesnt end of ps3 exclusives, so ps3 is going to be #1 either way.

and you can keep star ocean, i dont really like rpgs where you run around to separate monsters in a field, unless its like ff12.

[Superfragilistic]

You make exceptionally bold predictions. And as much as I love Metal Gear, MGS4 won't be breaking any sales records other than those exclusive to the Playstation brand. It's a fantastic franchise but it's also a hardcore franchise which limits its mass market appeal. If it does 6million Konami will have very big grins on their faces, personally I feel that's a tad high and 5million is more realistic. I'm sure it'll boost hardware sales but it'll only be temporary, just like GTAIV, Halo 3 and Wii Fit before it.

I would also suggest you give credit where it's due. Microsoft certainly have deep pockets but so do Sony. I would suggest it has actually been Microsoft's concerted effort to improve relationships with developers, the higher install base, attach ratios, software sales, and more familiar technology of the 360 to developers that have been far more important in such decisions.

[juuken]

...Won't do them much good I'm afraid. The Japanese aren't going to be swayed by a few rpg's on the 360, especially when a handheld known as the PSP is kicking ass over there.

[PoSTedUP]

yea. MS is doing it all wrong

thats a poor game plan, and only the easy way out and unlikely to work.

their getting desperate..

[juuken]

Just like 360 owners who keep disagreeing with us. >.>

[PoSTedUP]

its honestly not going to help them in japan.

American hardware that breaks is just proof of another stereotype for them. ya know. they dont think much of it anymore.

[etownone]

wow... by every sonydroids comments so far it seems like MS can't do anything right, huh?

Japan loves playing RPG, and as of now, the 360 has the most RPGs with some really good exclusive RPGs, and even secured some timed exclusive RPGs for this year and the next, you add the price drop with jasper this year for a reliable and very affordable (cheap) console... yet MS is doing it all wrong?

oh I get it, MS should just pack it in and get out of Japan to make every delusional sonyfan happy!!

grow up people!!

[PoSTedUP]

is anything that MS is doing making a difference in japan? the answer is no, so that means MS should stop trying cause they are wasting money that could go to a new ip or something better.

50 million didnt make a difference in GTA4, once again they could of put that money towards a new ip or something.

MS has a poor game plan. and it looks like its going to hurt them in the end.