Analyze This: Does Microsoft Need Japan to Make the Xbox 360 a Hit?

Mike Wolf, ABI Research: "For all the talk of supporting the Japanese market with relevant titles, the [Xbox 360] launch list -- and even today -- shows a dearth of titles that will entice the Japanese game player. Ninety-Nine Nights and Final Fantasy XI are a start, but what they need are some exclusive must-haves that would drive the Japanese consumer to the console."

[pRo loGic II]

I see they like ChromeHounds a lot. That games tough.

[super bill]

nope.

[shotty]

I don't know about you guy but I have met a lot of gamers from Japan. I meet them alot on PDZ and Battlefield 2. Also what microsoft wants are japanese developers who they are getting like Capcom, Konami, Square Enix, Team ninja, phantagram and etc. They have them now we just need to wait a few years for these games to be made. We have Lost planet which is a beautiful game being released early next year and we have a few right now.

[Marriot VP]

haven't we been through this enough, MS DOESN'T NEED JAPAN TO WIN.

[Dick Jones]

More unit sales in Japan = More Jananese Developer support and Exclusive titles. Which in turn not only = More sales in Japan but all over the rest of the world becuase alot of people with a PS2 want a PS3 for those Japanese games, espescially JRPG's.

[Marriot VP]

ohh yah, that's what I've always said. That our presence in Japan is only for their unique developers to appeal to Japanese game fanbase in america and europe.

Trust me I was just making a point with the we don't need them statement.

[gamerof360]

i think they DONT NEED to get Japan into the xbox360 but i think they should try a good deal to get it..but its not the biggest deal

[bernie]

Japan is not the huge games mecca it once was, back in the 80's you needed Japan to survive (not any more). I love Japanese titles but I think even the Asian developers realise they need to make worldwide games, rather than just homegrown interest.

[frostbite06]

Wasnt DOA4 a big hit? There seems like a lot of japanese players on live.

[REDMOND BOYZZ]

#2 I AGREE JAPANESE PEOPLE HATE GAINT MACHINES... LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL. BIG ROBOTS IS SO AMERICAN.

[REDMOND BOYZZ]

JAPANESE PEOPLE PLAY ON LIVE I KNOW PEOPLE THEIR LOL.

[Marriot VP]

yah so do I

[gamerof360]

true

[f1r3waII K1LL3r]

I mean china has over one billion people in it why not try to be extremely successful there Japan isnt that big.

[gamerof360]

well no offense chinese people are poor (well some of them) and their parents are really strict on playin videogames (i would know im half chinese)(i was born in the USA so dont talk bout it)

[REDMOND BOYZZ]

HALF MY FAMILY LIVES IN JAPAN AND ITS HOW I KNOW [PL II] HE DATES MY SISTER. LOL

[zypher]

they don't need to WIN in Japan to win overall, but they DO need to do better than they are to win overall. at this point i couldn't even guess what they need to do to do better: they have Blue Dragon and Team Ninja, and some decent support from Japanese developers Capcom and Namco going for them; that should be enough for them to at least remain lucrative. but it remains to be seen if even these can withstand the behemoths knowns as Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. oh well, just as long Microsoft is willing to give me what i want (GOW, Halo 3, Fable, Bioshock etc.) then i'll be content owning their system.

[gamerof360]

AMEN to that brother

[REDMOND BOYZZ]

360 GAMERS ARE A DIFFERENT CROUD/more adults, NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE STATES GET JAPANESE GAMES, UNLESS THE DEV'S FROM JAPAN MAKE THE WESTERN TOUCH TO ALL OF THE GAMES, JAPAN WON'T MATTER MUCH. Lost planet, Chromehounds are just a couple of examples of how the japanese are realizing this, its known the japanese market is failing and dev's must adjust the appeal to others.

[REDMOND BOYZZ]

I know this much from everbody talking about it back in the mother land, Lost Odyssey will be the next FF, folks can't wait for this game and it has the grounded plot that Americans like.

[MissAubrey]

except their damn card battle crap.

[gamerof360]

pokemon cards i remember when it was the best thing u could own do they still make those?, they sucked eggs

[mikeeno7]

WHO CARES ABOUT JAPAN? I'm sorry but China and Korea are more important as the clever M has discovered rapidly increasing videogame markets. If the 360 weren't selling out in Europe, that would be bad news...

[Gamer13]

All 3 next gen consoles will be a hit for me.

[PS3sux360inchWiiWii]

back when I was younger... POGS were the stuff, not the pokemon/yugio garbage!

[the_bebop]

I would just like to point out Yu Gi Oh in Japan is different to it in America since the American dub of it is screwd up because of the Companie that dubs it called 4kids, decide to market it for kids only were the Japanese Version of it is suposed to be for more mature audiences due to its language, Subtext and Darker edge. Yu Gi Oh doesn't even represent what Japanese Animation is supposed to be like, if you relly want to watch a proper Japanese Animated show for an older Audience Pick up Ghost In the Shell Standalone complex or Trigun.

I would also like to point out that the game Gundam World comming to the Xbox 360 is based off the Original Popular series Mobile Suite Gundam.

[THELANDSOFSAND]

POGS

whooo

they were like crack

[Marty8370]

Yes,X360 needs too do well in Japan(which it isn't and won't).That why PS3 & Wii will take over.PS3/Bluray are the future.

[jinn]

absolutely not