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Microsoft Xbox - Japan |
by Guest
4/10/2006 |
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Microsoft Xbox: Japan
Article by: Dave Suhadolc (Epsilon-Zero)
Business Undergrad / PS3 Portal Xbox Editor
It is no secret that Microsoft’s hold on Japan, outside of Windows, is pretty weak. Even Apple and its ipod product line exceed Microsoft’s hold on the digital multimedia market, let alone compare to Sony’s stake with home-field advantage. The giant of PC operating systems seems to always start slowly in markets where they do not dominate, but slowly over time their stake in the market grows until they are number one like they did with the Pocket PC market. For the first time Microsoft has seen a decline in interest in one of their products.
The new Xbox 360 has sold worse than the original Xbox in Japan over the same time frame. Xbox 360 has just sold 150,000 units over a 4 month time frame in Japan. In contrast the original Xbox sold more than double at 350,000 units. The answer given by the Japanese as to why they dislike the Xbox 360, has overwhelmingly been the lack of games and support. At launch there were only 8 games available and only 3 of them were made by Japanese developers. To make matters worse, the most highly anticipated Japanese game at launch was delayed by 2 weeks. Other anticipated Japanese games have taken delays as well, with the most being 3 months. The delays and the lack of games led Japanese Xbox General Manager Mr. Sansui to publicly declare the Japanese Xbox 360 launch a failure on April 6th.
Takashi Sensui, General Manager of Microsoft's Xbox Division in Japan
Never Say Die
Microsoft has never given up on a product and certainly does not plan to give up on Xbox 360 Japan. Microsoft’s contingency plan, outlined by Mr. Sensui, relies on getting more Japanese multimedia outlet and game developers to support the Xbox 360; in a race to capture more Japanese consumers before Sony and Nintendo can pick them up.
The plan outlines more support from Japanese game developers Sega, Namco, Bandai, Konami, Square-Enix, SNK Playmore, Hudson, Yuke's, and D3. Each will be producing a multitude of titles that will boost the number of Japanese Xbox 360 titles from 25 games released to date to 80 games released by the end of this year. These games do not include online Xbox Live Arcade games which have been the most redeeming quality of the Xbox 360 launch with an amazing 520,000 downloads accounting for 95% of the Japanese Xbox 360s sold. Microsoft is betting on that classic arcade titles such as Pac-Man and Galaga will boost the reputation of Xbox Live Arcade and help attract more sales.
Also in effort to attract more sales, Microsoft has enlisted Bandai to create a Gundam first-person shooter game. Gundam is as large of a name in Japan as Star Wars is in the US and Microsoft is hoping to spur more sales on its popularity. Another big name enlisted by Microsoft is Mr. Sakaguchi’s Mistwalker studio. Mr. Sakaguchi is considered to be the father of Japanese role-play gaming and has been responsible for some of the best Japanese games of all time. Microsoft has continuously boasted this alliance since the Japanese launch and is now starting to heavily promote Mr. Sakaguchi’s games in preparation for his game’s release.
Entrepreneurs and Contingency Plans
The text describes contingency plans as plans to activate when things don’t work out as they should. Microsoft’s contingency plan is a text book case of reevaluating the situation and developing a plan to remain in business.
The Japanese Xbox 360 was a failing business. In order to fix a failing business you must either close, sell, or develop a new plan to stay in business. For a company with assets and the size of Microsoft, the only choice was to develop a new plan and execute it. Closing a business which is doing well in other territories would be corporate suicide. Selling Xbox Japan to their competitors Sony and Nintendo would hurt their other territories where Xbox is doing fine. The only plan of action left for Microsoft was to gather their strengths and weaknesses and consolidate them.
Microsoft saw that their largest problem was the lack of Japanese support for Xbox 360. They then contacted Japanese developers and multimedia outlets and persuaded them to invest games and media into Xbox 360 with the possibility of seeing large returns because they are the only Japanese developers on the platform. In a sense the Japanese developers that jumped on board Xbox 360 are entrepreneurs that found a market with very little competition, a chance to make a huge profit, and all the risk of going under if it doesn’t succeed.
Japan's Xbox 360 Cafe/Lounge
More Support Needed
Hearing Microsoft’s contingency plan was the first time I felt more assured about the future of the Xbox 360. Their contingency plan was right on the money of what needs to be done to pump the water out this sinking ship, adrift on the shores of the land of the rising sun. The holes will finally be plugged, but what this ship will still need is the waves and the wind of the Japanese hype machine. Slight waves and wind are always present on the sea, but it will do no good if the Xbox 360 has nothing to catch them. More support from the Japanese developers and the multimedia outlets is needed. Not just game support and commercials. The Japanese developers that have jumped on board have more than done their part. No, I believe its Microsoft’s turn to step up and put more emphasis on targeting what makes Japanese culture.
Zegapain XOR
Microsoft announced the exclusive rights to a brand new Anime in Japan named Zegapain XOR. The Xbox 360 is named traditionally at the beginning as a sponsor of the show and the game will later be found exclusively on the Xbox 360. In Japan it is very common for outside corporations to sponsor a TV program, particularly with animated shows, and the sponsors name be spoken as well as the logo be shown before the beginning of each program. When a show becomes a hit the people are more inclined to think better about those sponsors. Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo have been doing this for a decade and the brand loyalty by consumers’ shows for it. Of course that kind of advertising isn’t everything, but it sure goes a long way to understanding Japanese culture. With more pop culture Japanese advertising, Microsoft could finally gain a foot on Japanese soil and prove to them they are serious about games and Japanese culture.
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StickyTrojan
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Man those jap's sure do like 360's
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grandaddygame
X365 Member
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Rome wasn't defeated in a single day, it was weakened on many fronts to the point is had drastically over extended itself. Japanese resitance will likewise be worn down over the months to come.
Victory will eventually come, but at what price?
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Posts: 370
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without a vision the people fail
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hiddengamer7
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Poetic
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StickyTrojan
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MS just needs to be like 'konichiwa ga MuthaFecker's xbox 360 o kaimasu'
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letterzero
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I grow tired of hearing about this , Get things right in your own country then worry about the rest.
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wrinkleman420
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as much as i would like to see microsoft succeed in japan i dont think it will happen.. they'll just have to face it the 360 took one big giant step into complete failure...
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satanicmouse1
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Originally Posted by: reddawn Let The Counsel war begin
Begun this console war has.... |
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I find your lack of faith disturbing
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Mad Gamer 2
X365 Member
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I dont know what to say. Even after MS downsized the Xbox1 controller 'The Duke' for the Japanese public they still didnt accept it. And even know as the Xbox360 is out with a similar sized controller thats pretty much the size of the Controller 'S', they still do not like the Xbox360. Its not all MS's fault here gentz, as MS ditched the mammoth system design, gave the option as to either vertical or horizontal placement sans the requirement to buy $12-$15 dollar specialized 'feet', and made the HDD in a easy to reach sopt so yoiu can carry your stuff to a buds house without toting a 10-15 lb behemoth around- I cant see (other than getting Japanese developers the opportunity to come aboard to develop software) a problem with sales in Japan. Which means that even after MS gets the development support, its still not a guarantee of Japanese acceptance, but steps in the right direction. Imagine how Sony or Nintendo would fare if most of the American public turned their noses up at them? Nintendo wouldve died a while ago, and Sony would have 1 foot in bankruptcy, as their are other divisions within Sony that arent faring very well. The only 100% sure way that MS would gain more ground or favor within the Japanese public, would be if the PS3 ended up like the $400 PSX, D.O.A.(not Dead or Alive..but Dead On Arrival). I wish you mucho 'Good Luck' MS in the Japanese market...you're gonna need it.
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steves_e
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Japan will never accept Xbox, Sony and Japanese computer game producers have to much to lose, when all is said and done, money is the biggest controlling factor in the land of the rising sun.
Japanese companies will try and block any foreign produced console that will hurt their sales.
Japan has it's own way of making money, example, Xbox has an in built extender for watching Microsoft media on Hdtv sets, in Japan companies like Sharp(Aquas) have produced their own extenders that cost 4 times as much as an Xbox, but in Japan because of the language barrier nobody here actually knows that an Xbox can do the same thing an Aquas extender can do.
My 10 cents.
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Very nice site!
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