Western Xbox Titles To Flood Japan?

Thanks to GamePro for posting an article discussing the fact that Microsoft may try to keep the Xbox alive in Japan by flooding the market in less territory-suitable, but already in-development Western titles such as Conker, Voodoo Vince, and Counter-Strike. According to the article, a Japanese retail chain "..claims that Microsoft is planning to release overseas titles in Japan without bothering to localize them for the local market - in other words, they'll release the original English version with a Japanese manual attached." The article suggests this is a sign that Microsoft may forget about the mass-market in Japan, and will be "..dropping its large-scale strategy [until Xbox 2], and concentrating on the 400,000 or so hardcore fans it's managed to scrape together over the past 16 months."

Japanese Market

Microsoft is constantly making the same mistake. Because they are an american company, they can't seem to see the demands and needs of the casual japanese gamer. They made the mistake of going into Japan with out many Japanese games, hoping that localized Western games would be enough to drive the market. Another problem with Microsoft and the Japanese is Microsoft doesn't seem to understand the Japanese customs and culture. I heard from a business teacher that Microsoft would attempt to get deals and contracts signed on the spot, whereas the Japanese are used to going to lunch/dinner or something of that nature. With the failure of Xbox in Japan, I have my doubts that the next one will suceed

Re:Japanese Market

If the language barrier interfere's with that, why are they bothering to even release it?

Going back to my example with Chrysler, Lee Iacocca said that there was no economic incentive to localize their products to Japan because they weren't selling enough vehicles, even though the reason they weren't selling enough vehicles was because they were not localized. Essentially, it looks as if Microsoft is "selling more of the wrong thing" (Iacocca's words) before they have an incentive "to start selling the right thing."

But then again, do a lot of Japanese people understand English? My guess once again is that they don't, and as a result they won't care for games that are English-only just as most Americans wouldn't buy Japanese products that weren't localized for this country. Japanese industries (cars being the most obvious example) swept the markets here because they sold the customers what they wanted. They knew they weren't going to make it in the USA if they did otherwise. I don't understand why Microsoft is taking the opposite approach in Japan and expecting it to work. Maybe they just are not used to playing in a competitive market.

Sigh....

It must be nice to be a billionaire. I mean really, Microsoft will make sure it's gonna make money, and they're sure spending it to do so, buying every good title onto the Xbox.

And in the meanwhile I continue to struggle...

Must...resist...urge....to...buy...Xbox...

Right back at you, Cats!

At least they could make a minimal effort at translation, so the American video game sentences turn into Japanese sentences which are as clunky as as "Take off every ZIG" and "all your base are belong to us".

U.S. is Microsoft country?

How is Xbox faring in Europe? If it's sinking there, too, then it looks like Microsoft will have to settle for second place in North America.

Adult Games/Dating Sims, Japan-RPGs,

That's what the XBOX is missing in japan.
Western games (especially fps like CS or Quake III) are not very popular in japan

Do something that is CUTE and it will sell.

OK, I don't like M$ - so I better shut up before they do what I say.

I may have to go buy an XBOX

I didn't know Conker had a new title out (I don't follow new game releases any more). That was my favorite game for the N64. I may just go pick up an X-Box, cuz that game was hilarious.

pffft, won't work

The USA and Europe have many many places where you can import Japanese games, because that's where many of the best games are made. But I've spent a lot of time in Japan, and I've never seen a place that sold games imported from the west.

If there's no demand, they'll only sell to a minority of hardcore gamers.

This whole think smacks of desperation.

MS Leaving Japan...

I knew this sort of thing was going to happen. When the WonderSwan outsells the Xbox, you seriously have to wonder if the Japanese are even interested in MS's product...which they obviously aren't. And, personally, I find the Xbox to be a major yawn-fest, wth Halo being the only exclusive worthwhile on there (and, even then, I've fooled with Halo on a friend's Xbox and wasn't that impressed).

Xbox is dying its deserved death. I, for one, know there is no way I'm buying one unless Shenmue III is an Xbox exclusive. Even then, I may just borrow a friend's Xbox to play it...

My prediction: there may be an Xbox 2, but there will not be an Xbox 3.

Could be smart, could be stupid...

One of the biggest complaints I hear from US gamers is how various Japanese titles are never released in the US.
I personally think this was a factor in the downfall of the Dreamcast and Saturn, as there were games that many folks wanted, but Sega refused to bring over.

So this move by Microsoft, assuming they don't just cram a Japanese manual in with the English version of the game, could be a good thing for the Japanese market - assuming any of the games heading there are of any interest to the market.

lol - X-Box is dying

some people have no sense of humour