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XBox (Games) Entertainment Games

Microsoft Lays Off 34 Japanese Xbox Employees 91

Posted by simoniker from the smaller-xbox-more-employees? dept.
Thanks to GameSpot for their article discussing the layoff of 34 Microsoft employees from its Japanese Xbox division. This accounts for just 17 percent of their Xbox workforce in Japan, but apparently the March 20th layoffs, documented in Nikkei BizTech, "..caused a commotion among the workers because of differences in business practices between Japan and the United States." The harsh 'escorted from premises' style of layoffs is not so common in Japan, according to the article, and so "..according to one of the employees who was cut, it felt as though they were treated like criminals." Needless to say, the layoffs, according to division head Par Singh, were because "sales of the Xbox in Japan had been extremely disappointing."
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Microsoft Lays Off 34 Japanese Xbox Employees More

Microsoft Lays Off 34 Japanese Xbox Employees

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  • I don't get it (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:16PM (#6287260)
    why is Xbox so unpopular in Japan? Is it cultural superiority?

    • Re:I don't get it (Score:5, Funny)

      by d3kk ( 644538 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:18PM (#6287294) Journal
      I think the question is "Why is the XBox so popular in the states?"

    • Re:I don't get it (Score:5, Insightful)

      by M3wThr33 ( 310489 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:43PM (#6287544) Homepage
      Games don't appeal to them
      Controller is huge, even the S
      The marketing is INSULTING
      It isn't Japanese
      They had a recall when it first came out
      It doesn't have Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior

      Want me to go on?

    • Re:I don't get it (Score:5, Insightful)

      by ronfar ( 52216 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:50PM (#6287612) Journal
      It's too big. In the U. S., this doesn't matter so much. Some people might even think that the big, black XBOX is kind of cool. In Japan, it is taking up too much room in country where wealth used to be measured by the amount of space you had in your living quarters (and may still be).

      Besides that, it is going to be hard for anything to make a dent in the Playstation 2's popularity in Japan. Sony is just considered a cool, superior brand over there. Yes, I suppose cultural superiority is a factor, but I don't think that is all of it. I've noticed that when I ask the Asian people I know "Which is cooler, Sony or X?" they invariably say Sony.

      I also think that (and I'm no expert, not owning one) the Xbox's lineup has something to do with it. The big system selling game is Halo, a First Person Shooter. First Person Shooters have never been popular in Japan. Ever notice how few Japanese origin FPSs there are for the various Japanese consoles? Even Metroid Prime was made by an American second party using the Nintendo Metroid license. (This is why the N64 also had a tough time over there.) I once remember noting that the Japanese seem to like fighting games the way Americans like FPSs, if I can go by the huge number of fighting games coming out of Japan and the huge number of FPSs coming out of the U. S. (I could be way off on that but I don't think I am.)

      Basically, I think that there are cultural reasons why the XBox hasn't caught on in Japan that don't have anything to do with it's relative merits as a console or just cultural superiority.

    • The console is not Japanese-centric.

      A lot is made about the console's size, but if the next PlayStation is the size of an Xbox, I guarantee that it will still be bought in droves. Not to mention the fact that the Xbox is not significantly larger than the PS2. It's heavy as a brick, but it's only an extra half-inch taller, about 3/4" wider, and maybe a full inch deeper. Larger, to be sure, but it's ridiculous to think that the rather modest difference in size means anything at all. (Now, before you check m

  • Welcome to the world of corporate America (Score:5, Insightful)

    by shaka999 ( 335100 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:16PM (#6287262)
    I'm not sure how layoffs should be done but I know the way most American companies do it today isn't the solution. It does treat the ex-employees as if they were criminals. In my experience the ex-employees are escorted, in front of coworkers, to a small office. Given the news and any severence then given a swift kick out the door. I've even been in companies where they didn't let the employee pack their cube. Rather someone boxed it for them and shipped it...

    • Not spite: safety (Score:5, Informative)

      by GuyMannDude ( 574364 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:19PM (#6287299) Journal

      The reason employers do this "kick them out quick" approach is not out of spite but, rather, to protect themselves from employees who might try to exact some revenge on their way out. A just-fired employee might try to sabotage the computer system (particulary if file permissions are not set correctly). There's a whole bunch of things that a disgruntled employee can do to hurt his former employer. Giving them access to any work equipment or materials just after they got laid off or fired is very unwise.

      GMD

      • Re:Not spite: safety (Score:2, Interesting)

        by Kyoya ( 152664 )
        I was escorted from the premises after having performed what I thought a rather amicable resignation. Quite simply I was moving from the area and the company unfortunately had no offices where I was moving to.

        The way the company handled it though came across as if they trusted me about as much as they trusted a potential disgruntled employee. It comes across as a lack of respect for the person leaving and their level of responsibility. The best part of it was the companies core values and beliefs touted th

        • They're not going to take that chance (Score:5, Insightful)

          by GuyMannDude ( 574364 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:42PM (#6287528) Journal

          The way the company handled it though came across as if they trusted me about as much as they trusted a potential disgruntled employee. It comes across as a lack of respect for the person leaving and their level of responsibility.

          Yes, I understand that it's not "nice" or "fair" but companies don't really care about those things. They are playing it safe by assuming you're as bad as everyone else. Besides, would it really be any "nicer" for the company to escort certain employees out and let others take their time?

          The best part of it was the companies core values and beliefs touted the fact that they believed firmly in giving individuals respect and that individuals treated with respect acted accordingly. But their treatment of those is another story.

          You seem to already understand that their stated core values were really just words on a page to them. Also, you should double check that their stated core values really say "treating individuals with respect" and not "treating employees with respect". Since you just severed your relationship with them -- amicable or not -- I'm not sure why I see that they should still be held to those core values with regards to a now-former employee.

          I'm not trolling or flaming you. I do understand the points you're making. I'm just saying that you have to look at this whole situation from the company's point of view. You remember how the LAPD told O.J. "Sure, you can turn yourself in down at the station when it's convienent, Juice. We don't want this to be any more embarrasing for you than it already is." Well, we know how well that approach went. Even if you seem like a nice guy, no manager is going to risk that one-in-a-million chance that you might go bonkers on your way out. That's the way PHB think. Remember, it's called "Human resources" and not "personel" for a reason.

          GMD

          • The value I'm speaking of refered to the employees. I should know we read them at the start of every meeting.

            As for them "taking a chance", that's a cop out. A chance of what?

            That an employee who had a otherwise spotless work history may suddenly undergo a radical personality shift and become an evil clone? I don't think that's really what it is. I think it may be more of a "I would do this if it was me." factor. Automatically assuming an individual will behave in a childish and spiteful manner is not the
            • The value I'm speaking of refered to the employees. I should know we read them at the start of every meeting.

              Not trolling, serious question here: you read the company's statement of values at the start of every meeting??

              To me this sounds like it should be accompanied by drinking the Kool-Aid -- i.e cult-like.

              But since your were escorted out on leaving your employ, I'm guessing you did not work for a Japanese company.

              So what's the deal? What company has you read a catechism?
              • Yes, well the original company was something of a cult. Both amoung it's employees and it's customers. It's also probable that they read them to remind everyone as they had a very liberal drug and alcohol policy.

                After the merger with another company the new management kept reading them more or less to fool the majority of employees into thinking they were the same company.

      • Companies creating bitter employees (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Man In Black ( 11263 ) <`ac.wahs' `ta' `or-ez'> on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:49PM (#6287605) Homepage
        The reason employers do this "kick them out quick" approach is not out of spite but, rather, to protect themselves from employees who might try to exact some revenge on their way out.

        Really, if there is worry that ex-employees will try to sabotage things, shouldn't that be an indication that the company didn't treat them very well in the first place? I guess escorting them out is just a continuation of that...

        Anyone who gets fired can be expected to be a little upset... but I think it takes a vested hatred of the company to start sabotaging things.

        • Really, if there is worry that ex-employees will try to sabotage things, shouldn't that be an indication that the company didn't treat them very well in the first place? I guess escorting them out is just a continuation of that...

          Anyone who gets fired can be expected to be a little upset... but I think it takes a vested hatred of the company to start sabotaging things.

          That's because you're thinking like a mature, intelligent, emotionally-stable individual (I'll ignore the fact that I ran into you on slas

      • Microsoft Exec: "Sabotage our system...HA...to do that they'd have to exploit some security flaw in our softwa....oh, wait.
      • > "..according to one of the employees who was cut, it felt as though they were treated like criminals."

        It feels like that here in the US as well. It's really a shame. The only thing you can do is take preventative maintenance. For every file you keep at work that you want to keep after you're fired, burn it to disk, or email it home, or log in remotely and copy it, keeping as up-to-date as your needs call for. It's also not a bad idea at work to heavily encrypt things like your resume, locally sto
        • I don't know exactly what you're purporting with all this, but if I follow you correctly, you're the reason we have such lame policies as the one discussed above.

          Are you saying your employers don't give back property which is yours? Are you saying that to get it back, you need to bribe them with property you stole from them? Are you saying you regularly keep personal stuff on their computers? Isn't that a little silly, to be keeping email and your resume there on the hard drive? Maybe once in awhile,
          • Lame policies are due to exiting employees who have hurt companies. All I'm talking about is getting out the door with your belongings, whether they be documents, files, hardware or a favorite mug. If you work some place a long time, you make a home there. I just think it's prudent to watch your back, and even the playing ground as much as possible. Nowhere did I advocate harming a company.

            I would never bribe, again it's just more even footing. They are less likely to scoff in your general direction o
          • Are you saying your employers don't give back property which is yours? Are you saying that to get it back, you need to bribe them with property you stole from them? Are you saying you regularly keep personal stuff on their computers? Isn't that a little silly, to be keeping email and your resume there on the hard drive? Maybe once in awhile, you might have your resume there for some odd reason, but that just sounds stupid if you leave it there all the time.

            The company I work for generally handles lay-off
            • I have no doubt that there are plenty of shifty employers that partake in such lame acts, but you have to admit that there are plenty of employees who have brought that unto themselves as well.

              As for resumes and such, if it's in the interest of the company, of course you should have it on your computer. The poster was clearly indicating that he was leaning towards the more personal of things; personal emails, resumes that had nothing to do with current employment, and private documents. Again, fine to h
              • As for resumes and such, if it's in the interest of the company, of course you should have it on your computer. The poster was clearly indicating that he was leaning towards the more personal of things; personal emails, resumes that had nothing to do with current employment, and private documents. Again, fine to have laying around once in awhile (it's fairly inevitable if you spend most of your day in one particular spot), but to constantly have it moving in and out?

                The way I see it, if you don't want yo

      • Re:Not spite: safety (Score:4, Interesting)

        by missing000 ( 602285 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @04:12PM (#6287909)
        I disagree. Implementing this kind of draconian solution to a fear of reprisal just invites the employee to create security holes he can later use to extract revenge.

        A large .com I worked at even had a ritual of employees who thought their jobs were on the line madly trying to copy sensitive documents onto CDâ(TM)s that they then carried off-site.

        A better way to do things is to work with IT and have access to systems turned off when the employee is terminated. That way the employee can still recover personal data and his effects without the potential to damage production machines.

        One place I worked at actually removed the cat 5 cable from workstations of terminated employees to solve this problem in a rather low-tech fashion.
      • I think you're absolutely right about this. Having been laid off before myself, I can attest to the unfriendliness of it all. It's practically a feeling of betrayal in some aspects because sometimes the people laying you off were who you would consider "friends", if only at work.

        When I watched my entire development team dissolve before my very eyes, someone swiped the source code, among other things. That isn't the only thing, either. But still, it's in a company's best interest to get people off-site quic
      • .... was when the company escorted out of the building a guy that had invested 10 years of his life who used to make emphasis on loyality to the company. For the way he was treated you may have believed he was just remmanded in custody by the police.

        I am a sane person and would never do anything unprofessional, but when you go hurting people feelings like that, sooner or later somebody will want to be nasty, and that somebody would not be necessarily the same person that was treated like dirt.
    • That's because in America, there is a real problem with recently-dismissed employees taking revenge on their former companies. If they're not immediately escorted out of the building, there's a chance they might "do something" right before they leave.

  • What a bunch... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by darkov ( 261309 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:22PM (#6287336)
    The employees were then told to check their e-mail inboxes

    What a shitty and gutless way to fire someone. I think firing someone any other way than face to face whould be illegal.

    • Re:What a bunch... (Score:5, Informative)

      by wolf- ( 54587 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:45PM (#6287563) Homepage
      And layoffs should not be a drop dead event.
      A WISE CFO knows that layoffs are coming.
      A WISE CEO has detailed layoff/senority policies in place.
      A WISE employee knows where he is in the pecking order of things.

      When we have had to scale back our shop, the poor guy at the bottom knew it was coming. We all did. But it wasn't a "walk in on friday, here is your check dont come back on monday" deal. It was a "we are going to have to let you go, we can keep you here for 2 weeks let us know what days you need off to do interviews..."

      Current companies, under the guise of protection, whether protecting company assets, or executive asses, hide the bad news, no one really knows how things are going, or work in the organization.

      All it does is create a hostile group that will not want to come back to work if things pick up, wont buy your product, will tell their friends not to buy your product.

      To this day I will not buy Arrow shirts. Why? My wife's cousin walked in one day after 15 some years, thank you, don't bother coming back, we are shipping your job overseas. Zero warning. No transition process, nada.

      Its an ethics issue. But then, we arent allowed to discuss right and wrong anymore, just what is legal or illegal. Wait, no, we can't do that any more.

      • This is why I no longer work for the Flaming Asshole [lucent.com] (we all called it that, I mean look at the logo).

      • A truly wise employee will create value in himself so that he becomes indispensable. My stratagy is simple, know everything and have everyone else think you are the only one who knows everything. Whenever they need someone do something minor here and there I volunteer and get the job done.

        Seniority is overrated. If you make a ton on money you'll probably be one the first to get axed. Another one of my rules is don't get too greedy. Don't ask for exorbonant amount of money. If you make a little bit above a
        • dude, your sig is disturbing.

          And hard to be sure you don't mean it in a racist way.

          • I'm far from a racists. I'm assuming your are getting the idea of my sig being racist by inferring that it is refrence to the novel âoeTo Kill a Mockingbird.â Well, let me assure you that I am neither a southerner nor white so I can't possibly be racist. I do however hate mockingbirds. They mock me every time I pass by them in the outdoors.

            Can you say pellet gun?
            • It's still disturbing :P

            • Well, let me assure you that I am neither a southerner nor white so I can't possibly be racist.

              Sorry to even go on this way, and not to imply that you are racist, but you neither have to be a southerner nor white to be a racist. Of course, I am white and am currently in the south, so ymmv. I lived most of my life in the southwestern US, and have met plenty of racists of many races, and actually find most of the people I've met in the southeast to be slightly less racist (probably because there seems to be
        • Dude, I don't know if you are for real or are just trying to be funny, but here goes nothing.

          My stratagy is simple, know everything and have everyone else think you are the only one who knows everything.

          Only if you are trying to lock yourself in your current position. "Sorry, man, we seriously considered making you the regional VP, but, who would run our systems?"

          Also, if you get a chance, smooch with the Director/Sr. manager

          Just don't overdo it, as it might breed resentment with your fellow employ
          • <<Only if you are trying to lock yourself in your current position.>>

            You can always train someone to do your job , so if that VP position is open they'll strongly consider because you walking out on the company right after they passed you up is more disastrous than you moving up the ladder. No one likes to stay around when they've been passed up on a promotion they clearly deserved.

            <<A nice way to prevent is to include your fellow coworkers in these kind activities.>>

            Of course you

    • Re:What a bunch... (Score:2, Interesting)

      by charstar ( 64963 )
      This was -exactly- the way the company I used to work for did their layoffs. The first round of layoffs wasn't too bad. The CEO explained exactly what was happening and why they were doing what they were doing. Then asked everybody to go back to their desks and those who were effected would be receiving an email. Those people were to assemble in such-and-such conference room for more information.

      Our second CEO wasn't so nice. He said "We're laying off # people. You know the drill." That was pretty d
    • It's almost as bad as what happened to the employees at an accident claim company in the UK. The company went into receivership and employees were informed by text message that they had lost their jobs.

  • For those who can't be bothered to click... (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Microsoft forces layoffs on Xbox division in Japan

    Microsoft cuts 17 percent of the workforce at the Japan branch.

    According to a new report in Nikkei BizTech, Microsoft has laid off 34 employees in the Xbox division of its Japanese offices. The layoffs apparently caused a commotion among the workers because of differences in business practices between Japan and the United States.

    According to the article, the Xbox division staff in Japan, which consists of approximately 200 employees, was called to a m

  • So enlighten me please... (Score:3, Funny)

    by UberChuckie ( 529086 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:28PM (#6287396) Homepage
    What's the Japanese way of laying off someone?
    • They are handed a sword and are expected to disembowel themselves. Their managers stand over them to cut their head off so they don't suffer so much.

    • Re:So enlighten me please... (Score:5, Informative)

      by henrik ( 98 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:33PM (#6287449)
      The Japanese way is not to lay off anyone. The company is your family and takes care of you througout life. As thanks for this you are loyal to your company and work good for it.

      Laying off people the American Way makes people lose face, not very popular in Japan (or East Asia).

      Never let anyone lose face, number one rule of social interaction in Japan.
      • It's the same in Ireland.

        If you have an issue with someone you mention it to a mutual co-worker/friend and they tell the person. Face is very important.

      • Re:So enlighten me please... (Score:5, Interesting)

        by SuiteSisterMary ( 123932 ) <slebrunNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:46PM (#6287578) Journal

        There is a term, I forget the Japanese spelling, but the translation is 'the beside the window tribe.' It refers to one who is given and office, with a window, where the individual will then sit, quietly, until retirement, looking out the window, never again given anything useful or important to do.

      • No wonder their economy is in the toilet...

        Their companies carry around mountians of dead weight.

      • Re:So enlighten me please... (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @04:44PM (#6288259)
        And to a degree, this used to be the way things were in America. At least, if you were part of a super powerful union. But techies don't have a union and even unions don't assure this kind of expectation anymore.

        It's undestandable that company changs can lead to people having to be laid off, but the problem is that it's no longer a matter of "our company is losing money, so we can't afford to keep you". Instead, it's a matter of "our company is making a profit. In fact, we're making more money than any other year in our history. But we're not making as much as investors wished we would, so we're going to have to cut back a ton to make the numbers look good and encourage more investors so our stock goes up".

        I like the place I work. It's a huge company with about 40,000 people and I'd love to work here the rest of my life. The problem is, I know that I could be fired any day of the week on a whim and that prevents me from being as loyal and dedicated as I could be. They're cutting their own nose off there in lost production and customer service because it's hard to be enthusiastic about a place that will just end up a blip on your resume.

        I know that years ago people would have had one, two maybe three jobs on their resume by the end of their career. I wonder what this generation's resumes will look like in the year 2040. I bet we can expect to see ten page resumes become the norm.

    • Re:So enlighten me please... (Score:3, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      "We are sorry, but you are outshining the other employees so much with your great work that it is destroying their morale. They have no hope of equalling your greatness, you see. We hope that you will forgive us for having to let you go."
    • What's the Japanese way of laying off someone?

      Revoke their smart-card rights to the karaoke machine...they'll get the message.
    • But I think they lead you to a room with a large sword and a door out of the building, and leave for about 30 minutes, and expect you to be gone when the get back (one way or the other). =)

  • it felt as though they were treated like criminals (Score:5, Insightful)

    by deanj ( 519759 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:31PM (#6287424)
    I know this feeling. When I was much younger, I had a lot of company loyalty and was convinced that if I worked hard, I would be treated right. I watched layoff after layoff at two companies before i finally got caught up in one, and it was like a punch in the gut.

    That was a giant wake-up call to look out for #1, because if you don't, all you'll get is #2.

  • Just one sample of how bad it is... (Score:5, Informative)

    by TalMaximus ( 681873 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @03:46PM (#6287572) Journal
    ...can be seen at IGN's [ign.com] monthly article "Gaming Life In Japan". Every month they release hardware and software sales for what are considered the major gaming consoles in Japan. Take a look at what was presented in June's article. The numbers are quite disturbing for Microsoft, though I'm sure that disappoints all the Open Source fans out there. ;)

    Hardware Sales in Japan:
    PS2: 44,300 (1,397,700)
    Game Boy Advance SP: 31,800 (1,116,900 this year)
    Game Boy Advance: 6,900 (890,800)
    GameCube: 1,900 (284,800)
    PSOne: 910 (42,800)
    Xbox: 770 (58,00)
    Swan Crystal: 320 (23,200)

    I don't know which is funnier:
    The fact that the PSOne outsold the Xbox during May, or the fact that this isn't the first time it has happened.

    Here's a link to the actual article, [ign.com] but to give a fair warning, you have to be an IGN Insider to read it.
    • *sigh* Things don't look too hot for the GameCube either. Nintendo really needs to drop the price again or something.

      • Nintendo is just trying to keep the GCN profitable, not trying to fight at all for the number 1 spot in home consoles. The company is not in trouble though: Since the release of the GBA:SP, GBA sales are outpacing the PS2 by a significant margin

        • No, Nintendo isn't hurting right now, but this is no time to rest on their laurels. The N-Gage is a joke, but the PSP could become a threat eventually so Nintendo needs to get back in the habit of dealing with serious competition now while it still has some room to maneuver.

          They keep talking about how much they've changed, and how they've recognized the mistakes they've made in the past. However although i've seen some changes to how they do things, a lot of the trends are still the same, they're still ha

  • Lack of Japanese only titles? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by coday ( 628350 ) on Tuesday June 24, 2003 @09:12PM (#6290388)
    Perhaps the lack of interest is the lack of Japanes only titles for the XBox. The PS2 has a constant stream of Japanese only titles being released. As bizare as I find some of those games they obviously have a market because they keep putting them out. The Xbox may not be properly targeting their audience.

  • It's not Xbox Japan's fault it's not selling (Score:4, Interesting)

    by sandalwood ( 196527 ) on Wednesday June 25, 2003 @01:04AM (#6291657)
    Fair or not, I think this incident will further damage Microsoft's reputation as a game industry player in Japan. While a layoff handled like this may be common in the US, this incident was a newsmaker for Japan, and with good reason.


    As an aside, I feel really sympathetic to all employees of Xbox Japan. They are basically trying to sell ice to Eskimos (the Xbox is *that* unsuited to the Japanese market), and it's not their fault they can't. It's the boneheads at Redmond designed the stupid thing, and yet these guys are taking the fall for it. How maddening that must be.

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