There was a marked shift in today’s Xbox Game Showcase, which presented a heartening array of Japanese titles. The line-up included the acclaimed Persona franchise, the alluring Metaphor Re Fantazio, conceived by the original Persona team, and other exciting titles like Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Capcom’s Path of the Goddess. This eastern infusion is a stark contrast to Xbox’s historical struggle with Japanese developer engagement, as noted by Xbox head Phil Spencer.
As noted by IGN, Spencer, on Giant Bomb’s Twitch stream, conceded that fostering Japanese partnerships for a US-based platform is easier said than done. The always-vocal leader of the green team was candid in his acknowledgment that Xbox stands behind the PlayStation, Switch, and even mobile gaming, in Japan. But, while Spencer is aware of Xbox’s standing in the Land of the Rising Sun, it hasn’t stopped him from doing his best. The result? The influx of games from Japanese developers that are coming to the Xbox platform.
“Five years ago, Atlus games on Xbox would have been wishful thinking. Now, we’ve got Capcom rolling out a new IP. This progression empowers us to encourage others, like Square-Enix, to come on board,” Spencer revealed. To him, establishing trust and fostering relationships are pivotal, especially given Xbox’s status as a non-Japanese platform.
There are several factors that potentially deter Japanese developers from aligning with Xbox. From pre-existing business commitments to the strain of managing releases across multiple platforms, to the unfamiliarity with Xbox in local retail spaces – each represents its own unique challenge.
Spencer emphasized the value of local presence, even if the volumes are not sky-high. A tangible Xbox presence within Japanese stores could increase the platform’s recognition among local developers. “We’ve come a long way in Japan over the last five years, but there’s still a lot of ground to cover,” Spencer concluded.
The crux of the issue might not solely be on the developer’s end. The lukewarm reception of Japanese games on Xbox is also a factor. Titles like Persona 5, for instance, failed to garner significant player counts on Xbox. The need of the hour might be a more robust push towards encouraging Xbox users to explore these games, thereby attracting more support from Japanese developers.
Not to mention, historically, Japanese consumers have favored local consoles from Nintendo and Sony. Most only see Microsoft as primarily a software manufacturer for PCs. Even PlayStation plays second fiddle to Nintendo’s popularity in Japan, where group-oriented gaming, artistic renditions of reality, language localization, cost-efficiency, and portability trump raw power and hyperrealism.
When Microsoft introduced the Xbox back in 2001, Japan was the gaming epicenter of the then-three biggest console manufacturers in the world: Nintendo, Sega, and Sony. The American giant faced significant hurdles breaking into the market, from convincing local developers to the skepticism surrounding Xbox’s hefty design and the missed holiday sales due to a late launch.
Despite Xbox’s growing global footprint, Microsoft continues to grapple with the Japanese market. But, Spencer’s latest revelation is a good sign. Microsoft’s commitment to its Japanese audience is crucial if it wants to appeal to an increasingly global gaming community.
While Japanese players might still prefer PlayStation or Nintendo’s Switch, Microsoft’s strategy in Japan is starting to shift.
By fostering closer ties with Japanese developers and providing a platform for their creativity, Xbox is slowly making a small dent in the Japanese market.
Fingers crossed, Xbox can convince Square Enix to give its gaming platform access to its biggest games.
