Microsoft: No Xbox One in Japan this Year, Tier 2 Country

[QUOTE="Microsoft"]

Japan is a Tier 2 country and not a Tier 1 country

Slashkice

This is the kind of genius marketing that's going to win over Japan.

Japanese play shitty games, good for MS not catering to those overacted sentimental movie games they got going on over there.

sebbi11

[QUOTE="TheEroica"]If i tried selling my product in a place that'll barely sniff it for ten years I wouldn't go out of my way to cater to them and I'd most certainly categorize them from a business sense as a tier two country.... Good move Microsoft. They've rolles the red carpet out to Japan twice and got spat on each time. Anyone holding ms reluctance against them is pretty much an ass.... UnknownSniper65

Being spiteful towards people who aren't buying your product isn't a good business tactic :|

considering Japan's cold reception to the consoles despite decent efforts by the Japanese gaming developers and MS to support and tailor some games for their market this is a sound buisness choice. fool me three times shame on me comes to mind :Prazgriz_101

From MS point of view, they are a tier two country. Why should they care about the Japanese market when they clearly don't give a shit about their products?

[QUOTE="UnknownSniper65"]

[QUOTE="TheEroica"]If i tried selling my product in a place that'll barely sniff it for ten years I wouldn't go out of my way to cater to them and I'd most certainly categorize them from a business sense as a tier two country.... Good move Microsoft. They've rolles the red carpet out to Japan twice and got spat on each time. Anyone holding ms reluctance against them is pretty much an ass.... TheEroica

Being spiteful towards people who aren't buying your product isn't a good business tactic :|

The fact people are even taking offense to the tier 2 remark is stupid. It's just a release cycle, it's not like MS is saying the country is inferior or something.

Who really cares, I am an american and Im happy to support an american company.

kingoflife9

It's un-American to not promote competition. Isn't that what capitalism is all about? Supporting just one company out of some blind devotion, whatever that may be, sounds more like communism.

Who really cares, I am an american and Im happy to support an american company.

kingoflife9

whose product isn't made in america.

why should Microsoft bother with these third world countries?KarateeeChop

why should Microsoft bother with these third world countries?KarateeeChop

[QUOTE="TheEroica"][QUOTE="UnknownSniper65"]

Being spiteful towards people who aren't buying your product isn't a good business tactic :|

GD1551

The fact people are even taking offense to the tier 2 remark is stupid. It's just a release cycle, it's not like MS is saying the country is inferior or something.

Not surprising. Xbox has never been succesful in Japan and Japan has lost its relevance in console gaming. 

[QUOTE="TheEroica"][QUOTE="UnknownSniper65"]

Being spiteful towards people who aren't buying your product isn't a good business tactic :|

GD1551

The fact people are even taking offense to the tier 2 remark is stupid. It's just a release cycle, it's not like MS is saying the country is inferior or something.

The lack of sales in Japan will be hilarious once it finally releases there. 

The lack of sales in Japan will be hilarious once it finally releases there. 

Optical_Order

USA USA USA

From MS point of view, they are a tier two country. Why should they care about the Japanese market when they clearly don't give a shit about their products?

GD1551

Every company should cater to every market possible even if it's not getting a well reception for years.

Japan loves horror, good Jrpgs/action Rpgs, fighters and paltformers plus quirky games, provide them with these kinds of exclusive games yearly and see how that pans out in a couple of years. Bring 1-3 quality Japanese/console titles every year and see how that would work, MS have Rare for gaming's sake! Rare has a worldwide appeal no doubt about it. They also have the money to fund fan favorites and make them exclusive.

Even those small/up and coming Japanese developers would be enthusiastic about the console and start supporting the Xbox with their own games. It all depends on the publisher. 

Anybody here tries to tell me MS really really tried with a straight face? Look at apple and their phenomena with the iDevices, Japan supports what appeals to their culture and it doesn't matter where its coming from.

I think the MS folks are not even trying right now, all of the great peeps there are left and the guy who manages this company knows how to sell bs to people, he's a marketing guy.

Look at Sony and Nintendo on the other hand, the guys over there know every little bit of detail about gaming, they are game creators and the CEOs of their companies are in the gaming business for over 2 decades at least...plus most are Japanese which gives them the advantage of knowing both cultures.

[QUOTE="GD1551"]

From MS point of view, they are a tier two country. Why should they care about the Japanese market when they clearly don't give a shit about their products?

HAZE-Unit

Every company should cater to every market possible even if it's not getting a well reception for years.

Japan loves horror, good Jrpgs/action Rpgs, fighters and paltformers plus quirky games, provide them with these kinds of exclusive games yearly and see how that pans out in a couple of years. Bring 1-3 quality Japanese/console titles every year and see how that would work, MS have Rare for gaming's sake! Rare has a worldwide appeal no doubt about it. They also have the money to fund fan favorites and make them exclusive.

Even those small/up and coming Japanese developers would be enthusiastic about the console and start supporting the Xbox with their own games. It all depends on the publisher. 

Anybody here tries to tell me MS really really tried with a straight face? Look at apple and their phenomena with the iDevices, Japan supports what appeals to their culture and it doesn't matter where its coming from.

I think the MS folks are not even trying right now, all of the great peeps there are left and the guy who manages this company knows how to sell bs to people, he's a marketing guy.

Look at Sony and Nintendo on the other hand, the guys over there know every little bit of detail about gaming, they are game creators and the CEOs of their companies are in the gaming business for over 2 decades at least...plus most are Japanese which gives them the advantage of knowing both cultures.

I think Microsoft really did try with the 360, but just went about it in the wrong way. In Japan, the 360 was marketed towards Otakus, and it worked for a while, establishing a niche for itself among Japanese Otakus, focusing on stuff like dating sims, visual novels, shmups, etc., alongside the usual Western FPS games. The 360 thus had a lot more of those hardcore Japanese "Otaku" games than the PS3 did, and most Japanese Otakus actually prefer the 360 over the PS3 as a result.

However, the problem that Microsoft didn't understand is that mainstream Japanese audiences generally look down on Otakus. In other words, by marketing itself to Otakus, Microsoft just shot itself in the foot and alienated itself from mainstream Japanese audiences. Microsoft probably thought to themselves, "Hey, Japan is the land of Otakus, so they must love those dating sims, right?" They just didn't really understand the Japanese market much to begin with.

If Apple was able to penetrate the equally competitive Japanese mobile phone market, why can't Microsoft do the same with the games market? I think the failure mainly lies with Microsoft's marketing more than anything. Simply saying, "the Japanese are xenophobic and it's no use trying" is just a cop-out. There's still hope left for Microsoft, but if the X1 is even struggling to convince Western audiences right now, maybe it's best they focus on that for now before moving onto Japan (where I think they might need to rename it because there was already a computer there called the Sharp X1).

Like any American Console had any chance of winning in Japan. Please go play your crappy Japanese games. 

[QUOTE="BLaverock"]

Generally the Japanese will "buy local," which means supporting Nintendo and Sony as they're Japanese companies. And after Microsoft's fiasco and lack of manners, I'm sure Japanese gamers would be insulted. Expect PS4 and WiiU sales to dominate X1

Shewgenja

First show me wear the Japanese make good clothes? Second the PS2 was a poorly made product didn't stop that from selling in Japan. 

MS is about as 'American' as Vizio.

[QUOTE="Shewgenja"][QUOTE="BLaverock"]

Generally the Japanese will "buy local," which means supporting Nintendo and Sony as they're Japanese companies. And after Microsoft's fiasco and lack of manners, I'm sure Japanese gamers would be insulted. Expect PS4 and WiiU sales to dominate X1

xhawk27

First show me wear the Japanese make good clothes? Second the PS2 was a poorly made product didn't stop that from selling in Japan. 

Like any American Console had any chance of winning in Japan. Please go play your crappy Japanese games. 

xhawk27

jrpgs>>>>>shooters :P

Japan has very little vested interest in shooting people of Arab or Russian decent and saving America from non-Americans.

They tend to be more interested in creative ventures... thus they Nintendo and Sony.

MS shouldn't have said it like that, but Japan just isn't as important to MS anymore. There is no point in moving resouces over to Japan, when they won't even buy it. These are resouces better used else where.

If you were MS, and you had to choose between Japan and European countries, it's not even a choice. It used to be the UK on the back burnernow maybe it's Japan.

Also Japan has a different issue with gaming as in, they don't crave the latest gaming tech and games, which complicates things because it's not just about bringing out the same stuff there. They're probably still more than happy with the PS2, I can't really play those old games now.

Japan has very little vested interest in shooting people of Arab or Russian decent and saving America from non-Americans.

They tend to be more interested in creative ventures... thus they Nintendo and Sony.

uninspiredcup

but he is for better or worse, right.

Though it is a sound business move from MS, it is the manner in which the phrase is can be taken is what has crystalized MS's meager and at times baffling PR strategy.

surely their are other ways to describe their roll out strategy than refering to a nation of 120 million as Tier 2 country

My suggestion would have been to class Japan as 'Part of the phase 2' of their roll out plan

[QUOTE="GD1551"]

From MS point of view, they are a tier two country. Why should they care about the Japanese market when they clearly don't give a shit about their products?

HAZE-Unit

Every company should cater to every market possible even if it's not getting a well reception for years.

Japan loves horror, good Jrpgs/action Rpgs, fighters and paltformers plus quirky games, provide them with these kinds of exclusive games yearly and see how that pans out in a couple of years. Bring 1-3 quality Japanese/console titles every year and see how that would work, MS have Rare for gaming's sake! Rare has a worldwide appeal no doubt about it. They also have the money to fund fan favorites and make them exclusive.

Even those small/up and coming Japanese developers would be enthusiastic about the console and start supporting the Xbox with their own games. It all depends on the publisher. 

Anybody here tries to tell me MS really really tried with a straight face? Look at apple and their phenomena with the iDevices, Japan supports what appeals to their culture and it doesn't matter where its coming from.

I think the MS folks are not even trying right now, all of the great peeps there are left and the guy who manages this company knows how to sell bs to people, he's a marketing guy.

Look at Sony and Nintendo on the other hand, the guys over there know every little bit of detail about gaming, they are game creators and the CEOs of their companies are in the gaming business for over 2 decades at least...plus most are Japanese which gives them the advantage of knowing both cultures.

I disagree, Nintendo only needs Mario/DQ and Pokemon to sell in japan and they know it. They do not need to try. Sony doesn't provide anything as well, the PS has brand power thanks to 3rd party japanese devs (these are the people that know the gaming culture there). If you look, Sony's first party is literally 90% western targeted games. The problem is, MS doesn't have a Mario and many 3rd party japanese devs simply exclude their console because they know that their audience isn't there. MS has by far a larger task than the other two do.

Like any American Console had any chance of winning in Japan. Please go play your crappy Japanese games. 

xhawk27

In fact, the Japanese mobile phone market was equally impenetrable for foreign brands, yet the iPhone still managed to crack that market. There's no reason why Microsoft can't do the same with the Japanese gaming market.

Japan has very little vested interest in shooting people of Arab or Russian decent and saving America from non-Americans.

They tend to be more interested in creative ventures... thus they Nintendo and Sony.

uninspiredcup

True. I think a lot of non-Westerners in general are turned off by American propaganda FPS games that glorify America and villify non-Westerners (specifically Arabs and Russians, in this case).

[QUOTE="HAZE-Unit"]

[QUOTE="GD1551"]

From MS point of view, they are a tier two country. Why should they care about the Japanese market when they clearly don't give a shit about their products?

GD1551

Every company should cater to every market possible even if it's not getting a well reception for years.

Japan loves horror, good Jrpgs/action Rpgs, fighters and paltformers plus quirky games, provide them with these kinds of exclusive games yearly and see how that pans out in a couple of years. Bring 1-3 quality Japanese/console titles every year and see how that would work, MS have Rare for gaming's sake! Rare has a worldwide appeal no doubt about it. They also have the money to fund fan favorites and make them exclusive.

Even those small/up and coming Japanese developers would be enthusiastic about the console and start supporting the Xbox with their own games. It all depends on the publisher. 

Anybody here tries to tell me MS really really tried with a straight face? Look at apple and their phenomena with the iDevices, Japan supports what appeals to their culture and it doesn't matter where its coming from.

I think the MS folks are not even trying right now, all of the great peeps there are left and the guy who manages this company knows how to sell bs to people, he's a marketing guy.

Look at Sony and Nintendo on the other hand, the guys over there know every little bit of detail about gaming, they are game creators and the CEOs of their companies are in the gaming business for over 2 decades at least...plus most are Japanese which gives them the advantage of knowing both cultures.

I disagree, Nintendo only needs Mario/DQ and Pokemon to sell in japan and they know it. They do not need to try. Sony doesn't provide anything as well, the PS has brand power thanks to 3rd party japanese devs (these are the people that know the gaming culture there). If you look, Sony's first party is literally 90% western targeted games. The problem is, MS doesn't have a Mario and many 3rd party japanese devs simply exclude their console because they know that their audience isn't there. MS has by far a larger task than the other two do.

I might not have explained my point better when I said Japanese execs and the knowledge of both cultures.

Someone like Steve Ballmer can't be called a genius or someone who can push the envelope further so how could he possibly push Microsoft like Bill Gates did? How could he be compared to people like Ken Kutaragi, Gabe Newell, Miyamoto, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak....etc

and out of no where recently another example is Mark Cerny! how could someone like that be unknown for so many years? he just blew my mind when I watched and listened to his whole biography, he has something called the "Cerny method"! plus he would have brought something like immortality ( not really but you get the point heheh ) but he chose to create games and be part of the industry because thats his passion!

These people broke the barriers of culture and MS needs someone like these great people back in their company.

Thats my point, hire some Japanese people who knows what Japan wants or someone special like the people I've mentioned above, someone like that knows no boundaries, they could crack even the strongest barriers of culture even if they didn't live there.

Add to this point that I was talking overall history. I know Sony isn't Japanese focused like in the past but both Nintendo and Sony have already established their market in Japan from past console generations, they both had a gigantic impact on Japan in their first 10 years of entry in the gaming market to their culture so strongly they could ignore making Japanese centric games and still sell their consoles in huge amounts, compared to Microsoft's first 10 years there is no contest.

If MS also did what Sony and Ninty did, Im confident 100% the Xbox One wouldn't have a problem in the first place.

I have to be with MS on this. Why bother with a region that, on your best day, you won't be getting any support from?Mystery_Writer

I still remember Star Ocean 4 sales, if MS is in their best days Japan will respond favorably.

The japanese dont want no american games. Now if they made more dating sims or Karoke games then maybe it would take off.

Kinect 2 dating sim - boom million dollar idea! Xb1 needs a vibrating rubber women peripheral.

why should Microsoft bother with these third world countries?KarateeeChop

Japan is most certainly First-World, and has been essentially since the "three world order" was formed during the very beginning of the Cold War in the wake of the end of the Japanese Empire and World War II.

The japanese dont want no american games. Now if they made more dating sims or Karoke games then maybe it would take off.

Kinect 2 dating sim - boom million dollar idea! Xb1 needs a vibrating rubber women peripheral.

consoletroll

[QUOTE="KarateeeChop"]why should Microsoft bother with these third world countries?Amvis

Japan is most certainly First-World, and has been essentially since the "three world order" was formed during the very beginning of the Cold War in the wake of the end of the Japanese Empire and World War II.

[QUOTE="xhawk27"]

Like any American Console had any chance of winning in Japan. Please go play your crappy Japanese games. 

Jag85

In fact, the Japanese mobile phone market was equally impenetrable for foreign brands, yet the iPhone still managed to crack that market. There's no reason why Microsoft can't do the same with the Japanese gaming market.

I love when people argue against Japan accepting American products and fans bring up the iphone. You throw 50 darts at a board and one sticks.. and all of a sudden you're an expert darts player? :lol::lol:

Bottom line.. when it comes to video games/consoles.. they stick to the local brands.  Period!  M$ did everything right with the 360.. opposed to the original XB and japan still didn't buy the system.  Don't give me that iphone nonsense. 

[QUOTE="Jag85"]

[QUOTE="xhawk27"]

Like any American Console had any chance of winning in Japan. Please go play your crappy Japanese games. 

OhSnapitz

In fact, the Japanese mobile phone market was equally impenetrable for foreign brands, yet the iPhone still managed to crack that market. There's no reason why Microsoft can't do the same with the Japanese gaming market.

I love when people argue against Japan accepting American products and fans bring up the iphone. You throw 50 darts at a board and one sticks.. and all of a sudden you're an expert darts player? :lol::lol:

Bottom line.. when it comes to video games/consoles.. they stick to the local brands.  Period!  M$ did everything right with the 360.. opposed to the original XB and japan still didn't buy the system.  Don't give me that iphone nonsense. 

Kind of ignored the Hollywood films and music, along with computer products, but whatever. Kind of curious how Microsoft did everything right over in Japan. They released a few decently good to mediocre JRPGS, couple dating sims/karaoke games, and called it a day. How exactly was that doing it right again?

[QUOTE="KarateeeChop"]why should Microsoft bother with these third world countries?Amvis

Japan is most certainly First-World, and has been essentially since the "three world order" was formed during the very beginning of the Cold War in the wake of the end of the Japanese Empire and World War II.

[QUOTE="Jag85"]

[QUOTE="xhawk27"]

Like any American Console had any chance of winning in Japan. Please go play your crappy Japanese games. 

OhSnapitz

In fact, the Japanese mobile phone market was equally impenetrable for foreign brands, yet the iPhone still managed to crack that market. There's no reason why Microsoft can't do the same with the Japanese gaming market.

I love when people argue against Japan accepting American products and fans bring up the iphone. You throw 50 darts at a board and one sticks.. and all of a sudden you're an expert darts player? :lol::lol:

Bottom line.. when it comes to video games/consoles.. they stick to the local brands.  Period!  M$ did everything right with the 360.. opposed to the original XB and japan still didn't buy the system.  Don't give me that iphone nonsense. 

And what about the Hollywood movies? And the American pop music? And the American computers? That's like throwing 50 American darts at a Japanese board and 49 of them landing, with the only one missing being Microsoft's dart.

Bottom line is that the Japanese, generally speaking, love American products and American pop culture. Why should they feel any differently when it comes to video games?

And like I explained before, Microsoft did not do everything right with the 360. They certainly did much better than the original Xbox, but they failed to understand that most Japanese people don't play the kind of "Otaku" games they were marketing for the Japanese market. The 360 had plenty of niche JRPG's, but very few mainstream ones. It had a lot of niche "Otaku" games (dating sims, karaoke games, visual novels, shmups, etc.), but not enough games appealing to mainstream Japanese audiences.

[QUOTE="sebbi11"]

Japanese play shitty games, good for MS not catering to those overacted sentimental movie games they got going on over there.

Sweenix

Why would you say such a stupid thing, without japanese games the industry would suffer, plus it's much better then that western crap :P

You make a list of all the Japanese developed AAA (metacritic) titles over the last 2 years... and I'll make a list of all the western developed AAA titles.

Of course we can save each other from wasting our time and you can admit that Japanese devs are no where close to delivering great experiences like Western Developers.