Last month Microsoft announced that they’ll be releasing the Xbox One in Japan this September, nearly one year after it’s US release. It’s no secret that traditionally the Xbox hasn’t fared too well in Japan. In every console generation since the inception of the original Xbox, Microsoft has consistently failed to come close to Sony and Nintendo sales in the region.
Why is this? One could chalk it up to the Xbox being a Western system in a country that is well known for it’s ethnocentric tendencies. But I don’t think that’s it, after all several other American brands are incredibly popular in Japan such as KFC, Kit Kat and the entire institution of Christmas. So what makes the Xbox so much less appealing to Japanese consumers?
Well a big part of it could definitely be the games, the Xbox really doesn’t carry the kinds of games Japanese gamers are interested in. Most of the top selling games for the Xbox and the 360 were sports games and shooters, not the kinds of games that Japanese gamers are normally interested in. This isn’t for lack of trying, Microsoft scored exclusive deals to publish Tales of Vesperia and The Idolmaster on the 360 and both releases saw sharp increases in 360 sales in Japan. Even with the temporarily increased sales though, the system still under-performed and eventually Tales of Vesperia would receive an improved port on the PS3, which sold far better. The PS3 port of The Idolmaster 2 would also go on to greatly outsell it’s Xbox 360 counterpart.
While those particular efforts didn’t pay off, they were definitely a step in the right direction. If Microsoft can reach out to and convince more Japanese developers to release more games exclusively to their system (hopefully with contracts that forbid PS4 ports) they could eventually start attracting more Japanese customers. Of course they have been making efforts, including talking about working with a Japanese studio for a unique exclusive title.
Another good place to start with getting some Japan-friendly exclusive titles might be with famously pro-Western developers Keiji Inafune or Hideo Kojima. Both are popular in Japan, and yet they frequently take inspiration from the Western games industry. Either of them might be open to making an exclusive for the Xbox, and surely any game they were to make would be a hit in Japan and generate a lot of buzz for the console.
Another option might be to reach out to Japanese indie developers, like they did here in the West. Microsoft should make it more appealing for them to develop on the system, such as by making it very easy for them to technical support and advice. If they could manage to get a foothold in the Japanese indie scene they would all but guarantee themselves a steady stream of interesting games that would appeal to Japanese gamers. This strategy wouldn’t get them the sudden influx of customers a big AAA title would, but it would help to attract and grow a steady consumer base for them; one that could be leveraged into getting higher profile exclusives.
The next thing Microsoft would have to do is make the system itself more appealing to a general Japanese audience. Most Japanese gamers tend to think that Microsoft doesn’t care about them, and with how most of the Xbox One’s features are so tailored to a North American audience, and with a release date so long after it’s US release, who can blame them? It has some appeal for hardcore gamers who are into Western imports or FPSs, but that’s about it, the system has little to no mainstream appeal over there.
If Microsoft really wants to succeed in Japan they’ll need to give the Xbox One features that appeal to a Japanese audience. The same things that work in America, won’t necessarily work in Japan. Things like the television service or American Football just aren’t appealing to over there. Even just substituting those two features with something like, say, streaming Anime and Association Football would show that Microsoft is trying to put effort out to make the Xbox appealing for Japanese gamers.
After that, the rest is marketing. If they can get the word you that they’re doing all this, they may have a chance to get a foothold in Japan and break the stranglehold Sony and Nintendo have over the region. It may take more than one generation, they might not be able to do it with the Xbox One alone, but definitely can be done. They have an unparalleled opportunity coming up at the upcoming Tokyo game show, if they play their cards right at this show they might be able to get some decent public support.
By not getting a foothold in this region, Microsoft is losing out on a lot of potential sales. It should be their top priority at this point to try and get a foothold in the region because it could mean a lot of profit for them if they do. But what do you think? Do you have any ideas on how they could become more successful in Japan? I’d love to hear about them!
