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Bloomberg: Microsoft is seeking to make acquisitions in Japan

AmuroChan

Member
While technically correct, it wasn't developed by Sony, only published by Aniplex who are a subsidiary of Sony's music arm.

It's not necessarily correct to say this is connected to the strategy of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

The overall strategy comes from Sony proper. SIE will focus on the West where the console market is still going strong. PlayStation HQ was moved to the US as part of that strategy. For the Japanese market, the focus was shifted to mobile, led by Sony Music. This has been mentioned on various Sony earnings call in the past.
 

Hezekiah

Banned
Kadokawa owns FromSoftware; no way they sell it to microsoft. There's also some trade laws about buying japanese companies. Its put into play so foreign companies can't buy up important business to the japanese economy.
Yep, which highlights the stupidity of people sometimes seriously saying Microsoft could/should buy Sony. They can't even buy From Software.
 
The overall strategy comes from Sony proper. SIE will focus on the West where the console market is still going strong. PlayStation HQ was moved to the US as part of that strategy. For the Japanese market, the focus was shifted to mobile, led by Sony Music. This has been mentioned on various Sony earnings call in the past.

I'll take your word for it, though I'm not sure neglecting the Japanese console gaming market, and it's development, is necessarily a good strategy.

The article in the OP specifies Sony are winding down dev support in Japan. It seems obvious, then, that they place less importance on Japanese developed games than more "Western" ones, despite the worldwide appeal they may garner.

They can't even get 100 people a week to buy their current console. I have absolutely no faith they could manage a Japanese studio successfully.

I fail to see the connection between hardware sales and studio management.
 

ranmafan

Member
Kinda curious, is Japan also all about subscription services?

Has stuff like music and TV also predominantly shifted over to subscription servives a round there?

Video subscription services, like Amazon prime and Netflix has become popular here overtime. Amazon prime especially because the price here is incredibly low compared to the rest of the world. There’s also a growing number of anime services that are popular, music services and more. However it’s still a growing market.

As for video game subscription services, I don’t see a large excitement over playstation now at the moment for instance, Nor for Xbox game pass. Simply put there is no excitement here for Xbox series X or s at all. However there are good signs, the systems have sold out of pre-orders but the thing is who knows how many systems have been put up for pre-orders. Plus 100% sure those pre-orders are all by super hard-core gamers, and not any casual or regular gamers. And they’ve definitely done some promotion in famitsu. However if you just go online and look at peoples comments about Xbox, Japanese gamers still are not happy with the system or with the strategies that Microsoft have done recently. There’s simply no promotion no excitement nothing at all. Only very hard-core gamers would know about Xbox game pass and Xbox in general. I expect after the first week sales the numbers will drop substantially to very low levels.

On the other hand, people are really frustrated about the lack of availability for PlayStation five pre-orders here people really want to pre-order it and they can’t. The promotion here has been pretty good as seen by the using of popular YouTube stars to get the word out on social media. But yeah if they’re not getting systems out like the article says, and it seems like it’s true, there’s gonna be a lot of disappointed gamers this week no matter what system they choose. It’s really sad seeing how After the American Play station department took over that they have in many ways given up Japan lately.

honestly, I’ve seen Xbox try to enter the market here from day one of the original Xbox. I’ve seen every system launched here, and seeing the steps in Microsoft Japan and Microsoft in the US try to make to get the system noticed. They at least tried with the original Xbox and even more so with the 360. They didn’t even move a finger for Xbox one here. And while they’re getting articles in famitsu, A magazine I love but is dying to be honest, they simply are not doing anywhere close to enough to Make any sort of impact in Japan. Honestly it’s kind of embarrassing I think. For all of Phil Spencer’s comments about how he is talking to Japan and trying to do better here, it’s one of his absolute biggest failures, bar none.
 

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
I remember when internet gaming experts were saying that OG Xbox failed in Japan because Xbox was too large for Japanese people’s small homes. Then 360 launched with a much smaller footprint and a shitload of exclusive Japanese games (including JRPGs), and Japan ignored it in favor of the PS3 (which has almost exactly the same footprint as OG Xbox).

I’ve concluded that anybody who claims to understand the Japanese gaming market most likely has no idea what the fuck they’re talking about.
 

Unknown?

Member
They already had their chance with 360 and screwed a lot of franchises over. That was a Japanese dark age due to them trying to buy up exclusives.
 

Porcile

Member
I fail to see the connection between hardware sales and studio management.

Microsoft's attitude to Japanese games has always been so one dimensional, usually completely ignoring or being oblivious to why Japanese made games are successful in Japan and then why they might then go to be successful in Western markets. They haven't been able to successfully message their flagship gaming consoles to Japanese markets for the last twenty years so I have no confidence they will be able to handle a Japanese studio's talent and their IPs effectively.
 

Naked Lunch

Member
Getting a Japan studio in the first party studio would be a ideal - its a gaping hole in their 1st party roster.

Phil did a good job securing some Japanese titles late in the XB1's lifespan: Phantasy Star Online 2, Final Fantasy series, Kingdom Hearts, Nier, the upcoming Dragon Quest XI, Natsuki Chronicles, and little stuff like Vasara and Sisters Royal. Its no where near the level of 360 support (particularly its legendary Cave and Treasure lineup) but its getting better. Still, people who say xbox has no japanese games are just ignorant fools.
 

Calhoun

Neo Member
Any suggestion that Sony is shifting its focus away from Japan is incorrect and doesn’t reflect the company’s strategy, spokeswoman Natsumi Atarashi said. She noted that the PlayStation 5 is launching first in Japan and said “our home market remains of utmost importance." 🤔 🤔

The reality is that US and Europe markets are far more important than Japan.
 
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reinking

Gold Member
As usual a thread about Microsoft buying a studio becomes more about Sony and what they might lose than it does about something positive for Microsoft.

I believe we have known for some time Microsoft has been trying to break into the Japanese market and had been open to buying Japanese based studios. I did not really read anything in the article that leads me to believe a deal is close. Just that they have approached some developers which they have been doing for years. I would like to see it happen but I don't know how much of a difference it will make in market share with Microsoft already shifting toward Game Pass. I think Game Pass might be more beneficial in getting Japanese market share than owning a Japanese developer.


Even the article closes with....
"But questions remain about whether the U.S. company will be able to penetrate it given its lack of success in the past, according to game-industry consultant Toto.

“Microsoft will continue to have a hard time in Japan, and I don’t see any reason why the next Xbox should do better in Japan than the previous models,” he said. “All signs point that for the next years, Nintendo will stay king in Japan, and I really don’t understand why Microsoft is still so obsessed with Japan.”

“Microsoft won’t be able to take Sony’s position as No. 2 in Japan anytime soon, but at least it has started to make changes,” Ace’s Yasuda said. “A big tide always starts with a small change.”
 

PhaseJump

Banned
Japan is totally irrelevant nowdays in the console race why would they even bother.

To assure western customers that want everything that they will get Japanese content, and the shore up content in Japan for the mobile subscription xcloud side of the business, which would only make the irrelevant console more compelling there as a secondary purchase.
 
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reksveks

Member
To assure western customers that want everything that they will get Japanese content, and the shore up content in Japan for the mobile subscription xcloud side of the business, which would only make the irrelevant console more compelling there as a secondary purchase.
Someone beat me to the argument, it's not to sell the Series X but to sell xcloud.

Sega aren't in the healthiest position at the moment.
 
Buy Sega and Falcom, Phil. Port all the old games, throw a big budget behind the new games.

tenor.gif
Yes more whiny high school kid simulator games being exclusive to xbox. I've had enough of those. Buy Bungie again and tell them to make Myth 4.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
MS should at least try and establish a dev studio of their own in Japan before trying to buy existent teams. It smacks of minimal actual commitment to actually understanding Japanese devs, just a raid to ring-fence off product so they can fill a demographic check-box.

If I was a Japanese studio, I'd be extremely wary of their overtures for that reason. It doesn't inspire much confidence when they seem more interested in co-opting as opposed to building a presence in the region.
 

Umbral

Member
Can’t wait to see Forza Horizon with Platinum Games logo in the intro. Exactly as it is. Platinum unable to utilize any of their creativity and design prowess. Just Forza Horizon, nothing new, with Platinum Games on it.
 
If Microsoft does end up acquiring a Japanese developer or studio, I assure feel that the Japanese company will never be the same again. The Xbox demographic does not embrace or care for Japanese games, so Microsoft is most likely wasting their time and money, but we’ll see. It isn’t like Sony is really embracing Japanese studios or anything though.
 
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Jboemios

Banned
If Microsoft does end up acquiring a Japanese developer or studio, I assure feel that the Japanese company will never be the same again. The Xbox demographic does not embrace or care for Japanese games, so Microsoft is most likely wasting their time and money, but we’ll see. It isn’t like Sony is really embracing Japanese studios or anything though.
Microsoft is not buying a Japanese studio to appease the current users. They are buying to bring users from Sony and Nintendo
 

longdi

Banned
Square Enix made a big loss this quarter. They have international presence. They have jrpg that adds to Zenimax wrpg.

So we are down to Sega, SE or Capcom.

Dew it! Time to unload another part of that warchest.
 

JimiNutz

Banned
They've gone after Japanese talent before and it's never really paid off.
Unless they buy someone like Capcom or Square-Enix then it's probably not worth it.
 

Ozzie666

Member
Why not start their own and buy talent and franchises from within Japan. I am sure they could pull some great designers, artists, etc. I am also sure they could pry away old favorite franchises from the likes of Konami, Sega, Snk. Any Japanese company looking for a quick buck.
 
What if MS buy Square Enix before Final Fantasy 16 drop lol that would be crazy it would be like the Bethesda making Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo for PS5 timed exclusive when MS now owns them haha.
 
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