Memoirs of a Gaijin Console
The story of the Xbox 360 in Japan should never be told, but Microsoft is still officially counting on a Hollywood ending:
"We're committed to Japan for the long run, and we're off to a solid but not spectacular start, and I think that's what we expected to happen," Microsoft's Shane Kim told Kikizo recently.
Kim pointed out that success in Japan is dependent on game makers making games specifically for the Japanese audience.
One of these, Ninety Nine Nights by ex-Sega developer Tetsuya Mizuguchi, is already out, and sales have been underwhelming. The big games in the offing include Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey - both RPGs developed by former Square Enix developer Hironobu Sakaguchi.
I'd like to think it's all about the games and not some fundamental hatred for American consoles. Can the Xbox 360's fortunes in Japan be revived with one kira app?
