Xbox: The daddy?

[Prine]

No you aren't I'm lookin forward to outrun 2 10x more than Doom 3, Half Life 2 and Halo 2 combined.

crazy son of bitch :P

[MikeRox]

u played outrun 2?

[Prine]

Got it on pre-order mate

[MikeRox]

it's **** hot! I popped a tenner in it last time I saw it. So not so crazy

[Leon Retro]

It isnt unfair the critisize MS at all, Sony were in a simliar position with the Playstation, but they offered free dev kits to software houses, and help on how to use them.

MS first mistake was the size of the console (i know old story but..) the Japanese seem to like smaller consoles. The console wasnt pushed, they didnt seem to try and get any developers on there side. If they had offered smaller dev houses help with creating games before launch maybe it would have done better.

And are Konami, Capcom and Square that in bed with Sony that they have all made games for the Gamecube, especially Capcom who have put extra effort in imo.

If MS had got the big guns to make more games at the launch, and helped the little guys then it could have been a winner.

but instead there happy to release games in japan that are in english. Would you be happy if games were released in French in the UK and they didnt put an English language in?

Sony definitely have the advantage of being a Japanese company. Its very difficult if not impossible to succeed in Japan if you are a western console manufacturer, the past proves this to be the case.

It was obvious that MS were going to have major problems selling a U.S designed system to the Japanese market. Especially when they are up against Nintendo and Sony in the current generation. Imo it was mission impossible trying to get success in Japan.

One other thing. The Xbox design isn`t disliked by everyone. It contains a lot more than the PS2 and GC and therfore it has to be large. The hardrive is the main reason for its size and thats why it won`t be included in XB2. Many people actually like the sturdy solid design, I find it very appealing and it sure beats the horrible mess that is the PS2.

It seems to me that a console can now succeed without Japanese games. I hope this to be the case as I and many others enjoy the XB experience and would hate for MS to fail just because the Japanese don`t find the machine as exciting. Western console games are now more succesful than a lot of Eastern games. Times have changed and the success of the XB with its lack of Japanese support reflects this new era in gaming.

[Yoshimoto]

Sony definitely have the advantage of being a Japanese company. Its very difficult if not impossible to succeed in Japan if you are a western console manufacturer, the past proves this to be the case.

Nothing from the past proves this to be the case. The fact is that no Western console has ever had the games that the Japanese market looks for. Until we see a Western developed console that has a lot of the games that a Japanese audience wants and it still fails then i think its extremely wrong to blaming the failure of said console on racism from Japanese gamers.

[Leon Retro]

The 3DO was a bloody powerful machine and it even had Japanese companies manufacturing the machines but it still didn`t get major support from any Japanese companies.

Its very true to say the Japanese stick to their own and thats how they like it. I didn`t say anything about racism from the Japanese. Its just a case of the Japanese enjoying their own culture and revelling in it.

At the end of the day I can never see a Western developed machine getting as much support as a Japanese developed machine. Thats just the way it is and thats the reason lots of people here didn`t buy an Xbox, they love Japanese games so they stick with their PS2 and GC which both have hundreds of excellent eastern titles.

[Kron]

The Japanese only stick to their own because many western companies are so bad at offering a well targeted and balanced product that actually appeals to the demographic.

[Yoshimoto]

Exactly Kron.

The XBox catalogue of games for the Japanese market is only marginally better than catalogue of NEC PC-FX games would have been had they launched in the West.

Microsoft must spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on market research every year, but what exactly is this information telling them or why aren't they listening to it? Its obvious to someone with even a modest knowledge of videogames where Microsoft are going wrong in Japan, yet in their typical arrogant fashion they choose to ignore it. If you listen to some people a console no longer needs Japanese support to be a success. I've no idea how true that is to be honest, but one thing is for certain. If Microsoft do need Japan in the next generation then they better start listening. Because they don't have a chance of winning them over otherwise.

[Sprite Machine]

It contains a lot more than the PS2 and GC and therfore it has to be large. The hardrive is the main reason for its size and thats why it won`t be included in XB2.

The PS2 has a hard-drive (space for a harddrive) and that's nowhere near as big as an Xbox.
The reason the Xbox is so large is because all the components are 'off-the-shelf'.
I'd imagine Xbox 2 would be smaller, though, yes.

[innovator]

Its very true to say the Japanese stick to their own and thats how they like it. I didn`t say anything about racism from the Japanese. Its just a case of the Japanese enjoying their own culture and revelling in it.

Starbucks

McDonalds

American cinema

Coca-Cola

Apple

Hip hop

Microsoft (office, windows etc)

Baseball

Are all HUGE in Japan. The Japanese haven't rejected the Xbox because it's American, they reject it because it offers them nothing that the PS2 doesn't already. The errors that Microsoft have made with the Xbox are immense, they have been architects of their own demise. Whilst the Japanese are xenophobic, they do not reject foreign products (indeed, something foreign becomes more attractive and exotic), the xenophobia lies in areas that are far more degrading than mere games consoles and cappucinos. Read up on it.

[innovator]

Personally, I can live without an Xbox... so I do. The only upcoming games that interest me are Halo 2 and Outrun 2, one of which will probably get a PC port and the other can be played in the arcade already. For me the system lacks creativity and imagination, i've always been a dreamer and to see nothing but hyper realistic driving, shooting and sports games upsets me. If I wanted to do these things i'd learn to drive, join the army or join a local sports team instead of playing someone's attempt to replicate reality.

[Pij]

Its very true to say the Japanese stick to their own and thats how they like it. I didn`t say anything about racism from the Japanese. Its just a case of the Japanese enjoying their own culture and revelling in it.

You are very mis informed if you believe that, from what ive seen they very much like american products.

Dead or Alive Volleyball could shows you that they arnt against the xbox, i remember seeing pics of the release day, there was loads of peeps queueing for it.

Also they like RPG's yet the only good RPG on the xbox hasnt been released in Japan. (Kotor)

[Sprite Machine]

i've always been a dreamer and to see nothing but hyper realistic driving, shooting and sports games upsets me. If I wanted to do these things i'd learn to drive, join the army or join a local sports team instead of playing someone's attempt to replicate reality.

'Replicate reality'?

It's more like 'representing the style of reality'.
I mean, if you think joining the army is a lot like playing Conflict Desert Storm, or joining a sports team is a lot like playing Amped, then you have a few screws loose.


(Alright, you're right, they are quite similar... they're both hideously boring.)

[innovator]

'Replicate reality'?

It's more like 'representing the style of reality'.
I mean, if you think joining the army is a lot like playing Conflict Desert Storm, or joining a sports team is a lot like playing Amped, then you have a few screws loose.


(Alright, you're right, they are quite similar... they're both hideously boring.)

You know full well what I meant.

I would go as far as saying that someone's bent towards either realism or the imaginary (and all the shades of grey in between) in games reflects someone's personality and soul but that's another topic. I believe that games are an art form and 'realism' does nothing to further the medium or change other people's perceptions of it. If games such as Rez, ICO, NiGHTS etc were more common then gaming would attract more people of different ages, races, cultures and backgrounds. Right now it's very much a medium dominated by products aimed at males in their 20s. This is why I believe that EA and Xbox are counter productive and would like to see the back of them.