Microsoft Japan are idiots

[Sidez]

Latest issue of Famitsu Xbox arrived today (the official Japanese Xbox magazine, or indeed, the only Xbox magazine in Japan) and much to my surprise it came with a demo DVD. This is the first time the magazine has ever had a playable demo, shameful. Microsoft prefer to distribute one game demo discs in stores so their availability is limited. The first DVD had footage of 6 Xbox Live games, all the footage is old and effectively useless apart from the MotoGP 2 and TFLO videos. On the other DVD is a one game demo, Mech Assualt. It's not even in Japanese, it's the American demo including American voices and the American pad on the instructions screen.

Seriously, i've ****ing had it up to here with Microsoft Japan. They don't even try. You cannot fully understand the extent of their stupidity unless you have a Japanese Xbox. It really is outstanding.

No real point to this topic, just felt like venting.

[Damrabbit]

must be run by the same people as nintendo europe and sega europe ft:

[Burai]

I'm not surprised they've lost the plot. They've laid off 50% of their staff and nothing they seem to be doing is indicative of them trying to turn things around. The whole situation reminds me of the end of Sega Europe as they desperately tried to keep Dreamcast and their company afloat in Europe whilst their parent in Japan scaled down and I wouldn't be at all surprised if Microsoft didn't bother coming back for Xbox 2.

The fact of the matter is that at the end of the day, Redmond is where Microsoft is run from and rather than letting the Japanese bosses do their jobs, they always meddle and do things themselves.

Out of interest, what exactly is in Famitsu Xbox? I really can't imagine there would be enough to fill a monthly magazine.

[Leynos]

Out of interest, what exactly is in Famitsu Xbox? I really can't imagine there would be enough to fill a monthly magazine.

Somehow, they manage it. There's only two reviews this month (Daisen Ryaku VII - 8/8/8/6 and Mech Assault - 8/9/8/8, fact fans), but they devote a lot of space to each game they cover. Just imagine Sega Saturn Magazine from around issue 34 onwards where they ran eight page features on Capcom beat 'em ups, and gave Psikyo shoot 'em ups double page reviews. For example, Dino Crisis and Mech Assault both get eight pages, every other game gets either two or four pages. There's a lot about Team Ninja every month (they usually get four pages), and DOAX is still getting coverage too. They cover E3 this month too. And then there's the usual other stuff you'd expect in a magazine (reader's reviews, arcade news, PC news, Import "reviews", etc.) To give you an example of how many games they cover, here's this month's contents:

News: Ninja Gaiden, DOA Online, Tekki Taisen, Breakdown, Racing Evolution, Sonic Heroes, Lake Masters.

Previews / game coverage: Dino Crisis 3, Mech Assault, True Fantasy, Project Gotham 2, DOAX, Hitman 2 (being released in Japan soon), Yukikaze, Bloody Roar Extreme, Bistro Cupid 2, Cyber Attack Team.

Tips / strategy: NUDE@, Soul Calibur 2, Kung Fu Chaos (Panic), Ex Chaser, Daisen Ryaku VII.

Oh yeah, and I was quite baffled about the demo disc too.


Back to the subject, I agree with Sidez about this. MS Japan are ****ing things up. Apart from TFLO and Magatama, they've got nothing to offer for the next six months. Only games brought in from America, and those are guaranteed not to sell more than 3000 coppies (Halo 2 excluded). They've missed the boat now tho. The Xbox needed software that couldn't be had elsewhere. Sega, Capcom, From, and Team Ninja delivered the goods, but MS Japan has continuously failed to match them. If they were going to make a move, they should have done it by now. They've left it until too late.

Later.

[Che Musashi]

I really think that nothing short of a miracle will help the big Redmond Borg machine out in Japan. They just can't seem to make games to cater to Japanese tastes. Its a completely different market and the west will never understand it.

"Resistance is futile, but first you must buy our machine!"

[John Beaulieu]

Xbox 1.5 shipping with TFLO might help them out a bit

camps

[Sidez]

It's a damn good magazine and I totally agree with the Sega Saturn Magazine comparison, whilst the number of games coming out is small, they're generally of decent quality and worth of more than one page. Reminds me of the old showcases.

Anyway Microsoft Japan ****ed up on a number of things:

1. Failure to bring over American games in a timely fashion - who cares if it sells well or not? Bring it over anyway! When you only have a few games coming out each month that does not inspire consumer confidence. The more choice the better and at least you are offering a side to gaming that Sony do not provide!! Stop competing on Sony's turf, that's a mugs' game.

2. More PS2 ports. Again who cares if the only additions are cleaner graphics and 5.1, it's more content and can help undermine the PS2 as an essentiel system.

3. Their Japanese games studios are ****ing awful. I mean seriously, who are they trying to kid. Either invest in some talent or don't bother. Whilst I was in Japan they were promoting Blinx so heavily all over Akihabara very frequently and had many print ads. Why?! It's not a system seller you idiots, how about promoting the infinitely superior Panzer Dragoon Orta instead? It's Sega's game but it's YOUR system, stop wasting money promoting **** games.

I could go on but it's sad that a 19 year old like me understands the market better. When I move to Japan and work in the industry, i'll probably get just as frustrated at various companies as I have no chance of securing a management job. Those guys at the top seem to live in their own little world. Sony and Konami exempted, but then those guys are number one for a reason.

[Cacophanus]

Sidez, if you had any idea how moronic Microsoft's Japanese staff really are you would slit your wrists. It's a total travesty.

[Burai]

8 pages for Mech Assault? Jesus, that's like 7 3/4 pages too many...

[Sidez]

8 pages for Mech Assault? Jesus, that's like 8 pages too many...

Fixed.

[Burai]

lol.

Nah, it deserves a quarter page containing the word PANTS in a large font, just so you don't make the mistake of going out and buying it like I did.

[tokyochojin]

8 pages for Mech Assault? Jesus, that's like 7 3/4 pages too many...

You should have seen when DOAV was released almost every magazine used half their pages to cover it. I guess it was like "finally a game that might actually sell for xbox".
But i agree the xbox situation is dire, more space is still given to DC in most stores(and rightly so!)
However microsoft does seem to be trying to push the machine now.Most stores will always have more xbox testers than GC and the testers in ASOBOcity in akihabara are a joy to behold!!
So i think at last microsoft is doing something in japan.I just think that something is just to late. If i was microsoft i wouldnt even bother releasing xbox 2(if it gets released) just concentrate on the US and EU regions.