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[nial]

So she got fired from Sony. The Japan Studio 2nd party team got branched out to have their own office and don't depend on people like her and instead work collaborating with the other SIE 2nd party teams from EU and US (XDEV), and Japan Studio internal development teams got merged into one of their internal teams: Team Asobi, whose boss was promoted to studio manager.

Kinda not like that. Japan Studio was actually SIE WWS JAPAN Studio, the development division of SIE Inc., the Japanese branch. It was composed as of early 2021 of two different studios, EDD (External Development Department, established in April 2020) and IDD (Internal Development Department, previously Product Development Department, established in April 2016). In April 2021, SIE Inc. restructured its internal operations, and established the PlayStation Studios (Japan) division as a replacement of SIE WWS JAPAN Studio. EDD was then transferred to this new division and started to use the global XDEV brand, meanwhile IDD was dissolved and Team Asobi (an expansion of a previous development group inside IDD) was created as a replacement.
Sorry for the long post, but I would like this info to be more public. Sony's internal structure over the years isn't nearly as reported as Nintendo's. All of this stuff is in the PR of their Japanese website.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

Xbox doesn't have a prayers chance of being relevant in Japan. I applaud Microsoft's efforts, but it won't happen.

 

[Crispy Gamer]

They did better under Shane Kim as far as getting Japanese exclusives feels like it really went down hill once he retired

 

[Clear]

Not really, no. They're hiring an ex-Sony staffer and trying again. Unless you think Sony's strategy also deserves cynicism, they're probably literally going to be trying the same thing she did previously. She acknowledges that they have an uphill effort in the article. Much better to keep trying than just give up.

Its about sustained commitment. Look, from my perspective nearly all the best titles on the OG Xbox all came from Japan. Had they re-engineered the system and controller to be more friendly to that marketplace they would've had a tremendous base to build from. But it feels like they did a strong initial push, before retreating back to what best suited their home market.

Similarly, 360 started out with a solid push with Mistwalker's titles etc. before again fizzling out into seeming indifference. By the end of that gen, while the focus on Kinect was in some regards quite friendly to the Japanese scene, their whole publishing pipeline had kinda gone off the rails.

After that... well, there's not a lot to talk about. Their content focus seemingly narrowing to a point where interest outside of NA severely waned.

The trend is constantly away, and set against the backdrop of game-dev getting increasingly costly and the console business falling behind mobile in Asia generally, recovery seems increasingly unlikely.

From my perspective what MS should have done is to jettison the Xbox brand in Japan/Asia, and partnered up with someone else to front a continuation business on their behalf. They may feel that pivoting to GamePass is sufficient, but I'm not sure that its enough when they really need to start over in the region.

 

[Darsxx82]

Dude, look at the headline; Xbox has been around for over 20 years and is still looking to find market relevance in Japan.

Don't you think that history warrants warrants a fair amount of cynicism?

And ?? Does that mean that we have to question whether they continue trying and are striving to achieve more Japanese games in their ecosystem and users?

Excuse me, friend, for not understanding that MS is criticized if they don't do it and also if they do it.

Also, as I said, the effort has nothing to do with the Japanese market itself, it has to do with the objective of putting together a varied and richest catalog possible for its ecosystem and for Gamepass, which is extremely important to attract users from the global market. (not specific to Japanese).
Simply tell us what you think would be better to attract potential subscribers/users in a global level: A gamepass and ecosystem where there is a large catalog of Japanese games or a Gamepass with a lack of Japanese games and franchises?

I can say for sure that XBOX users see that MS is at least making an effort and that is assuming that more and more games from Japanese developers come to Xbox.

 

[adamsapple]

The person mentioned in the OP instead was a random loser in Sony.

Worked at Sony from 1999 to 2021. "Just a random loser".

Jim's gonna get the same kind of 'love' after his retirement lol.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

PC? Sure. Xbox? Emerging markets? ASIAN markets...?

Yes. Xbox is a platform with consumers. Not to mention it is a part of a wider Game Pass ecosystem, that includes PC store and Xbox store.

I love Neogaf when criticizes MS for not doing something and, then, criticizes too if they do it.

It always boils down to "MS should do something in a way I want it"

Jim's gonna get the same kind of 'love' after his retirement lol.

Well he has become a loser during his reign anyway

 

[LordCBH]

"Japanese publishers will definitely need us in expanding their business,"

lol.

 

[HeWhoWalks]

Yes. Xbox is a platform with consumers. Not to mention it is a part of a wider Game Pass ecosystem, that includes PC store and Xbox store.

Yeah, no shit. It's also a platform struggling to retain consumers in that market, hence the responses this thread is receiving. Those store fronts and PC are not helping the Xbox platform to gain users at a notable rate.

 

[IllegalLemon]

And how long has she been going at it? Since I'm seeing anything, but a rising interest from the Japanese market for Xbox. It ain't just getting devs to support you, by dumping bags full of cash at them. That isn't going to produce results on its own, even if they keep at it forever. If anything, the rising interest from Japanese devs, is also leading to a corresponding decrease in interest from Japanese gamers towards Xbox, instead of an outcome equivalent to the former. So, what is actually going wrong there?

This Former PlayStation Executive Says Japanese Video Games Need Xbox to Grow

Microsoft Corp. is betting that Mena Kato — a PlayStation veteran who grew up playing Nintendo classics like Donkey Kong — will help it finally drive a wedge into the world’s No. 3 gaming market.

www.bloomberg.com

 

[RedC]

"Japanese publishers will definitely need us in expanding their business,"

lol.

You laugh, but there is absolute truth in that statement.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Those store fronts and PC are not helping the Xbox platform to gain users at a notable rate.

You do understand that Xbox is not treated separately? The whole point of this ecosystem is that the game coming to Xbox is coming to PC Game Pass app too. That's the whole idea.
Anyway, it is useless to debate that. It is one of those discussions where the parties will never agree.

 

[Woopah]

Japanese publishers don't need Microsoft to bring their games to PC.

I would say Xbox is making some progress with improving relations with SE and Atlus though.

 

[Astray]

Hello Takeshi, what a nice puff piece you have here.

 

[LordBlodgett]

I'm excited for more Japanese games on Gamepass, and really that and PC are where they need to focus in Japan. The non-handheld console market is pretty small, and shrinking. Mobile and PC are both growing significantly in Japan, so focus on the only strength you've got there.

 

[yurinka]

Worked at Sony from 1999 to 2021. "Just a random loser".

Jim's gonna get the same kind of 'love' after his retirement lol.

Unlike her Jimbo has been successful. She was fired, and should have been fired way before. Probably in this case Keiichiro Toyama and Tsutomu Kouno would continue there.

 

[yurinka]

Counterpoint: Fairgame$

That team is probably the only one in the world who broke 3 times the record of fastest selling new IP in gaming history. And on top of that developed a ton of super successful AAA games, including top GaaS + eSports + MP games, being some of them new IPs.

On top of that, they impressed Hermen to the point that bought them in record time and Cerny, who now is working there. I bet it will be very successful.