I think 2 billion should be more than enough. Xbox would get Crystal Dynamics & Eidos-Montreal as the DEV & the IP’s would be Deus Ex, Tomb Raider, Thief, Just Cause, Legacy of Kain. 2 billion should do it cause it not like any of them IP’s are selling like crazy or anything matter of Fact they basically killed off Deus EX and all of the other IP’s beside Tomb Raider.
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Fault is irrelevant imo, it’s a large scale problem with no one specific person at fault, and consequently it’s also not any one developer’s responsibility to release a series of sales duds in an attempt to cultivate a following there. You could argue it might pay off long term, but that’s a hard sell. The one interested party with the strongest individual incentive is Microsoft, because it’s their platform.
In order for it to pay off, there is a specific audience you need to be targeting. It’s not people who already like these games, because they already own the other platforms. It’s people who only game on Xbox, have not been exposed to these games, but might like them if they did. We’re talking a minority within a minority.
Does that market exist, meaningfully? I’m actually not convinced it does exist beyond a few hundred thousand people. Do we have evidence that Yakuza: Like a Dragon or any of the others sold strongly on Xbox? The other question which is not so easy to answer is that among people who do buy Final Fantasy and Yakuza on Xbox, what fraction did so because it was their preferred platform, but could have chosen to buy it on PC or PS or Switch if it wasn’t on their preferred platform? Those customers are somewaht less important, because they aren’t “lost customers” if you scrap the Xbox version. It makes no difference to Sega if you buy on Xbox or PS, as long as you buy.
Going along with your reasoning no japanese game would release on Xbox. XD
When you see they are mostly minor things, moneyhats or incomprehensible choices like Atlus, we can make the case it’s mostly due to greed, close-minded behaviour and cultural distance.
There aren’t any “major” games that don’t release anymore, I think, or near zero, except for timed exclusive deals. Really we mostly speak of small or mid scale games, which are inevitably niche. Yakuza is sort of straddling the line between medium and large scale.
I still think it’s worth paying what it takes to get these to come out, from Microsoft’s perspective! By ensuring they do come to Xbox (even if they’re tiny sellers), you at least make Xbox an option for people who like these games, you help whittle down what has been an ongoing strategic advantage enjoyed by their competitors. Yeah Sony has to pay for Final Fantasy, but they don’t have to pay for a bunch of smaller titles that all act as “free exclusives” basically.
This is feeling circular in our discussions - but as a core thesis, do you agree or disagree MS should pay to do this? I feel like you disagree, but don’t want to put words in your mouth.
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I agree they need to pay to get the middle range series akin to Yakuza like the Atlus games or the Team Ninja games (and also avoid as much as they can things like the recent FF games skipping because of Sony), but I’m not convinced paying upfront for super niche things like Ys and such would be the right call, then those games would come only and only through payment. Maybe GP deals at least, which would guarantee a large scale exposure and begin a virtuous cycle like Yakuza. Obviously a core step would be a more and more proactive ID@Xbox initiative over there, we’are already seeing something, but they are only at the beginning, anyway games like Neptunia, Ys, etc…are essentially indies, so they need support like the western ones, THAT is indeed MS fault, not when multibillion dollar publisjers want their check. XD
Completely forgot that Team Ninja Final Fantasy Souls game being published by SE is coming out for Xbox
Of all the games I fully expect to be a Sony exclusive it was that one. I’m glad as it might be good
Still pissed off Nioh never came to Xbox. Team Ninja are up there as one of the best combat driven developers out there.
That was last gen. yeah last gen Xbox had poverty numbers for JPN games on its system.
New gen and SEries Consoles are selling out in every region. The series X is going to rack up a huge install base this gen and with Gamepass the engagement of players will only increase.
Xbox shouldn’t be a platform to ignore. Also everyone already played the AA games. I played the damn games on the DS back in the mid 2000’s for christ sakes.
If the new AA comes out for all systems day 1. Xbox sales would NOT be 0.5%. I can guarantee you that.
I kinda wonder if MS is looking to buy SE’s western division…
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Game Pass is the great equaliser and MS is making it core to their business.
Japanese content is always popular. Whether it’s anime or games, every subscription entertainment service out there is trying to get Japanese content.
MS is no different, and I don’t care if they have to get every port authorised around a Game Pass deal. It’s fine. They have money to burn and don’t pay their taxes.
Don’t be offended they’re being made to pay up Japanese developers and pubs. There are causes far more worthy of your sympathies.
If MS considers this a problem that needs a permanent solution, you’ll know their response to the situation when you see it.
nothing.
Sony is not going to be able to buy Square lol. The MS partnership with CD is just that, a partnership for this one game. It means nothing more. Why people are reading so much into it, I don’t know.
People are dying for any Xbox acquisition news so every indication is a potential acquisition.
Anyways I hope this situation with SE change soon. Need more JRPGs on Xbox.
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To be fair the series x has had more jrpgs in its first year then xbox one did in its first 4.
But the issue is can they get more games from Japan period. Ms should have built its own Japanese studio years ago
They don’t need to acquire studios. A mini initiative studio in Japan would suffice. Let them make jrpgs and then expand and grow to make more games. Should have been done during the 360 era
Doesn’t even have to be jrpgs. Remember Sony Japan and teak ico? Truly spectacular unique games. Ms need some of those. It needs its own Shadow of the Colossus.
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Just call it Minitiative.
Chibi initiative .
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My Satellite Studio Can’t Be This Cute
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They kinda tackled some of that on TGS.
Mikami will get back to directing, but he also wants to create some sorte of foster agency where he set up teams and train young creative creators.
They apparently also opened a local office there and have already 200 indie devs signed up for id@xbox.
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Thats good
Remember 360 had so many of those arcade shooters? would love to see a string of them come back.
MAn 360 was truly an underrated console for JPN games. It had an absolute bucket load. WTF happened with the One. I see the Series XS going back to the 360 days of a shit ton of JPN game support. Even more so with more indie devs backing it. .
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Is there a link to the interview or a timestamp and a link to the whole stream?
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It was their TGS conference, though I didn’t watch it directly, only saw summaries other people made.
The whole press can be seen here: https://youtu.be/04ylBylCXiM
And the part with Mikami starts at 33 minutes
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