Every new console represents a new beginning, a fresh start, the chance to possibly fix past mistakes. When it come to the Xbox 360, one huge glaring flaw was anemic level of support from Japan.
True, many of the big publishers have ended up supporting the Western console in the East, but it's always been clear that the preference has been for Sony's PlayStation 3.
So, what does Microsoft have in store for Japan as it pertains to the Xbox One? Do they have anything in store in the first place? The answer, it would seem, is yet.
Kotaku asked that very question to Microsoft's Phil Harrison, and he responded with:
"You will see at E3 games from four continents—three, well, yeah, three and a big continent. You will see, throughout the rest of the year, between now and launch, a number of occasions where we will tell a more local story that is customized and more regionalized, but this, by necessity, had to be a more global message. Since we were doing it here in America, a lot of the TV was Americanized."
Harrison brings up a good point, one that many may not have considered: how exactly will the Xbox One be sold to Japanese gamers? Which, honestly, is something that's always asked, but in this instance, it's far more relevant.
They watch TV shows in Japan, but everything from the kind of content to even viewing habits are vastly different. A big cornerstone of the Xbox One reveal was the deal with NFL. And while they certainly enjoy sports in Japan, it's not nearly on the same level as Americans.
The Xbox has always been a tough sell in the East, and it will only be harder, especially since the One appears to be geared towards Americans so strongly. Microsoft will need to figure out a strategy that will strongly appeal to Japanese tastes. Which, again, they've tried to twice now and have failed.
But will third time be a charm?
