Eurogamer

Microsoft has responded to recent concern over the Xbox 360 in Japan, dismissing the suggestion it will pull out of the market.

Microsoft endures high-profile struggles in Japan with the Xbox 360, which continues to sell poorly.

Recent reports suggested Japanese retailers were removing the Xbox 360 from sale, but Microsoft told Eurogamer at Gamescom it remains committed to making the console a success there.

“No, of course we're not pulling out,” Chris Lewis, Microsoft's European boss, told Eurogamer.

“It's a challenging market. We are up against very strong competition there. All of our competition is strong. We're very respectful of what Sony and Nintendo do and where they've come from and what they bring.

“Nintendo, particularly with the Wii, have opened up a market opportunity there. We've leapfrogged that handheld technology with Kinect. What we're seeing is users love using their own body without worrying about how to work a controller. So we see ourselves as, frankly, a company that does bring an awful lot of firsts, and we've enjoyed fabulous success with Kinect.”

There are a slew of Xbox 360-exclusive, Japanese-made video games in development, including Capcom's Kinect-fuelled Steel Battalion, which Eurogamer saw this week at Microsoft's Gamescom Play Day event.

It remains to be seen whether Steel Battalion and games like it will boost sales of the Xbox 360 in Japan, which saw a dramatic 46.7 per cent year-to-date decline in sales this week, according to Media Create. Microsoft has sold 1.5 million Xbox 360 units in Japan – six years after launch. The Nintendo 3DS, boosted by a price cut, has already outsold the Xbox.

But Lewis suggested Microsoft will use next month's Tokyo Game Show to show its continued investment in Xbox 360 in Japan.

“Japan remains important to us. We're very committed to that market. The development community there is very important. Tokyo Game Show will be a notable element in the year as usual.”

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-18-ms-responds-to-xbox-360-in-japan-concern

Would be nice if they announce a JRPG or five at TGS :).

Problem is the japanese government to an extent. There are heavy taxes on imports which makes buying a 360 insead of a wii or a ps3 unreasonable unless you have a lot of disposable income.

damage control PR
The only way to get back into that market would be buying exclusive jRPG games again. Considering they stopped even producing exclusive games for much bigger western markets it's highly unlikely.

no,the reason of MS not give up is love

yes they love Japan,just that simple

Ofcourse that is why they wanted a lot of $$$$$$$$  =p!  Why else is tales of Xillia now an PS3 exclusive (so far)..

They are stupid ;) After all they took the bait of microsoft cash for timed exclusivity and ruined all chances they had for decent sales in west.

Kowenicki  'Lost Odyssey is one of the best or the best JRPG's this gen'..

Now it is shit?

i guess if not MS help them,some of JRPG would not even have NA/EU version 

so yeah they're stupid

Even shitty games would sell better if both version released at the same.

When SO4 or Sonata released 1 year later it had no hype, everyone knew the game was average, and you could have get x360 version for 1/3 of the price plus we can add missed chance for concentrated marketting effort.