The state of Microsoft's 1st/2nd party

[goddog]

Godot said:
More than anything, I'm concerned with that Mistwalker situation. It's true that now Microsoft has support from big Japanese developers: SE and Namco so they don't need Mistwalker as much as they used. If they really stop helping them, I don't think they can survive much longer as they pretty much only made flops since they were created with the exception of Lost Odyssey.

This is the problem with Microsoft moneyhatting Japanese exclusives. Companies are happy because they make money no matter if the game sells well or not (and they don't sell well). However, the usual fanbase of the companies get disinterested in their games after that. We can just look at the sales of Eternal Sonata on PS3 in Japan to get an idea.

 

the sales of eternal sonata and other delayed titles on the ps3 dont give a full picture in part due to the delayed nature, and the rejection the highdef market has faced in japan. they have however done what ms has need and bought credibility, this credibility extends to more japanese centric games on the console, and more console sales, which could even give them a running chance next generation to be number 2 there. on top of that you have games that may just not be apealing to the audiance they thought they were going to, that does not mean they are bad gams, only they are not what the market wants. 

the sales of a ps3 exclusive in japan say ff should give us an idea if hd is truely a viable platform there, the results should be interesting.

also more than anything ms is fallowing the same system they use in the pc world... develop a platform, a few mega hit software, then help 3rd parties build upon that foundation and profit .... that seems to be there long term goal, and that stratagy would allow for fewer home grown software ips, but more that need to be home runs, where less performing ones get cut from the family and major hits get grown.   or to put it bluntly the  MS bobs will be cut, the MS words will become office