@Michael-5
Actually Japan accounts for about seventeen percent of the console market. I think we often give it more weight in these discussions then it actually deserves, and moving forward with the expansion of the market into other regions it is probably going to account for even less. More to the point that market actually seems to be moving in a totally different direction from markets in the West. Even Japanese developers are beginning to view their home market as a liability as far as game design is concerned. Placating them almost always seems to come at the cost of alienating just about every other market on the planet.
As for the other markets I really don't see what you are seeing. I don't see genres that are particularly popular in the United States as being despised in Europe, or the other way around. Genres like Shooting, Role Playing, Sports, Action, and so on seem to do equally well in both markets. Once you factor in the different sizes of the install bases you get about the same results. Granted their are probably slightly different tastes, but it probably isn't some kind of huge culture shock.
That just leaves niche genres, and your commentary on platforming titles, and I am assuming you mean the cute and plushy kind. It just isn't all that relevant in the scheme of things. I wouldn't advocate that a manufacturer should make a game in any particular genre just to plant a flag. Genres like this can only hold up a couple high selling games per generation. Outside of that, and you see a steep drop off.
Look I had a lot of fun with Banjo, and other Rare characters in previous generations, but my tastes have evolved, and seemingly so have the tastes of a lot of gamers. This genre really isn't anywhere near as important as it used to be. I would even go so far as to say the grittier half of the genre is probably where the action is at moving forward. Assassins Creed, Crackdown, and Prototype. Are actually more compelling from a mechanical standpoint. They might not be called Platformers, but that is basically what they are.
Anyway it isn't like Microsoft has to create exclusive content for niche genres, and I don't think any company has to, and I most certainly wouldn't hold it against them for not doing that. Especially considering that if they don't someone else will do it for them. I honestly don't think Microsoft has failed to hit most notes one way or the other anyway. While I am at it I don't think Sony has either. It is really a matter of personal preference. Not that choices aren't on tap.
I also don't believe in the all powerful franchise either. They obviously help with sales, and bring name brand recognition, but good games beget franchises, and it isn't the other way around. I honestly think that gamers will buy good games, and spread the word to others. It isn't anything like a huge mountain to climb. We had a number of titles in the previous generation that were both critical and sales success stories without a pedigree. It is something that is nice to have, but hardly necessary. If Microsoft cooks up a platformer as good as Super Mario gamers will take notice. If Sony cooked up a first person shooter as endearing has Halo gamers would take notice, and if Nintendo created a action hero as iconic as Kratos gamers would take notice.
Lets not count our chickens before they hatch. That is what Sony did at the start of this generation, and they paid dearly for that hubris. There just ain't no such thing as a guaranteed lock. I would especially reserve judgment as far as first party game development is concerned in the current generation.
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