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Forums - Gaming Discussion - Against the grain- Why does Microsoft fail in Japan?

Xen on 06 February 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuw5bHKFc7Y

Here's a chief reason as to why the 360 isn't successful in Japan... it isn't appealing. Heck, even to me as a westerner, this commercial isn't appealing!

Can't embed for some reason.



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hikaruchan on 06 February 2011
Conegamer said:
hikaruchan said:

Microsoft doesn't really know what they want to do with the XBOX 360 in Japan at the start of the Gen you could see they were trying to pitch the XBOX 360 as the PlayStation 2 of this Gen. so they made a what now has turned out to be an unsuccessful attempting to secure Japan by buying JRPGs and other genres primelly aimed at the Japanese Market and what they couldn't get exclusive they got multiplatform. 

but because of pore marketing and brand image and other factors along with the Exclusives turning out to be "Timed" instead of permanent basically meant they had little chance of doing well in Japan.  

 

 

Pretty much, yeah

I wonder if they've learnt from their mistakes for next gen, or simply don't care about Japan anymore?

Well based on current marketing strategies it doesn't seen like they have   



Japanese Pop Culture Otaku

Reasonable on 06 February 2011
darthdevidem01 said:
Reasonable said:

Image, culture, libray, approach, online focus, plus probably others.

I think image is a key ingredient though, both going back to the Xbox, the seeming focus on FPS, the apparent HW issues, the focus on online and the link to Okatu (spelling?) titles.

I wonder whether MS would need to sacrifice their image somewhat in the West to change it enough to see success in Japan?  This might help but I doubt MS will be willing to do so - my view is unless  the Japanese market changes - seems unlikely - or MS changes its approach significantly just for Japan - seems unlikely - the brand will struggle to ever be more than niche.

Japanese platforms just seem to have an image and approach the enables them to more readily succeed globally whereas MS approach seems to limit them to English speaking Western countries such as US, UK, Australia, etc.  The combined US/UK sales, for example, represent a huge chunk of 360 sales vs the much more spread percentage sales of Wii and PS3 globally.

Its Otaku Reasonable-Chan!


Thx.  I knew it wasn't right but I have to confess I was feeling horribly lazy and couldn't be bothered checking.  Pathetic really given I was online at the time and it would have take a second.  I must not be lazy in future!



Try to be reasonable... its easier than you think...

S.T.A.G.E. on 06 February 2011
Beuli2 said:

It is because Microsoft doesn't know how to market there, since it is a different culture. In places where the culture is similar to the US, like the UK, the brands is powerfull.


I don't think it's the marketing. Microsoft has been using Japanese marketers and still failed.



S.T.A.G.E. on 06 February 2011

From what I seem to grasp of the situation, the Japanese seem to be a nationalistic country with the buying power that we have. Because of their social attitude vs our individualist attitude, It seems you cannot break them unless you show them something they don't already have. That I believe is the answer. IE: Microsoft says, "buy the Xbox 360". Japan says, "Why should we when we have better quality companies making games for us?". Also you have to understand that they believe in  helping their own economy. If they do not help their companies, as you are seeing now, they will indeed fall. Japanese development has not been catering to their own very well as they have in the past. Their developers seem weaker and more sluggish. Inafune of Capcom has said that "Japan is finished". Miyamoto of Nintendo is eyeing and praising western development talent for their creativity over the Japanese. When you look at this in some sense, you can tell the Japanese see talent in the west, but for some reason will not give up on themselves. Inafune certainly has no qualms about working with the west for sure though. He seems to be one of those I'll consider a rarity.

If the west wants to win over Japan, they need to show them something they've never seen, while appealing to them at the same time. I mean come on...can the only thing they want from us be movies, Mcdonalds and Starbucks? Our novelty to them, just isn't being realized, because it doesn't exist. This is also another reason why Japanese titles will get better treatment on Japanese systems from now on. The Japanese have spoken.

Westerners buy essentially anything compared to the Japanese as well. They like to be self sufficient as a nation where-as we like to do anything that capitalizes on the situation for self, no matter where it comes from.



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Conegamer on 06 February 2011
Xen said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuw5bHKFc7Y

Here's a chief reason as to why the 360 isn't successful in Japan... it isn't appealing. Heck, even to me as a westerner, this commercial isn't appealing!

Can't embed for some reason.

My...that was horrid. No wonder they aren't as successful as the other current-gen consoles if this is how they're pushing it...

(Anyone got Wii/PS3 ads to compare? Or is this another "puddi" thing?)



 

Here lies the dearly departed Nintendomination Thread.

S.T.A.G.E. on 06 February 2011
Xen said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuw5bHKFc7Y

Here's a chief reason as to why the 360 isn't successful in Japan... it isn't appealing. Heck, even to me as a westerner, this commercial isn't appealing!

Can't embed for some reason.


That commercial is very old. Please show something newer to prove why Microsoft has ongoing issues. This is one of the old marketing problems MIcrosoft had before. They were making western geared commercials when they are trying to get eastern support.



Conegamer on 06 February 2011
S.T.A.G.E. said:
Xen said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuw5bHKFc7Y

Here's a chief reason as to why the 360 isn't successful in Japan... it isn't appealing. Heck, even to me as a westerner, this commercial isn't appealing!

Can't embed for some reason.


That commercial is very old. Please show something newer to prove why Microsoft has ongoing issues. This is one of the old marketing problems MIcrosoft had before. They were making western geared commercials when they are trying to get eastern support.

The issue is, you need to make a good impression, especially when you're already the outsider. RROD and ads like this did nothing to help, anyway



 

Here lies the dearly departed Nintendomination Thread.

S.T.A.G.E. on 06 February 2011
Conegamer said:
S.T.A.G.E. said:
Xen said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuw5bHKFc7Y

Here's a chief reason as to why the 360 isn't successful in Japan... it isn't appealing. Heck, even to me as a westerner, this commercial isn't appealing!

Can't embed for some reason.


That commercial is very old. Please show something newer to prove why Microsoft has ongoing issues. This is one of the old marketing problems MIcrosoft had before. They were making western geared commercials when they are trying to get eastern support.

The issue is, you need to make a good impression, especially when you're already the outsider. RROD and ads like this did nothing to help, anyway


True, but the consoles top games are also the issue. Gears of War in no way appeals to the Japanese majority. Check for newer commercials. That commercial was horrible, but old.



Xen on 06 February 2011
S.T.A.G.E. said:
Conegamer said:
S.T.A.G.E. said:
Xen said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuw5bHKFc7Y

Here's a chief reason as to why the 360 isn't successful in Japan... it isn't appealing. Heck, even to me as a westerner, this commercial isn't appealing!

Can't embed for some reason.


That commercial is very old. Please show something newer to prove why Microsoft has ongoing issues. This is one of the old marketing problems MIcrosoft had before. They were making western geared commercials when they are trying to get eastern support.

The issue is, you need to make a good impression, especially when you're already the outsider. RROD and ads like this did nothing to help, anyway


True, but the consoles top games are also the issue. Gears of War in no way appeals to the Japanese majority. Check for newer commercials. That commercial was horrible, but old.

I just searched for commercials generally, didn't check whether they were old or new. Either way, once you start meekly, it'll be tough to recover. The 360 is both RROD free and (I guess) has better ads now, but it struggles because of past mistakes.