Sony wanted to exclude Nintendo, so then they could argue that they could argue that Nintendo gamers don't play CoD, whereas CoD is an important part of the PlayStation market. Some regulators agreed that Nintendo gamers buy different kinds of games.

This ultimately means, in this new market that it's just Sony vs Microsoft, which is incredibly one-sided in Japan.

Oh boy! I think I'm enjoying this waay too much. Maybe I should log off for a while.

False.

How does one compete in Japan if they are unable to obtain Japanese games?

This is weird my dude, including a photo of her like some kind of witch hunt. It's frigging videogames.

Anyway I'll correct only the disinformation and won't bother commenting on anything else.

"Microsoft pays American politicians to publish false government-level statistics and tries to weaken Sony."

No evidence of this payment happening, lobbying does happen though, Sony does it as well, all major corporations lobby. One lobbied better than the other. These "Statistics" come from FTC's market definition which FTC made up in an attempt to block the deal with Sony's support.

"500.000 Dollar for US-Senator Maria Cantwell, by Microsoft"

No...Seen that posted around. It is plain incorrect.

Since 1991 - 2022 she has received $524,068 in donations from Microsoft individuals which means people who worked at Microsoft at the time they made the donation, basically if I worked for Microsoft and donated to her enough, I would increase that value too. Microsoft has additionally donated $2,875 to her in total using PACs from 1991 - 2022.

"PS5 games that were in production at Bethesda have been canceled, according to the developer. So Microsoft lie again."

No lie, they said they won't pull titles from PlayStation that currently exist on PlayStation, that remains true.

"Nintendo is completely excluded from the statistics because they are too unimportant according to Microsoft."

Microsoft never actually said that, they in fact tried to argue to include Nintendo in the market in order to justify their original position that a console maker doesn't need CoD to survive, it was Sony who pushed and tried to convince the regulators to dismiss Nintendo entirely and then when Microsoft offered Nintendo a contract for CoD it was Sony who started saying about how Switch is too weak for CoD, Nintendo's young fanbase isn't interested in FPS titles, etc.

The CMA did agree with parts of Sony's arguments but the FTC straight up took that argument and created an entire made up market out of it.

Microsoft had nothing to do with it but now that this dumb market definition exists, Microsoft is using it to their advantage and it is backfiring on Sony. If you want to blame someone then blame the FTC and it's partly Sony's fault for trying so hard to discredit and dismiss Switch entirely, it gave the regulators ammo to make these claims.

"Microsoft also criticizes the fact that so few Japanese developers want to work with their group."

Haven't seen that.

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I actually think the market definition is dumb as shit and Nintendo should be included but it is what it is...FTC decided to be stupid in a desperation to block the deal and now it's all backfiring in Microsoft's favour. Annoying as a Nintendo fan as well because FTC essentially called Nintendo a monopoly too, Lol.

CMA also said a bunch of dumb shit at the start about Nintendo to exclude them and that was in part because they were listening to Sony's arguments but upon closer inspection of the market they seem to have partly came around lately and backtracked a little. Although they still agree with aspects of the argument IIRC.

I'd have to look again if CMA/EC agree with the market definition but if they do then it's pretty much going to boot Switch out of the market in most major markets and thus it now becomes Xbox vs PlayStation of which Sony has large dominance over Xbox in plenty of markets so Xbox is using that to their advantage. Sony is trying to block the deal, Microsoft is trying to get it through, they'll both try every tactic possible.

So few words,  Yet so very wrong.

Well step one would be.. making one. Or partnering with one. Or not turning them down.  There are reports saying MS turned down Genshin impact while it was in development. Oh and I'm simply going to laugh at FF14 some more.

If all of Japan refuses to partner with you - aren't you the bigger problem? You have billions on billions but every Japanese company doesn't want to work with you?

And that of course ignores that Xbox DOES get games.  They got the latest released FF game. They got star ocean.  They some how got Octopath.

edit:

I found an IGN article about Xbox relationship with Japan.  Talks about how they released the Xbox early in Japan. They did marketing and did a lot of reaching out. Then in the xbox 360 they did deals like with Lost Odyssey and Blue dragon etc.

And then made every possible mistake you can make with Xbox one. For example apparently they didn't release it in Japan until TEN MONTHS later.  They also did a poor job with releasing games in Japan (so much so that people started importing from the US). And apparently did poor translations etc.

They dropped off in a huge big way.

Microsoft are planning to cry over every countries they are losing with Xbox ? Because we will have 194 others to talk about...

I think you guys are reading this the wrong way. I don't think Microsoft is actually interested in the Japanese market per se. I think it is quite obvious for everybody (including Microsoft) that they don't have a chance over there, BUT they do need japanese games for the western audience who likes those games.

Now, it should also be obvious that japanese developers don't have much incentive to put their games on Xbox, so Microsoft is left with only three choices:

1) Pay japanese developers to put their games on Gamepass (which they have been doing).
2) Buy some japanese studios and/or one publisher (which I think they're planning to do).
3) Built some studios from the ground up (I know this is Sony's fans favorite, but please, let's be real, even Sony haven't don't that in ages, I mean they even shut down one studio they had over there).

I don't think japanese government will allow that.

And that is exactly the reason this thread exists..