First of all this is not a joke post, or a troll post.  I am not a Sony or Nintendo fanboy, and this post is not flamebait, but a serious question.

Consider that the lifetime sales of 360 in Japan will be around 1.5 to 2 million by current projections - despite an enormous marketing push.  Also, consider that more and more Japanese companies are hungering for "western marketshare" with their games.  Traditionally, it has been my position that MS needed a presence in Japan to woo Japanese game companies for 3rd party support.  Recent stirrings have shown that this may be changing.  With the Japanese market favoring portable systems, more and more software houses will have to look at ANY console system showing strength in other markets as a viable platform.

Frankly, MS could survive without those 1.5 million consoles sold in Japan - especially considering the MANY millions spent to sell those systems.  More frankly, none of this would be an issue, if MS had purchased Sega and used their brand power for the Japanese X-box in the first place - SegaBox anyone? 

Thoughts?*

*Credit for this thread goes to a comment posted by Montana Hatchet in a previous MS/Japan thread.

If Microsoft abandons the Japanese market then Japanese developers abandon Microsoft.

They need to make the games that sell in Japan themselves. Moneyhatting for JRPG's is not cost effective (especially since they often send them to the PS3 later).

If MS competes properly for the expanded market, that should help them in Japan. I doubt they will though.

a common misconception is that the japanese do not support nonjapanese products. The truth is that MS has never had very many games on their systems that appeal to the japanese masses.

I am not suggesting abandonment, more accurately, I am suggesting that they may a strong product, put it on the table and say, "here it is, if you don't take it, then it is your loss." As opposed to obsessing over a market that has proven - as of now inaccessible.

Some people interpret ideas in such black and white ways. It isn't an all or nothing proposition.

@ morph - agreed, that is why they missed the boat with Sega.  If they wanted to break into that market, they did NOT go about it in the right way.  However, my question is aimed more at continuation of the present strategy which is - sorry to say - ineffective.

Capcom will never in hell abandon MS.

And as long as Capcom make games for MS consoles, I'm fine :)

MS is a US based company, so it is going to have more cultural ties to the US than the other two, therefore it should keep doing what it has been doing ; which is to concentrate on the US market with a bunch of shooters. To do the opposite, and put more emphasis on Japan would be fightingan uphill battle, which is entirely unecessary

Nothing in life is absolute!  Capcom would drop MS in a second given the right circumstances!!  No one thought Capcom would leave Nintendo after hit after hit on the NES and SNES yet the N64 came out and Capcom left Nintend for most of the generation throwing them a bone in Resident Evil 2 at the end of the generation!!

I agree, and they aren't the only ones either.  That is why I am considering a position change (see original post).  I am just trying to get a good honest debate going on here.

@ supercat, this is the kind of dissenting opinion that is needed to create discussion, thanks!  I do think that MS would do well to invest in some programming teams with understanding of Japanese tastes.  After all, those games can become hits in the rest of the world too.

Of course they should still go for the Japanese market.
It would be foolish for them not to as they'll lose dev support and games plus Japan is still a big player on the gaming scene.
I don't think any console manufacturer should abandon any gaming market or try not to expand into new territories.
The real question is how they go about expanding to get new markets into gaming for the first time or to drop old habits and try something new.