Xbox's future in Japan
- Thread starter Shifty Geezer
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I think, It were a turn based text RPG in the early days.
Fight mode in the first ones were like this:
- Skeleton did 4 damage to *player*, Rat missed *player*.
- Player hit Rat for 12 damage, and killed it.
It's been mentioned as a inspiration for Final Fantasy franchise, wich have since inspired a whole bunch of games.
Didn't really play the games myself.
Fight mode in the first ones were like this:
- Skeleton did 4 damage to *player*, Rat missed *player*.
- Player hit Rat for 12 damage, and killed it.
It's been mentioned as a inspiration for Final Fantasy franchise, wich have since inspired a whole bunch of games.
Didn't really play the games myself.
Are much searching Ive found it
Avalon, I used to play it for hours
http://www.crashonline.org.uk/10/avalon.htm
I used to love all the old Firebird games, particularly booty, on my speccy and the Ultimate games like Sabre Wulf. And then that was that Gauntlet rip off Dandy that I saved for like six months for!!
scooby_dooby
Legend
Seems like a pretty silly argument to me too.
There are definately games that are uniquely "american", ie in your face, over the top, "fuck ya!" types of games (like GOW), there's obviously distinctly Japenese games, and there's distinctly european games (Fable, B&W come to mind).
But for the most part, I'd say the majority of games out don't fit these cliche's, they're just good games and you couldn't tell or care where they were made.
Europe has definitely pumped out it's fair share of kick-ass AAA games, across all genres. Lots of good shooters, racing games, rpg's etc etc
Of course the American-centric titles will tend to sell more, because America is one gigantic freakin market, and American's will tend to gravitate to those types of games. Doesn't really mean they are the "best" games being made...
I sell a Photo Editor on iTunes, 75% of my revenue's come from the US, UK is about 10%, Australia 8%, Canada 5%... everyone else is peanuts. That doesn't have much relevancy to consoles, but it shows what a huge market US is. Obviously, If you make a title geared towards an american audience, and it resonates, you will certainly see much higher sales... I can't see how you can honestly equate that to quality though.
There are definately games that are uniquely "american", ie in your face, over the top, "fuck ya!" types of games (like GOW), there's obviously distinctly Japenese games, and there's distinctly european games (Fable, B&W come to mind).
But for the most part, I'd say the majority of games out don't fit these cliche's, they're just good games and you couldn't tell or care where they were made.
Europe has definitely pumped out it's fair share of kick-ass AAA games, across all genres. Lots of good shooters, racing games, rpg's etc etc
Of course the American-centric titles will tend to sell more, because America is one gigantic freakin market, and American's will tend to gravitate to those types of games. Doesn't really mean they are the "best" games being made...
I sell a Photo Editor on iTunes, 75% of my revenue's come from the US, UK is about 10%, Australia 8%, Canada 5%... everyone else is peanuts. That doesn't have much relevancy to consoles, but it shows what a huge market US is. Obviously, If you make a title geared towards an american audience, and it resonates, you will certainly see much higher sales... I can't see how you can honestly equate that to quality though.
I remember booty and dandy, both were great
Ultimate like I mentioned above (the stamper brothers) were the greatest programming team ever
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_Play_The_Game
WRT knightlore
I dont know if I'ld go that far, but for Ghostz to say nothing came from Europe is ignorance personified, s/he needs to read up a bit more on gaming history
Ultimate like I mentioned above (the stamper brothers) were the greatest programming team ever
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_Play_The_Game
WRT knightlore
I dont know if I'ld go that far, but for Ghostz to say nothing came from Europe is ignorance personified, s/he needs to read up a bit more on gaming history
ALRIGHTY! Now, let's move the discussion back to whether Microsoft should leave Japan, lower prices in Europe, send the Japanese some cheesecake, etc.
The discussion about European culture in games (or culture in European games (or games in European culture (or next post about this earns a cultural infraction) ) ) is closed. The other thread was closed, will move remaining posts there when I finish this (European) icecream.
The discussion about European culture in games (or culture in European games (or games in European culture (or next post about this earns a cultural infraction) ) ) is closed. The other thread was closed, will move remaining posts there when I finish this (European) icecream.
I don't think that MS should "leave" Japan, but on the other hand they might not need to do the same kind of heavy investing as they have been doing to please the Japanese publishers/gamers. I'm not saying that it was wrong of them to do so in the beginning of this gen as it was also important to show in US/Euro that Japanese publishers would back them.
However, I think they have realized two things as this generation have been progressing. One, that although they have sold more 360s compared to the original, I am sure they had much higher hopes going into this gen from Japan. The other thing is that I think they have realized that the backing of the Japanese publishers might not be as important as it once was.
I like to call it the PCfication of the consoles, with games that were once popular on the PC now basically dominating the console space as well and with those games of course the PC devs have come into the console development space which basically all come from the US/Euro. The Japanese publishers have not been able to keep up to these changes and the new "gaming taste" of the gamers, preferring FPS shooters and online multiplayer which as far as I know is nothing Japanese developer have been doing at all. It is now more important to get games like COD, GTA and Battlefield on your system rather the next Japanese RPG/platformer.
As such, I think that MS can safely stop the over-investment in Japan and concentrate on US/Europe. If they can maintain their lead in the US even next gen and maybe a expand a bit in Europe, just out of business sense the Japanese publishers will have to back them and it has already started,with Japanese publishers funding western games and will most likely continue...
However, I think they have realized two things as this generation have been progressing. One, that although they have sold more 360s compared to the original, I am sure they had much higher hopes going into this gen from Japan. The other thing is that I think they have realized that the backing of the Japanese publishers might not be as important as it once was.
I like to call it the PCfication of the consoles, with games that were once popular on the PC now basically dominating the console space as well and with those games of course the PC devs have come into the console development space which basically all come from the US/Euro. The Japanese publishers have not been able to keep up to these changes and the new "gaming taste" of the gamers, preferring FPS shooters and online multiplayer which as far as I know is nothing Japanese developer have been doing at all. It is now more important to get games like COD, GTA and Battlefield on your system rather the next Japanese RPG/platformer.
As such, I think that MS can safely stop the over-investment in Japan and concentrate on US/Europe. If they can maintain their lead in the US even next gen and maybe a expand a bit in Europe, just out of business sense the Japanese publishers will have to back them and it has already started,with Japanese publishers funding western games and will most likely continue...
One problem with that thinking is assuming that gaming will stay the same next-gen, but fashions keep changing and the dominance of the shooter won't last forever unless there's an unexpected in human behaviour. Games that used to dominate like platformers, puzzle games, space shooters, shoot-em-ups, adventure games, have all fallen by the wayside as gamers moved onto the next new experience. Prior to this gen I played hardly any FPSes, because they weren't very prevalent on PS2 last gen. This gen has seen a very radical push behind FPS as a genre, almost artifically so I think. I mean, Uncharted wasn't going to be a shooter until Sony pressured ND. Now every man and his dog is making an FPS out of every franchise, and gamers are tiring of it. While on the slip side, the best selling games of this generation have been on Wii, from Japan, and not targeted at the core gamer.
I see lots of scope for another shift next gen, although from where and to what, I don't know. But I wouldn't regard any region as unimportant in terms of creative potential. Perhaps next-gen will be shooter-centric again, and Japan will have little to add. Perhaps it'll go more family orientated, and the Nintendo-like games will need to be supported on the next XB and PS. Perhaps there'll be more diversity overall with no single genre dominating, and the best console will support the broadest library, or even the console with the best interface allowing for more varied gameplays (RTSes etc.) will win out over those stuck with dual-thumbsticks.
Thanks for taking the time to look into it. I waited to reply until Sony released the UK price for the Vita. Today it was announced to be £229.
So taking todays exchange rate (yes, I know it changes) and assuming EU and UK Sales Tax rates of 20%, you have the following:
US $249
EU €249 = $286.21
UK £229 = $301.01
$52 premium for UK gamers?
For me it is. Sorry.
A few years back I was looking at DLP's and there were some 70" Sony's that looked great and were competitevly priced. Of course, they weren't released in the UK, not going any higher than 50".
Which, I propose, is as valid an argument as to berate MS for not releasing a MP3 player in europe in a game console related thread and forum.
etc...I don't think either deserves credit for supporting Europe fairly.
I don't disagree with everything you said, and both companies have their failings in Europe. My only contention is that the "new kid on the block" is doing better in most regards (price, release dates, software support) than the company who has been at it much longer.
And, to bring it back to the actual topic of the thread, they could and should have done even better and focusing less on the Japanese market and reallocating those resources to the EMEA region could have benefitted both those consumers and also MS in that region.
Let's hope that, next gen, they don't make the same mistake again. And even more forlorn hope is that Sony start to treat the EU market more fairly (at least as fairly as MS would be a good start). Though the Vita pricing suggests it's not a priority.
Euro gamers have always taken it from all the console vendors. Not just over price - game breaking 50hz modes from US/Japanese games; ugly, bordered, squashed graphics that look like utter crap; delays of hundreds of centuries for game localisation. Some people even seem to like it, Stockholm Syndrome style. (Sega actually tried proper Euro localisations with full screen, full speed and 60hz modes and got laughed off the market.*)
Microsoft have actually tried hard in Europe though (lol £300 Xbox 1 launch-flop price aside). A 60hz mode for their first console, some quality 50hz conversions, online that worked internationally, etc. I'd like to think that's contributed somewhat to their sort-of success here. But it probably hasn't. Truth is they've been able to get enough of the software and the brands that people want - in Japan they they haven't.
MS can get many of the games that Japanese gamers want more effectively by growing their European market than by throwing a bit of money at developers to make Japan only games. They should try and grow their significance in Japan indirectly, until they have the necessary momentum and then strike at the core Japanese market if they still actually think it's worth it.
*Bitter Saturn/Dreamcast fanboy moment. Okay, maybe not all that bitter about the Saturn.
Microsoft have actually tried hard in Europe though (lol £300 Xbox 1 launch-flop price aside). A 60hz mode for their first console, some quality 50hz conversions, online that worked internationally, etc. I'd like to think that's contributed somewhat to their sort-of success here. But it probably hasn't. Truth is they've been able to get enough of the software and the brands that people want - in Japan they they haven't.
MS can get many of the games that Japanese gamers want more effectively by growing their European market than by throwing a bit of money at developers to make Japan only games. They should try and grow their significance in Japan indirectly, until they have the necessary momentum and then strike at the core Japanese market if they still actually think it's worth it.
*Bitter Saturn/Dreamcast fanboy moment. Okay, maybe not all that bitter about the Saturn.
Yeah, but the $300 Xbox going for £300, or the $300 PS2 going for £300, or the $200 Dreamcast going for £200, all back when the exchange rate was about 2 dollars to 1 of Her Majesty's Pounds Stirling. That wasn't additional costs, that was simply charging teh uros much, much more because they thought they could (Xbox 1 got cut to £200 so fast it was awesome - no, M$, you can't gouge Europe like Sony can because you're not Sony).
What are the actual costs to doing business in Europe relative to the US? I know Nintendo and Sony are being squeezed because of a strong yen. That's how exporting goods work. You want the weaker currency so your goods are cheaper. It also looks like to me it actually costs more to simply ship and distribute goods in Europe than anywhere else - which would inflate costs even further. So naturally the weaker the Euro gets relative to the dollar and yen they higher the costs of goods are going to be for you.
This will NEVER change. It's simply basic math. What you need is a stronger euro or pound-sterling so the cost curve of goods and services go down. That's the only way you are going to get cheaper games. This is a business afterall. Of course, you could question how much right to profit they are allowed to gained but that's a whole 'nother debate.
This will NEVER change. It's simply basic math. What you need is a stronger euro or pound-sterling so the cost curve of goods and services go down. That's the only way you are going to get cheaper games. This is a business afterall. Of course, you could question how much right to profit they are allowed to gained but that's a whole 'nother debate.
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There's also another consideration which is how RRP translates to actual retail pricing. I don't know how that varies from region to region, but I know the UK has some serious discounting done a lot of the time. The supermarkets have come in for some stick for pushing down the price of games to a point that they aren't profitable, I read in on article some time back. So every £50 RRP game is sold for under £40 in real terms. If Brits will only buy when they feel they are getting a bargain, it makes sense to up the RRP so the stores have room to cut price and offer 'discounts' (selling at the price you actually intend).
We need an actual retail average price like that one in the NPD thread, for different regions.
We need an actual retail average price like that one in the NPD thread, for different regions.
One thing to keep in mind, here in NZ (& I believe in most places in europe) every piece of electronics (or most any goods) has a 3 year guarantee, where if it breaks down they have to replace it (or refund money) without any extra charge obviously the manufactures have to cover this somehow
Microsoft Japan gave in to a petition of its female users and created an event only for women. Hopefully no company ever leaves Japan, it's such an interesting country..
http://www.dualshockers.com/2016/06...s-party-in-tokyo-check-out-a-ton-of-pictures/
Hopefully no company ever leaves Japan, it's such an interesting country..http://www.dualshockers.com/2016/06...s-party-in-tokyo-check-out-a-ton-of-pictures/
Microsoft won't go to the TGS, they are going to host their own event in Japan instead, called Xbox Big Thanksgiving to throw the money away show Japanese games for the one:
http://www.dualshockers.com/2016/08...game-show-will-host-its-own-event-in-october/
http://www.dualshockers.com/2016/08...game-show-will-host-its-own-event-in-october/
