Although the perception of Xbox is at an all-time low, the brand is doing better in Japan, a region that is notoriously one of the worst for Microsoft's video gaming division
Speaking with Japanese publication Famitsu during the recent Beyond the Strand event celebrating Kojima Productions' 10th anniversary, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer commented on Xbox's performance in Japan.
In the past year, the total playtime across the entire ecosystem has increased by around 20%. Although no exact figure has been confirmed, Spencer specified that the playtime growth is balanced between console, PC, and cloud. However, much of this total playtime increase is due to the increasing importance of the PC market in Japan.
To further boost Xbox's market share in Japan, Microsoft is planning to provide more content for Japanese players. Spencer confirmed that the publisher is currently talking with different partners while it is continuing to maintain a close relationship with Japanese developers like CAPCOM, Square Enix, SEGA, Bandai Namco Entertainment and Konami.
Speaking about the company's future in terms of hardware, Phil Spencer reiterated once again to Famitsu that a new Xbox console is coming, though he offered no additional details. However, the recent release of the ROG Xbox Ally provides an indication of the company's strategy, which aims to connect multiple devices under the Xbox platform.
Xbox's renewed focus on the Japanese market is no surprise. The company is attempting to cater more to the region's audience by setting the next entry in one of its hallmark franchises, Forza Horizon 6, in Japan and publishing games developed by Japanese studios, such as the highly anticipated Ninja Gaiden 4, which ended the series' long hiatus. Hopefully, the attention on the Japanese market will bring back other Japanese franchises that have been left dormant for a while.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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