Xbox is looking to dominate the Japanese market with a new studio acquisition. According to reports, the tech giant is meeting with various Japanese studios.
Microsoft is eyeing the near-impenetrable Japanese market for its next-gen strategy. In a Bloomberg report, they detail that Xbox is meeting with “several” Japanese studios. They’re targeting “big and small” studios for a full acquisition.
Recent rumors noted how Microsoft is looking to acquire a Japanese studio. This will pair with their upcoming Zenimax portfolio to round out their offerings.
Japanese games market is Microsoft’s sore spot
According to the report, Microsoft is trying its best to attract the Japanese fanbase. So far, they are the only base that has resisted the entirety of Microsoft’s lineup.
Their attempts are so severe that the company is itching to get any sort of penetration in the market.
Both Sony and Microsoft are about to release their new game consoles this week. The new Series X and Series S will come out tomorrow, November 10. The Playstation 5 will come out a little later on November 12.
Microsoft is targeting the third largest gaming market in the world, but with a different approach. Rather than use traditional console-centric marketing, they now try to have offerings on all devices.
“The Xbox has a chance to make Japan its second-largest market after the U.S. if it takes the right steps for years to come,” noted Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Ace Research Institute in Tokyo. “Sony’s attention is drifting away, and fans have started to notice that.”
Sony moving away from Japan
Sony is slowly moving away from the Japanese games market. Xbox is looking to take advantage of their drifting sales.
Reports tell that Sony Japan sidelined in the current console generation. All this rift comes from the console’s lower sales in their home market. Compared to previous generations, the PS4 sold far fewer units.
Sony USA consolidated their team to California. Jim Ryan denies claims that the company is getting “Americanized.”
“I really want to reinforce the point that globalization does not mean Americanization, or vice versa,” Jim Ryan noted. “Becoming a global organization does not, in any way, shape or form, mean becoming an American organization. I’m living proof of that, as a good Geordie boy sitting here running PlayStation.”
Microsoft has a chance to capture a Japanese market that is open to new competitors. The Xbox Games Pass in Japan increased company activity within the market. Given their historically poor showing there, any positive uptick will be a plus.
Xbox has already lowered its Series X and Series S pricing in Japan. If they can acquire a few Japanese studios along the way, they can likely cement their presence there.
Featured image courtesy of Xbox/Youtube Screenshot