Microsoft announced on Friday that it will not be attending the Tokyo Game Show for 2015. This year’s event will run from September 17 to September 20 at the Makuhari Messe center in Chiba Japan. Microsoft Japan’s Masashi inoue responded to Famitsu’s inquiry about the announcement by stating:
“2015 will provide an attractive game lineup for Xbox, including exclusive titles. This year, Microsoft will not exhibit at the Tokyo Game Show, but we are making various preparations to convey the latest Xbox information to fans and the press. We will make an announcement as soon as preparations are in order.”
The truth is, as an American company Microsoft cannot expect to do well in Japan. It’s no secret that Japan isn’t open to change or accepting of American companies who want to plant seeds in its land. Proof of this can be found in Microsoft’s premiere of the Xbox One in Japan on September 4, 2014. It didn’t go well. Even worse, when they premiered the Xbox 360 in Japan in 2005 with Blue Dragon as an exclusive—it barely gained traction.
The Xbox One isn’t a very versatile console, and for that matter, neither is Microsoft as a company. The obvious difference between the Playstation 4, , and the XboxOne isn’t just that the latter is American. It’s that it refuses to offer what the other two do: Variety. Shooters, Sports, and even racing games are ever prominent on the seeking to utilize the Kinect 2.0 to its infinite potential, but that’s where it ends. RPG’s, Action adventure exclusives, and puzzle titles aren’t available even in Google Play form.
If Microsoft skips Tokyo Game Show 2016, this is the best thing for them, and their investors as not to have an embarrassing presentation that doesn’t offer much for Japanese consumers. So yes it’ actually a good thing that Microsoft is skipping the Tokyo Games Show, but what will it do next year?
Kenay Peterson
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheDark_Mage
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Tags: Japan, Microsoft, TGS 2015, Tokyo, Tokyo game show