Phil Spencer, Microsoft Games Studios Vice President, says that the company is still sorting out exact details on how to attack Japan's very particular video game market, according to a report
Spencer says that Japan has a rich development community and Microsoft wants them to create games for the upcoming next-gen console. Expect something to be revealed sometime at E3, Spencer tells IGN.
"We're spending a lot of time with and thinking about -- the Japanese creators, and having them creating content on our box and having it show up to the worldwide audience," Spencer explains. "I think you'll see some announcements in the not too distant future that I think might delight people."
Don Mattrick, President of Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft, told journalist at a closed-door press briefing that they are committed to the land of the rising sun according to Official Xbox Magazine.
"We continue to build on our partnerships, we continue to build on our offerings for consumers inside of that space," Mattrick said. "We think it's an important market, and we'll continue building on the working investment that we've done over all these years.
Microsoft released the original Xbox in 2001 and since then, it's been seen as a complete failure in Japan. Even promising partnerships with the country's most cherished developers like Tecmo (Ninja Gaiden) and Sega (Shenmue 2) couldn't help a console that only sold two million there. The Xbox 360 hasn't fared any better with only 1.6 being sold as of December of last year.
There are many reasons why Microsoft's console couldn't get Japan to match the reception it received in both U.S. and European territories. Many blame the original Xbox's bulky design and huge controller for its failing to attract Japanese customers. When it came to the Xbox 360, the over reliance on first-person-shooters alongside its lack of Blu-Ray drive led to domination by Sony's Playstation 4 and Nintendo's Wii U.