Microsoft woo Japanese developers to Xbox 360

Mike Bantick
Thursday, 13 September 2007 05:51

Your IT - Entertainment

It is a tough market for the Xbox 360, but with the likes of developer Square Enix behind them, Microsoft is pushing hard for further success in Japan.

The delightful Blue Dragon pushed a number of Xbox 360 sales in Japan, but the stark reality for the American company is they are coming a distant third behind Nintendo and Sony.

As part of the Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft is making an attempt to get into the psyche of the Japanese game market.  Getting the backing and support of some of the biggest names in Japanese game development and publishing is a big start.

From the press release:
SYDNEY 13 September 2007 - Microsoft kicked off the Tokyo Game Show in style, with Takashi Sensui, general manager of the Home and Entertainment Division at Microsoft Co. Ltd., taking the stage at the Yebisu Garden Hall during Xbox 360 Briefing 2007 to announce support from some of Japan's most renowned game developers.

 Two of Japan's most celebrated game designers, Tomonobu Itagaki from Team Ninja/Tecmo Ltd. and Hironobu Sakaguchi from Mistwalker, joined Sensui onstage to announce their support for the Xbox 360 platform. Itagaki highlighted the announcement that Team Ninja will develop "NINJA GAIDEN 2(r)," the true sequel to the best-selling and critically acclaimed Xbox(r) original, exclusively for Xbox 360TM. Sakaguchi revealed the release date for Mistwalker's upcoming role-playing game (RPG) "Lost Odyssey(tm)". In addition, a representative from SQUARE ENIX took the stage to discuss two new games for Xbox 360: "INFINITE UNDISCOVERY(tm)" and "THE LAST REMNANT(tm)."

 "NINJA GAIDEN 2" is the long-awaited sequel to the platinum-selling Xbox original, where players once again assume the role of Ryu Hayabusa as they guide the ninja hero on a quest to avenge his clan and prevent the destruction of the human race. Team Ninja's announcement that "NINJA GAIDEN 2" will be exclusive to Xbox 360 and available worldwide in 2008 provided gamers everywhere with plenty of reason for excitement, and served as yet another example of the blockbuster games being created by Japanese developers exclusively for the platform.

 Xbox 360 owners in Japan will be the first to experience the magical world of "Lost Odyssey," created by Mistwalker/feelplus Inc., and featuring a beautifully told story by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the "Final Fantasy" video game franchise. Players will be led through a dramatic story of massive scale that features breathtaking visuals and an epic adventure made possible only by the power of Xbox 360. "Lost Odyssey" will be available 6 December 2007 in Japan, January 2008 in Asia, and February 2008 in Australia, North America and Europe, exclusively on Xbox 360.

 Japanese developers have long embraced and championed Xbox LIVE Arcade, with hits including "Pac-Man Championship Edition" (NAMCO BANDAI Games), "Bomberman Live" (Hudson Entertainment), "Frogger" (Konami) and "Fatal Fury" (SNK PLAYMORE Corp.). Several new titles from these and other Japanese developers will be added to the diverse portfolio of digitally distributed, high-definition* original and classic games currently available on Xbox LIVE Arcade, including:

-       "Every Extend Extra Extreme" (Q Entertainment). The latest creation from Q Entertainment, "Every Extend Extra Extreme," or E4, is a unique action-packed shooter where the goal is to perfectly time your self-destruction to create chain reactions that explode surrounding enemies. With outrageous visuals and the ability to play your own favorite music, E4 puts a new twist on puzzle shooter games.

-     "EXIT" (Taito). An addictive, frenzied puzzle game, "EXIT" has players using their decision-making skills and wits to escape numerous obstacles, while rescuing people from more than 100 different emergencies. Players must save as many lives as possible while finding the fastest way out when "EXIT" arrives on Xbox LIVE Arcade by the end of the year.

-        "Ikaruga" (Treasure Co. Ltd.). "Ikaruga" is a quick-paced shooter with strong strategy elements featuring a slow-motion training mode and co-op play for two.** Available soon for download from Xbox LIVE Arcade, "Ikaruga" is the perfect combination of beautiful, manga-style storytelling and refined, ultra-challenging arcade heroics.

-        "OMEGA FIVE" (Hudson Entertainment). "OMEGA FIVE" is a next-generation, high-definition shooter with awe-inspiring graphics. Players fly through dangerous 3-D environments in this side-scroller and try to avoid the enemies that come at them from all sides, even from behind.
 
-        "Rez" (Q Entertainment). "Rez," the legendary action-shooter created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade. A fast-moving, wire-frame adventure backed by industrial beats, the story of "Rez" takes players deep into the world's computer network, where they must hack the system, altering the visual output and even taking over the music, creating their own rhythms and eye candy as they dig deeper into the dreamlike cyberworld.

-        "Triggerheart Exelica" (Warashi). A shoot'em-up game where players battle against hordes of enemy ships, "Triggerheart Exelica" dynamically adjusts the difficulty to match a player's skill level. "Triggerheart Exelica" launches on Xbox LIVE Arcade this year.

 Once again, Microsoft will bring the Tokyo Game Show experience into living rooms worldwide as it offers its "TGS Bring It Home" programming, delivering hours of coverage from the press briefing, all the best highlights from the show floor, interviews with developers, gameplay videos, exclusive cinematic trailers and a variety of Xbox 360 content for gamers to download over Xbox LIVE Marketplace, beginning 13 September 2007