The original Xbox and the 360 have always had difficulty in Japan, and it looks like things are getting even worse for Microsoft in the region. Siliconera noticed something odd about recent multiplatform releases: Many of them aren’t being released on the Xbox 360 in Japan.
As Siliconera points out, Injustice: Gods Among Us and Terraria, both of which multiplat releases in the West, will not be making it to the 360 in Japan. Metal Gear Rising: Revengance, a Japanese game that was released on multiple consoles elsewhere, did not get a 360 release in the region either.
Is it worth it?
Will Microsoft be able to survive in the Japanese console market in the next generation? Will they even release their next console in the region? With the market’s complete lack of interest in Microsoft consoles, it’s easy to wonder whether or not there will even be a point to continuing with the Xbox brand in Japan.
The next console generation isn’t starting until later this year and publishers are already stepping away from the 360. We all know that Microsoft wants to compete directly with Sony, but that is not a battle that can be won in Nintendo and Sony’s homeland.
