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Xbox continues its discussions with Japanese game developers large and small as it continues its search for studio acquisitions in the country.
That’s according to a new report from Bloomberg, which states that several Japanese-based game developers, “from small to large”, have indicated that they have been approached by Microsoft to buy their business.
The companies have asked not to be identified because the talks were private, Bloomberg said, and declined to give details on how the talks would unfold.
Microsoft is stepping up its efforts in Japan with its latest console launch. The Xbox Series X and S will launch day in and day out with other territories on November 10 (up from a year later with his previous console) and Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said he intends to better serve the needs of consumers. Japanese players of this generation of consoles.
Since launching Xbox Game Pass for console and PC in Japan last April, Xbox has seen more player activity than at any time in its history in Japan, Spencer said.
The leader openly expressed the desire to acquire an Asian game developer, “including a Japanese studio”, on several occasions in 2019.
Asked by Bloomberg to comment on its acquisition efforts, Jeremy Hinton, Xbox operations manager in Asia, said acquisitions were a possibility and the company was “always open to discussions with well-suited creators.”
The post also cited Xbox developer relations manager Sarah Bond as saying Microsoft is stepping up talks with Japan-based game developers about releasing titles on Xbox.
Koei Tecmo is said to be one of those companies. Hisashi Koinuma, president of the Japanese publisher, told Bloomberg he was ready to consider releasing more games for Xbox if the company shows continued interest in Japan.
Xbox Series X / S pre-orders quickly sold out at Japanese retailers in September. Considering Xbox’s historically poor performance in Japan, inventory is unlikely to have been high, but it’s still a positive start in a country where Xbox has generally struggled.
Speaking to Famitsu (translated by a VGC contributor Robert Sephazon), Spencer called the pre-sale performance “the first step in a much longer marathon” and said Microsoft would ship more consoles before and after the launch of the X and S series.
“It makes me humble to consider how well the Xbox Series X / S has been received by Japanese fans, ”he said.
“With the goals we’re aiming for for the Xbox Series X / S, this is just the first step in a much longer marathon, but I’m very happy to know how much everyone expects from us, and this even motivates us more when pre-orders are sold out. “
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