9:30 AM on 09.11.2008
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Here's a very interesting little bit of gossip. According to 1UP's interview with Game Republic president Yoshiki Okamoto, Microsoft once snubbed the Folklore studio over a proposed Xbox 360 game by claiming that it didn't need games for the Japanese market anymore. Game Republic was working on an online title exclusively for the Xbox 360. However, the game was eventually scrapped after MS kindly decided to pull the plug. Okamoto explains why: "In the beginning, Microsoft was funding it, so we developed it up to a point and showed it to them. They said they didn't really like it that much. After that, we continued to develop the game with our own money for nine more months, thinking that they'd come around, but when we showed it to Microsoft again, they said they didn't need titles for the Japanese market any more. That's why the game ultimately got canceled."
Oh really? Microsoft didn't need Japanese titles, did it? Can it be explained then, why it took a 360-exclusive Japanese RPG in Tales of Vesperia to see the console gain any ground in Japan? Is the revelation of a Final Fantasy XIII release on the 360 something that Microsoft feels isn't important? Funny how quickly MS' attitude seems to have changed now that it's realized the only way to sell an Xbox 360 in Japan is with a Japanese game from a Japanese franchise. |
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21 comments + 95764 views
Why are we believing them so quickly? They could be, you know, lying. Maybe their game just sucked and Microsoft said they didn't need it. It being a Japanese game...maybe somewhere along the line the quote got distorted.
Seeing as how Folkore turned out to be super mega AAA, I can't see how Microsoft would want to stop funding and turn this game down...
I wouldn't doubt they're just being butthurt about it and trying to stir things up.
Because, honestly, since when did MS not need Japanese market share?
Ye of little faith.
I remember a story once about a SHMUP dev wanting to bring their game to XBLA and was told by Microsoft to basically fuck off. I can't remember the name of the company or the article, but it was sad to hear. Stories like this, get a big WTF from me. If a game is worth playing, get it to the people.
@jonnybryce: Maybe their game sucked? *cough* Too Human *cough*. Since when did game quality determine whether they get made or not?
Whatever the reason it certainly wasn't quality. Complacency maybe...
@Timmeh: Microsoft published Too Human. They were funding the project being discussed in this post. There's a difference.
funneh, i bet they said it before tales of vesperia came out :-)
Hmm...Either it was said in haste (out of frustration), or I'm calling BS. MS didn't make its billions by closing doors that should not be closed.
Didn't Microsoft always say from the beginning that they wanted to support the Japanese market. Maybe just in this particular case, they didn't need this particular game because it wasn't up to standards. And with the Japanese market, maybe MS felt the need to be more picky with what they choose to release there.
"...the only way to sell an Xbox 360 in Japan is with a Japanese game from a Japanese franchise."
Mind explosion.
Yeah Microsoft has fucked up like this before and will continue to fuck up.
Did you knew M$ had the chance to have Little Big Planet?
Those Japs don't appreciate the fine taste of foreign games. M$ has put a lot into appealing to the Japanese so the comapny cares about that market. It shoudl work at making good games in general instead. Maybe M$ employees are realizing Japs'll always favor Nintendo/Sony over their brand, no matter how superior M$'s offerings become.
MS have been wrong before. The jrpg factor is the very reason the original Xbox tanked in japan.
Some employees at MS need some coffee and a good slap.
Game Republic made a game for the 360, and it was exclusive to Japan. It was a party game or something. The game did not sell well. Therefore, why would MS have more faith in an unreleased project from a developer with a mediocre reputation?
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