It's Microsoft's worst-kept secret that the Xbox hasn't exactly seen success in Japan, with monthly sales figures
regularly exceeded by the original Game Boy Advance. To
curb this trend in anticipation of the Xbox 360, they've been eagerly recruiting notable Japanese game designers to
develop games that will hopefully cater to the average Japanese gamer (read: RPGs). Despite Microsoft's best efforts,
however, three of the 360's most prominent RPGs, enCHANT arM, Tengai Makyou Zirai, and
Ninety-Nine Nights, have all had their Japanese release dates pushed back, creating a noticeable void in the
360's launch window. enCHANT arM, originally the 360's only launch RPG, has been recast for debut on January
12th, while the latter two games have been pushed back from mid-January to spring 2006.
Now that the Xbox 360's Japanese launch is comprised primarily of Western-developed titles, the successor to the Xbox is looking more like its predecessor every day. Should Microsoft just give up on Japan and focus their efforts on winning over the rest of the world? We're fairly certain that European gamers wouldn't mind a little extra attention every now and again.
