WIndows Central/Miles Dompier begging for more Japanese games on Xbox: "Why are major 3rd party games constantly skipping Xbox?"

[Dabaus]

I don't understand the obsession with these Xbox media people that on one hand, they criticize PS for making moves to secure exclusive content for their platform, yet on the other hand beg for Xbox to effectively secure delivery of key 3P content exclusively for GamePass. And that's "exclusive" in practice because only MS have the money to be able to pay out for multiple 3P AAA games to GamePass (even Day 1) regardless of the sunk costs to do so.

The way they frame discussion on Xbox not getting certain big Japanese games makes it sound like Xbox players are being disenfranchised, like their civil rights are being violated and it's "inhumane". It is NOT that serious. Gaming is a privilege, not a right. If a game isn't on your platform, then it's just business. If you really want a game and it's on a different platform, then buy the platform that game is on (and that goes for any platform). (Also an aside but his Elden Ring figures are inaccurate; those were early sales but the actual split at least at the time the 10/12 million figure was given seemed closer to 42% PC/40% PS/18% Xbox).

I don't mind people wanting to see more of a certain type of game on their platform, but there is a REALLY weird and almost politicized way these Xbox journalists and mouthpieces go about it, CONSTANTLY complaining and campaigning for let's say, Japanese companies, to "answer the call" and "do the right thing" to bring their games to their preferred platform. It's like these guys are lobbying for Microsoft free of charge and treating 3P Japanese devs/pubs as political candidates.

It's a very weird and I'd even say manipulative obsession on their part, and I only really see proponents of Xbox with big (or big-ish) platforms doing this. I think they try framing the concept of needing multiple systems to play all of your games as somehow being "anti-consumer" but the more they engage in what basically feels like politicized port-begging, the more it comes off as them wanting to be slick and put on a good face while they really want consolidation to one very specific platform, because you just KNOW how a lot of these people writing these sort of articles lean. Gets easier to see what it's really about with them.

And as you can see in Mile's own article, they are primarily focused on the Japanese exclusives PlayStation gets; yeah he name-drops Nintendo a couple of times but that is clearly not the focus. It's because subconsciously, they want Xbox to replace PlayStation, and this is just another veil they can hide behind to push that message. It wouldn't be as lame if they just came out and said what they wanted, I could at least respect them in that case. And I say that because when they bring up stuff like the Japanese games situation, it's within an environment already dealing with MS acquiring big 3P publishers (and wanting to acquire even more), heavily subsidizing Series S in ways that would be unsustainable for smaller companies just to move volume, looking to tie even more 3P devs into the Azure network, pushing a subscription-based business model for the future etc. All of these being things you never see people like Miles push back against because they all incidentally happen to line up with and benefit Microsoft's growth ambitions in gaming.

THAT'S why I look at articles like this and come to the conclusion that they aren't genuine in intention. Xbox players have known for years now if they want as many JRPGs as possible, you get a PS or Nintendo. PS gamers will potentially be faced with a situation where if they want as many WRPGs as possible, they'll need to get an Xbox. If you want as many platformers as possible or kart racers, you need to get a Nintendo. Platforms having a majority on certain types of content (both in terms of multiplats & exclusives) that fall into certain categories is a GOOD thing and that's helped feed into different platforms having their own identity & surrounding culture. Guys like Miles may not value that and that's fine, but feeding into what feels like an agenda to galvanize things for a specific platform isn't fine IMO.

Like, you KNOW those Japanese publishers have prior sales data informing their decisions. You KNOW that any offers Sony or Nintendo offer them for exclusivity, still have to be accepted by the publisher. But these kind of articles never address the elephant in the room which the OP here pretty much spells out: those games you keep port-begging for had earlier versions that never sold that well on Xbox platforms to make continued efforts worth it.

And that's fine, because there will always be cases like that for any system. Didn't the new Saint's Row do almost as well on Xbox as on PlayStation? We know in America, COD sales on Xbox are pretty strong even in relation to the PS sales. Certain games just do well on certain platforms and that's okay. If that determines if certain games continue to release on a platform, then so be it. If you want those games so badly, just buy the console they're on and play them there. It's not your right to have access to that game on a platform it's unavailable for, you've got this whole "gaming" thing mixed up.

This is a great post.

 

[Bryank75]

Don't expect that Kojima game to be anything beyond a mobile game that will appear on Xbox also.

 

[Dabaus]

Don't expect that Kojima game to be anything beyond a mobile game that will appear on Xbox also.

He did kind of blatantly snub xbox and phil spencer to his face at the game awards. Whats your next proeject? "Still experimenting lol." No mention of xbox or anything.

 

[shrike0fth0rns]

Don't expect that Kojima game to be anything beyond a mobile game that will appear on Xbox also.

Yeah his focus seems to be on death stranding 2 and the movie this will probably take up less of his attention and be a really short high quality experience not a big budget triple A experience.

 

[arvfab]

First game probably had an exclusive clause or something when it went into gp. They probably specifically exclude ps until the game leaves gp.

You mean MS moneyhatted something?

 

[Dabaus]

Don't expect that Kojima game to be anything beyond a mobile game that will appear on Xbox also.

At this rate im kind of convinced it will never come out or it will deliberately be so low effort it will be insulting. "Thanks for the check Phil."

 

[riesgoyfortuna]

Gamespass is killing third party support in general. Xbox gamers are not buying software anymore. It’s just gamespass.

I love how xbots arent aware how gemepass it making xbox irrelevant in stores in a crazy pace

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Don't expect that Kojima game to be anything beyond a mobile game that will appear on Xbox also.

The only leaked gameplay so far was basically QTEs so that could easily run on a mobile device. And the game's said to be utilizing cloud, that could be as basic as streaming for mobile devices for all we know.

Yeah his focus seems to be on death stranding 2 and the movie this will probably take up less of his attention and be a really short high quality experience not a big budget triple A experience.

That's kind of what it always was TBH, back when Google had it. Some episode smaller-scale thing. The question is if it ties into Death Stranding universe. Sony own the IP rights to DS so whether Overdose can tie into it or not would be up to if Sony allowed it, but I'm guessing they would let it if Kojima wants it.

Really interesting is that there's pseudo Metal Gears at least kind of hinted at in the DS2 trailer and a reference to a MGS2 image, and we know Konami own the MGS rights, not Sony or Kojima. Maybe Sony have some agreement with Konami and are acting as a middleman between them and Kojima here? That would be nice. Or maybe Kojima's patched things up with Konami at last, but that seems less likely (although again, if Sony are acting as a middleman, maybe things are patched up in the sense they both share a mutual?).

At this rate im kind of convinced it will never come out or it will deliberately be so low effort it will be insulting. "Thanks for the check Phil."

Nah, it'll probably come out. MS know how much egg they'd have on their face if this Kojima game is cancelled for ANY reason. It'll be like the Scalebound fallout, but even worst.

More so than that, it'll reflect very poorly of them to Japanese studios in general and their relationship with Japanese teams is tepid at best. If Overdose doesn't come out (especially if it ends up MS being the ones who cancel it), MS can forget about ever getting anything even remotely high profile from a Japanese developer ever again. They will be done with them.

At worst, if MS have to salvage Overdose (if it comes down to that), then they'll probably liberate any exclusivity contract of the game and allow Kojima Productions to bring it to other platforms Day 1, as long as they still release it on Xbox platforms. That would carry its own troublesome optics for MS but at least they could set a narrative to make it seem like a good thing, and it'd be the least embarrassing of a troubled outcome.

 

[anonpuffs]

Game piracy pretty much killed the AAA space for PC gaming, it's a wonder why these so-called "PC gamers" that constantly love to shill for gamepass don't understand that devs wanna get fuckin' paid, and gamepass is training people not to pay for shit.

 

[shrike0fth0rns]

The only leaked gameplay so far was basically QTEs so that could easily run on a mobile device. And the game's said to be utilizing cloud, that could be as basic as streaming for mobile devices for all we know.



That's kind of what it always was TBH, back when Google had it. Some episode smaller-scale thing. The question is if it ties into Death Stranding universe. Sony own the IP rights to DS so whether Overdose can tie into it or not would be up to if Sony allowed it, but I'm guessing they would let it if Kojima wants it.

Really interesting is that there's pseudo Metal Gears at least kind of hinted at in the DS2 trailer and a reference to a MGS2 image, and we know Konami own the MGS rights, not Sony or Kojima. Maybe Sony have some agreement with Konami and are acting as a middleman between them and Kojima here? That would be nice. Or maybe Kojima's patched things up with Konami at last, but that seems less likely (although again, if Sony are acting as a middleman, maybe things are patched up in the sense they both share a mutual?).



Nah, it'll probably come out. MS know how much egg they'd have on their face if this Kojima game is cancelled for ANY reason. It'll be like the Scalebound fallout, but even worst.

More so than that, it'll reflect very poorly of them to Japanese studios in general and their relationship with Japanese teams is tepid at best. If Overdose doesn't come out (especially if it ends up MS being the ones who cancel it), MS can forget about ever getting anything even remotely high profile from a Japanese developer ever again. They will be done with them.

At worst, if MS have to salvage Overdose (if it comes down to that), then they'll probably liberate any exclusivity contract of the game and allow Kojima Productions to bring it to other platforms Day 1, as long as they still release it on Xbox platforms. That would carry its own troublesome optics for MS but at least they could set a narrative to make it seem like a good thing, and it'd be the least embarrassing of a troubled outcome.I wonder

The only leaked gameplay so far was basically QTEs so that could easily run on a mobile device. And the game's said to be utilizing cloud, that could be as basic as streaming for mobile devices for all we know.



That's kind of what it always was TBH, back when Google had it. Some episode smaller-scale thing. The question is if it ties into Death Stranding universe. Sony own the IP rights to DS so whether Overdose can tie into it or not would be up to if Sony allowed it, but I'm guessing they would let it if Kojima wants it.

Really interesting is that there's pseudo Metal Gears at least kind of hinted at in the DS2 trailer and a reference to a MGS2 image, and we know Konami own the MGS rights, not Sony or Kojima. Maybe Sony have some agreement with Konami and are acting as a middleman between them and Kojima here? That would be nice. Or maybe Kojima's patched things up with Konami at last, but that seems less likely (although again, if Sony are acting as a middleman, maybe things are patched up in the sense they both share a mutual?).



Nah, it'll probably come out. MS know how much egg they'd have on their face if this Kojima game is cancelled for ANY reason. It'll be like the Scalebound fallout, but even worst.

More so than that, it'll reflect very poorly of them to Japanese studios in general and their relationship with Japanese teams is tepid at best. If Overdose doesn't come out (especially if it ends up MS being the ones who cancel it), MS can forget about ever getting anything even remotely high profile from a Japanese developer ever again. They will be done with them.

At worst, if MS have to salvage Overdose (if it comes down to that), then they'll probably liberate any exclusivity contract of the game and allow Kojima Productions to bring it to other platforms Day 1, as long as they still release it on Xbox platforms. That would carry its own troublesome optics for MS but at least they could set a narrative to make it seem like a good thing, and it'd be the least embarrassing of a troubled outcome.

I wonder what engine he will use for it! Can’t be decima that would look really bad for Xbox. Probably be ue5 or something.

 

[Bryank75]

I don't understand the obsession with these Xbox media people that on one hand, they criticize PS for making moves to secure exclusive content for their platform, yet on the other hand beg for Xbox to effectively secure delivery of key 3P content exclusively for GamePass. And that's "exclusive" in practice because only MS have the money to be able to pay out for multiple 3P AAA games to GamePass (even Day 1) regardless of the sunk costs to do so.

The way they frame discussion on Xbox not getting certain big Japanese games makes it sound like Xbox players are being disenfranchised, like their civil rights are being violated and it's "inhumane". It is NOT that serious. Gaming is a privilege, not a right. If a game isn't on your platform, then it's just business. If you really want a game and it's on a different platform, then buy the platform that game is on (and that goes for any platform). (Also an aside but his Elden Ring figures are inaccurate; those were early sales but the actual split at least at the time the 10/12 million figure was given seemed closer to 42% PC/40% PS/18% Xbox).

I don't mind people wanting to see more of a certain type of game on their platform, but there is a REALLY weird and almost politicized way these Xbox journalists and mouthpieces go about it, CONSTANTLY complaining and campaigning for let's say, Japanese companies, to "answer the call" and "do the right thing" to bring their games to their preferred platform. It's like these guys are lobbying for Microsoft free of charge and treating 3P Japanese devs/pubs as political candidates.

It's a very weird and I'd even say manipulative obsession on their part, and I only really see proponents of Xbox with big (or big-ish) platforms doing this. I think they try framing the concept of needing multiple systems to play all of your games as somehow being "anti-consumer" but the more they engage in what basically feels like politicized port-begging, the more it comes off as them wanting to be slick and put on a good face while they really want consolidation to one very specific platform, because you just KNOW how a lot of these people writing these sort of articles lean. Gets easier to see what it's really about with them.

And as you can see in Mile's own article, they are primarily focused on the Japanese exclusives PlayStation gets; yeah he name-drops Nintendo a couple of times but that is clearly not the focus. It's because subconsciously, they want Xbox to replace PlayStation, and this is just another veil they can hide behind to push that message. It wouldn't be as lame if they just came out and said what they wanted, I could at least respect them in that case. And I say that because when they bring up stuff like the Japanese games situation, it's within an environment already dealing with MS acquiring big 3P publishers (and wanting to acquire even more), heavily subsidizing Series S in ways that would be unsustainable for smaller companies just to move volume, looking to tie even more 3P devs into the Azure network, pushing a subscription-based business model for the future etc. All of these being things you never see people like Miles push back against because they all incidentally happen to line up with and benefit Microsoft's growth ambitions in gaming.

THAT'S why I look at articles like this and come to the conclusion that they aren't genuine in intention. Xbox players have known for years now if they want as many JRPGs as possible, you get a PS or Nintendo. PS gamers will potentially be faced with a situation where if they want as many WRPGs as possible, they'll need to get an Xbox. If you want as many platformers as possible or kart racers, you need to get a Nintendo. Platforms having a majority on certain types of content (both in terms of multiplats & exclusives) that fall into certain categories is a GOOD thing and that's helped feed into different platforms having their own identity & surrounding culture. Guys like Miles may not value that and that's fine, but feeding into what feels like an agenda to galvanize things for a specific platform isn't fine IMO.

Like, you KNOW those Japanese publishers have prior sales data informing their decisions. You KNOW that any offers Sony or Nintendo offer them for exclusivity, still have to be accepted by the publisher. But these kind of articles never address the elephant in the room which the OP here pretty much spells out: those games you keep port-begging for had earlier versions that never sold that well on Xbox platforms to make continued efforts worth it.

And that's fine, because there will always be cases like that for any system. Didn't the new Saint's Row do almost as well on Xbox as on PlayStation? We know in America, COD sales on Xbox are pretty strong even in relation to the PS sales. Certain games just do well on certain platforms and that's okay. If that determines if certain games continue to release on a platform, then so be it. If you want those games so badly, just buy the console they're on and play them there. It's not your right to have access to that game on a platform it's unavailable for, you've got this whole "gaming" thing mixed up.

Awesome stuff, great points... love how you expose their desire to replace PlayStation with Xbox. That is exactly what they want and then to screw everyone in the industry by monetizing everything possible.

 

[Bryank75]

Game piracy pretty much killed the AAA space for PC gaming, it's a wonder why these so-called "PC gamers" that constantly love to shill for gamepass don't understand that devs wanna get fuckin' paid, and gamepass is training people not to pay for shit.

They will pay NVidia 700-1600 dollars for an overpriced GPU that has to wait for a port of a PS5 game to really get worked out. But they balk at the idea of paying 70 dollars for a game on launch...

It's so backwards to me, it is the opposite of being a gamer.... they are technologists, not gamers IMO.

 

[peter42O]

Gamespass is killing third party support in general. Xbox gamers are not buying software anymore. It’s just gamespass.

Thankfully, this doesn't apply to me. I have bought 8 games digitally and 7 games physically thus far this generation for Xbox. For 2023, I have 7 games already that im buying. 5 physically and 2 digitally. And my digital purchases have all been the ultimate editions that includes the season pass/expansions.

 

[Bryank75]

Thankfully, this doesn't apply to me. I have bought 8 games digitally and 7 games physically thus far this generation for Xbox. For 2023, I have 7 games already that im buying. 5 physically and 2 digitally. And my digital purchases have all been the ultimate editions that includes the season pass/expansions.

Nice, of course we only have real gamers on this forum so of course you're legit... I saw your list for next year and seemed pretty good from what I remember too...

 

[peter42O]

Nice, of course we only have real gamers on this forum so of course you're legit... I saw your list for next year and seemed pretty good from what I remember too...

I did eliminate a few games from the original list though. After playing Forspoken demo, no thanks. Eliminated Dead Island 2 which could be a purchase later on but I have Dying Light 2 which I love so do I really need a very similar game? Could be played later on. But we'll see.

 

[SSfox]

There will be Japanese games on Xbox by 3rd party when people buy them in that console, simply as that. Something MS could have done back then is continue on building and expanding on Mistwalker for more JRPG quality games and for example also buy and expand on Team Ninja (they were at their peak with Ninja Gaiden and DOA at Xbox 360 era), but MS have chosen to invest into nonsens like GTA and TR timed exclusive stuffs and some Kinect BS, so ... yeah.

 

[Gediminas]

I love how xbots arent aware how gemepass it making xbox irrelevant in stores in a crazy pace

they really don't care. if they loved the platform, they wouldn't kill it constantly.

 

[KiryuRealty]

The Japanese games don't sell which is why I believe that Microsoft should get the older games ported to Xbox and put in Game Pass day one in order to build an audience for these games. Then, they can see if for example Persona 6 sells on Xbox. Of course, it needs to be day one multi-platform. No one is going to buy Persona 6 day one on Xbox if it's released 5 years later.

Well, after the situation with the Yakuza games, things aren't going to improve. People played the Yakuza games as they came to Gamepass, and didn't bother buying Like a Dragon or Lost Judgment on Xbox when those came out, so clearly, putting the games on gamepass DOES NOT convert to sales for new entries in series. It's a waste for the games to be ported, as MS has trained its fans NOT to buy games.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

I wonder what engine he will use for it! Can’t be decima that would look really bad for Xbox. Probably be ue5 or something.

Good question. Yeah I'd be shocked if it's Decima, most likely it is UE5 or maybe some proprietary engine from one of MS's teams. Makes me wonder what engine they used for the leaked footage which I'm guessing was from when the game was supposed to be on Google Stadia?

Guessing that was UE4 or some modified version of it.

Awesome stuff, great points... love how you expose their desire to replace PlayStation with Xbox. That is exactly what they want and then to screw everyone in the industry by monetizing everything possible.

It gets very noticeable when the timing for these kind of articles pop up when they do. Miles putting out an article basically guilt-tripping Japanese devs for not bringing their games to articles just happens to come right after MS execs complain about Sony having more exclusives than Xbox. That can't be a coincidence .

Another thing too, if you remember when there were initial worries the deal would fall through, what were the first things people like Jez Corden and fans following them said? They basically said MS would threaten to buy up "all the 3P games as exclusives" or go buy Square-Enix, Capcom etc. and take them & their games from Sony. Their responses immediately predicated on "how can MS hurt/destroy Sony?" instead of "how can MS make Xbox better?".

There's a clear difference in that thinking IMO and the latter would at least acknowledge some of the issues within MS/Xbox management and corporate culture that are of their own making, which have led to them being in the position they find themselves.

So yeah, I hope folks are realizing articles like this for the stunts they are.

Thankfully, this doesn't apply to me. I have bought 8 games digitally and 7 games physically thus far this generation for Xbox. For 2023, I have 7 games already that im buying. 5 physically and 2 digitally. And my digital purchases have all been the ultimate editions that includes the season pass/expansions.

That's great to hear tbh. Now, if more people on Xbox did similar, we'd see that bear out in sales numbers in various markets. But I'm usually surprised at the splits being so against Xbox in even the Western territories where its strongest, outside of something like COD where I'm guessing say in America, the splits are probably closer to 35/65 or maybe even 40/60 instead of some of the 15/85 (or in other cases, larger) split favoring PlayStation (in terms of console sales at least).

There will be Japanese games on Xbox by 3rd party when people buy them in that console, simply as that. Something MS could have done back then is continue on building and expanding on Mistwalker for more JRPG quality games and for example also buy and expand on Team Ninja (they were at their peak with Ninja Gaiden and DOA at Xbox 360 era), but MS have chosen to invest into nonsens like GTA and TR timed exclusive stuffs and some Kinect BS, so ... yeah.

This is why I was actually so excited when they first announced the Azure partnership with Sega earlier this year, because I thought it was going to be MS co-funding and helping in the development of some new Sega AAA games that otherwise would not have been made, perhaps also becoming Xbox console exclusive. Kind of like the OG Xbox exclusives Sega had back in the day.

Turns out that deal was really mainly for Sega as an Azure cloud services client and having Azure as a hosting platform for their "Super Game" project, and maybe some perks for GamePass along the way i.e marketing rights for Persona 5 Royal and P5R in GamePass, Two Point Hospital & other Sega games in GamePass etc. But none of these are games that weren't already being made, so it's nothing new in that respect.

The reality of that deal was a bit eye opening for me to see what MS's actual plans for growth in gaming are.

 

[KiryuRealty]

Good question. Yeah I'd be shocked if it's Decima, most likely it is UE5 or maybe some proprietary engine from one of MS's teams. Makes me wonder what engine they used for the leaked footage which I'm guessing was from when the game was supposed to be on Google Stadia?

Guessing that was UE4 or some modified version of it.

Decima is fully cross-platform, and KojiPro is a full licensee, so it isn’t really something you can totally rule out.