Japan's console game market is still "strictly guarded" by Nintendo, and even Sony has not been able to break through Nintendo's defense line. Famitsu has said that the PS4, which sells 110 million units worldwide, has sold less than 10 million units in Japan, which is even lower than the sales volume of the PS3, and it has been reported that Sony also shifted its focus to the North American market in 2016. Xbox sales in Japan are even more miserable, as of November 1 this year, the Xbox One console Japan market share is only 0.1%, PS4 share of 10.1%, and NS market share of 89.8%.
Microsoft officials are currently trying to change this situation, and a solution is being discussed. According to Bloomberg, Microsoft is betting on the XSS console — a smaller console that's better suited to Japanese room patterns and sizes.
Sarah Bond, who is responsible for the game's creators' liaison at Microsoft, said: "We have been in discussions with Game Developers in Japan about game development for the Xbox platform. One of the subjects of discussion was Glorious Tkumo, who recently said that if Microsoft shows sustained interest in the Japanese market, they are willing to make and release more games for the Xbox platform.
In addition to contacting game manufacturers to develop Xbox platform games, the acquisition of game companies has also become one of Microsoft's next strategies to expand the market in Japan. Bloomberg said there is already definitive evidence that Microsoft is trying to acquire several Japanese game developers (both large and small) and has sent representatives to negotiate with them. None of the companies were able to name themselves and refused to provide any details about the acquired business at The request of Microsoft.
On the issue of potential acquisitions by Japanese developers, Jeremy Hinton, head of Microsoft's Business in Asia, said: Microsoft is always willing to discuss with the right creators, acquisitions are possible, but there is no content to share.