The Japanese developer behind the indie title Sakuna: Of Rice and Rain recently released a A fan reaching Xin response to a follower asking why the game isn’t on Xbox, and the answer is pretty simple: the team just lacks manpower.
Koichi said: “XBOX, well… personally, it’s a console that I’ve had an incredibly strong sentimental attachment to since the very beginning, but honestly, with our company’s workforce, we don’t have the ability to spread ourselves across multiple platforms. In Japan, it’s not even stocked in major retail stores, you know…“
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And to be fair, Xbox has made a real effort to bring Japanese developers to the platform. Even recently, Xbox has introduced a new job description in Japan to lead ID@Xbox in the region. But if the consoles aren’t in retail stores, it raises a bigger question about how far that strategy can realistically go.
said that Xbox’s Project Helix will be a console/PC hybrid that supports PC gamingIt could potentially include storefronts like Steam and Epic Games. This could change future generations and give users access to more independently developed Japanese games.
A lot will depend on whether Xbox can actually ship hardware to Asian markets more broadly, and that’s going to be harder for Microsoft to pull off, especially when they’re to be reckoned with. How poorly is the Xbox currently running?
Do you think Xbox should continue to launch in Japan or is it too late?
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