Long-time Microsoft exec Takashi Sensui is resigning as head of Xbox Japan. He won’t be leaving Microsoft, however, and is going to work at the company’s Redmond HQ.
Famitsu reports that Sensui, who took over Xbox Japan in 2006, will be working at the General Manager for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft’s main office.
Yoshinami Takahashi, the Consumer and Partner Group General Manager, and Nobuyoshi Yokoi, head of the Consumer and Partner Group Retail Business, will both lead the Xbox Japan division.
Microsoft added that Sensui will be working under Xbox VP Mike Nichols and supporting Xbox Japan from Microsoft’s US headquarters. Apparently, this is part of an Xbox Japan reorganisation. After a truly sad Xbox One launch in Japan and some very bad sales numbers, goodness knows they need it. Last week, as Media Create reports, only 776 Xbox One consoles were sold in Japan.
日本マイクロソフト泉水敬氏が執行役を退任 マイクロソフト米国本社所属に【情報追加】 [Famitsu]
Picture: Xbox_Jp
Comments
5 responses to “Xbox Japan Boss Is Stepping Down, Going To The US”
*sigh*
While it’s very easy to jump on the overseas consoles don’t sell in Jp bandwagon. I think that’s honestly not the problem, The early sales of 360 was boosted immensely by the “exclusivity” of ToV (and other early release JRPG’s) as well as the huge money maker that was Idolmaster shows that with every other market out there if you release a good game that caters to your demographic it’s not such an uphill battle… so what exactly happened?
MS got complacent. Instead of investing and getting connections w/ Jp studios they just let the console run and thought since everyone has 360 we can just release what we normally release in NA like HALO, BattleField and the like and ppl will buy it. Toss in the fact that the “exclusive” sticker was pretty much the equivalent of “thanks for beta testing on 360 suckers! here’s a better version on PS3 w/ more features”. Their moneymaker and early lead series like Idolmaster and Tales goes to PS3 later and you have a very disenfranchised market that was already slightly resistant to “new” products become even more cynical.
This launch pretty much shows that complacency of relying on NA sales to cover for a half-assed attempt at Jp sales (and even EU sales)
That’s true to a point, but the reputation of foreign consoles being inferior is pretty hard to shake.
The moniker “Gaijin Box” is really used by people. It’s not just an incredibly clever, funny, and original name.
You mean it’s the Justin Timberlake box of Japan?
You mean full of dick?
To be perfectly fair IMHO MS brought that on themselves as well. With the RROD debacle. =P