What changes are down the line for LIVE that will start pulling in the Japanese audience? Especially considering the Japanese PS3 and Wii stores are the strongest and most populated.

JayD16

This picture deserves its own blog post.

NewSc2

Yeah, someone should seriously tell Bill that the Japanese don't give a stuff about online gaming.

GregoriusH

You're misquoting Gates.
"there are other areas we haven't penetrated" is obviously what he's talking about.

AlDim

Looks like all the computers have blue screened in the picture and as for the look on Bill's face there is no way for me to comment on it that won't get me banned. As for the Xbox becoming a more dominate figure in the Japanese market I don't think the Xbox's Live service will help Microsoft at this point since as we can see by the sales figures most people in Japan are buying consoles that don't charge for access to the console's online features. This means that unless Microsoft gets rid of the access fee for Live to make the Xbox's online component free just like its competitors and then on top of that adds exclusive content just for Japan they will continue to see the market stay the same barring an exclusive game release that all of Japan must have.

ocalot

If Japanese people haven't cared about online up to now, why would that change soon?

Zoc

That picture has always been pimpin'. :D

thinkfreemind

Nerdgasm!

From times of yore, looks like Bill hasn't penetrated much.

Trowble (XBL/PSN)

Billy boy doesn't seem to get the fact that in order to use Xbox Live (the online service he's talking about, I assume), one has to actually own a 360.

mphz

Nice pose there, Bill. I don't know if that's his best seductive stare or what, but it's a good thing he stuck to the whole computer thing.

Stormrider

Oh, William. You're so dreamy!

CHW

LOL at picture.

slomo788

Dude what is up with that Picture o__0

jip100

You know something else that's surprising? The weekly Japanese sales figures.

Bill Gates: 0
Brian Ashcraft: 1

Raziel Dune

I dont know about that Gates.. we'll see

Playstation

"Damn Sexy Gates!"

Garo

Mr. Gates did not even utter the sentence used as a headline here. What he said was:
"...BESIDES Japan, there are other areas..."

But using that of course does would not have provided such a cheap shot on Gates.

Starsky

Don't you all love wishful thinking?

Abriael

I think he's talking about introducing hentai xbox360 games! SWEET!

seppukake

I don't know XBL has been around for ages. And I have yet to see what the diff is between PSN and XBL besides the fact you have to pay a fee for XBL.

Sailorcancer

Microsoft needs to get more RPGs into their library. I can't believe they're still scratching their heads and wondering why they still don't have a big market share and Nintendo does.

garytek

The japanese videogamer is strongly geared towards single player anyway

Abriael

I bet japanese people love to voice chat with rude foreigners :0

Yin

Marlor

If the Xbox was really online, this statement could hold some value. But being connected to XBL does not classify as being online. No Email outside XBL, no Web 2.0, no ICQ (again outside proprietary format), not even Kotaku!!

Wake me up when consoles REALLY go online

Asbestos_Underwear

I'm sorry, but japan's "online" is more towards cell phone and portables...console online gaming? good luck with that.

OmegaKulu

im not really sure what he means. how can the online component take off if theres no interest in purchasing the physical console?

@Starsky: having read your comment my confusion is gone. thanks for the insight. lame story.

buttpwner

Money, brains and the looks.

Triple threat.

Manny

@Sailorcancer: It's a more closed system, but it allows things like unified log-ins, so it's not left to the developer (see, Konami) to have their own optional log ins. Then there's system based stuff like in game messaging and what not.

PirateThom

@STHD:The 360 could have been the size of a DS and still be in the mess it is today in Japan. Size is only part of the issue, the big one is Microsoft refusing to devote time and energy into games and ads that reach out to the Japanese.

Foxstar Sixtail

If the 360 was as small as the Wii, it would have owned japan;)

STHD

MS needs to start making more hantai games for 360, more perverted dating games with young school boys. More cute anime games with giant school girls saying, teehee.

Orionsaint

He has already surprised me, despite Xbox live meaning to have updates every week I've been dissapointed with the lack of content for a long time. Hell they even haven't put the Culdcept saga demo on the European Xbox live yet and Americans had that ages ago.

Llost

Why are we looking at a pic of James Spader?
@Asbestos_Underwear: My Dreamcasts, let me show you them.

Billkwando

ha ha hahaha, he said "penetrated".

badasscat

@Orionsaint:
No. Microsoft needs to start making Pokemon and Monster Hunter games. Mario games too, if possible.

Brian Ashcraft

Sure, like it has broken through in Japan for the last 2-3 years.

KM91

@STHD: IF the xbox 360 was as samll as the wii it would burst into flames and have a red tray all the time.

dsmx

@Marlor: Dude, what the hell? What the hell!? The first one was bad enough.

enigma89

@Asbestos_Underwear: Wake up, the PS3, PSP, and Wii have web browsers built in. Even the Dreamcast had a web browser, but it required a disc.

Heyyou27

@Orionsaint:
@Brian Ashcraft:

No, both imo. But it might still be too late.

P.S. I really only come to Kotaku for the awesome pictures. ;)

H2oGatesy

Yeah Ash, Japan loves itself some Louis V....but this season is the first time I've seen Louis be out of style here in the land of the rising sun.

I don't know whats going down in Osaka, but up here in Tokyo, Gucci is taking over....for everyone that used to be rocking a Louis bag, they are now sporting a Gucci one.

FarmboyinJapan

I love those Gates pictures! lol

Zeuxis

If Japan gave to craps about online capabilities, then may be.

Clearly, they do not. They eat gimped online functionality Wiis like candy.

ScottG13

Sometimes the man's eel likes to swim into the lady's cave; that's all I know about Japanese penetration.

Knukleur

@Zoc: "If Japanese people haven't cared about online up to now, why would that change soon?"

I was going to say, Japanese gaming culture is as emphatic about online as North Americans are about arcades these days. And we all know how that goes.

Replica23

...

Some of you guys have never seen that picture before? Wow.

Also, notice the Mac in the background. Haha.

Puzzle

That is a great pic of Gates. Anyone else notice the apple all in one behind him?

raffyv3

If MS wants to breakthrough with Online, maybe free online multiplayer or some sort of non-paying online multiplayer can boost their sales.

mcool93

I didn't know Bill Gates appeared in Out magazine

BigBooBuddy

You know something else that's surprising?

Those damn pictures

Herodito

The only way I can imagine he'd come to this conclusion is by looking at Idolm@star DLC.

Too bad for them it doesn't seem like Japanese really love alternating between blowing each others' heads off obsessively and sending their consoles in for repairs.

fuchikoma

@Orionsaint: Pretty much hit it right on the dot for Japan. Maybe if you lure Square-Enix to produce a game for you. Or create a game where business men with huge multi-colored hair go around on subways pinching schoolgirls'/boys' tooshes.

berribrand

Bill Gates was pretty cute back then...
RUNNSS

sooiee115

I think sombody should show him this:
[kotaku.com]

Owenr22

"You know something else that's surprising? The weekly Japanese sales figures. "

Thanks for stating the obvious, Captain Obvious. It is the problem with Japanese sales that causes Gates to tout his "online breakthrough", and is not specifically limited to Japan, despite what the author assume.

astrixzero

Forget Orlando Bloom, I want these pics for posters in my dorm room.

Garonyldas

@Garonyldas:

Haha yes. Bill Gates Pin-ups
OMG

sooiee115