Following dismal Xbox One sales in the region, Microsoft will not attend Tokyo Game Show this year.
Earlier in the year, we reported that Microsoft’s sales of the Xbox One in Japan were at an all-time low, and it looks like it’s starting to affect the company’s corporate strategy in the region. Today, Microsoft has announced that for the first time in several years, it will not be attending Tokyo Game Show.
Japanese magazine Famitsu first reported the news, and while Microsoft declined to comment on its reasoning, we can only assume that the dismal sales were the main driving force behind the decision.
Microsoft launched the Xbox One last September in Japan, as it launched in a “tier 2” region. Microsoft Japan president Yasuyuki Higuchi had previously lamented his struggles in adapting the device to the market, and it looks like the company may be finally looking at pulling out of the region entirely.
The Xbox brand has always struggled in Japan, where its gamers prefer JRPGs and action-adventures over FPS and sports games, but its doom can also be attributed to rise in portable gaming – particularly smartphones – in the region.
Source: MCV
