Could Microsoft have found the key to cracking the Japanese gaming market?
Microsoft’s lack of success with the Xbox in Japan is something that’s been discussed all over the net, but has MS finally found a way to get J-gamers interested?
From GameScience.com:
Microsoft to debut Xbox Video Chat in Japan[/url][quote]Announced at E3 this year, “Xbox Video Chat” is due to be released first in Japan. The bundle, which includes camera, 12 months of Xbox Live service, chat disc and Live Starter Kit will go on sale before the end of 2004, for 7140 yen. The product is being developed mainly in Japan, and some of the key features include:
– up to 5 people video conferencing simultaneously
– 10 different video effects, 7 different voice effects
– 20 preset illustrations and sound effects
– 51 background themes for use during chat sessions
– send vibrations to particpants’ controllers: “Shake”
– “Me” mode in which you can expand your own picture to fill the screen
– host can remove participants and participation can be restricted to invite only
I don’t quite get the need to send vibrations to other chatters’ controllers, since most gamers are male. Who are they hoping this feature will lure in?
Lonely girls, of course!
Interesting tactic, but I think any lonely female gamers have already picked up a PS2, a copy of Rez and the Trance Vibrator. (as discussed over at Game Girl Advance)
I mean, if they can play a game on their own that rewards their progress with vibrations, why would they want to depend on a bunch of guys who can’t get girlfriends to send random vibrations their way? (Of course, any girl who shows up in an Xbox video chat is going to have guys shaking her controller 100% of the time, so it’s hardly random at all.)
Interesting idea for a console app, but I don’t think it’s what MS needs to crack the market. (If you can read Japanese, you can check out the official MS Japan Xbox Video Chat page)