RPGs Are The Key to Making the Xbox Popular in Japan

The most recent edition of Japan's Famitsu magazine features an interview with Yoshihiro Maruyama, the general manager of the Xbox in Japan. And Maruyama is convinced that key to making a success of the Xbox in the land of the yen is this: more role-playing games for the system.
Talking about the appeal of the 'box's current software line-up, Maruyama says that: "What the Xbox lacks now are RPG games, which Japanese gamers like, and games featuring strong characters like Gundam. Obviously, something must be done about this."

Maruyama previously worked as a US Vice President at Squaresoft (as was), while Square-Enix is surely the most influential and important RPG developer in the world.

Source@

American and Japanese RPG's are so different. Even as the American RPG scene is becoming, in my opinion, the best in the world, Japanese audiences can be slow to change in this respect. As for Square, that's out of the question for Xbox or even Xbox2. IIRC, Sony owns a significant portion of Square, so I doubt any of their games will make it onto the Xbox--they'll probably stay on the PS2 (or 3) and various hand-held devices (and if Sony makes their own portable gaming device, as I heard about a while ago, GBA might not even get Square games.

Therefore, when it comes to Japanese RPG's I expect that Japanese console makers will have the edge for the foreseeable future. Not that I care. Those bastages can keep Final Fantasy 22 and a half.

It couldn't hurt the US, either. I've always loved RPG's, and as my Xbox is my only real gaming outlet for the time being, I know I speak for the handful of RPG fans at XBA when I say:

GIMME MY ROLE-PLAYING FIX YOU TOE-PICKING RUG MONKEYS!

Oh, but then I gotta tell myself, there is hope beyond tomorrow (ie: Fable and those others).

If it weren't for those damn japs and their idiotic gundam $4!+ then their wouldn't be a contest between xbox and gamecube in japan. I enjoy a few anime shows, mostly the ones that aren't:
"I can kill you ha ha because I raised a power level ha ha and I will always be better than you ha ha!" -Gogetatenks
"But wait, I can gain another power level which will make me better than you ha ha!" -Kreezacell
"What's this? I gained another power level which will allow me to make a the viewers tv flash for 10 minutes even though it won't really hurt you ha ha!" -Gogetatenks
They can keep this bullcrapalonga. I'll stick with good, old-fashioned comedy anime's, mainly aimed toward sexuality... Maybe those japs are good for something after all...
Gundum can kiss it.
I'll kiss Fable's.

Get them same dating sims too!!!

jap is crap all their rpgs are for ***gots.i really cant stand that market ms should pull out for good they dont deserve the great box.also i am sure if xbox was made by a jap company thinbgs would been VERYdifferent today.

Quote:

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Originally posted by X-Fan
jap is crap all their rpgs are for ***gots.i really cant stand that market ms should pull out for good they dont deserve the great box.also i am sure if xbox was made by a jap company thinbgs would been VERYdifferent today.

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Amen brudda and praise Allah it wasn't made by a jap company.

Exactly. Xbox badly needs Japanese RPG games. I have been waiting since the launch of Xbox to get some good Japanese turn based games by a company like Square Enix, Atlus, Game Arts, Namco, Nippon Ichi, or a few others and haven't gotten one. They are my favorite kinds of games by far and that's why I own 87 of them. I even review them.

Yup, we need something more deeper than Morrowind.

lol, glad to see I'm not the only one in the world that can't stand Anime RPGs.

Anyway, with that new Suzuki guy or what ever his name is, Xbox will be getting those kinds of RPGs from somewhere and as long as they don't force me to play them its cool with me.

I freaking love RPG's though I am not Japanese. I really do wish that for everyones sakes they would make lots more great quality RPG's. Hell spend what ever to buy into Square-Enix and then all be as it should be.