The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are both launching this week, officially kicking off Microsoft's next-gen campaign. One particular area of focus for Microsoft recently has been attracting Japanese gamers and developers, something that is expected to continue as Microsoft considers new acquisitions.
As reported by Bloomberg this week, Microsoft is “seeking to make acquisitions” in Japan. Several developers within the country have said they have been approached by Microsoft but were asked to not be identified in order to keep business discussions private.
Microsoft is continuing to be open about the fact that it is “always open to discussions with creators that are a good fit”, as said by Jeremy Hinton, head of Xbox operations in Asia.
Of course, even without exclusives, Microsoft is happy to build relationships with Japanese developers to simply ensure Xbox releases for games. Koei Tecmo Games is one source cited by Bloomberg, with a representative for the publisher saying it is “willing to consider” releasing more games for Xbox as long as Microsoft continues to show interest in Japan.
KitGuru Says: Microsoft has forged close relationships with SEGA and Capcom over the last couple of years but an acquisition of that size could potentially be too large. Do you think Microsoft will eventually succeed in acquiring a Japanese studio?