"We've seen the largest number of Xbox console players in the region to date," Xbox lead Phil Spencer confirms growth in Asia

What you need to know

Microsoft just showcased its Xbox presentation for the Tokyo Game Show in Japan.
The event detailed a variety of Asian games, including heavy hitters like Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection and the Legend of Mana series for Xbox.
During the event, Xbox lead Phil Spencer revealed that Microsoft now has the largest install base in Asia that the console platform has ever had.
Microsoft’s Xbox console continues to face stiff competition from PlayStation, thought to be outselling Xbox up to 3:1 in some markets. Although both manufacturers have seen year-over-year hardware sales declines.

As a long-time gamer hailing from Japan, I can’t contain my excitement about the recent developments at Microsoft’s Xbox presentation during the Tokyo Game Show! Growing up with classic games like Final Fantasy and Mana, it’s heartening to see these beloved titles finally making their way onto the Xbox platform.

Today, Microsoft showcased their commitment to enhancing Asia-focused services for the Xbox platform during a presentation at the Tokyo Game Show.

At the Tokyo Game Show, I had the opportunity to learn about some exciting collaborations that Microsoft has established with game developers like Square Enix and Konami. These partnerships have led to intriguing developments, such as the unveiling of new trailers for Metal Gear Solid 3: Delta and the re-releases of Suikoden.

At the gathering, we additionally received news about Xbox’s performance within the specific area. This information could boost the spirits of gamers hailing from nations such as Japan, China, and South Korea.

“I’m passing along some news, as Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, mentioned that more individuals are using Xbox across all devices in Asia than ever. What’s more, we’ve recorded the highest number of console players in the region up to this point.

Spencer’s remarks mirror the feelings expressed during Microsoft’s June 2024 Xbox Game Showcase, where Microsoft revealed that their current console user base is at an all-time high, surpassing previous records. This encompasses active users on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and a small number still using Xbox 360. However, it’s important to note that this figure doesn’t account for individuals playing Xbox games on cloud services, PCs, or other platforms such as the Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 5, as Microsoft PR previously clarified to us.

In a contrasting trend from previous console generations, Microsoft, along with Sony and Nintendo, experienced year-over-year declines in hardware sales. This time around, players are showing a higher tendency to stay with their previous-generation consoles, such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, which have an extended lifespan thanks to games that focus on services like Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft. Additionally, there’s been a growing shift towards PC gaming, as more titles offer cross-save capabilities, allowing players to move their content freely across devices. Interestingly, Xbox has seen a 44% growth, primarily due to the acquisition of Activision-Blizzard.

It’s encouraging to note that Xbox consoles are expanding, not decreasing, in popularity across Asia, suggesting Microsoft is making the right moves in that region. The dedication to securing games like Genshin Impact, Yakuza, Persona from Sega, and now Final Fantasy from Square Enix is evident, and it appears this effort is yielding positive results for fans of these types of games.

For Xbox in Asia, there’s still work to do

After mending ties with Square Enix, Microsoft now stands alongside companies such as Sega/Atlus and MiHoYo, offering enhanced backing to Xbox gamers who prefer titles from the Asian market. Yet, significant efforts are yet to be made in this regard.

Microsoft has been taking action against what they call “gray markets” in areas such as the Middle East and Central Asia. This involves people purchasing Xbox consoles from imported sources and then buying digital games from regions like Argentina that offer pricing discounts. However, due to Microsoft’s recent actions, more methods of making these purchases have become unavailable, leaving users in unsupported territories without access. To address this issue, Microsoft could expand their official support by putting more effort into localization, growing data centers, and building local teams to foster Xbox gaming across all types in these regions. Given that Asia is reportedly where Xbox has its largest user base yet, it’s evident that there’s a significant demand for Xbox gaming in this region.

Despite Microsoft’s numerous successes in Central and South East Asia over the past few years, they have also encountered some setbacks. This year, Microsoft secured an extensive contract for the Japanese version of Palworld, a Pokemon-like game. However, they failed to acquire Black Myth Wukong, a Chinese title, which has reportedly sold around 20 million copies within a single month – a potential regional record for a full-price, single-player game.

As a dedicated Final Fantasy enthusiast, I’m thrilled to finally own the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection, previously unavailable on Xbox. It’s promising to see Final Fantasy 16 and the remake of Final Fantasy 7 potentially coming to Xbox as well, considering recent speculations. We can anticipate MiHoYo’s other games, such as Honkai Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero, being released on Xbox too, once their exclusivity agreements with PlayStation expire. Moreover, the release of Dynasty Warriors Origins and games like Metaphor: ReFantazio on Xbox from day one is a trend that was less likely in previous years.

But still, there’s clearly more work to do here. Perhaps an Xbox handheld would help Microsoft grow even further in the region …

2024-09-26 22:09

“We’ve seen the largest number of Xbox console players in the region to date,” Xbox lead Phil Spencer confirms growth in Asia

What you need to know

For Xbox in Asia, there’s still work to do

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