Local software support promised for Japanese Xbox 360 launch
As many as seven or eight locally-developed software titles will accompany the Xbox 360 console when it rolls out in Japan, according to Xbox Japan boss Yoshihiro Maruyama, with many more in the pipeline.
As many as seven or eight locally-developed software titles will accompany the Xbox 360 console when it rolls out in Japan, according to Xbox Japan boss Yoshihiro Maruyama, with many more in the pipeline.
Speaking to Japanese magazine Famitsu in an interview partially translated by US website GameSpot, Maruyama said that the Xbox 360 will have a "good line-up" of software at its launch in the Far East, with the final number somewhere in the double digits.
In a move clearly designed to address concerns that the first Xbox did not have enough software that appealed to Japanese audiences, he confirmed that seven to eight of those titles will be developed in Japan.
Maruyama would not be drawn on whether any of those titles would be the games already announced by well-known Japanese creators Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Rez, Space Channel 5) or Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy) for the platform.
However, he did comment that the game from former Capcom producer Yoshiki Okamoto would not make launch, as it is still in the middle stages of development.
Regarding ongoing support for Xbox 360 from Japanese developers, Maruyama said that titles from a number of other studios are in the pipeline, but that it is still to early to announce them. He also confirmed that talks are ongoing with Square Enix to bring more titles to the platform.
No price or release date for the console has yet been set, although the Japanese launch is expected to be in December, a few weeks after the US and European releases. Maruyama told Famitsu that pricing details will emerge before the end of summer.