Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said players can expect to see triple-A exclusives from Japanese developers in the future.
In an interview with Game Watch, Spencer was asked if Xbox would eventually get “uniquely Japanese AAA titles such as Lost Odyssey or Blue Dragon”, instead of just getting Xbox versions of Japanese games also on PlayStation or Switch.
When asked if it was difficult for Xbox to meet these expectations, Spencer replied: “Not at all, I think you can expect that.” (as translated by VGC contributor Robert Sephazon)
“In fact,” he continued, “we released Hi-Fi Rush in January 2023. It may not have been a major title like Blue Dragon, but it was certainly high-quality.
“There are also Japanese game creators who are part of Microsoft Game Studios, and while there are titles we can’t announce yet, we are currently developing new games in collaboration with Japanese companies.
“With further growth, including first-party and third-party, I believe you can look forward to the arrival of even more Japanese titles in the future.”
Spencer’s answer echoes that of Xbox corporate vice president Sarah Bond who was asked a similar question during an IGN Japan live stream last year.
“One of the things that I’m super excited about is that we have over 250 developers in Japan developing games for Xbox right now,” Bond said last year. “150 have already shipped, 100 of them are in Game Pass and we [recently] got to announce 15 titles made in Asia and 13 in Japan.
“So much has come, but there’s even more that’s going to come in the future and I can’t wait to reveal it to you all as it starts coming out.”
Microsoft has made renewed efforts in Japan with Xbox Series X and S. The consoles launched day-and-date with other territories and Phil Spencer committed early on to better cater to Japanese players this console generation.
