It seems like Microsoft wants to strengthen its Xbox foothold in Japan as it is looking to hire a Director of Creator Partnerships in Japan. The job listing was recently posted on the official Microsoft Website. The job listing reads:
In this role, you will develop strong professional relationships with key executive partners across the Japan gaming ecosystem. You will identify opportunities and create strategic growth plans for partnerships with some of the world’s largest Game Creators.
Since Phil Spencer became the head of Xbox back in 2017, Microsoft has been actively trying to increase its presence in Japan. It was never going to be an easy task as Nintendo and Sony Interactive Entertainment are the dominant forces in Japan. However, Xbox brand has been improving slowly and steadily and Xbox Series is doing far batter as compared to Xbox One in Japan.
Phil Spencer has stated on multiple occasions that they are trying their best to produce more content for the Japanese audience. So it’s good to see Microsoft hiring more people in leadership role in Japan.
For now, already owned Tango Gameworks (through Zenimax) seems like a good addition for Microsoft as the game developer did an impressive job with The Evil Within and Ghostwire Tokyo. Microsoft would also be looking to build new partnerships with industry leading developers in Japan (as stated in the job description) in Japan. Who knows they might even end up acquiring more game studios.
Last month, Kojima Productions and Xbox announced a partnership for an upcoming game. Many fans thought that Xbox could be acquiring Kojima Productions however, the developer has announced that while they are partnering up with Microsoft, Kojima Productions will remain an independent studio. According to Hideo Kojima, it’s a “completely new game that no one has ever experienced or seen before”. We will be hearing more about it soon.
A rumor about PlatinumGames approaching Microsoft for a new game was also circulating recently so that could be a good news for Xbox fans in Japan. Scalebound cancellation was a big disappointment for the fans so if PlatinumGames has indeed approached Microsoft for a new game, that will be a great news as well.
