PlayStation and home-market favorite Nintendo dominate Japan and indeed much of southeast Asia. It seems Microsoft wants to increase its presence and will create a new division called Xbox Asia. The company is currently looking for people to work in the division and has published job listings on its career page. “The Microsoft Global Gaming Partnership & Development team (GGPD) is looking for a knowledgeable, experienced, and energetic leader to lead partnership and business development in Japan, China, and South Korea to make Microsoft the global leader in Gaming,” reads the job description. “As a leader across the Asia region, you will work with other business development leads, finance and legal teams to source, develop and manage key partnerships to support Microsoft’s strategic gaming initiatives including Xbox One, Mixer, Game Pass and Gaming Cloud. You will collaborate closely with engineering and marketing teams and lead local resources to advance the Microsoft presence in these key markets. You will also be asked to assist in creating strategies for new gaming-related services and/or business models that will drive revenue and user growth across all gaming platforms, including, but not limited to, subscriptions, streaming, and mobile.”
Failed Efforts
Of course, this is not the first time Microsoft has promised a renewed focus on Japan. The company has said it is making a push for the Asian market before. Admittedly, Microsoft has made several decisions to help enhance its position. However, all those efforts have mostly failed. Perhaps with a full division operating under the Xbox Asia guise, Microsoft may be able to make more of an impact in Japan.
