Ubisoft Losing Faith in Japan

Selling games in Japan isn't nearly as easy as it could be says a vexed Guillemot.

Generalities are seldom on the mark but it wouldn't be far from true to say that Japanese gamers don't like Western games. Many companies have tried to make it big there with little success, and Ubisoft's top man says it's all about how the games are presented to the Japanese.

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"Because the titles coming from Europe and the United States are tagged as 'foreign games' they are not seen as 'normal' games," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told trade paper MCV. "There is a special section for games coming from export markets and that is not helping us at all."

Ubisoft has not had many hits in Japan despite the company building an overwhelming presence in Europe and North America with such top-rated franchises as Prince Of Persia, Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon.

"Just the fact of saying they are export products could be changed and it would make our chance to succeed in the Japanese market much better," Guillemot said. "There is a lot that can be done to help all the other Western publishers to sell more in Japan."

The differences between Japan and the West are becoming more evident. Consider the battle for handheld supremacy, which in Japan is tilted severely in the DS's favour, while the PSP has a much more even footing outside the country. And then there's the Xbox 360, which despite a huge push from Microsoft would still be considered a failure - at least till now - by many people.

This hostile reception to Western games is taking its toll and game makers are deciding perhaps it's not really worth the effort.

"We are not so much concentrating on the Japanese market," said Guillemot.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games