Will The Xbox One Fail in Asia?

[Robert Rath]

Will The Xbox One Fail in Asia?

Because at first glance, the Xbox One looks like a machine designed by Americans for Americans ? the perfect console to make entering the Asian market a complete nightmare.

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[Thunderous Cacophony]

For the multiple content distributors, couldn't that be an asset? I thought that the Xbox One had an app-style interface; setting aside a bit of money to make an easy developers tool for Asian media companies could be that it is always relevant, no matter which Netflix-surrogate ends up on top or being dominant in market X.

Also, I bet Microsoft is kicking themselves for not adding a Share Button to the controller now. It's a lot easier to implement something like that than it is to have Kinect record and upload something.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

Good article; interesting stuff as usual. Thanks!

 

[duwenbasden]

For the multiple content distributors, couldn't that be an asset? I thought that the Xbox One had an app-style interface; setting aside a bit of money to make an easy developers tool for Asian media companies could be that it is always relevant, no matter which Netflix-surrogate ends up on top or being dominant in market X.

It's not viable -- there are simply too many providers. It will destroy the Metro interface with endless shortcuts.

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OT: I want to see the Kinect attempts Cantonese and the hilarity it will ensue. So... many... proverbs...

 

[VoidOfOne]

The more I learned about the XBox One from it's initial reveal, the more I grew to dislike it. My venom has muted somewhat, but the issues I have still remain, as the issues that console has still remain. They gambled with the Kinect, and from many reports they are losing that gamble. I can't imagine it's going to do well in Asia with the Kinect, when that machine (the Kinect) isn't even functioning well in the USA. There may be some people who have no issues in using the Kinect, but there are definitely many who do. And almost every time I hear a story about using a Kinect, it comes with the phrase "...when it works." A device that works 80-90% of the time (of which I'm not even sure the Kinect is) means little when you have devices that work 99.9999999% of the time, like a controller.

There is a future for technology that the Kinect represents. I don't think it has much of a present, though, worldwide. We definitely won't see wide praise until we can see a functioning camera that can work from any reasonable angle, with any widespread language. The Kinect may help over similar devices flourish and grow beyond it's own capabilities, but I believe they will do so over the grave of the Kinect. Time will tell.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Dont know what the big surprise is, their previous consoles didnt do well in those areas.

 

[Albino Boo]

Singapore also has Singlish, which is mix of Malay, English, Cantonese and half dozen other languages.

 

[Li Mu]

Microsoft is not an adaptable company. They had to be bullied into allowing the Xbone to even function inside of any country without complete and stable internet access.

Microsoft still has yet to be persuaded to allow the Xbone to actually function in certain countries they don't officially support. I doubt they are adaptable enough to fit the requirements of different markets. "We already have a console for that, it's called fuck you" pretty much sums up their behind the scenes attitude.

And this is why Microsoft will die. They're taking the British Empire approach to international interactions. OUR way is the correct way and the ONLY way. The arrogant assumption that everyone wants what they have and will adapt to what Microsoft wants. This has been a general problem with Microsoft for a while (*cough* Windows 8).

We all know what happened to the British Empire. It became ***** to the US. Well if Microsoft refuse to adapt, they'll be come Sony's *****.

 

[Aaron Sylvester]

Why is it such a big deal how well XBone sells in Asia?

Microsoft give zero shits about sales outside USA and maybe a few smaller countries like Aus/NZ. Their initial plan with localization for only a small list of countries already showed that they were perfectly happy with ignoring the rest of the world. Their analysts would have calculated what would happen with sales and they were going to go straight ahead with it.

PS4 sales have already destroyed XBone sales worldwide, it's not really a "console race" anymore. And it doesn't have to be.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Here's a question. Is it possible, today, in the UK, to buy an XBone, plug it in and play it without the kinect or an Internet connection? What about a PS4?

I have my 360 pretty much perma offline, only occasionally going on for an update or to make use of an online feature (that works without Gold sub). If I buy another console of the latest generation, I'd similarly keep it offline and won't pay for a sub.

 

[gamegod25]

We all know what happened to the British Empire. It became ***** to the US.

0_o I'm going to guess you don't have a history degree...

But back on topic the colonial metaphor is slightly apt a suppose; Microsoft seems to want to bend consumers to it's central vision and will. Instead of looking what consumers and markets want and then making something to fit that they start with their own convoluted ideas and then try and ram them into the market by force.

Microsoft seemed offended that people questioned it's grand DRM vision. Microsoft is infallible in their own eyes it seems. They need to civilize all those heathens who worship things like consumer rights, value and functionality.

That blind arrogance is part of what made me so furious at them and why I've sworn off eve buying an Xbone. That whole attitude of "what's that, you DON'T want a console with oppressive DRM, a motion controller that doesn't work and may be used to spy on you, and a focus on TV rather than gaming...what is wrong with YOU?". It was like they were speaking martian and looking at the rest of us like we were the weirdos.

The Xbone was a tough sell even just looking at the bare facts, but with the way they acted rarely have I felt so un-valued and taken for granted as a customer. Its like MS was channeling Marie Antoinette and I'd be lying if I wasn't ready to get out a guillotine too.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

I am imagining that Microsoft will rip out all the crap everyone hates and sell a streamlined Xbone in Asia, then the rest of the world will complain that Asia got a better console.

 

[mokes310]

Oh yeah, the XBOX is thoroughly screwed here in Korea. To start, no one in Korea actually pays to stream content. The notion of intellectual property and copyright law here are laughable at best. Second, it's wildly over priced. To give you an example, I just purchased a 250gb PS3 for $300usd. The PS4...yeah, that's selling for around $500usd for the entry level model (at cheapest). The XB1 is selling for $743usd ( http://item2.gmarket.co.kr/English/detailview/item.aspx?goodscode=504975063 ) (and that's the cheap online retailer we're talking about). Yeah, no one here is going to spend that on a console which can't play League of Legends, DOTA 2, Sudden Attack, or FIFA Online 3. Lastly, Korea is not a console market to begin with. I can walk into any major mart like Lotte/Emart/Homeplus (Korean Walmart) and find a Wii, a handful of PS Vita games, and MAYBE a straggler copy of a FIFA game. People here just don't buy consoles. Hell, I have to go to a specialty electronics store JUST to buy games (if I don't want to order online).

 

[kailus13]

Here's a question. Is it possible, today, in the UK, to buy an XBone, plug it in and play it without the kinect or an Internet connection? What about a PS4?

I have my 360 pretty much perma offline, only occasionally going on for an update or to make use of an online feature (that works without Gold sub). If I buy another console of the latest generation, I'd similarly keep it offline and won't pay for a sub.

XboxOne needs a patch to work offline at all, otherwise it's just a brick. Kinect needs to be plugeed in I believe.

PS4 needs a patch for various features such as the blu-ray player to work, but can play games straight from the box.

It's probably still best to wait until a few more exclusives come out though. At the moment most games are still being released for the 360.

 

[Cartographer]

I am imagining that Microsoft will rip out all the crap everyone hates and sell a streamlined Xbone in Asia, then the rest of the world will complain that Asia got a better console.

Much like the original Xbox controller.
Designed to fit into fat American hands, rest of the world found it uncomfortable to use so they were forced to design and released a smaller one. Guess which one made the transition to the 360 and Xbone?

 

[Vivi22]

I am imagining that Microsoft will rip out all the crap everyone hates and sell a streamlined Xbone in Asia, then the rest of the world will complain that Asia got a better console.

Much like the original Xbox controller.
Designed to fit into fat American hands, rest of the world found it uncomfortable to use so they were forced to design and released a smaller one. Guess which one made the transition to the 360 and Xbone?

To be honest, the original Xbox controller didn't even fit that well in North American hands. I'm 6'2" and my hands are certainly proportional to my body but damn if I didn't hate that giant Xbox controller. I knew one friend that did like it, but he has the hands of an orangutan.