What’s the colour of money

If you’re Bill Gates, and talking Yen, it’s blue.

Microsoft is still trying to win a slice of the Japanese market. I’m sure they want the whole cake but with the Wii and DS selling like hot ones, iced and with cherries on top, PSP Lite and PS3 selling quite well and a lot of gamers still satisfied with their PS2 it’s possible Microsoft will have to settle for crumbs for some time to come. Or will they?

The Japanese are well known for not being fond of the FPS genre and the Xbox is the console home of the FPS. So where to go? Microsoft’s plan was to aim for Japanese gamers at their weakest point and win hearts and minds with a game that they just would not be able to resist.

Microsoft released the massive 3 disc RPG anime styled adventure Blue Dragon and it actually did quite well. It did better than that in fact and spawned it’s own merchandise and even had an anime TV series created. I’m sure Microsoft thought they had created a gaming hammer capable of market cracking and perhaps, just perhaps, they’d started to win some more Eastern fans.

Microsoft are set to keep the Blue Dragon ball rolling by going for the jugular and releasing the game on a budget label. Not only that, but parts 1 and 2 of the Blue Dragon anime are going to be available on XBL from 15th November, to tie in with the reduced price, for free. Microsoft are hoping (praying?) that this will generate a lot more interest in the 360 and create some new Xbox owners.

They could be right but what I want to know is where are my free cartoons and cheap Blue Dragon Bill? Are we going to see these freebies in the UK or are you casting us off so you can woo your oriental desire? I feel so used.

Is Microsoft throwing dollars down the drain when it comes to Japan and is Bill just a plain ol’ hussy? Gameov3r says he is and that he’s going to sprinkle itching powder in Bill’s underpants drawer. Scratch that itch on the Gameov3r FORUM.