Reader concerned about Xbox's treatment of Japanese games as their popularity grows.

It's no secret that Xbox and Japan haven't been the best of friends. A concerned reader recently expressed their worries about the potential consequences of Xbox dominating the gaming industry. Despite being the wealthiest company and having been around for over 20 years, Microsoft hasn't had much success as a game publisher. Sony and Nintendo have consistently outsold them, and they haven't had any notable releases for casual gamers since the Xbox 360 era.

There was a time not too long ago when it seemed like Microsoft was going to give up on gaming altogether. And while they may still be considering it, they now have a significant presence in the gaming world thanks to their recent acquisitions of Activision Blizzard and Bethesda. As we've seen this week, Microsoft already has more games in the top 20 for PlayStation than Sony does. This is great news for PlayStation 5 owners, as it means more games will be available on their platform. However, it also means that one company now has a stranglehold on the entire industry.

Microsoft may not be doing well in terms of hardware, but once streaming becomes mainstream, they will have a significant advantage. This could potentially spell the end of competition in the gaming world. Some may argue that as long as the games are the same, it doesn't matter who produces them. But what worries me about Xbox is how they seem to downplay and undermine Japanese games and companies.

It's no secret that Microsoft has always had a contentious relationship with Japan. In fact, the codename for the first Xbox was "Midway," after the battle in World War II where the US defeated Japan. This is not the best way to start a relationship with the only other console manufacturers at the time: Nintendo, Sega, and Sony. Microsoft quickly realized that they couldn't compete with Sony directly, so they tried to make Japanese companies irrelevant.

During the Xbox 360 era, Microsoft focused heavily on Western-style games, leaving many Japanese companies struggling to adapt. It wasn't until the PlayStation 4 era that Japanese developers were able to make a comeback by going back to their roots. Everything Microsoft does is designed to minimize the role of Japanese companies in the gaming industry, and that's a cause for concern.

Even the one Japanese developer that Microsoft owns, Tango Gameworks, was made to create a game that was as un-Japanese as possible. So what will happen when they have influence over other developers? It's a worrying thought. No big company is perfect, but we already know how Sony operates when they are uncontested in the market. I fear that Microsoft will use their power and influence to devalue Japanese gaming, which is a huge part of the industry.

Japanese developers are responsible for some of my favorite games, and I can't imagine gaming without them. However, I can envision a world without Microsoft, and I don't think much of value would be lost. It's a scary thought, but it's essential to consider the impact of one company having so much control. Time will tell how this all plays out, but for now, all we can do is hope for the best.

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