2003年06月27日 金曜日
Manner of Layoffs
by Justin Hall
Business
Japan is home to the console video game. Nintendo, Sega and Sony are all based in Japan, and the small island nation with just over one hundred million people consumes about a third of the world's videogames.
Microsoft Xbox is the first major American video game console effort since Atari's decline in the 1980s. Microsoft has worked hard to win fans in the Japanese market, primarily to sell machines and games, but also to attract Japanese game developers to develop Xbox games for worldwide audiences.
They haven't had much luck. They haven't yet sold more than a million units, which is a pitiful showing over a year after the machine went on sale. Reasons abound - Nintendo and PlayStation are strong, with long track records developing for the home market. Xbox had distant management and they launched with a machine and controllers the size of Buick's - made for large hands and large living rooms.
Since their initial launch, Microsoft has worked hard to win Japanese audiences. They offered Japan a smaller controller (for their smaller hands?), which is now the default for all gamers worldwide. They opened up an Xbox cafe in the tony Marunouchi building near Tokyo station. And they've had a revolving cast of corporate minds working to strengthen the machine in the market.
A new boss was brought in, the first "non-Japanese" manager for Microsoft games in Japan. He immediately caused a cross-cultural crash with some layoffs, American style: heavy security and deep mistrust shocked and dismayed former employees. They had no reason to expect anything other than gentle, patient firing, the more mannerly way of handling corporate dismissals commonplace in Japan. Gamespot has a short article on Chanpon clash: Microsoft forces layoffs on Xbox division in Japan. Perhaps they're betting that this seemingly brash style will win them fans in the long run.
Posted by Justin Hall at 2003年06月27日 00:39
Comments
Interesting to hear. You'd think that American companies would have learned from the few American success stories in Japan, that there are ways that work well. And others that don't.
An old programmer of mine suddenly became director of audio for Atari, when they were assumed by his company. I guess their profile will raise. Atari just never dies, it seems.
Interesting to hear. You'd think that American companies would have learned from the few American success stories in Japan, that there are ways that work well. And others that don't.
An old programmer of mine suddenly became director of audio for Atari, when they were assumed by his company. I guess their profile will raise. Atari just never dies, it seems.
Interesting to hear. You'd think that American companies would have learned from the few American success stories in Japan, that there are ways that work well. And others that don't.
An old programmer of mine suddenly became director of audio for Atari, when they were assumed by his company. I guess their profile will raise. Atari just never dies, it seems.
Working with Japanese cultural expectations is one thing; implementing harsh but practical business policies is another, in my opinion...
It is possible that (as long as they don't anger everyone too much) Microsoft could really win out over Japanese firms by applying much harsher but more efficient business practices. I'm sure there is a ton of dead weight in the development departments of Sony and Nintendo due to their timid lay-off policies...
If MS wakes up to what Japanese consumers really want, I think they will be able to sell the X-box. They just haven't focused enough on issues like the ones mentioned in the post...