Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal

(Chapters 3-6)

Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal

Postby Let's Get Sweaty » Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:07 am

If this has been discussed before (I'll be surprised if it hasn't), then any links would be appreciated.

I just wanted to hear people's thoughts on the deal between Microsoft and Sega, which made Shenmue 2 exclusive to the original Xbox in North America.

How do you think it was handled by both parties? What did they do right? What did they do wrong?

How do you think it affected sales of the game in that market, and the position of the series overall?

If a similar deal was to be struck for Shenmue 3, then what, if anything, should be done differently?
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Re: Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal

Postby Bluecast » Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:14 am

Basically was just Peter Moore moving from SEGA to MS and since MS wanted more games to appeal to Japanese gamers Moore decided to cancel SII in the US on DC and have it on Xbox. Game sales were so bad and Xbox failed so hard in Japan that was pretty much the end of the deal and never released it in japan. Don't have links from 2000 if they still even exist. MS moved on and SEGA pretty much decided to rely on Sonic.
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Re: Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal

Postby Who Really Cares? » Thu Feb 28, 2013 9:07 am

Let's Get Sweaty wrote: If this has been discussed before (I'll be surprised if it hasn't), then any links would be appreciated.

I just wanted to hear people's thoughts on the deal between Microsoft and Sega, which made Shenmue 2 exclusive to the original Xbox in North America.

How do you think it was handled by both parties? What did they do right? What did they do wrong?

How do you think it affected sales of the game in that market, and the position of the series overall?

If a similar deal was to be struck for Shenmue 3, then what, if anything, should be done differently?



I thought it was a bit of a cock up.

1 it pissed off US Dreamcast owners most of who ended up just importing the pal version.
2 they should have ported both games over to XBox not just II with a movie[even more pointless with the 10 minute digest vid on Shenmue II's disc]
Not releasing it in Japan at the same time caused them to miss the boat and it could have helped them sell a few more consoles [think the series sold around 2M in Japan?]

But of course SIII was sort of confirmed for XBox

http://uk.xbox.ign.com/articles/384/384250p1.html

And I remember reading it was all but announced at E3 several years back and a trailer was even made.

As for the contract it could have been just what they said and MS may still own the rights to publish in the US?

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Re: Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal

Postby Giorgio » Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:11 pm

In my humble opinion, I think the most basic good strategy to use, when you want to release a game as an exclusive one for your console, is to check what games are the most popular and/or best sellers, and then decide wisely what game of all of these would surely make consumers to purchase the console just to play that single game. Surely (especially nowadays), a new Shenmue game is one that would make consumers to purchase the console just to play it, but the problem is that they are not a lot of customers like these and I think that is why Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal failed.

That last point is proven in the recent poll the Xbox magazine has, where (almost) everyone knew about TS, but despite Shenmue 3 winning the poll, there are a lot of people that does not even know if Shenmue is a game that ever existed. So, all the efforts must be applied to make the game a popular one, in a way that consumers they will love it (emotionally, mentally attached to it) and that they will wait for a new Shenmue (preferably Shenmue III), like a baby waits the milk to be fed... I think Yu Suzuki's try with Shenmue Gai was one of those, but again it targeted mostly Shenmue hardcore fans (and only in Japan).

Something Shenmue-ish must arise again, that will attract mainstream/casual customers, in a way that will transform their raw and brutal gaming instincts, to ones that they will find meaning and usefulness to play a game that will uplift their darkened spirit to a calm and noble one, so they will begin to "keep their minds as clean as a polished mirror"... Shenmue will work on them, like Orpheus charmed the beasts by the music of his lyre...


Edit: Thank you, "Who Really Cares?", for pointing out! Now, I have organized the "wall of text" into several paragraphs.
Last edited by Giorgio on Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:25 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal

Postby Who Really Cares? » Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:18 pm

Don't want to be rude but that's a bit of a wall of text which make its hard to read.

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Re: Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal

Postby Yama » Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:52 pm

If Shenmue was released on the PlayStation 2, we'd have already seen the series properly conclude.

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Re: Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal

Postby Who Really Cares? » Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:47 pm

People say that but they have no proof, It could have easily flopped on that console as well.
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Re: Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal

Postby Bluecast » Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:07 pm

Yama wrote: If Shenmue was released on the PlayStation 2, we'd have already seen the series properly conclude.

Misconception. Also Shenmue was not technically possible on PS2. PS2 was too different and other ways was too limited to handle it. Shenmue II for PS2 either would have been cancelled or moved to Xbox anyway.
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Re: Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal

Postby shengoro86 » Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:07 am

Who Really Cares? wrote:
And I remember reading it was all but announced at E3 several years back and a trailer was even made.



I dont remember a trailer. Do you have a link to it?
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Re: Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal

Postby Who Really Cares? » Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:49 am

As i said it was never announced meaning the supposed trailer was never shown.
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Re: Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal

Postby Bluecast » Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:03 am

hin Ishikawa, revealed in an online interview that not only is Shenmue III in the works but intimated that said Shenmue title will in fact make its way to Xbox.


Both funny and sad :lol: :sad:
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Re: Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal

Postby Who Really Cares? » Fri Mar 01, 2013 6:34 am

Yep just think the series could have been finished years ago and we would be happy.
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