At last year's TGS, Microsoft rolled out the Xbox 360. The company staked out a huge booth, filled with with companions and new hardware. The 360 was the first next-gen console the Japanese would see. The country look a look and collectively went "meh."

A lack of titles saw a disastrous and embarrassing launch. No matter which way you sugar coated it, the 360 was a failure in Japan. 2006 saw a reshuffling of Xbox Japan leadership, a new ad campaign fronted by a J-pop boy band and a handful of Japan-friendly titles. The perception was that the machine was picking up steam. Very slowly.

Last Wednesday, Microsoft held its Media Briefing in Shibuya. The company's Peter Moore and its Japan leader Takashi Sensui took the stage. Upcoming games where highlighted. The likes of Trusty Bell, Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon are set to give the console a huge boast. We didn't see price drops, but bundles rather, because Microsoft loves the bundles. One includes packaging Project Gotham Racing 3 and Ninety-Nine Nights with the Core System for 29,800 yen (US $265). Sensui added that this makes the 360 the most affordable next-gen console and even cheaper than the Wii.

Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi took the stage and showed both Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey. Both titles are getting the maximum Microsoft marketing push, with an hour-long playable Lost Odyssey demo appearing in an upcoming issue of Famitsu. A limited-edition Xbox 360 Core System Blue Dragon Premium Pack to kick off the game's launch and include the game software. This pack will retail 28,381 yen (US $244).

Microsoft has been going after Japan full on, bringing in the best game creators imaginable. Still, so far, that hasn't been enough. Sitting in the Media Briefing and listening to Sakaguchi give a Blue Dragon run through, I couldn't help but think: If Blue Dragon, a game made by the Final Fantasy creator with characters designed by the Dragon Quest creator, does not help the 360 in Japan, nothing will. A ninety-minute wait to play the game at the Microsoft booth gives hope that it just might. Brian Ashcraft

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