Kotaku: takashi sensui

Microsoft: Japanese Sell Out Is "Totally Legit"

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:30:00 MDT

In mid-August, a seemingly unbelievable thing happened: The Xbox 360 sold out in Japan. Unbelievable because for years Japan ignored the Microsoft game console. But there we were, mid-August and an Xbox 360 sell out. This came just as Namco Bandai RPG Tales of Vesperia hit the Xbox 360. It got so bad that Microsoft actually had to issue an apology for the sell out. September saw a Microsoft Tokyo press conference that announced a console price cut that would hit when stores were restocked with consoles.

The timing for all this is just too damn good. When asked if this was a moved engineered by Microsoft, company exec Aaron Greenberg said, "Oh, it was totally legit. The demand for the console shot up suddenly. How can you plan for that?" Even now, the situation is so bad that apparently there are only roughly 18 or so consoles in the Japanese warehouse. "Everything we're making, we're selling straight through," Greenberg said. "That's why we're selling out. The only machines we're not selling have dents in them or have been accidentally damaged."

Microsoft's optimistic that this isn't a flash in the proverbial pan. "I see no reason this sales trend won't continue," said Xbox Japan boss Takashi Sensui (pictured). "We have the third party line-up." Sensui doesn't think the sell out was necessarily a plus. "It's not good when customers cannot buy your product," he said. Though, it certainly hasn't hurt Nintendo! The Kyoto-base company has profited from product scarcity.

With the Xbox 360 gaining momentum, are there any Japanese titles or franchises that Microsoft still wants on its console? Greenberg didn't specifically point out any titles in particular, but did add, "We want more." Agreeing, Sensui stated, "I'd like the see Final Fantasy XIII on the Xbox 360 in Japan." Square Enix has announced the game for Xbox 360 and the PS3 in the West, but only for the PS3 in Japan.

Xbox Japan: "We Have No Plans To Release FFXIII"

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:00:00 MDT

Xbox Japan, for Xbox Japan, is on a bit of a roll of late. The console was either the top selling or number two selling home console in the weekly sales depending on which sales data you go buy. Microsoft has secured a slew of RPGs like Tales of Vesperia, Infinite Undiscovery and Star Ocean 4 — joining Xbox 360 RPG titles like Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey. As Xbox Japan honcho Takashi Sensui explains:

Sales have been in an upward trend in Japan recently and we intend to work hard to push this momentum forward moving into the holiday sales season... As an initial milestone, we would like to hit the one million mark as soon as possible, and are continuing to work hard to get to this milestone and go beyond... The recent launch of Infinite Undiscovery on September 11 saw sales of over 90,000 units in the week of September 8-14 according to data from Media Create, placing it the third-highest selling game in Japan in that period... We have similar high hopes for the upcoming launch of other RPGs such as The Last Remnant, Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope and Fable II. However, we have no plans to launch Final Fantasy XIII in Japan.

Wait, wait, wait. "We" have no plans to launch Final Fantasy XIII in Japan? Don't you mean Square Enix has no plans to launch FFXIII in Japan? Ah, yes, hello semantics, how have you been?

Xbox in Japan: A New Dawn? [EDGE]

Is Final Fantasy XIII Xbox 360 Coming To Japan? "Ask Them"

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:00:00 MDT

That's Xbox Japan bossman Takashi Sensui in that candy house. Earlier today, he wasn't in a candy house, but the Square Enix press conference. And he was sitting in the first row! While Final Fantasy XIII has not been announced for Japanese Xbox 360s, we asked Sensui how he felt about the announcement:

Question: "How do you feel about the announcement?"
Sensui: "We're really excited about it."
Question: "Do you think Final Fantasy XIII will be released on the Xbox 360 in Japan?"
Sensui: "Ask them [Square Enix]."

Okay, so Square Enix, will it?

Xbox Japan Boss Is Wasted On Japan

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:20:00 MST

The best thing to come out of Microsoft's Japanese XNA awards night weren't the games themselves. Not even close. No, the best part was the arrival of Xbox Japan boss Takashi Sensui, who didn't just walk onto the stage. He didn't use steps, like mortal men. No, the dude descended in a gondola. And not just any gondola, a gondola called "THE CANDY HOUSE". Look at him wave! He's loving it. In these cold, unexciting times, when the industry's most colourful platform executives have either moved on or moved away (Allard, Kutaragi, Moore, Harrison), Sensui is the sole bastion of corporate good times. If only Microsoft had left Don "Who?" Mattrick where he was and made this guy Xbox boss.
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Justify Your Xbox Holiday Lineup

Mark Wilson — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 22:30:20 MDT

We gave Takashi Sensui (Microsoft's General Manager of Xbox) a chance to justify his holiday lineup. And unlike certain tall, bald and highly clonable Sony executives who outright refused, Sensui jumped at the chance to support his company.

During our shoot, either our autofocus went wonky or the booze really started kicking in. Sorry about that, but at least our camera didn't puke on Sensui's shoes.