Politicians. Actors. Singers, too. What do they have in common with Xbox Japan mascot Sanrokumaru?
They have all thrown out the first pitch at baseball games. Sanrokumaru stars in a new series of TV ads in which he and the rest of the "Xbox Mission Department" attempts to secure titles like the new Virtual-On for the Xbox 360.
Sanrokumaru tossed out the first pitch at the Rakuten Golden Eagles versus the Tokyo Giants. A smart move on Microsoft's part as Tokyo Giants games typically play to a packed crowd and are broadcasted on the Yomiuri Television channel as Yomiuri owns the Giants! What's more, Rakuten is the biggest online shopping retailer in Japan.
The stands filled out by the time the game started — Microsoft promotions continued throughout the evening. Game Watch Impress also did an interview with Rakuten pitcher Shinichiro Koyama about the Xbox 360. Seems he owned the original Xbox as well as currently owning an Xbox 360. When asked what he played on the Xbox 360, he replied that he plays car games. "The name escapes me... Burnout?" Koyama goes on to say he's been short on time lately. Understandable! The baseball season has started.
マイクロソフト、楽天×読売戦にて「Xbox Night」を開催。泉水氏と「Xbox 特命課」が始球式に登場 [Game Watch]