Maruyama Talks Xbox 360

"Japanese plans call for 10+ launch titles, new forms of media access.

The Xbox 360 is approaching a late 2005 worldwide release, and that includes Japan, where the current generation Xbox managed to sell just 450,000 units over a three year period. So what does Microsoft have in store to make Xbox 360 appeal to the Japanese better than its predecessor? We'll find out the full answer in a couple of weeks at the Tokyo Game Show, but prior to that, Japanese site PC Watch managed to put Xbox Japan General Nanager Yoshihiro Maruyama in the hot seat for a quick question and answer session on the subject.

Maruyama was first asked to discuss preparations for the end-of-year release. He reveals that Microsoft is just about to enter the system's production phase, where it will be able to determine exactly how many systems it can produce for the end of the year. While Maruyama considers getting hardware allocated to Japan a big point, he's more focused on preparing software for the system.

Xbox 360 Software needs to be winding down in the development process if publishers hope to get their games out in time for launch. Maruyama states that Microsoft's approval process, during which it makes sure that games follow the rules it has set aside for Xbox 360 software development and also that bugs are nowhere to be found, requires at least a month. He expects to be worried about this area of the system's launch right until the end."