JAPAN: Microsoft planning fresh 360 offensive

With the Xbox 360 having passed the one million unit sales barrier in Japan last month, Microsoft has announced a fresh offensive for its console in the Far East.

At a press conference last night, the platform holder revealed that it’s going to hand out 1m Microsoft Points to Japanese gamers that can be used to buy digital content on the Xbox Live platform.

In addition, Epic’s huge Western hit Gears of War 2 is getting fully localised for release in the territory some time this summer.

Destructoid reports that Microsoft also confirmed that it currently has 31 titles lined up for release on the console in Japan this year, including the likes of King of Fighters XIII, King of Fighters Plus Sky Slate, Magna Carta 2, Samurai Spirits Shin, Garou Mark of the Wolves, O-D Beatdrop, Yosumin Live and Square Enix duo 0 Day Attack on Earth and Project Cube.

A number of Western-orientated titles will also be hitting the region, including Halo ODST, Mass Effect, along with big name Japanese releases such as Tekken 6, Bayonetta and (the admittedly Western developed) Dead Rising 2.