The year is 2001, and Microsoft is on the cusp of entering the gaming industry with Xbox, a console that Microsoft hopes can make a dent in the market share that Sony holds with its PlayStation 2 console released 1 year earlier.
In an attempt to market Xbox to Japan as well as the U.S., Microsoft struck a deal with Sega, announcing that 11 games from the AAA Japanese publisher would be released exclusively on Microsoft’s upcoming platform.
When President of Sony Computer Entertainment Ken Kutaragi was asked if he was concerned, he quoted Japan as being the center of gravity and simply said, “I’m not worried. Good luck.”
