The Xbox' presence in Asia can be simulated best by inflating a balloon, then letting go of it and listening the sound it produces. It's very much a niche product that is only imported by the most hardcore of gamers, who also need quite a bit of money because as it turns out most of Asia is not that rich. As for the Playstation, similar poor conditions means that they'll be lagging a generation or two behind with the consoles. So around now they'll be getting into the PS4 and its games. So who's going to do better? Well, since Sony is starting to orient itself out of the console market (I would not be surprised if the PS6 will be the last console they ever make, if they even make one) and how it conducts itself (Sony Interactive Entertainment is now based out of California, with all the dread consequences that comes with that), it's starting to alienate its Asian market. Microsoft and Nintendo are getting along rather well recently because despite being in the same business, they have different target demographics (more hardcore VS more casual) and core markets (the west VS Asia). Furthermore, the Xbox moving into the Asian market is unlikely in the near future, and Nintendo has its kiddy image and its consoles don't really play the big AAA games (no big name shooters on the console), so it makes sense for them to team up to stomp out Sony.The Japanese market, the audience, shifted over to mobile phone games from the sound of it...and before that it seems they'd shifted over to handhelds, specifically Nintendo's, which is most likely why Nintendo folded their handled and home console market into one with the Switch.Is it really dead or did the JP market just stop catering to them? I've heard that PC and Xbox gaming is on the rise in Japan and seen some comments of disgruntled JPs complaining that they wish they could buy games but everything is either gacha shit or Sonyshit which is all catered to westerners now.Implying devs like FROM give a fuck about the Japanese market at this point. Besides some semi-religious franchises like Pokemon, MH, DQ, Super Mario and other Nintendo stuff, Japanese core gaming market is dead and no serious AA and up dev will focus his efforts on Japanese market first and foremost.I don't think Japanese companies decline quite the same way as western companies. Looking at the top selling games in Japan i don't see what From could do exactly to make their stuff sell more:
https://gamerant.com/japan-best-selling-games-2020-famitsu/
Is Ghost of Tsushima decline? It's the only game that is even remotely close to what From could do in that list and at 400 thousand copies sold it's not really that far off from the Souls game in terms of sales. I just checked and Dark Souls sold something like 2 million copies in Japan and 27 millions world wide.
It seems to me From really has nowhere to go. The only way to move up in terms of sales is to start making Animal Crossing shit and that stuff is already cornered by other companies.
It sounds like while whatever the fuck they're calling the new Xbox was doing better in Japan than normal, it's also not exactly doing great; I think some people were just playing that up because of the dumb shit Sony was doing, like "Oh no, Sony is in trouble now for all their dumb nonsense" but truth is Sony doesn't seem to be in any danger from Microsoft in Japan at the moment. There do seem to be developers pissed off about Sony's bullshit, but I think they might all be smaller developers too.
There's even been rumors that the Game Pass would be coming to the Switch, which would be both a brilliant and unheard of move. Microsoft gains access to a massive market with an affordable service (reminder that consoles are NOT a source of income for any of the big three), and Nintendo makes their platform to sell more of their own games more attractive in both the east and the west. If you look at the specs for the Switch Pro it would not measure up to the Xbox, but being able to play Game Pass games on the go? Well, that would be massively interesting for both companies.