Minecraft Is the Only Physical Game Available in Japan for Xbox
Yodobashi Camera Akihabara, commonly known as Akiba is a haven for gamers and video game enthusiasts where they can buy video games. But according to one user on X/Twitter, Xbox section at the store is almost empty.
As per the user, the company has moved away from physical releases in the region. Minecraft Legends is the only physical game available on sale at Yodobashi Camera Akihabara.
Xbox section in Yodobashi Camera Akihabara!Xbox have almost completely moved away from physical releases in Japan. There is only 1 physical game on display (Minecraft Legends) The rest is ads for Game Pass. Minecraft is very popular in Japan pic.twitter.com/mV417Lvu31— Genki
(@Genki_JPN) July 8, 2024
While there are accessories such as controllers on display, everything else is just ads for Microsoft’s subscription service, Xbox Game Pass. Minecraft is very popular and has sold over 300 million copies as of October 2023.
Just accept Xbox is finished man…— NOT_VERGIL (@Raidenslosteye) July 8, 2024
The game sells 25 million copies every year and was 2023’s 11th best-selling title in Japan for Nintendo Switch. The Minecraft Dungeons Ultimate Edition and Legends was also on the list down further. It also has over 100-150 million players almost every month and Japan contributes largely to that.
Fans Think Only Minecraft Has Kept Xbox Relevant in Japan
Gamers in Japan have always preferred physical discs but it seems like the game companies are moving away from them. One user said that Xbox discs in Japan were always hard to find but they can now not even find a console.
Another user said that Minecraft is the “only reason” why Xbox is in Japan with one fan saying the company is finished. Xbox has been taking huge steps to go all-digital and earlier this year there were reports that Microsoft had shut down its physical game releases division.
Minecraft is literally the only reason Xbox still has any presence in Japan…And it wasn’t even an IP they created.— ThatGenericEric (@ThatGenericEric) July 8, 2024
It doesn’t mean the company is completely leaving the physical video game market, it could be cutting down on them. And this state of physical video games in Japan could very well be the start of it. Fans have pointed out that the company is moving away from physical releases worldwide.
An all-digital future seems to coming soon for video games but fans are not okay with that. There is a large number of gamers who want a physical disc instead of a digital game. From companies like Ubisoft to Xbox, all show signs of digital-only games but fans are now quite ready.
What are your thoughts about only Minecraft being available physically? Let us know in the comments!
