14 DAY TRIAL // The launch of the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 on the Chinese market might be one of the most important events in the life of both home consoles, and it seems that Microsoft has plans to make its own device more attractive than its rival.
A Microsoft News translation of a WPDang report claims that the company is planning to create full Chinese dubbing and subtitles for the entire single-player and multiplayer content that will be included in the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians.
The title is set to be launched in the fall of next year on Western markets, but the company has not talked about plans for China so far and it hasn't issued any comment on the new report either.
Big games for a big market
The company has explained that it has more than 25 local developers who are working on about 70 Xbox One titles and that it plans to launch popular experiences like: Forza Motorsport 5, Sunset Overdrive, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Kinect Sports Rivals, Powerstar Golf, Zoo Tycoon, and Max: The Curse of Brotherhood.
Extensive customization options have not been confirmed for any of the titles.
The work needed to bring Halo 5: Guardians to the Chinese market with full sound and subtitles in the local language is apparently being carried out in a studio in Shanghai.
The development team might need to alter some of the content included in the shooter in order to get it past the watchful eyes of the Ministry of Culture, which needs to approve all the entertainment content released in the country.
Xbox One needs a big boost
At the moment, the Xbox One is lagging behind in worldwide sales when compared to the PlayStation 4 from Sony, which has managed to go past the 10 million units sold mark.
The launch of the Master Chief Collection in November will offer a boost to the console, as will the introduction of the special channel dedicated to the universe.
But Halo 5: Guardians is the biggest title that Microsoft has prepared for the coming year, and the company needs to make sure that the 343 Industries team working on it creates a very good experience, while also delivering proper marketing to support it.
The Chinese potential is important, but the country is still dominated by the gray market and Microsoft might make a big investment in localization that will not be reflected in the actual sales.