Gates spoke eloquently about the importance of the Japanese game industry, of his reverence of Isao Okawa, the former president of Sega who had died two weeks before the show after a battle with cancer. Bill Gates on stage with Sega executives announcing its 11 game deal for Xbox at TGS Spring 2001. Gates, one of the most famous people in the world, one of the most respected businessmen ever, had taken the time to make sure Japan felt important.īut all didn't go according to plan. Gates' star turn at the Tokyo Game Show was supposed to show the Japanese game industry that Microsoft was serious about getting into the console business. “But of course that's all you need when you're a billionaire right?” “I was terrified to even open it,” he remembers over a decade later. It felt thin, as if only a credit card and a driver's license were inside. Suddenly, Bachus was holding the wallet of the richest man in the world. “I don't like having anything in my pocket when I'm talking.” “Here, hold this,” Gates said, pulling out his wallet. Press had gathered from all over the world, and they were all there to see one thing: the Xbox.īackstage, Gates turned to Kevin Bachus, at the time Xbox director of third party relations and the man charged with getting all those Japanese executives out there in the audience to make games for Microsoft's new console. Executives from all the major Japanese game publishers were there: Capcom, Square, Tecmo, Sega, Namco, the lot. The Makuhari Exhibition Hall was packed with a 4000-strong audience. Wesley's piece on Xbox's trials and tribulations in Japan was originally published on 14th December 2012.īill Gates was preparing to walk out on stage to deliver his much-anticipated keynote at the Tokyo Game Show on Friday 30th March 2001. Every Sunday we haul an exciting article out of the Eurogamer archive so you can read it again or enjoy it for the first time if you missed it.
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