After Yakuza and Persona, Xbox could invest in a NIS America franchise next, according to rumors

For the past few years, Xbox owner Microsoft has been enthusiastically pushing for Japanese developer support. The platform isn't particularly known for its lineup of games from the Japanese industry, especially with the Xbox 360/One consoles.

However, lately, the company has been on a roll, especially with the Persona series announcement during its recent showcase. With this reveal, the iconic JRPG series has come to an Xbox (and PC) platform for the first time ever. Now, according to rumors, something of this scale could happen again.

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Xbox and NIS America seem to be partnering up for something substantial

Speaking on the XboxEra podcast, insider Nick Baker (Shpeshal_Nick) revealed that NIS America is next on the green team's partnership list, saying:

"I've been told Xbox is working with NIS America to bring some games or maybe a particular series to Xbox."

He also seemed to be aware of the two companies' specific plans. However, he could not divulge any details for the time being, mysteriously alluding:

"Now, like my Persona tweet I can't say right now what that game or that series is. I'm not allowed, just like I wasn't with Persona back then."

Whether or not this is true is yet to be seen, but his claim certainly carries weight. After all, Baker's previous leaks about Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal being shown off at the Bethesda Games Showcase turned out to be true.

He dropped a hint at the announcement before the show went live back in June 2022 with a tweet that simply read:

Given the agitation and backlash from gamers over the legitimacy of such leaks, he warned that people have to be patient, saying:

"They're working on it, it's a deal they are working on just like they were with Persona. So please stop getting upset and if you don't see whatever this series next week, that doesn't mean it is a lie."

He clarified that this was a way to keep overly enthusiastic fans off his back, especially since such deals can take time to come to fruitition.

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Which NIS America franchise could it be?

NIS America is known for its entries such as Disgaea and Ys. The former is an over-the-top (figuratively and factually) strategy RPG series with turn-based combat and a penchant for massive stats and combo numbers that rack up into the millions. The latter is a long-running action RPG series in a fantasy setting.

The latest entries in either series have not come to Xbox yet, i.e. Disgaea 6 Complete and Ys IX: Monstrum Nox. Thus, as of this point, any title is likely.

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What does this mean for Microsoft?

Starting with Yakuza, the American publisher has made incredible efforts to bring JRPG games to its platform. The latest entry in the series, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, arrived on Microsoft's consoles on the first day.

The Persona announcement also caught fans of the green team off guard as the series has a reputation for being PlayStation exclusive. However, the publisher has been keenly pushing marketing for both franchises in a bid to entice more players onto their hype train.

With NIS America, company head Phil Spencer has proven that the company is serious about expansion. The entry of either Disgaea or Ys will make the platform even more diverse, looking at the massive reach of the Game Pass.

The Xbox Series X|S consoles have also picked up popularity in Japan. All things considered, Microsoft is on the path to shed its identity as a primarily Western console.