The last time an American company successfully launched a game console in Japan, Jesse Takamayama was the famous Hawaiian Sumo wrestler and Chad Rowan (aka Akebono) was still in high school. The last time an American company successfully launched a video game console in Japan, a famous hanafuda card maker named Nintendo had recently begun dabbling in arcade games and Sony hadn't yet invented the Walkman.
The last -- and only -- American company to successfully launch a video game console into the Japanese market was Atari. Atari succeeded once, with its Video Computer System. And since the 1979 debut of the VCS, Atari, Mattel, Coleco, and 3DO all tried and failed to launch systems in Japan.
On Feb. 22, Microsoft Corp. will try to do what no American company has been able to do since Jimmy Carter was president. This company, however, may succeed.