TOKYO-- In a tense battle on the stage of a glitzy Tokyo nightspot, Team Himawari (Sunflower) captured Japan’s Halo crown over the holidays. The Xbox Championship was just one part of the holiday party Xbox Japan organized to thank Xbox Live users.

　　Playing the Oddball mode on the Battle Creek board against another three-man team, the members of Himawari used prearranged strategies effectively to keep possession of the ball for the two minutes needed to win the match. When the match was over, Himawari’s opponent, Koroshiai no Saiten (Slaughterfest), had held the ball for less than one minute, but the loss didn’t cause too many hard feelings. The members of both teams were already friends--comrades in arms in Japan’s small Xbox user community.

　　Team Himawari had a good holiday season: one of its members also won Japan’s individual Halo championship. Yasuhiro, the 17-year old Webmaster for http://www11.plala.or.jp/ASE/indext.htmlASE, Japan’s largest Xbox Live clan, won the individual title just a few minutes before the team match began. After both matches and the awards ceremony were over, Yasuhiro and his teammates Uribo and Magus (all three asked to be identified by their screen names) sat down and answered a few questions.

　　Asked about their strategy for the team event, the Himawari members agreed “the rocket launcher is the key.” Yasuhiro explained; “We timed how long it takes for the rocket launcher to respawn: one minute and 40 seconds. We try to get it every time it appears.” Planning for the three-man teams used in the event, Himawari created three distinct tasks: 1) go for the rocket launcher, 2) go for the ball, and 3) cover the other two, or to use their name for the role, “killer.” Once they take possession of the ball, they head for the top of one of Battle Creek’s bunkers--they say they prefer the Blue bunker because the roof is slightly better protected. Team Himawari’s other preferred refuges are inside either bunker, rather than on the roof--which offers better protection from snipers but less advance warning of an attack--or near the warp zone.

　　This competition was the third Japanese Xbox Championship; according to an announcement after the awards ceremony, the fourth championship will be held next year and will feature Tecmo’s Dead or Alive 3. Asked his opinion about next year’s event, Yasuhiro wrinkled his nose. “A 3D fighter? That’s not my specialty. But sure I’ll compete.”

　　The party guests at the event were 400 randomly selected Xbox Live users, and the event started with a bang: a brief presentation by Tomonobu Itagaki, head of Tecmo’s Team Ninja. Itagaki (in photo, above) showed up in his trademark leather jacket and sunglasses with an early holiday present: playable demos of Ninja Gaiden. Yoshihiro Maruyama, general manager for the Xbox in Japan, presented the awards to the winners of the Halo tournament, and the event wound down with an extended raffle during which it seemed that everyone attending (except the reporters) got something nice to take home with them.

　　The attendees seemed to enjoy themselves, and the event was a good way to build customer loyalty among Japan’s small but dedicated Xbox user population. Maruyama has only been in charge of Xbox Japan since October 2003, but so far he seems to be making the right moves. Maybe he can help Halo champ Yasuhiro’s holiday wish come true: “I wish that more people played the Xbox in Japan.”