RARE Sony MSX 2+ Computer from Japan!

Thanks to Aaron for loaning TheRetroRecall this amazing piece of retro tech! This Sony HB-F1XV Personal Computer from Japan is a RARE piece of computing history. In this video we will go over the system, see if we can get it working and explore the interesting cartridges it came with!
#retropc #sony #nostalgia #retro #retrocomputing #retrogaming #vintage #konomi #japan #rare #msx #msx2

[@HeadsetGuy]

The MSX has a very interesting history; if you've never seen LGR's review of another MSX, you should definitely check it out. The short version is that it was a collaboration between Microsoft and ASCII Corporation to attempt to bring a standard to PCs in Japan, since most computers in Japan weren't compatible with each other, much less with the IBM PC compatible "standard" that sort of formed by accident in North America. They reportedly took cues from the VHS standard; much like how any machine with the VHS logo could play VHS tapes, any machine with the MSX logo could run MSX software (and since Microsoft was involved, MSX-DOS was MS-DOS for the MSX). Also, the character you had to type out instead of a backslash is the Yen symbol.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Appreciate the info!!! I'll check it out.

[@DuneRunnerEnterprises]

Ok,so THAT'S where Chinese copied the idea of learning computer.

[@maxtornogood]

I find myself watching your clips on a Sunday morning while still in bed. Nice overview of this retro tech, it looks & works pretty well.

[@TheRetroRecall]

It does, thank you!

[@PiercedJedi]

what a cool little machine

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed! Happy it was loaned to me.

[@danielkawano206]

I am amazed by the fact that you have almost 10k subscribers and still answer EVERY comment in your videos. I hope your channel continues to grow, so you can get as much recognition as Adrian from the Digital Basement or the 8 bit guy, as you indeed deserve. Thank you for the all content and warm regards from Brazil.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Much appreciated and yes, so far so good. It takes a lot of work and dedication to answer everyone but it's totally worth it. I love the interaction and everyones support! :)

[@AndrewSimpson-z3r]

My first computer in the late 80's was a Toshiba MSX HX-10, I really loved a game called River Raid. I'm in the UK, not sure how popular they were...and I still have it!

[@TheRetroRecall]

That's awesome that you still have it! I'm sure the systems that are out there are becoming more difficult to locate.

[@SebastianLambinon]

Your video made me realize that MSX is a pretty complex home computer ( NOT A CONSOLE! 😅 ) if you never used one before. I was screaming at the screen the whole time, but then again, it's easy to understand why someone would struggle with a system that's quickly going towards 40 years old. Here's some random quick tips: * MSX games often use 2 fire buttons when using a joystick. For nemesis you can use the N key as the second fire. * That REN-SHA TURBO is for autofire ( it also affects the space bar, so turn it off when typing ) * SOFARUN ( on the SD cartridge ) would be the easiest way to get your games started * The nice music in the Bombaman game is called MSX-MUSIC. The little musical note logo, next to the HITBIT MSX2+ on the case, is what tells you this MSX has that music chip. * Floppy drive should be mostly compatible with regular floppy drives indeed. But look it up to be sure. MSX is great. Go get your own! Enjoy!

[@TheRetroRecall]

Love this breakdown, much appreciated!! It was definitely the first time I've come accross one, so it's awesome being able to bring it to life and learn about it.

[@ferrellsl]

What a neat little system.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yes, I'm happy it was loaned to me to look at. Interesting to see for sure

[@7828191]

They are all computers the MSX systems, consoles are just for gaming, and no such exist. The MSX (many makers and models) and The C64 home/personal computers were the most popular in Europe, before the Amiga.

[@7828191]

Of course the later MSX systems like the MSX 2/MSX 2+/Turbo R was much better i every way than the C64 and C128. The MSX 1 was the C64 challenger.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thanks for the info. I'm not very familiar with this system, so everything helps.

[@7828191]

The Nemesis game was running to fast also, probably at a higher clock than the MSX 1. But as i said earlier the MSX is not made for games it's a computer just like the PC and Commodore and is mainly for other stuff than gaming. But of course gaming on the MSX computer systems is great and there are 1000's of cassette, disk and cartidge games, just like the C64 and C128.

[@liamthompson4686]

❤that's beautiful, today it's little black blocks or laboratory white towers. I wish went back to creative design❤

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed. Today everything looks the same while back then everything was so different and exciting!

[@cjh0751]

We never really got the MSX machines back in the UK. I always love the SONY design. They look so futuristic compared to our contemporary computers back in the day. Like EEVBlog always says "All the best stuff is made in Japan". Great video.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thanks! This was my first time working with one of these... It was pretty neat for sure!

[@JesterEric]

MSX computers were available in the UK but for not much more than a year as manufacturers targeted more stable markets. My first computer was a Sony MSX. Total sales in the UK were 250k mainly Toshiba models. About 1985 the bottom fell out of the UK home computer market generally with companies like Sinclair and Acorn running into severe financial problems

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thanks for sharing this!

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

MSX did come over to the UK, the key high street retailers here, Boots (better known as a chemist) and W.H.Smiths (better known as a newsagents/book shop/Stationer) both carried the first MSX family but after about a year they kind of disappeared to specialist computer shops only (alongside the Tatung Einstein and some other oddities) as by then, The Sinclair Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC family had pretty much sewn up the home market and 16 bits were in the computer press as on the way. Like with the BBC Micro/Acorn Electron, software support lasted much longer but even the Atari 8 bit machines had longer support in the UK. MSX 2 and 2+/Turbo only seemed to get released in the Netherlands and Japan. They were however a hit in South America.

[@jimjay848]

that's an interesting piece of equipment, Almost like the Tandy Color computer 3

[@TheRetroRecall]

It is definitely unique! There is so much more that can be done I'm sure.

[@fordonmekochgalenskaper5665]

My first computer was an MSX and my second an MSX2 I wanted an 2+ but they was never sold in my country I think. I loved to code on MSX system

[@TheRetroRecall]

Awesome!! I love hearing the experiences people had with these.

[@AngryCalvin]

Yeah it's really cool to see the Japanese Home Computers. During the game crash Home Computers were where it was at until the NES came out. We were playing C64, Atari 800, and Ti994a. I was happy the MSX 2 version of Metal Gear was released on GOG. Wish they would also release Castlevania.

[@arnolda.lampel6087]

I got EXACTLY the same MSX2+ model. Even got it in the original box with everything. They are really cool machines. However in terms of performance and (gaming) capabilities they were absolutely no match to other systems at the time like C64, Amiga or leave alone a 286 with VGA and Soundcard. But there is still a very active and tech savvy fan base around for the MSXes, in Europe and South America. I also have an MSX1 which I also found in an NewOldStock condition almost. While they were technically behind a bit, the build quality of those things was awesome!

[@Vyp3Rau]

Reminds me of my first "computer", a SEGA SC-3000. Very similar to this, but came out in 1983. SEGA also named theirs a 'Personal Computer', but it was a mash up of their gaming console SG-1000 with a keyboard. BASIC and Pascal carts were available for programming. Even a Music cart for composing. Also a docking station with floppy drive and more memory/storage. There was even a colour printer too.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Haha neat!!! It would be cool to get the accessories for this machine inclusive of the original floppy.

[@michaelwood9866]

man that midi sound is amazing!

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yeah it was pretty neat!

[@MeitsMSX]

@@TheRetroRecallIt's not midi. Just MSX-Music. The Yamaha YM2413 which is in the Japanese Sega Master Systems as well. OPLL. The last L stands for Light, so it's a cheap stripped down OPL chip.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Good to know, thank you!

[@RetroBytes265]

wow a Sony game console before the PlayStation. another great video.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Appreciate it, thank you!

[@demos456]

That's a really neat computer. Like it was stated in at least one comment, the かな button should enable the uses of kana characters. From what I see, you should be able to write all 46 hiragana + the modified versions using the two keys between "P" and "Return". From early in the video you also show that there's Kanji Rom, so I assume there's some way to tell the computer to replace a hiragana selection with its Kanji counterpart. On modern devices, you would write はな(ha-na), then press "Space" so it replaces it with the 花 (flower) kanji. Also, here's a bit of trivia that you might have put together during the video: In Japanese, there's nothing that translates the "er" sound from "Bomberman" directly. Instead, they make the "ah" sound longer, which kinda simulates it. I'm curious about that Gladius cartridge as well. The music was a bit underwhelming compared to the insane soundtrack from the bomberman game, but I wonder if that was a game that got released early in this computer's lifespan. Anyway, it still hits the nostalgia button for me lol.

[@TheRetroRecall]

This is perfect info thank you!!! Yes, definitely a good time and you may be correct about the potential earlier release between the games.

[@Voyager_2]

MSX, not my favorite architecture, but I still collect the Sony ones because they just look cool as hell. The HB-101 and the F1XD are my favorites.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Awesome! Now to get a floppy for this machine and restore it. It would be neat to boot off of the 3 floppies that came with this system.

[@MajenkoTechnologies]

It's begging for a GOTEK floppy emulator.

[@TheRetroRecall]

I think you may be right!!!

[@TheGrunt76]

⁠@@TheRetroRecallI have exactly the same computer with 2MB ram upgrade and mostly recapped. I haven’t really missed gotek. You can write images to floppy drive with a modern PC and PC USB floppy drive if it supports 720kb discs. I have Carnivore2 cartridge with Nextor and SofaRun installed and with that you can load single or concatenated disc images or write images to floppy in a similar fashion you’d use ADF Blitzer of equivalent software for Amiga. There are huge number of interesting addons available for MSX systems, such as sound modules and graphics cards. And very active and helpful community!

[@arnolda.lampel6087]

Not for MSX Computers. I would say 90% of the software library was cartridge based. SD or CF based solutions as shown here are the way to run your MSX 😊

[@OffstagePfaffa]

The FDD is just a Standard Shugart (Not IBM PC) 720k drive, IBM deviated from the standard in a few places. Some 720k drives have jumpers (or solder points) to switch to shugart standard. You need to be able to change the Drive ID to 0 or A, PC drives are all set to 1 or B and then use a twisted drive cable to select drive number (before the twist is B, after is A). You also need a straight floppy data cable without the PC twist. Some MSX machines might also require the Disk Change signal that the PCs ignore. The reason these drives are so expensive is that Amigas Atari ST, Early Macs and Misc hardware needs the same type of drives. Note that you can use a Floppy Emu in a MSX with one of the Open Firmwares Also 1) The chips you are looking for on the motherboard are not there, starting with later MSX 2 they started using a chip called a MSX Engine, basically a MSX1 SOC minus CPU and VDP (Video Display Processor). This cut the cost of the computers which was important because budget computers. 2) The cartridge slots are similar to ISA or PCI slot, lots of hardware add-ons plugin there. 3) Ren Sha Turbo is a auto fire function for use in games

[@OffstagePfaffa]

Oops forgot a couple 4) You are over volting the computer, Japan uses 110v main power. Being a good brand, 120v is probably within the margins though, just remember this if things go funny. 5) The printer port is a part of the MSX standard and was also used on other Japanese computer so more regional variation then proprietary. 6) Remember of the golden rules of retro tech, never plug a 9 pin anything into a 9 pin port without checking the internet first especially joysticks and controllers. You can fry computers plugging the wrong thing into the wrong port.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thanks you for all of this great information - very helpful.

[@TheRetroRecall]

For sure - good to know about the voltage. I should invest in an external supply to allow me to regulate voltage especially if I do additional machines from other markets. As for the 9 pin, absolutely agreed. I have a joystick that I was going to use however opted not to in this video as I wanted to test first. Great points again and much appreciated!

[@hydlidevlog]

Ehm, @2:24... the last MSX that was manufactored was actually made by Panasonic. You might want to look into it, because it called the MSX-Turbo-R

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thanks, I'll take a look.

[@jayhollowayii2]

Love the old retro technically amazing video mate

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thanks!

[@johnathanjamesjohnsonjr7408]

...👀 That thing looks really cool.

[@johnathanjamesjohnsonjr7408]

...I should have realized it had something to do with MSX.

[@TheRetroRecall]

It was definitely interesting!

[@johnathanjamesjohnsonjr7408]

...I didn't even read the thumbnail.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Haha!

[@jasmijndekkers]

Nice computer system to work on. Greetings from Steven from the Netherlands

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed and thank you!

[@MeitsMSX]

This MSX machine is certainly not a game console. Just one of the many MSX home computers made by loads of manufactures. Speed controller is to slow down the CPU indeed. Slide it all open and your computer is slow as heck. Ren sha is an auto fire function. The second cartridge slot is for anything you'd like. It's just the same as slot 1, just that it's next in line. You could pop in a memory expansion, but you wouldn't need one if you play a cartridge game or disk game aimed at the Japanese market. Your on board 64kB is sufficient then. The screw below the powerbutton is to earth your computer. Just like the third pin on an american power plug. The diskdrive is a bit proprietary indeed, but it can be replaced. Mine don't have the original belt driven drives either. Just some adapted regular diskdrives. It's the eject button that makes the selection of fitting drives a bit narrow. You are missing the disk drive bracket... That's quite a bummer... If you want one, I know a guy in Spain that might have one spare (he could include a drive as well, but for a normal price). On the mainboard, below where the drive would be you see a small daughterboard called HIC-II. They're off the shelve boards doing video stuff... There are three SMD electrolitic capacitors on them. They're prone to leak. Change them if you want your computer to stay alive. If they do not leak now, the most certainly will within the foreseeable future. The board is very ugly, full of bodge wires. Not sure, but probably because they added functions to an existing MSX2 board design. This computer's older sister HB-F1XD has a way cleaner mainboard. The megamapper cartridge could be seen as some kind of harddisk, so you really do not need a diskdrive. The 512KB in it does add to your on board ram. It comes in handy when you work in MSX-DOS (or Nextor in your case, which is a home brew DOS which is superior) or want to run European software which normally requires more than 64KB. Have fun with the machine. It's not a game console/game computer, but it sure a heck can play some pretty games for its age. It's just that hozisontal scrolling was not in the hardware of its predecessor so most commercial software suffers from that. Homebrew normally scrolls a lot better. The above is meant to be nice tips. It might sound a but blunt, but it's just straight to the point.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Blunt away... Not a problem - no way to learn without feedback, especially from someone who has the level of experience on the subject like you. I really appreciate the info you provided here. As I stated at the beginning of the video I didn't know anything about this system outside of the limited research I could find on it. These are the comments that propel that knowledge forward, so thanks again!

[@randomexcessmemories4452]

Surprised you hadn't heard of the MSX standard before, considering your retro computer interests. It was extremely popular in Japan and other parts of the world, such as the Middle East and South America. They were computers first, consoles second, much in the way systems like the C64 behaved. I have been on the lookout for a certain model by Yamaha which was specially geared towards music production, as it has a number of cool features, such as MIDI and FM synthesis!

[@TheRetroRecall]

It was just not something I was exposed to I suppose. In terms of Retro tech, I wasn't much into consoles outside of those sold in NA - this would probably be why the MSX didn't cross my path. Fortunately, I have a great resource locally who's focus is systems such as these. Such a great little unit!

[@randomexcessmemories4452]

@@TheRetroRecall Fair enough. Should look into some other Japanese computers, like the Sharp X1 and X68000, Fujitsu FM-7 and FM-8, or NEC PC-88 and PC-98.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thanks for the recommendations, I will run these by my friend. Chances are he has a couple of these

[@randomexcessmemories4452]

@@TheRetroRecall You're welcome! The PC-88, PC-98, Sharp X1, and X68000 have a few (or many) variants, with the processor, layout, and general specifications changing dramatically over the course of their lifetime. For example, the first PC-98 used an 8086 at 5 mHz, while the final model used a Celeron 433!

[@Shakespearept]

These old games definitely are brimming with charm

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed. The last one was quite fun!

[@cicciopiu]

That little japanese word above the LED means "KANA", a generic term which refer both to Hiragana and Katakana.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Appreciate it. Lots of info coming in through the comments :)

[@marty9248]

Nemesis/Gradius press F1 and type hyper or momoko then unpause, now you have all weapons!!!

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thank you!!

[@jayhollowayii2]

When I hear msx I automatically think of metal gear !

[@TheRetroRecall]

Hahaha now I can't get that out of my head!

[@IHeart16Bit]

"But we don't have time". Thats a shame. Why not make time? Especially for a machine you're unlikely to use again and we're unlikely to even see, showing and exploring as much as you can would have been very useful. Not trying to sound angry or anything, i just think its a real shame you didn't take the chance to really dig in.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Appreciate the feedback. There can always be 'more' for any video produced regardless of the content. That's the beauty of revisiting this hardware again in the future for another video when there is more opportunity. I learned a lot about this system during the course of making this video and do plan on looking more into it specifically around the floppy drive and the original three disks. I would say appreciate what is presented and hope for more in the future. Thanks for watching!

[@xKynOx]

We had them in the UK you could buy a MSX or a Speccy

[@TheRetroRecall]

Neat! It would have been cool if they had come over here.

[@EslamNawito]

its BEUTIFUL, I hope one day they make cases for Pi's (Raspery, Orange, Khadas, etc..) with the ability to insert SSD as cartridge (Ctrl placement above shift tho~)

[@TheRetroRecall]

Agreed!

[@emesde]

It is not considered to be a console at all.

[@TheRetroRecall]

My understanding is that it is a Personal Computer (clearly noted on the system cover). That said I'm sure there are different interpretations from end users based on functionality.

[@emesde]

@@TheRetroRecall your interpretation is correct . Don’t know why some want to see this as a Console ( there is Korean concole version of an msx2 . No keyboard and disk drive . Intended to play cartridge games only ) .

[@simant5361]

BITD i had a Toshiba MSX(also a ZX Spectrum & an Amstrad C128) i had a golf game on cartridge played it to death

[@TheRetroRecall]

Haha that's awesome!!

[@lorencarlin2087]

Why does it have an antenna? Maybe I missed a bit in the video?

[@TheRetroRecall]

Haha I genuinely have no idea. No you didn't miss it, my bad for not circling back to it. I will ask that Aaron respond to this comment to help lend perspective. :)

[@TheRetroRecall]

I just checked with Aaron and he said it was common in Japan to connect a ground wire on the main power cord to the antenna connection.

[@lorencarlin2087]

Ok, it wasn't an antenna... It was just a ground terminal. Makes much more sense. Although, I wouldn't have been surprised to learn a weird Japanese computer had a built-in radio. Lol!

[@TheRetroRecall]

Hahaha imagine!! Listening to tunes while gaming.

[@yousefslimani99]

I was wondering, does this model support stereo sound mode?

[@TheRetroRecall]

I am not sure, I will Have to check.

[@yousefslimani99]

@@TheRetroRecall If you have an MSX 2 or plus in your home then plz do this for me

[@yousefslimani99]

@@TheRetroRecall So did you checked that?

[@fnjesusfreak]

かな - Kana - probably a Japanese character set selector.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Ahhhhh makes sense! There are a pile of different characters on the keyboard, this could be the 'switch' that allows you to use them. Thank you for this!

[@fnjesusfreak]

@@TheRetroRecall I happen to speak Japanese. And yeah, that's what a Kana key is for. The あいうえお and such.

[@TheRetroRecall]

You are amazing!! Much appreciated :)

[@emesde]

Last manufactured by Sony , not the last msx manufactured

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yes. Im pretty sure I noted that at the beginning of the video, however I stand corrected if I did not.

[@charonunderground8596]

Really such a blurry font and icons ?

[@TheRetroRecall]

Yes I mentioned that in the video as well. I think it is either the tv, or the cable. I tried using deoxit, and it worked a bit. Most things looked good but not others. More testing needed for sure, :)

[@charonunderground8596]

@@TheRetroRecall Thanks, I didn't catch that in the video. I'm from Poland and use a translator.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Welcome to the channel from Canada! Great to have you along :)

[@charonunderground8596]

@@TheRetroRecall thx :)

[@masakikun]

かな (kana)　key is for japanese character

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thank you, much appreciated!

[@gassygasgassy]

hi nice one :D i try found my coolection one msx2+ i have a quest separately need one one program floppy disc if the msx2+ vga upgraded 192kb vram with using vdp coomand?

[@TheRetroRecall]

Nice. This was my first time experiencing this system. It was neat to explore.

[@gassygasgassy]

i try found my coolection one more quest have any diference the philips sony and panasonic branded? but i try this sony type similar

[@gassygasgassy]

but i recommend you this machine the ram upgrade i heard have this machine a very rare 1mb ram upgrade cartridge :) but careful before upgrade i good know like other type this computer before ram upgrade more volt type adapter need

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thank you!

[@gassygasgassy]

+ next video for upgrade this miracle machine or longplay one game :D

[@Pulverrostmannen]

Did you know that this Y looking symbol is the Japanese equivalent symbol to our Backslash? In computer language they share the same binary code so if you go to your windows settings and change your system language to Japanese your Backslash icon and keyboard key will use the Y symbol instead, But it still works to type in the commands the exact same way just that it looks that weird. I know this because I have to use this Japanese system language to play some games that will not run with any other language settings

[@TheRetroRecall]

Appreciate this - I was not aware! Thank you!

[@Pulverrostmannen]

@@TheRetroRecall No problem. I did not know this some time back either so I figure it could be useful when you saw the same

[@TheRetroRecall]

Love the info. That's what this is about, I don't know everything haha, but love learning!

[@Pulverrostmannen]

@@TheRetroRecall The more we know the more we realize how little we know, that way we know that there is no limit on how much we can learn

[@TheRetroRecall]

Well said.

[@shamon351]

It looks like an atari ST

[@TheRetroRecall]

It's a pretty neat system. I'm sure at the time there was a bit of competition with other manufacturers. It would have been cool to see how this system would have done if Sony released it in North America.

[@adilkhojah]

MSX SONY 10/10

[@TheRetroRecall]

It was so cool to experience!

[@charlybrown9024]

Why on all these retro channels reviews they pretend not having already tried powering-on the machine before recording?

[@TheRetroRecall]

I'm not sure what other retro channels you are referring to, however I genuinely had not turned this machine on and had no knowledge of the system outside of the research I had done. The same can be said for all systems featured in my content. It's great to have the wow factor that is genuine when recording. Now that said, this machine was leant to me from Aaron (a supporter of the channel) that no doubt had tested it. In this case there was no insight on that outside of him asking me to feature it on the channel. I would say your statement is quite blanketed, inaccurate and not necessary as there is no way to know from your perspective if it is true or not. Thanks for watching!

[@charlybrown9024]

@@TheRetroRecall Too many explanations. Relax.

[@TheRetroRecall]

All good, very relaxed. Just clearing up your question. :)

[@MrAlan1828]

If you really want to tinker, try getting a PC8801 or PC9801 \ PC9821

[@TheRetroRecall]

I've been looking :)

[@NathanSmith-tp7xb]

Young Sarah Taylor Ruth Jackson George

[@Rob1972Gem]

Just a question you keep saying it was aimed at the Japanese market. I know this sounds really stupid but most electronics that I see on channels like yourself the aimed primarily at the Japanese market literally they don’t care everything in Japanese on the equipment all the writing everything Japanese so if this was pure Japanese market, why would it be in English? Surely they must’ve made it obviously this being the case on the video for the Western market with English text on the keyboard with a reasonably standard western keyboard layout

[@JeffreyPiatt]

they speak english as a second language in asia and Microsoft was a partner on the MSX standard. MSX-DOS is a custom 8-bit fork of MS-DOS.

[@TheRetroRecall]

I said aimed at that particular market as per the research I did. This was not sold here.

[@TheRetroRecall]

Thanks!

[@aarongates6817]

The original msx was also released in Arab nations (with a distinctive Arab/Qwerty keyboard) as well as Communist nations of the era. Additionally, had a wider release in South America. Extremely limited release with select model (by very few companies), was seen on the west coast of the US by importers. The MSX(2/2+) standard, comparatively has a approach that is similar to 3DO. Multiple companies were working with the same base design. Which they need to meet, followed with some companies adding additional audio or extra ram etc that exceeded the agreed upon MSX Standard. Seeing as the English Language uses the Latin alphabet, the QWERTY KEYBOARD and it's variations can support numerous languages. So it can be assumed that at the very beginning they were aiming for a larger international market. Spanish, French, Romanian, Italian, and Portuguese to name a few. The bonus of that, like other's have mentioned. A fare amount of other Asian nations (Like South Korea) have English as their secondary language, where others may have French or Spanish. Hope that helps

[@fnjesusfreak]

English is "kewl" in Japan