Team Ninja's demo for Ninja Gaiden 2 has debuted on Japan's Xbox LIVE, but for some time since it settled on Japan's Xbox 360s, there has been no appearance of respective demos for other regions. In a response to inquiries probing the reasons behind the absence, Microsoft said that the Ninja Gaiden 2 demo will go live in other regions as next week ends.

The company did not clarify the reasons behind the demo delay, however. Some speculate that Ninja Gaiden 2 is Microsoft's stunt to get the Japanese gaming population hooked on the Xbox 360, and they're paying special attention to its reception in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Others point to the fixes that might be happening behind the scenes in order to alleviate those framerate hiccups. Whatever the case, the Japanese Xbox crowd will have memorized Ryu's every slash and dash all too well by the time the Ninja Gaiden 2 demo hits North American, European, Australian, and other regions.

Strangely enough, the action game will launch before the demo drops. We'll update you as soon as new developments hit.