Why Japan's best should embrace the West

Bobby Kotick. Console wars. Marketing execs chasing profit. DLC on the disc. It doesn't take much to spark the powder-keg fuse of most internet forums these days.

Look past the wonky grammar, multiple exclamation marks and CAPITAL LETTERS and you'll find some very real fury.

Well, here's another one to add to the list - Western developers taking over Japanese games.

[eX-GREED]

Really?

[MrMccormo]

No, not really.

Japan should stay Japan. This obsession with "being like the West" is killing brilliant Japanese game developers and turning Japan's biggest companies into crap, CAPCOM and Square Enix especially.

[Gamerbee]

Fuck the West. Japan made Street Fighter!! Japan doesnt need to adopt anyone elses culture.

[ABizzel1]

I agree somewhat.

From a gameplay perspective yes, Japan can learn from the west.

Western games have been modernized, and many Japanese games are stuck in the PS1 and PS2 era gameplay wise. Game like MGS4 have been modernized for everyone to enjoy, and it became one of the best selling games in the franchise.

I think Japanese developement excels beyond western development in storytelling, artistic design, and creativity. A combination of both western and Japanese development should produce some of the best games this gen. Just have good western developers make the game, but have the development be controlled by Japanese devs.

That way we'll get games like Quantum Theory, but good.

[tinybigman]

been saying they should stay true too themselves, and not trying to cater so much to the west. the open worlds of western games is starting to getting boring to me somewhat so for me that's why i only play the ones that are interesting to me.

[Millah]

@Abizzel

Wow. Japan "modernized" game design more than anybody else. The impact of the PS1/n64 era of game design still apply to "modern" games. The foundations of the PS1/PS2 are practically the modern game industry, in terms of gameplay and game production. The only thing thats changed with this generation in terms of "modernizing," is more hollywood style production values and less emphasis on creative unique game design and more emphasis on straight forward action based gameplay.

I guess your definition of modern gameplay is dual analog controlled first or third person shooters. Because that's about all the West has contributed to "modern" game design. Then again, I guess that is all big modern games are these days.

[ExplosionSauce]

CVG needs to shut up.

Most people that enjoy Japanese games, do so because they're different than Western games. Westernizing their games only takes away the uniqueness and charm of Japanese games. So then you get games like Lost Planet 2.

Dead Rising 2 is fine, because they kept the same exact formula(which was pretty simple in the first place and wasn't too Japanese per se)

[Essel]

Don't forget Quantum Theory.

[TreMillz]

How about Japan stop thinking 360 is in every household and go back to its roots which made them who they were...that right there would do wonders

[Malice-Flare]

let the big ones risk themselves by trying to emulate the West...

for all their faults, Nintendo so far, has shown they know Japan and cater to it first, the West follows later. Sony should follow this as they have the largest HD audience in Japan...

[tacosRcool]

Everybody should do things their own way and not just do what everybody else is doing

[Emmettcelticfan]

I think the related video I've attatched says it all.
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[Da One]

STFU

and I'm not talking about the user on n4g

[gunnerforlife]

WTFFF nevaaa
there a reason there called japanies cuz they got that japanies feel to it, next thing ull know theyll say how all JRPGs shuld be like massefect :/

[Nihilism]

Because gender division helps give us an identity.

In Japanese games there are always 'genre's' of people...everything has to be cliche.

Look at Morrigan in Dragon Age, that is the sort of complex characters they need in their games, not cute girl#1-7 and pretty boy#1-7.

@MrMccormo

Capcom and Squeenix are not dead because they imitated the west, they are dead because they imitated the west very very poorly. If making games 'like the west' made their games as good as western games coming out, then it wouldn't be a problem, but the problem is not with western games, it is with their poor grasp of western culture, look at all the retarded cliche`s they resort to in their games to generalise people because they can't understand.

@Neckbear
" forget that every Japanese RPG isn't FINAL FANTASY OR SOME OTHER FAGGOTRY. "

Conversely, people like you need to realise that not every western game is a space marine FPS.

Like I said, Bioware games have awesome stories and characters, of look at The Witcher...I have never seen any JRPG with as good characters or story as is in that game.

[Neckbear]

But I get what you meant. Characters that feel alive; and believe me, I want that sort of characters as well.

And I'm sure alot of Japanese writters and developers are capable of doing so- Hell, look at Nier, for instance, as well as countless novels and mangas that are actually brilliant and give you incredibly believable characters to the point they seriously feel like real humans.

And sometimes they do pull them off- the problem is than most of the time Japanese games hardly take themselves seriously (among other stuff).

Either way, western developers aren't the only ones that pull off human characters- in fact, there are alot of japanese games out there that do so as well.

Main problem is than people isn't willing to recognize it, and forget that every Japanese RPG isn't FINAL FANTASY OR SOME OTHER FAGGOTRY.

@dchalfont

While I loved The Witcher, I must say that alot of classic and new JRPGs have better developed plots and sometimes, characters.

I would say it's pretty simple, look at Mother 3, Live-a-Live or as I've mentioned before, NieR. All these games have a certain charm to them, they all have great characters, and have you shedding tears more than once. It's an emotional rollercoaster since you feel attached to those little characters so much, you can't help but feel for them. Sometimes I've always seen in WRPGs is than character development as a whole is simply not as strong as in JRPGs.

Hell, I even ended up enjoying my time with some characters at fucking Disgaea.

[Tony P]

I always have to call BS on the "characters are not as strong" bias. That only works when you're comparing other RPGS to open-worlders like TES.

Otherwise, I don't know what makes people claim such other than personal preference. I get as much out of Elhaym van Houten in Xenogears as I do out of Imoen in Baldur's Gate II. As much from Rufus Shinra as Sebastian LaCroix. As much from Cloud Strife as the Nameless One. And I damn sure got more out of the Witcher's fearless confrontation-- not exploitation-- of mature themes than most RPGs J or W.

[Sarevok]

''Morrigan in Dragon Age, that is the sort of complex characters they need in their games''

Japanese games need girls that act like a female dog?

BTW The Witcher? you mean that offline MMORPG?

Go get 20 monster skulls! lmao...

[alphakennybody]

a big fat NO.

[GiantJedi]

The West? Like RDR?

[RememberThe357]

The wild wild west.

[ForeAllEternity]

Should?!

[Lavalamp]

The reason Dead Rising Two garnered so much attention in the west was because Capcom's primary demographic was the western audience. But Japanese games actually intended for their native people shouldn't be put into the hands of western devs. Cultures would clash and the final product would be exactly how the author described Lost Planet 2: something unfamiliar. It's a two-way street CVG.

[Neckbear]

These are companies, after all- they can expand globally with no problem.

The thing here is than there's a line between trying to expand globally and trying to do so while you royally fuck up everything.

I mean- if you want western developers, try to have them develop new IPs- don't give an old IP to someone who might make an atrocity with said game (See: Ninja Theory with DmC...).

I believe these companies should just find a balance- make both western and eastern developers make games for them, instead of royally fucking up trying to appeal only to some- (See: Square Enix.) NOR giving them franchises that would be better dead or left on the hands of those who made them what they are right now.

[DaBadGuy]

Nah that's bull. Japanese devs have made some of the best games in history. Their creativity is what makes their games special. If say, Demon's Souls was created with solely western gamers in mind, it would probably be a knock off of Fable and forgettable. But it's not, it's a great game.

Without Japanese devs, there would be no Final Fantasy 7, no Shin Megami Tensei, no Chrono Trigger, NO SUPER MARIO BROS! I don't want every Japanese game to be westernized like DMC. I want the Japanese to keep their unique style.

[DNAbro]

The problem is not that japanese developers are getting worse. It's that they are trying to WESTERNIZE their games. It has never turned out well and it doesn't work. They should do what ever it takes to make a good game. If they have to give it to western developer to make a good game it's fine. But the sould NEVER do it just to appeal to american audiences.

Japanese developers should just focus on making good games. Not the western audience.

[Swiftfox]

I feel more comfortable with the idea of handing franchices over to western developers rather than forcing Japanese developers to try to be western for the whole of the games production.

However, when it comes to existing francies like Devil May Cry, that game was well liked before they switched it's production. To me, the game as it stood was fine in it's delivery. It's, I feel, Capcom's own wish to see that francies appeal to more a mass western audience. Unfortunatly, in the west, there are some pretty unsavory traditions as well.

Starting with rediculous expectations and the blanket definition of "successful". If you don't get mass perfect scores, it fails. If it doesn't sell 1 million openning day it's worthless. If it's a hack'n'slash and isn't like God of War, it fails. If it's a shooter and not like Modern Warfare, it's worthless. The west'market is it's own worst enemy in many many cases.

Luckily there are Japanese developers that are honest with themselves and are appealing to people across the globe without having to sacrifice who they are to try to get there. They are the ones that give me a bit of hope.

I do sometimes miss when gaming was a much smaller pass time.

[CountDracula]

Japan hates American PS3 fans. I mean where is their cross game chat?!

XDXD

[XI_-Minty-_IX]

I want my Disgaea games and JRPGs to stay the way they are, no need for Westernization. If I wanna play a Western RPG, I'll play the Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Mass Effect games. Let the developers do what they want. It's the only way innovation will ever surface in the current gaming industry.

[ultramoot]

"Why Japan's best should embrace the West"

What? And allow the West to come up with crappy emo-douche 'Twilight-inspired' character designs like DmC? No thanks.

[Dante_4ev3r]

no one can take over JAPAN games..... Japan r the best ... i m nt frm Japan .. bt my thinking is not like u all as u have written abt Japan.. Japan r Legendary of GAMES... like they had made our DANTE in DEVIL MAY CRY 1 2 3 nd 4 ... Old Dante was very very Kool n Awesome...nd the new one lukin like a Donkey DICK......

[Bolts]

The problem isn't that the Japanese games isn't Western enough, it's the fact that they suck and haven't been able to come up with new games that appeal to western audiences like they used to in the pass.

Maybe it's because all the Japanese games now a days are sporting spikey haired over dramatic, emo biatches, instead of cool characters like Solid Snake and the characters in Resident Evil. Characters and games that the people world wide can identify with and love without having to be Japanese to appreciate them. In short stop trying to make a great JRPG, but just make a good RPG period.

I guess thats the problem with Japanese games these days, they're just way overblown with ridiculous aesthetic design and absurd exposition instead of just making an awesome gaming experience.

[tatsukishi]

I don't play most of the games mentioned in this article but I think that this whole mindset has hurt the US getting decent games from japan. Like us not getting tales of graces at all even though there is soon to be a version for both the wii and the ps3. This is mostly because PC gamers have switched over to console gaming via the huge mass switch up from fps jumping from being primarily on Pc to the 360 and beyond. I think that once all the dust settles and the shooter fad thats going on down dries up a bit more awesome Japanese games will come to America until then we have to put up with a flooded market of shooters. Luckily more and more great games are coming out this generation. Nier, Enslaved, Batman Arkham asylum, Castlevania Lord of Shadows, Dragon Quest 9. To break up the cookie cutter games being thrown at us like crazy. We in the west get likely less then 50% of the games made in japan ported over to our side of the world I think there is a ton of awesome games that we never get to see and its this whole japan needs to be like the west game devs that is causing this to get even worse.