Sega: Japanese games shouldn't pretend they're Western

Though it features some pretty high-powered Brits and Yanks, new shooter Binary Domain wears its Japanese heritage on its sleeve. No big surprise, then, that the game's designer Toshihiro Nagoshi wishes more Japanese titles would stay true to their origins.

[sinncross]

Finally... a Japanese developer who knows what he is talking about.

This over saturation of Western-esque gameplay experiences (even from Japanese devs) would not be a bad thing if we still had the Japanese flavour coming through, but we are not seeing that.

The marketing is just becoming more linear this way.

[dirigiblebill]

Truth.

Shame the (excellent-looking) game he's made is fundamentally a Gears rip-off with a few throw-ins from Modern Warfare.

[Jam_sponge]

It's more of a Resi rip-off than a Gears rip-off.

[sarshelyam]

Because Gears invented its gameplay style? That's completely absurd...what are you 12?

Also, Killswitch says hello. That third person shooter with a heavy emphasis on cover predates Gears by 3 years!

[rdgneoz3]

Yep, Killswitch started it, Gears just made it more popular.

[dirigiblebill]

Winback's cover system pre-dates that of Kill.switch, chaps, but wherever you look for a precedent, Gears is the model nowadays. Epic's made the mechanic its own with iterations like the roady run, four-way weapon select, mantling/movement around cover, Resi's shoulder cam/precision aim - a mixture Binary Domain ports over pretty much entire.

[disturbing_flame]

Totally agree mate.

Developers should be proud of their culture and must aim to the perfect retranscription of it through their art for the pleasure of gamers.

It's difficult but manageable.

But i want to say an other thing. Japanese developers must think to the western audience in the development of their games, they must release it worlwide at the same time. They need to translate their games in foreign langages (or just english) during the making of the game.
We must wait a year or more to play games that have been released long time ago, some of them will never be released here. This is a major problem. Japanese developers must do something; they don't understand that their games can be supported here.

[Venoxn4g]

amen!

[potatoandtomato]

Did you ever play the game?

It differs a lot from western style 3rd person shooting game.

[Knight_Cid]

hes right on the point that everyone should do there own thing

I disagree that he says japanese games arent selling/doing well in the west.

Ive bought more japanese games this gen than any other

[CGI-Quality]

Compared to Western games, in the West, Japanese games don't do as well (with exceptions like Final Fantasy and Resident Evil - which always had a strong Western appeal anyway). What you've bought isn't even a fraction of the bigger picture.

OT: I 100% agree. Japanese games just feel a little different, which started last gen. I understand there's money in it, but some franchises have suffered for it. With where the market seems to be headed, I don't see this trend slowing anytime soon.

[Knight_Cid]

thats always been the case.

Lets take last gen on the PS2. Nothing sold more than gta or madden, the problem is people are letting sales run there lives.

[CGI-Quality]

It really isn't a matter of whether Japanese games sell as well as their Western counterparts, Japanese franchises, in the West, aren't selling as well as they used to, against themselves (hence why I said they DON'T do as well as Western games, not "didn't").

[Knight_Cid]

oh, then thats a flat out lie

disgaea 3,4 outsold 1,2

final fantasy 13 was the fastest selling ff since 7

new super mario bros sold over 50 million copies between the ds and wii

and more

[GraveLord]

Doesn't matter what you bought.
Overall Japanese game sales are down in the West.

[Elemental_]

game sales are down worldwide. In every region. And western game sales are down in japan. WHo cares.

[CGI-Quality]

Er, I didn't say ALL Japanese games, I said Japanese games, but I'm guessing you knew that and decided to ignore it just to argue semantics to appear to be right.

Since you're out of bubbles, you obviously can't respond, but from the few games you mentioned, I can name others that haven't outsold their predecessors, nor received the same critical success.

[Hicken]

Just be fortunate he didn't start raving about the 3DS like he usually does.

On topic: I know and understand that there is a fundamental difference between Western and Japanese games, but I really think there shouldn't be a discernment, in general. Sometimes I worry that people are getting the impression that the West can't and shouldn't make a Japanese-style game, and that Japan shouldn't make Western-styled games. I get a bit more worried when I see people on this site that bash anything not made in the West, or others that won't accept anything not Japanese.

I want a good game, though I'd prefer a great one. Whether it's Japanese or Western doesn't mean nearly as much to me as how much I enjoy it.

[Elemental_]

No offense but by saying "japanese games" your implying all japanese games.

And I can name western games that havent outsold there predecessors, nor received the same critical success, like dragon age 2, fable 3, assasins creed revelations, saints row third, ect

Dont generalize the industry please

[LightofDarkness]

The opposite stance to Capcom, essentially. Well, actions speak louder than words. Binary Domain seems equal parts Japanese and Western so far, so let's see how it ends up.

[Fishy Fingers]

The western market dwarfs the Japanese so you can hardly blame them for wanting a piece of it.

[Hufandpuf]

every recent SEGA game looks like it was developed by the same person. FACT.

[Megaman_nerd]

Yakuza, Vanquish, Sonic Generations, Bayonetta

How are they equal?

[Hufandpuf]

let me compose screenshot comparisons. hold on, it'll take a minute.

[sarshelyam]

By "compose", he means "Photoshop".

Have fun proving that point Huf, I'm not buying it.

[ritsuka666]

funny, Binary domain looks and play exactly like western games ( aka Gears of war rip-oof)

hypocrity much Sega?

[plmkoh]

Other than using gameplay conventions set by the 3rd person benchmark "Gears of war", the presentation was very much Japanese in cinematography and story.

[Redempteur]

^^^Another guy who think that gears invented that style ...

Binary style and experiences are way different

[ritsuka666]

*double post*

[Blaine]

I hope no one reads my comment the wrong way, but: When did "Made in Japan" start meaning it was generally weird and over the top? I'm thinking back on most of the best games I've ever played, and the majority were from Japan. But you wouldn't necessarily know it from playing them:

- Final Fantasy
- Resident Evil
- Devil May Cry
- Metal Gear Solid
- Shadow of the Colossus
- Gran Turismo

There's a lot more I'm forgetting. My point is: these were amazing games, that were successful not because their devs "tried to appeal to the West", but that weren't that quirky brand of Japanese either. And don't get me wrong, I love that humor! Just not when it seeps into Final Fantasy and other games that are supposed to be more serious in tone.

So that question I opened with wasn't rhetorical, by the way. I want to know when it is that "Japanese" started meaning "quirky," because to me Japanese games had a slew of other qualities before they all started to feel like they should be more awkward.

[sarshelyam]

Blaine, you make an interesting argument. However, I don't think that Japanese simply means quirky. Sure, that is part of the culture as their humor differs greatly from our own, but I think the argument aims more at the overall aesthetic and design philosophy of games, in general.

Uncharted, for example, is critically acclaimed in the West, and widely acclaimed by gamers as a benchmark in the industry. In the East, it really doesn't perform as well.

Another example of how design philosophy differs would be in the release/s of Nier Replicant, and Nier Gestalt. The PS3's release of Replicant was the thesis of Japanese design philosophy with an aesthetically please, arguably androgynous lead character, while the 360's release of Gestalt, served as the antithesis of Japanese design philosophy, instead giving us a very rough-around-the-edges lead character that would have wider appeal to the Western Market. Interesting to note that Gestalt would be localized for both 360 and PS3 here in the states, leaving Replicant a Japan-exclusive release.

I don't know, I really can't see either camp as flawed. It's a matter of taste. I do, however, appreciate when designers can recognize their audience and adapt when necessary, instead of emulating what they understand, or in this case, misinterpret.

[Blaine]

Yeah, I was dramatizing a bit much.

Gran Turismo is still GT!
Demon's Souls and Dark Souls are incredible games, definitely not quirky!
And I can't wait to see how well The Last Guardian delivers--I bet that one won't have strange humor either.

Mostly it was that screenshot in the article that got to me! "Oh he's creepy looking ergo it's a made in Japan game that's not ashamed to be." Uh...

So I just wanted to say that while I love that humor, there'a a place for it (and it's not in FF), and that it shouldn't be the go-to interpretation of Japanese games. What you mention is a much more poignant description of Japanese development, with their different approach to artistic and design philosophies. A good example, I think, is Asura's Wrath. To me, it's the embodiment of Japanese God of War! Their own mythological hack and slash, but with story-telling and art style all their own.

[Silly gameAr]

Sega, I love you.

[JoeSchmoh]

The Japanese are still making quality games. It's just that Online FPS shooters are the new thing with the PS3 and Xbox360 this generation. Shadows of the Damned is a perfect example of a japanese game pretending to be western. But you know what? It was demanded and it was RAW AS HELL! and people bitched..why? because there was no online multiplayer in it, so people didn't buy it. This generation of PS3/360 is it for me, i'm done with gaming, its just nothing but shooting games and shitty rpgs with shooting in it..(Fallout). Western Games SUCK! Rockstar games is like the only really cool western game development company, because they don't pump out shitty First Person View mode games like crazy. Who said the First Person View was to become the standard in like EVERY FUCKING GAME?!

[Blaine]

Sounds to me like you don't need to quit gaming, you need to broaden your horizons. Or just have another look precisely at the place you said you like games best from: Japan. There are still great Japanese games that come to our shores without bending over backwards trying to please us, and that's why we love them.

Ever heard of a little game called Dark Souls?
- Not an FPS
- Not trying to appeal to the West
- Made in Japan

You should probably try it before you decide to quit gaming. Also have a look at Disgaea 4, while you're in the store. And keep Ni No Kuni, The Last Guardian, FF Versus on your radar.

[EverydayGuy]

Finally they got it. I was losing hope that they wouldn't notice that we need Japanese style games, but they got it, I knew Japanese Dev's were smart, it took them 4 years... THEY ARE SMART!

[FinaLXiii]

Japanese devs just make less shooters and i wont bitch about it.

Binary Domain seems to be like a great game tough.

[FFXI101]

I was skeptical about this game when I first saw the trailer. However, after playing the demo last night, I actually liked it.

I'll probably buy it when it goes down to $40 or less.

[Derpy]

I agree. This is what I've been saying for the last several years, nice to see a developer say it.