Clash of the Cultures
Though electronic gaming was born in America, today’s industry is supported by publishers from across the globe. Still, gaming is largely dominated by just two forces: America, the creator, and Japan, the nation that saved console gaming in the mid ’80s.
Creating a game requires more than just blood, sweat and tears. Every area of a game is heavily influenced by the culture that produced it, whether it be the visuals, the musical scoring, or even important aspects of the gameplay. Both American and Japanese cultures are very accepting of foreign ideas, but they tend to twist them around to suit their own tastes. Japanese designers watched American action movies, added in some over-the-top craziness and came up with Metal Gear Solid. Americans saw 3D platformers like Super Mario 64 and created similar but darker games like Jak and Daxter.
New ideas are always being bounced around, warped, and remade, creating concepts that are both uniquely tailored to the local culture while still maintaining a feeling of familiarity. But why do gamers in each of these markets like the games that they do? Why are American sales charts dominated by the likes of big, burly men with guns while the Japanese flock towards fanciful RPGs?
