Report – Japan Playing Catch-Up With the West

Scrawl: "As the Tokyo Game Show closes its doors, new words come from the mouths of some of Japan’s finest game developers. While the show had its selection of Japanese games, the domination of western titles was clearly evident. According to these esteemed developers — who are interviewed in a New York Times report — the Japan gaming industry is currently in a pickle as it plays catch-up with the west."

[RememberThe357]

Japanese publishers are trying to go global while western developers are already global. I think this is because western developers and publishers are trying to perfect what they do best while Japanese developers and publishers are trying to do what the western developers do best.

They're playing catch up because they're not focusing on what they do well and they are trying to push into genres that they don't seem comfortable with.

There is also the issue of quality. Yakuza comes to mind. That game could have been much better if they would have updated from PS2 animations. These publishers need to invest in their games if they want them to do well over seas.

Look at FF13. The production values for that game are top notch and that is a part of it's massive appeal. Sure there were somethings missing from that game that made it less fun, but what was there was polished like a diamond.

These publishers give us mediocre games like DMC4 or all those crappy RPG's on the 360 and they think it's because the games weren't western enough when in reality it's that the games weren't good enough.

EDIT: The article makes a good point at the end about Ni No Kuni and The Last Guardian. These games are by developers doing what they do best and they look phenomenal. The question of whether it's a western or Japanese game doesn't even come to mind because they look great.

[Dragun619]

I agree, I think many Japanese publishers feel they have to westernize their games in order to keep up with the appeal of Western Studios and their games. When really they just need to focus on the game designs that made them prominent in the first place.

For example, Square Enix, Last gen, they had FFX, Kingdom Hearts, Valkyria Profile, Dragon Quest 8, etc, now it's Gun Loco, MindJack, Front Mission Evolved, etc. Also Many Japanese publishers just seem to just buy or work with Western Devs instead of using their own studios, like Capcom with Dead Rising 2 and DMC.

A few japanese Devs/ publishers like Level-5, Team Ico, Nis, Atlus, Mistwalker seems to be the only ones focusing on improving their own game designs than trying to copy another game design like Call of Duty or Gears of War. Now that you think of it, I think it's because of the major success of Call of Duty in the West that convinced many Japanese publishers that they need to capture that audience, resulting in trying to westernize their games.

[webeblazing]

what he ^ said. western devs jus do what they do. if if japan was getting all the sales and praise. ill doubt they would be saying we need to a game like theirs. theyll be saying lets make a better game pub. maybe say that tho lol.

[MAR-TYR-DOM]

Hideo Kojima i think explained the western vs Japanese problem best during his post MGS4 press conference. He explained that Jap devs are more traditional while western developers use technology more in their games. Say if there is a mountain, jap devs use a ladder to get up while western devs would use an elevator.

[outrageous]

The Asians don't seem to want to embrace change in there games. MW2 is the top selling game on 360/PS3 this gen...no Japanese dev could make that game. It's just not in them to make an explosive game like that. Hollywood has become the biggest inspiration for gaming now.

UC 2 for example was more pre-rendered ( simulations ND calls it ) movie than an interactive game. Naughty Dog is only to happy to tell you about it and are actually quite proud of it. Sure the cell forced them in that direction because of the difficulty to even get a barrel to blow up, but it's all green screen these days. Expect alot more of that type of thing, at least on the problematic PS3...HR was all RTE's...GOW was at least 50% pre-rendered cuts and RTE's. MGS4 had a couple of hours of cuts as well...O_o

The gaming community is passing the Japanese games up in favor of competitive games with multi-player. They still make great puzzle based games but even there the west is moving on without them. If they want there games to sell outside of Japan, they really have to hire more " outsiders " in there companies to grasp the concepts. The Ninja days are over...look at Vanquish and lost Planet...completely clueless and the sales ( will ) reflect that.

[Silver_Faux]

successful though it is, i dont think mw2 is a game that embraced much change.
For my 2c i think alot of jap devs need to concentrate on finer details like character animation and control schemes more then they are currently doing. too many ive played and seen that have old school animations.
That being said some franchises are in desperate need of a huge overhall... im looking at you dynasty warriors

[SkyGamer]

There are crappy rpg's on ALL consoles, not just 360. Aside from the fanboy comment, this gen is not about rpg, it is more a shooter/action gen so all those good ole glory days of the ps1/2 are now history. Look at the top selling games, Halo, CoD, Gears, GTA4. All of those games are action/shooter. Besides, I loved Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon, more for the LO. Personally, I think that LO is the best rpg this gen as it still remains old school with new twists. If Mistwalker would have used their own engine, instead of U3, that game would have been a system seller. U3 works great, don't get me wrong but not on every game/genre. Oh and the whole fanboy comment, not to start anything, just pointing out that there are crappy games on all systems, probably more crappy games on 360 since there are more games for it but crappy nonetheless.

[NabikiTendo]

you suck badly this gen.

[CoreGamer]

Most of the amazing games I play come from Japan,
SOTC, Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, SF, Mario and more...

[RememberThe357]

All I have to do is look at my game collection. Most of my PS2/Xbox games are Japanese while most of my PS3/360 games are western. Last gen they ruled. This gen not so much.

[Stealth20k]

Most of the games are on handhelds which is fine with me I will move to handhelds

[RememberThe357]

Japanese devs still make great games but they are focusing much more on the handheld (probably because of cost).

I think my main issue is that I want to see those great experiences on console in HD. Not necessarily a haldheld game on a console but the quality of gameplay and story you find.

I want to see those efforts on the consoles but publishers seem too hesitant to invest in them.

There is still a market for good JRPGs, fighting games, and fast action games. But 9 times out of ten they shoot themselves in the foot with crappy ports, unwanted character changes, and or generally crappy games.

[sashimi]

Yeah and some of them aren't even bring their games to NA*rolls eyes at Bandai Namco*

[TheBatman_Fanatic]

@Shashimi
I am about to give up on Tales but I don't want to because it's one of my favorite JRPG series and I like how Namco is not putting western elements into it.

[SkyGamer]

I agree that last gen ruled. One game you should check out if you can, Phantom Dust for the original Xbox. If they made a sequel, I would piss my pants.

[Stealth20k]

some comapnies are trying to westernize there games but they are all failing. Square, capcom,sega.

Give me old school japanese games anyday

[MetalFreakMike]

I grew up with Japanese games setting the standard and now its the other way around. They seem to be stuck in the PS2 era where detail didn't need to be huge and story telling ruled it all. Now, its all about how many textures they can fit on to the screen with crazy story telling with explosions everywhere. I do not even want to think of the amount of money and time it would take to make games like that.

I really hope they can get themselves together and start turning out the games again.

[DaBadGuy]

Yar, I been ta Japan many years ago and in me own experience, if ya look hard enough, ya can find anythin' in Japan. Anythin'. I'm sure a lot has changed since me last voyage, but Japan is the land o' milk n' honey for scum. Aye, maybe they're behind in video games, but in lifestyle, har har har, lightyears ahead. There is somethin' terribly unsettlin' about bein' on the streets o' japan at night. Odds be great that ye won't make it back to yer quarters untouched. Argh, ive got 30 more minutes ta milk this talk like a pirate day thing, tis been a blast. Yar har har.

[maruyuki]

the top 10 selling console games are all japanese and they're all from this gen, except for pokemon red and blue.

this is essentially a racist thread

you want to talk about technical aspects? look at fucking granturismo 5

you want to talk about rpgs? just look at demons souls and monster hunter

just because you guys want to play mw2, gta, and halo all your lives doesnt mean games like bayonetta, poekmon, god eater, super smash, metriod, zelda,METAL GEAR, kingdom heart, and other game just arent there

[Silver_Faux]

No ones being racist. the article has quotes said by Japanese developers. Theres still tons of great jap games but companies like capcom r hitting hard times.

[maruyuki]

"Theres still tons of great jap games"

yeah... you arent racist?

[rambler]

What bugs me about it is how the japanese devs are trying to make games more western because they have higher sales, but have yet to even try and make their games this generation like they have been in previous years.. For example Square changed up FFXIII for westerners without first trying to make a game like they normally would, they have also done the same for Front Mission and have tried to make their newer games like Last Remnant more western, with obviously poor results.

Also a whole host of japanese games keep getting farmed out to western developers in hopes to catch some of the popularity (Vandal Hearts for example) and all they make is garbage that alienates existing fans, then sales drop and devs think we don't like the games.

How about all you guys in japan just try do what you do best FIRST, then try something else.

Either that or just wait 8 years for the trend to flip again, I don't know.

[HeartDisease]

japan is a small small country. a top selling game there would mebe break even with todays huge costs to produce an AAA+++ title. thus they need to appeal to the entire installed user base of whatever platform they are making a game for. if you alienate the western market, thru choices you use in the design of your game, you go from being profitable to breaking even. you may even lose money.

there is no room for creativity or new ideas in this type of enviroment. if your "hit game" flops you are bankrupt. can anyone blame developers for trying to appeal to the west when its the largest gaming market?