Is Japan still important to gaming?

[sharkey360]

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I'd like to see Square-Enix develop an RPG much like Fallout 3, Oblivion or Star Wars: KOTOR someday.

[obemon]

^^
Screw that. I wanna see Japan and the US collaborate on a 'HALO KITTY' game (see what I did there?). A science fiction space opera shooter, only this time your main protagonist is a cybernetically enhanced supercat.

[sharkey360]

I like the way Capcom is globalizing. Lost Planet and Dead Rising are fine examples of that.

[teH_tHirD]

Most of American games coming out this generation have been for the FPS, RTS, and Action/Adventure, and other action-oriented games like racing. It also helps that FPS is currently the most popular genre of game today. Their presentation for the most part is above average to beautiful. I still think Western developers have had better success on the PC, but yes they have clearly got a piece of the pie in this generation of consoles.

Japan has a wider range of games. They support handhelds more than ever. On handhelds you will have some puzzle/strategy games, JRPG, sims, and other weird games they can think of. On consoles, pretty much every fighting game is Japanese, and bigger names making JRPGs, and they can pretty much touch any genre bar FPS. Then they have some smaller downloadable games. Japanese presence on the PC pretty much is limited to fan-made obscure games, and visual novels.

To me, most of the American games are pretty, polished, well presented, and obviously a great game comes out. Japanese tend to experiment more and take risks. The greatness label of some of the Japanese games originate from this innovation.

Japan, as what I'm seeing today should stop using anime inspired designs(taken from sharkey ago) and the typical grind gameplay. If Japan truly wants to compete in the global market, they should know what people likes. Not everyone likes anime and grinding.

Japan can make games without the anime and grinding.

However... bar the most popular IP's (like Final Fantasy), some Japanese games are created with only the Japanese audience in mind. Then a few people outside Japan actually like the game. That's where importing and localizing come in. Atlus is probably the most well-known publisher that localizes Japanese games, and most of the games they localize are not at all popular globally.

[personalmgt]

Japan can make games without the anime and grinding.

However... bar the most popular IP's (like Final Fantasy), some Japanese games are created with only the Japanese audience in mind. Then a few people outside Japan actually like the game. That's where importing and localizing come in. Atlus is probably the most well-known publisher that localizes Japanese games, and most of the games they localize are not at all popular globally.

The part with the anime and grinding, yeah I agree. HotD, Resident Evil, Clock Tower did it well for me.

Like I said, Japan can keep the anime bullcrap to their country. Not everyone likes it especially if they publish it globally. Also, I'm no Final Fantasy hater and I don't play it either, but the Final Fantasy series should take a rest, preferably a really long rest because the idea that in some time by now, Final Fantasy will be XX (20th) which means really ridiculous and absurd to me.

[obemon]

@teH_tHirD
Great post.


@personalmgt
I'm not a big Final Fantasy fan myself but does it really matter if they keep doing it? As long as there's innovation for each new one I'm sure the fans will be happy. Last time I checked, Nintendo still makes Mario games.

[sharkey360]

Grinding is one of those things these JRPG makers don't tell consumers about when they give estimates on how long the game would last.

More on Japanese gaming, one of the designers I have big respect for is Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy. His studio, Mistwalker, has at least one new game to be announced this year. It remains to be seen what kind of game it is, for which console, etc.

Still, I would love to see a sequel to Lost Odyssey.

[sharkey360]

Square-Enix announced that their newest Front Mission game is developed by US-based Double Helix Games.

Front Mission Evolved Announced For Xbox 360 - Xbox

[jobiff]

importante jud na ang Japan oi. Though unconventional ilang mga duwa, grabe sad kaayo kung mu sikat! Huna-hunaa lang na sa Japan biya gikan ang Nintendo ug Sony.

[AlucardChristian]

By a great mile long shot, yep, they are important buddies.

Think: if Japan was a third world country and not developed... would the western countries come up with ideas like theirs? Remember the fact that every country has its own culture and they apply them with everything they do.

Repeating my answer: they are important buddies. without them, we are going to get short of ideas by the long run if we cut our ties to them as they are to us.

hehehe, crazy ramblings from an old gamer...