IGN: Japan's Decline

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/114/1144363p1.html

Nice read...

It's the gamers' faults. Maybe if they would stop throwing all their money at crap like FFXIII / FFXIV, and put it towards quality Japanese products like Bayonetta, Vanquish, Sin and Punishment, etc, Japan would be doing just fine.

They are still delivering rock solid masterpieces, people just aint buying them up anymore. It's all about teh COD!

Agreed, but I would say that high development cost and the shift in demograhics of the markets are of higher concern. Like the article said, or what I think it was getting at, is that handheld gaming is popular there, cheap to develop, and fits there lifestyle alot more. I mean, I'm still pissed that Mega Man Legends III, Kingdom HEarts BBS, and Dragon Quest are all on handhelds. I guess, the consumer is more to blame here as well.

That being said, the west also sucks as well in terms of content. Shooter, after shooter, after shooter. I'd say its flooding the market to much, but they do sell and can't really hate on a developer shifting to its demographics and going with what works.

Well I ahve played bayonetta, Vanquish, MGS : PW and SMG2 this year, and they were all awesome

but I admit it isnt quite what it was during the 80's/90's

Once upon a time Japan was the king. It's their fault for going toward the handhelds. The majority of *** devs just ignores the HD platforms (pc, ps3, 360) meanwhile the western developers are doing the opposite. I guess hd games are too much costly for them to handle. We can't really expect hundreds of hd games from a single country.

Japan still has it in them.

Japanese devs just don't get it. Last gen tricks aren't going to work this gen. Also please play Halo Reach and learn what an online game SHOULD do. MGS4 and GT5 had online that felt dated and broken. There is just no excuse for what those games lacked in that area. Bread_or_Decide

I think people have grown tired of Japans big spiked haired big eyes mixed gender character games...They are quite outdated...People like shooting things. They like FPS. They like granades,rocket launchers,sniping ect..I know my choice of games have changed over the years.

It's just a matter gamers taste that have changed this generation, as we have seen with the relatively recent focus on gray shooters after gray shooters, big devs in the west simply followed this formula, and the gamers are eating it up like it's gold. Obviously this has caused the current gen's gamers mentality to mold in a different way, viewing *** titles that in the past were respected, now viewed as childish or kiddy games.

This obsession with big budget 'gritty "realistic" action' games, is exactly what's killing variety & fundametaly bringing decline to games themselfs, and now affecting Japan(by trying to appeal to westerns, something that they obviously aren't good at) hence the decline of them *** games here. It's really sad, since the only conclusion that could be drawn from this is that were heading to a another big crash as it were in 1983. It pains me to see this, and to see the complete ignorance of current gamers.

Ofcourse i'm excluding the PC platform, since that is in a league of it's own with countless indie devs, and huge variety in games.

I'm going to have to side with quite a few Japanese developer's opinions on why Japan is declining instead of this overly polite, not-step-on-any-toes BS.

PC developers coming to consoles killed Japan. Plain and simple. Read the interviews with developers posted by IGN in 2009 and you'll see that many of them agree with me.

I'm going to have to side with quite a few Japanese developer's opinions on why Japan is declining instead of this overly polite, not-step-on-any-toes BS.

PC developers coming to consoles killed Japan. Plain and simple. Read the interviews with developers posted by IGN in 2009 and you'll see that many of them agree with me.

DeckardLee2010

I have no idea how pc developers had this effect. Maybe online multiplayer shooters migrating from pc to consoles but have no other idea. Do you have any link for those articles?

they are missing out on PC's marketshare, they cant do that anymore, this is not the playstation days when 1 console had 80% of the market

It's the gamers' faults. Maybe if they would stop throwing all their money at crap like FFXIII / FFXIV, and put it towards quality Japanese products like Bayonetta, Vanquish, Sin and Punishment, etc, Japan would be doing just fine.

They are still delivering rock solid masterpieces, people just aint buying them up anymore. It's all about teh COD!

Master_ShakeXXX

I think people have grown tired of Japans big spiked haired big eyes mixed gender character games...They are quite outdated...People like shooting things. They like FPS. They like granades,rocket launchers,sniping ect..I know my choice of games have changed over the years.

VanDammFan

rising development costs and the relatively small, stagnant japanese consumer market have indigenous developers torn between catering to the west (of which they have no experience) or slowly yet surely sliding down a slippery slope

certain types of games (such as VNs) will most likely return a profit locally... but not on par of the japanese gaming industry that used to be

[QUOTE="VanDammFan"]

I think people have grown tired of Japans big spiked haired big eyes mixed gender character games...They are quite outdated...People like shooting things. They like FPS. They like granades,rocket launchers,sniping ect..I know my choice of games have changed over the years.

Bread_or_Decide

[QUOTE="VanDammFan"]

I think people have grown tired of Japans big spiked haired big eyes mixed gender character games...They are quite outdated...People like shooting things. They like FPS. They like granades,rocket launchers,sniping ect..I know my choice of games have changed over the years.

Bread_or_Decide

[QUOTE="Bread_or_Decide"][QUOTE="VanDammFan"]

I think people have grown tired of Japans big spiked haired big eyes mixed gender character games...They are quite outdated...People like shooting things. They like FPS. They like granades,rocket launchers,sniping ect..I know my choice of games have changed over the years.

hayato_

It's the gamers' faults. Maybe if they would stop throwing all their money at crap like FFXIII / FFXIV, and put it towards quality Japanese products like Bayonetta, Vanquish, Sin and Punishment, etc, Japan would be doing just fine.

They are still delivering rock solid masterpieces, people just aint buying them up anymore. It's all about teh COD!

Master_ShakeXXX

I think the biggest issue here is not only Japanese devs trying to appeal Westerm gamers but also that their quality threshhold has dropped. I mean we still have gems like Bayonetta, Demon Souls, Vanquish coming out that are distinctly Japanese but are also very well made games.

When I buy a Japanese developed game I expect a Japanese game, not some poor mish-mash of genres trying to appeal to everyone. I mean you don't see Western devs trying to appeal to Japanese audiences.

Japanese devs just don't get it. Last gen tricks aren't going to work this gen. Also please play Halo Reach and learn what an online game SHOULD do. MGS4 and GT5 had online that felt dated and broken. There is just no excuse for what those games lacked in that area. Bread_or_Decide

Here's to hoping that the 3DS will rekindle some of that magic back.

[QUOTE="Bread_or_Decide"]Japanese devs just don't get it. Last gen tricks aren't going to work this gen. Also please play Halo Reach and learn what an online game SHOULD do. MGS4 and GT5 had online that felt dated and broken. There is just no excuse for what those games lacked in that area. iMojo786_PSN

- One of the worst online profiling systems in the video game business.

- Connection issues that are sometimes as bad as Wii online games.

- Very clunky cover system that has no use in multiplayer.

- Headshots are extremely simple to pull off with an assault rifle even across the map.

- Allows for only ONE character per console. (Want more? Buy them! :D )

- It just feels like a weaker version of SOCOM, considering Sneaking Mission is the one that's only "MSG"

It's basically just ordinary, like a poor man's SOCOM or Warhawk for the PS3 owner.

People need to realize that a decline in sales does not mean a decline in quality. There is little creativity left in game development as a whole and to me thats a bad thing. The mainstream are buying polished, standardized games and as long as they do that, gamers like me will be stuck only enjoying 2-3 games a year.

[QUOTE="hayato_"][QUOTE="Bread_or_Decide"] I think it's funny that people complain about grey shooters when all of these cliches are worse. Here's an idea for a JRPG. A hero with spikey hair who has lost his memory needs to save the world. Genius. Let's give him a giant sword a rag tag group of friends that hit every gender and racial stereotype out there. FireEmblem74

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/114/1144363p1.html

Nice read...

Khoo1992

Definitely an interesting article, and I fully agree. I don't think anyone is happy right now with how fragmented the gaming industry has suddenly become. Console makers are finding it much more competitive and nobody is ever going to see the same leve of sales that the PS2 got. Developers don't know who to be exclusive to so more and more games are going multiplat, which actually takes attention AWAY from any one console. And with more game competition, game developers find seem to be having a harder time in many cases getting sales for the new IPs.

Meanwhile, Japan, as the article suggests is shifting away from the usual gaming trends which impact a LOT in the industry. Games, quality of major franchises, worldwide appeal, etc.

Although, I DO understand whyJapan would mostly ignore the 360 despite it being the first HD console available. The Xbox bombed HARD over there last gen, and this is very much a cyclical business based on momentum. Xbox had momentum in NA despite losing money but bombed in Japan. That is reflected this gen with the 360 selling very well, at Sony's expense (difficult to IMPROVE momentum after the PS2 success...only one place to go after that), except japan had zero interest at the start. Why would they? To them it is the sequal to a failed console.

But I also think there a many more reasons for problems. Lack of play testing for FF13? I doubt that was an issue, especially since the article admits the company NEW what people disliked well in advance. No, it seems to me in that case, it is an example of games falling victim to corporatization. Too many half-arsed sequals being pumped out with flash but no substance just to cash in on a name. Honestly, despite all the criticism FF12 got, it was a really great game hurt by an extremely bland and boring story. but FF13 just seems like S/E wanted to pump out a next gen FF game and spent all their time making it look pretty. Gameplay was just an afterthought. Meanwhile, games like Oblivion or Dragon's age have much worse graphics (but still decent) and provide both great gameplay and a story.

[QUOTE="hayato_"][QUOTE="Bread_or_Decide"] I think it's funny that people complain about grey shooters when all of these cliches are worse. Here's an idea for a JRPG. A hero with spikey hair who has lost his memory needs to save the world. Genius. Let's give him a giant sword a rag tag group of friends that hit every gender and racial stereotype out there. FireEmblem74

[QUOTE="Bread_or_Decide"]Japanese devs just don't get it. Last gen tricks aren't going to work this gen. Also please play Halo Reach and learn what an online game SHOULD do. MGS4 and GT5 had online that felt dated and broken. There is just no excuse for what those games lacked in that area. iMojo786_PSN

[QUOTE="iMojo786_PSN"]

[QUOTE="Bread_or_Decide"]Japanese devs just don't get it. Last gen tricks aren't going to work this gen. Also please play Halo Reach and learn what an online game SHOULD do. MGS4 and GT5 had online that felt dated and broken. There is just no excuse for what those games lacked in that area. tagyhag

- One of the worst online profiling systems in the video game business.

- Connection issues that are sometimes as bad as Wii online games.

- Very clunky cover system that has no use in multiplayer.

- Headshots are extremely simple to pull off with an assault rifle even across the map.

- Allows for only ONE character per console. (Want more? Buy them! :D )

- It just feels like a weaker version of SOCOM, considering Sneaking Mission is the one that's only "MSG"

It's basically just ordinary, like a poor man's SOCOM or Warhawk for the PS3 owner.

The lack of customizable clothes for your character.Bread_or_Decide

Does this really matter?