Square: "Bioware is unknown in Japan"

Final Fantasy XIV is on show at Gamescom, we spoke with director Nobuaki Komoto about Square-Enix's latest MMORPG and the performance of Western developers in Japan.

We asked director Nobuaki Komoto why he feels Final Fantasy XIV will prove more accessible than the daunting Final Fantasy XI.

"We have not been creating FFXIV solely for establishing the genre of MMORPG," Komoto explains, "MMORPG has been selected as a stage for the most attractive game experience and story. I expect that any mainstream gamers, especially those who love RPGs and Final Fantasy, would find their way into the world of FFXIV with ease and start unlocking doors from one to another to enjoy new stories."

"Both are so far virtually unknown to the mass public in Japan and the sales are quite disastrous."

When NowGamer asked Komoto how he felt the game would fare against RPG heavyweights Bethesda and Bioware, the director revealed, "Although I do think both developers are creating great games, unfortunately, both are so far virtually unknown to the mass public in Japan and the sales are quite disastrous, too. They only seem to cater for a handful of core gamers."

Link.

Their loss. They have been by far the best developers throughout this gen.

The Japanese are too strange to enjoy something conventional like a Bioware game.

Proof

Works for me. As long as they're popular over here... :P

Square fired back a counter punch for all the hating bioware did lol.

What Bioware need to do is make an Anime inspired/looking game with some of their magic thrown in.

Japan will take notice.

It's not surprising due to the vastly differing tastes. It's a shame devs like Bioware don't do better over there, as they have some of the best games this gen.

What Bioware need to do is make an Anime inspired/looking game with some of their magic thrown in.

Japan will take notice.

Shirokishi_

[QUOTE="Shirokishi_"]

What Bioware need to do is make an Anime inspired/looking game with some of their magic thrown in.

Japan will take notice.

Fightingfan

And Square is unknown for good games this gen.Fightingfan

i just can't do j-dev anymore.

it's all so limited and requires me to toe the line and do exactly what they tell me to do in the exact order they want me to do it in.

i guess it's great for story telling but if want a story i will read a novel. if i want to role play these days it's almost down to w-rpg or nothing.

"Western gamers play games like this, but Japanese gamers play games like this!"

I don't see the story here. The fact western and Japanese gamers have differing tastes isn't exactly headline news, and I can't imagine anyone is shocked to hear a predominantly PC/Xbox developer like BioWare isn't doing so hot in Japan.

And a lot of JRPGs that are popular in Japan are "unknown" in the west, it's common sense really.

[QUOTE="Shirokishi_"]

What Bioware need to do is make an Anime inspired/looking game with some of their magic thrown in.

Japan will take notice.

Fightingfan

Frankly, Bioware's attacks on Square and the whole Japanese RPG genre is one of the most idiotic episodes in the history of video games. Western guys chose Western RPGs and feel that Japanese RPGs don't deliver the experience they're looking for. That's obvious. Japanese folks like their Japanese RPGs. Making Japanese RPGs more Western or Western RPGs more Japanese is not going to change that. Going all 13-year-old and insulting Japan's most successful RPG developer is not going to make Japanese people dig Bioware's games. In fact, it can be extremely counterproductive.

Frankly, Bioware's attacks on Square and the whole Japanese RPG genre is one of the most idiotic episodes in the history of video games. Western guys chose Western RPGs and feel that Japanese RPGs don't deliver the experience they're looking for. That's obvious. Japanese folks like their Japanese RPGs. Making Japanese RPGs more Western or Western RPGs more Japanese is not going to change that. Going all 13-year-old and insulting Japan's most successful RPG developer is not going to make Japanese people dig Bioware's games. In fact, it can be extremely counterproductive.

LordQuorthon

[QUOTE="Fightingfan"][QUOTE="Shirokishi_"]

What Bioware need to do is make an Anime inspired/looking game with some of their magic thrown in.

Japan will take notice.

WilliamRLBaker

Do you mean like the creator of Kingdom hearts, who is a dude.....I THINK.

Japan is a much smaller country...so yeah

And Square is unknown for good games this gen.Fightingfan

More like is unknown for good games the last 10 years

"Western gamers play games like this, but Japanese gamers play games like this!"

I don't see the story here. The fact western and Japanese gamers have differing tastes isn't exactly headline news, and I can't imagine anyone is shocked to hear a predominantly PC/Xbox developer like BioWare isn't doing so hot in Japan.

PBSnipes

This I agree with

And Square is unknown for good games this gen.Fightingfan

[QUOTE="Fightingfan"]And Square is unknown for good games this gen.Ragnarok1051

[QUOTE="Fightingfan"][QUOTE="Shirokishi_"]

What Bioware need to do is make an Anime inspired/looking game with some of their magic thrown in.

Japan will take notice.

ujjval16

That's right Square. Show how awesome you guys are by making awesome new games like Gun Loco.bobcheeseball

Final Fantasy XIV is on show at Gamescom, we spoke with director Nobuaki Komoto about Square-Enix's latest MMORPG and the performance of Western developers in Japan.

We asked director Nobuaki Komoto why he feels Final Fantasy XIV will prove more accessible than the daunting Final Fantasy XI.

"We have not been creating FFXIV solely for establishing the genre of MMORPG," Komoto explains, "MMORPG has been selected as a stage for the most attractive game experience and story. I expect that any mainstream gamers, especially those who love RPGs and Final Fantasy, would find their way into the world of FFXIV with ease and start unlocking doors from one to another to enjoy new stories."

"Both are so far virtually unknown to the mass public in Japan and the sales are quite disastrous."

When NowGamer asked Komoto how he felt the game would fare against RPG heavyweights Bethesda and Bioware, the director revealed, "Although I do think both developers are creating great games, unfortunately, both are so far virtually unknown to the mass public in Japan and the sales are quite disastrous, too. They only seem to cater for a handful of core gamers."

Link.

Their loss. They have been by far the best developers throughout this gen.

Zune_HD

this is the best sign i have ever seen :lol: On topic: i am not surprised, WRPGs as awhole isn't popular there, why Bioware should be popular then ?

Does that really matter? I'm sure the casual gamers in the west don't know about developers like Level 5 for e.g. I think like we know those type of developers in Japan, the Japanese gamers on forums know about Bioware, etc.SaltyMeatballs

I agree with you, most hardcore gamers do know about Bioware in Japan. Its like we know most of theirs.

Well none of the western developers are successful in Japan.mystervj

Well none of the western developers are successful in Japan.mystervj

[QUOTE="mystervj"]Well none of the western developers are successful in Japan.BodyElite

Well none of the western developers are successful in Japan.mystervj

Square is a Japanese company so they will say that they aren't very successful in Japan, despite Japan does not equate the world.

[QUOTE="Fightingfan"]And Square is unknown for good games this gen._Judge_Gabranth

More like is unknown for good games the last 10 years

TWEWY. Now please take that ignorance of yours and leave.

The Japanese seem to like being told who their characters are in their RPGs, rather than defining who their characters are in games such as Mass Effect, Oblivion etc.

:lol: at people being offended and spouting hyperbole because Square mentioned your precious Bioware.

*waits for Bioware to call final fantasy 14 not an rpg*

And Square is unknown for good games this gen.Fightingfan

*waits for Bioware to call final fantasy 14 not an rpg*

hawk1317

they probably will do that when they advertise SWTOR.

Square is a Japanese company so they will say that they aren't very successful in Japan, despite Japan does not equate the world.

sanim02

People generally take things in the context of the country they live in.

Square should publish Bioware games in Japan, just so we can watch anti-east/west rpg nerds' heads explode

Square should publish Bioware games in Japan, just so we can watch anti-east/west rpg nerds' heads explode

88mphSlayer

They'll just assume it's a western game. Some Japnaese people don't even know that Resident Evil is Japanese because of the emphasis on guns and ****.

*waits for Bioware to call final fantasy 14 not an rpg*

hawk1317

[QUOTE="mystervj"]Well none of the western developers are successful in Japan.BodyElite

Well none of the western developers are successful in Japan.mystervj

This

The Japanese seem very xenophobic about all western games, despite how good they might be. Hell they don't even sell western games so the consumer would not even get the chance to play it.

You can see what Japanese people are playing via nico nico douga. The Japanese upload a lot more gamplay videos than we do, from closeted nerds to school girls. You can see quite a few western games on there, such as Fallout 3, but it's true that they're not as common.