Why Japanese Games Are Breaking Up With the West (1up)

From 1up:

"It's not you, it's me." That's the message the Japanese gaming industry is telling the world this week at TGS. "Our games are as good as ever, they're just not for you anymore."

Critics in the west have been crowing about the supposed death of the Japanese industry for years. And while their critiques have a certain degree of truth to them, they're missing the point. Japanese game development did run into trouble during this console generation, but their issues are so removed from the average gamer's experience (workforce and labor management) as to be meaningless. The games themselves are as good as they've ever been, but they're just not made for the entire world anymore. Japanese games are now by and large made to appeal almost exclusively to Japanese gamers. Rather than this being another piece that focuses on the alleged downfall of the Japanese industry, we thought we should focus on why Japanese games and western tastes have diverged so much in recent years. There's no single cause that can explain the phenomena -- the possible reasons range from the social and economic, to the practical and mundane. Regardless, the fact remains that Japanese gamers are now seeking different experiences from North Americans and Europeans.

Gamer taste in both regions underwent a massive sea change in recent years. While the slow takeover of the AAA console space by former PC heavy-hitting franchises, genres and studios like Fallout,FPS games, and BioWare changed the tastes of the western market in the past decade, other forces have been working on Japan in the same time. The reasons for the shift in Japanese gamer taste are numerous, but there are three that western gamers in the country continuously note -- a peculiar emotion calledmoe, the Japanese concept of hobbies and adulthood, and a tradition of disparaging foreign games.

Hit the jumpfor more.http://www.1up.com/features/japanese-games-breaking-west?pager.offset=1

_____________________

So is moe really that big of an issue? What do you think of the changing Japanese attitudes towards gaming? Are Western games really s***, or are the Japanese just xenophobic?

Sound off, System Warriors.

I don't understand that they're calling "moe" here.

Look at him. Moe can't be guilty of this.

I don't understand that they're calling "moe" here.

Yangire

It does make some sense. Some japanese games are made for a certain crowd and are not for everyone. Western reviews can give low scores all they want in the end like I said its made for a certain crowd.

The Japanese market is entirely different from the NA market. That's why the 360 doesn't sell at all over there.

Different market, different games. Simple enough.

[QUOTE="Yangire"]

I don't understand that they're calling "moe" here.

DarkLink77

Just saying moe is a emotion, I'm not big on moe myself but I wouldn't call moe an emotion.

[QUOTE="Yangire"]

I don't understand that they're calling "moe" here.

DarkLink77

The Japanese market is entirely different from the NA market. That's why the 360 doesn't sell at all over there.

Different market, different games. Simple enough.

ChubbyGuy40

[QUOTE="DarkLink77"][QUOTE="Yangire"]

I don't understand that they're calling "moe" here.

Yangire

Just saying moe is a emotion, I'm not big on moe myself but I wouldn't call moe an emotion.

I've been saying something of this caliber to my good friend, username farslip, for the longest time. The west, ever eager to force others to conform, demand that the Japanese market do the same thing. If this were so, gaming would grow stale fast. The Japenese, for xenophobic reasons or not, help there to be some alternative variety in offerings.

Demanding that they do the same as the west is ridiculous. Claiming that they are growing stale might have some weight, but it is not the whole truth. The so-called "gamers" these days just want everything to be like what THEY like. Showing us just how self-entitled they really are.

Did you read the damn article? :PDarkLink77

JK, browsed through it earlier today but couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

[QUOTE="Yangire"]

[QUOTE="DarkLink77"] What do you mean?DarkLink77

Just saying moe is a emotion, I'm not big on moe myself but I wouldn't call moe an emotion.

From what I've heard and read, it sounds more like an emotional attachment or a preference towards certain characters or types of characters. But I could be wrong. I'm not directly familiar with that term.

[QUOTE="Yangire"]

[QUOTE="DarkLink77"] What do you mean?DarkLink77

Just saying moe is a emotion, I'm not big on moe myself but I wouldn't call moe an emotion.

I'm not real good at discribing moe but:

Moe is something you call a girl (usually not real), or a moe action. Something that is moe is usually cute, endearing, and has "moe" attributes like clumsiness or is tusndere. There's not a real clear meaning from what I know, so this is just what I have gathered.

For example this is moe:

I've been saying something of this caliber to my good friend, username farslip, for the longest time. The west, ever eager to force others to conform, demand that the Japanese market do the same thing. If this were so, gaming would grow stale fast. The Japenese, for xenophobic reasons or not, help there to be some alternative variety in offerings.

Demanding that they do the same as the west is ridiculous. Claiming that they are growing stale might have some weight, but it is not the whole truth. The so-called "gamers" these days just want everything to be like what THEY like. Showing us just how self-entitled they really are.

mmmwksil

If life has thaught me anything...then its definitly that 1up is NEVER a trustworthy source.lightleggy

I don't think "moe" is a term used by anyone outside of Japanese nerd culture.

The term "moe" probably stems from "moeru," "to burn," as if you are just overwhelmed by the cuteness of something.

[QUOTE="mmmwksil"]

I've been saying something of this caliber to my good friend, username farslip, for the longest time. The west, ever eager to force others to conform, demand that the Japanese market do the same thing. If this were so, gaming would grow stale fast. The Japenese, for xenophobic reasons or not, help there to be some alternative variety in offerings.

Demanding that they do the same as the west is ridiculous. Claiming that they are growing stale might have some weight, but it is not the whole truth. The so-called "gamers" these days just want everything to be like what THEY like. Showing us just how self-entitled they really are.

KC_Hokie

I don't follow. What does my interest in "Japanimation" or lack thereof have to do with my opinion on the western influences being exerted on Japanese development?

They're right, Japanese games haven't fallen, it's just that more PC gamers are on consoles now and Western-st-y-led games are more popular on consoles more than in the past. That's why you are starting to see more Japanese devs and publishers ignoring Western audiences.

[QUOTE="KC_Hokie"]

[QUOTE="mmmwksil"]

I've been saying something of this caliber to my good friend, username farslip, for the longest time. The west, ever eager to force others to conform, demand that the Japanese market do the same thing. If this were so, gaming would grow stale fast. The Japenese, for xenophobic reasons or not, help there to be some alternative variety in offerings.

Demanding that they do the same as the west is ridiculous. Claiming that they are growing stale might have some weight, but it is not the whole truth. The so-called "gamers" these days just want everything to be like what THEY like. Showing us just how self-entitled they really are.

mmmwksil

I don't follow. What does my interest in "Japanimation" or lack thereof have to do with my opinion on the western influences being exerted on Japanese development?

I'm saying the best games to come out of Japan this generation appeal to not only Japan but the world as well. And they certainly aren't stale. There is a ton of variety.

So preservation of 'Japanimation' among far too many Japanese developers has resulted in them losing ground. 15-25 years ago Japanese developers dominated the console market.

This is too bad because I like to play genres other than shooters and sports games.

They're right, Japanese games haven't fallen, it's just that more PC gamers are on consoles now and Western-st-y-led games are more popular on consoles more than in the past. That's why you are starting to see more Japanese devs and publishers ignoring Western audiences.

Bigboi500

They've lost MAJOR ground over the last 10 years.

[QUOTE="lightleggy"]If life has thaught me anything...then its definitly that 1up is NEVER a trustworthy source.DarkLink77

for example one about "videogame characters who would suck in real life"

the guy mentioned squall from FF8, I got no problem with the mention, but the reasons bothered me, and it was clear to me that he didnt played the game, ever, not even for 5 minutes.

he said that the reason why squall would suck as a real life soldier was that squall "was rebellious and never followed orders from his superiors"

so maybe he missed...pretty much the whole game, where squall is presented as a guy who do whatever his boss tells him to do, and who always go by the book...hell even in timber when he says to rinoa "you just tell us what to do, we will do it" and rinoa scolds him for following orders like a robot.

[QUOTE="Bigboi500"]

They're right, Japanese games haven't fallen, it's just that more PC gamers are on consoles now and Western-st-y-led games are more popular on consoles more than in the past. That's why you are starting to see more Japanese devs and publishers ignoring Western audiences.

KC_Hokie

They've lost MAJOR ground over the last 10 years.

You said the keyword "to me".

[QUOTE="KC_Hokie"]

[QUOTE="Bigboi500"]

They're right, Japanese games haven't fallen, it's just that more PC gamers are on consoles now and Western-st-y-led games are more popular on consoles more than in the past. That's why you are starting to see more Japanese devs and publishers ignoring Western audiences.

finalfantasy94

They've lost MAJOR ground over the last 10 years.

You said the keyword "to me".

And the Japanese developers scratch their heads wondering why their games don't sell outside of Japan.

Talk about a 'duh!' moment. And the Japanese developers who don't adapt deserve to permanently lose their former share of the global software market.

[QUOTE="Bigboi500"]

They're right, Japanese games haven't fallen, it's just that more PC gamers are on consoles now and Western-st-y-led games are more popular on consoles more than in the past. That's why you are starting to see more Japanese devs and publishers ignoring Western audiences.

KC_Hokie

They've lost MAJOR ground over the last 10 years.

[QUOTE="KC_Hokie"]

[QUOTE="Bigboi500"]

They're right, Japanese games haven't fallen, it's just that more PC gamers are on consoles now and Western-st-y-led games are more popular on consoles more than in the past. That's why you are starting to see more Japanese devs and publishers ignoring Western audiences.

Bigboi500

They've lost MAJOR ground over the last 10 years.

[QUOTE="finalfantasy94"]

[QUOTE="KC_Hokie"]Are you joking? Back in the NES, Genesis, SNES, PS, PS2 eras you could barely find games that didn't come from Japan. Now I struggle to find console games that appeal to me from Japan.

They've lost MAJOR ground over the last 10 years.

KC_Hokie

You said the keyword "to me".

And the Japanese developers scratch their heads wondering why their games don't sell outside of Japan.

Talk about a 'duh!' moment. And the Japanese developers who don't adapt deserve to permanently lose their former share of the global software market.

So what if it doesint appeal to everyone. That doesint mean they all make bad games. Just cause they dont appeal to you doesint mean jack. Dont try to geniralies what you like with other gamers. ALso sales dont prove anything. Sales are not a bar of quality.

[QUOTE="KC_Hokie"]

[QUOTE="finalfantasy94"]

You said the keyword "to me".

finalfantasy94

And the Japanese developers scratch their heads wondering why their games don't sell outside of Japan.

Talk about a 'duh!' moment. And the Japanese developers who don't adapt deserve to permanently lose their former share of the global software market.

So what if it doesint appeal to everyone. That doesint mean they all make bad games. Just cause they dont appeal to you doesint mean jack. Dont try to geniralies what you like with other gamers. ALso sales dont prove anything. Sales are not a bar of quality.

I personally don't like games with 'Japanimation' so I won't lose any sleep if the number of Japanese developers declines over time due to lack of innovation.

It's a clear divergence between the two places, the Japanese game industry is running into a similar situation that the western industry ran into when trying to sell in Japan. With few exceptions, the west and the east will probably be treated as separate markets for different products than a whole market for a universal product (video games). themyth01

So a large number of Japanese developers are unwilling to go back to what make them global juggernauts. Pretty strange phenomena.

[QUOTE="DarkLink77"][QUOTE="lightleggy"]If life has thaught me anything...then its definitly that 1up is NEVER a trustworthy source.lightleggy

for example one about "videogame characters who would suck in real life"

the guy mentioned squall from FF8, I got no problem with the mention, but the reasons bothered me, and it was clear to me that he didnt played the game, ever, not even for 5 minutes.

he said that the reason why squall would suck as a real life soldier was that squall "was rebellious and never followed orders from his superiors"

so maybe he missed...pretty much the whole game, where squall is presented as a guy who do whatever his boss tells him to do, and who always go by the book...hell even in timber when he says to rinoa "you just tell us what to do, we will do it" and rinoa scolds him for following orders like a robot.

Oh my god you understand ff8. :o

My favorite games are mostly still developed in Japan, even this gen.

Metal Gear Solid is an example of a game series that continues to be developed with Americans in mind even if it tries to have its cake and eat it too by including all of that weird anime ****

[QUOTE="finalfantasy94"]

[QUOTE="KC_Hokie"]Whatever. The selection of Japanese developed games that appeal to gamers outside of Japan is pitiful compared to what it was just 10 years ago. Sales figures alone can show you that.

And the Japanese developers scratch their heads wondering why their games don't sell outside of Japan.

Talk about a 'duh!' moment. And the Japanese developers who don't adapt deserve to permanently lose their former share of the global software market.

KC_Hokie

So what if it doesint appeal to everyone. That doesint mean they all make bad games. Just cause they dont appeal to you doesint mean jack. Dont try to geniralies what you like with other gamers. ALso sales dont prove anything. Sales are not a bar of quality.

I personally don't like games with 'Japanimation' so I won't lose any sleep if the number of Japanese developers declines over time due to lack of innovation.

The Japanese like to draw things as cartoons. They like cartoons. Who cares if they style things as cartoons? That's like looking at western games and going "Ugh, realism AGAIN?" There's no point.

"Japanimation" isn't even a word.

[QUOTE="Bigboi500"]

[QUOTE="KC_Hokie"]Are you joking? Back in the NES, Genesis, SNES, PS, PS2 eras you could barely find games that didn't come from Japan. Now I struggle to find console games that appeal to me from Japan.

They've lost MAJOR ground over the last 10 years.

KC_Hokie

The PS3 wanted to be something different from the PS2, have more Western games and be the most powerful console, and then it almost failed because it was too expensive. It focused on developing shooters to appeal to the Western audience.

The Xbox 360 started out trying to be more like the (then) market leader PS2 by securing a bunch of exclusive JRPGs, and when they saw the success of Nintendo's Wii, they shifted focus again by bringing out Kinect. They just try to emulate who ever is on top at the moment.

Nintendo is now bringing out the Wii U in an attempt to capitolize on the success of all the multiplats, so they're doing their best to sweet-talk and appeal to Western devs. Everybody wants to be like everybody else in the gaming industry, and this is just the way everything shook out up to this point.

My favorite games are mostly still developed in Japan, even this gen.

Metal Gear Solid is an example of a game series that continues to be developed with Americans in mind even if it tries to have its cake and eat it too by including all of that weird anime ****

ActionRemix

[QUOTE="ActionRemix"]

My favorite games are mostly still developed in Japan, even this gen.

Metal Gear Solid is an example of a game series that continues to be developed with Americans in mind even if it tries to have its cake and eat it too by including all of that weird anime ****

KC_Hokie

[QUOTE="ActionRemix"]

My favorite games are mostly still developed in Japan, even this gen.

Metal Gear Solid is an example of a game series that continues to be developed with Americans in mind even if it tries to have its cake and eat it too by including all of that weird anime ****

KC_Hokie

Sure, but I think the claim that this is rare is an exaggeration. Plenty of the big Japanese game dev holding companies like Nintendo and Capcom make games that appeal to multiple markets. Even though the West dominates modern genres, Japan still makes the best fighters and platformers. My hope is that with the Wii U, Nintendo will lease out more of their IPs to Western devs like they did with DK and Metroid with Rare and Retro.

[QUOTE="lightleggy"]

[QUOTE="DarkLink77"] 1up has great articles, what are you smoking? :ohakanakumono

for example one about "videogame characters who would suck in real life"

the guy mentioned squall from FF8, I got no problem with the mention, but the reasons bothered me, and it was clear to me that he didnt played the game, ever, not even for 5 minutes.

he said that the reason why squall would suck as a real life soldier was that squall "was rebellious and never followed orders from his superiors"

so maybe he missed...pretty much the whole game, where squall is presented as a guy who do whatever his boss tells him to do, and who always go by the book...hell even in timber when he says to rinoa "you just tell us what to do, we will do it" and rinoa scolds him for following orders like a robot.

Oh my god you understand ff8. :o

Japanese developers as a whole haven't kept up with the development and innovations of developers from the rest of the world. Pretty much that simple.KC_Hokie

Japanese still seem handheld strong in the west though. Tons of games I like for them. Though every time I see a game thats japan only, most of the time I agree. I't would be like convincing an american to worship a random jpop Idol.

[QUOTE="ActionRemix"]

My favorite games are mostly still developed in Japan, even this gen.

Metal Gear Solid is an example of a game series that continues to be developed with Americans in mind even if it tries to have its cake and eat it too by including all of that weird anime ****

KC_Hokie