^^^Like Akira Fubuki.
chespace said:
he asked me yesterday why there are so many first-person shooters in america. i didn't really have an answer for him.
he also said that he wants john carmack on his team for the next silent hill, as he thinks doom 3 looks nice.
At one point I would've said it was for the enhanced control, but that wouldn't explain the popularity of FPS games on consoles now.
I think the fundamental difference in philosophy between US and Japanese game designers--for all games, not just FPS games--is that Japanese games give you a specific role to play, while US games let you define that role more. You'd never see a main character like Master Chief or the Doom marine in a Japanese game, they're way too genereic. I imagine at least one reason why Japanese gamers/developers don't like FPS games is because it removes you from the character's design (you can't see your character except during cutscenes).
RPGs are similar. By and large the most customization you'll have of your characters in a Japanese RPG is to change their name. Ever wonder why not very many Japanese RPG characters have their appearance change to reflect the armor they're wearing? Japanese developers create these characters and situations for you to experience, with minimal wiggle room. While US RPGs are usually all about options, from the story to the characters, it's your adventure to create.
These are generalizations of course, but it's what I see as the major difference in perspective between US and Japanese developers.
In a nutshell: Japanese like design and structure, US likes immersion and customization.
