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[Izayoi]

OP how much crack did you smoke before you wrote this.

I want to try, it must've been an awful lot.

Nico is fucking awful. Marcus is less offensive because there's something almost comedic about him, but give me a break.

 

[Seik]

Binary Domain and Vanquish represent.

Fuck yeah! *brofist*

 

[Commanche Raisin Toast]

The 'there are also crappy games made in the west' argument doesn't even need to be stated. At all. Because no one is arguing that there aren't bad games here. We're all completely aware. The western industry seems to be doing better than the japanese industry though, so the question is why? Inafune tried giving his answer.

I think the core issue keeps getting muddled by branching topics and side issues. I think it sounds pretty childish of them to say 'oh yeah well western games suck too' as an argument to constructive criticism.

 

[Mr. Poolman]

Japenese developpers make game who stick with their culture. The typical japense game have a lot of suggestive sexual theme, players play most of the time someone under 18 and if you are unlucky enough the game will have some sick and twisted pedophile innuendo.

I think most of the gamers by now are now older and they realised that japenese games sucks and doesnt stick with what we love.

You will never see a good shooter like gears of war or something like fallout coming from japan but on the other hand they still have some verry popular rpg among the fans like Final Fantasy, disgea, persona and i dont see them changing the formula of these games.


I seriously think the real problem with the japenese game is nothing more than a cultural problem. They do games their way who stick with the japan culture thinking we still love to play a game where the hero is a 8yr old boy while in fact most of us right now prefer games with bad ass like Marcus Fenix or Nico bellic.

Wow.
Come on man, don't make us Juniors look THAT bad.

 

[Kai Dracon]

Epic betrayal of NeoGAF first reply tradition.

 

[Chunky]

Not exactly tinfoil hats, but try it from this perspective.

The Wii could of have a N64 renaissance instead of the 10+ actual games we got in 5 years

Hrmmm...

 

[PjotrStroganov]

ITT: people who don't even play Japanese games

I play GT5. Suck it!

 

[VanillaCakeIsBurning]

These threads always seem to turn out the same.

 

[Mysterious Stranger]

Gears of Dudebros 4 coming out in fall

I still will end up playing it.

lol

 

[chertipros]

I asked this in the kamiya thread but can someone PLEASE explain me how japanese gaming is on the decline? Wouldn't that mean that A) Japanese Developers stopped making good games B) Japanese games stopped selling or C) Japan isn't releasing that many games in general anymore? Because all of those would be false. Games in flagship japanese franchises released this gen like Mario Galaxy, Metal Gear Solid 4, Resident Evil 5, Devil May Cry 4, Pokemon Black and White, Dragon Quest 9 all sold better than their last gen equivalents and while it is debatable on whether or not these games surpassed the quality of their predecessors, I've never heard anyone call them "bad" games.

 

[kyoya]

To put things in perspective, compare the Japanese nuclear disaster to the video game industry, both are somewhat similar because in one case everything fell apart, and with the Japanese game industry everything is slowly falling apart. Or is it?

Why? Because no one listens to one another and no one communicates when there is a looming problem. It's easiest to ignore the problem because it's not upfront and in their face. This has been the Japanese way for a while, then again some would say this is a worldwide problem. When a problem is upfront and in their face then they have to deal with it. Let's take a look at the statement made by a panel investigating the Japanese nuclear disaster.

“Across the board, the Commission found ignorance and arrogance unforgivable for anyone or any organisation that deals with nuclear power. We found a disregard for global trends and a disregard for public safety,” the panel said.

If this were a independent panel investigating the decline of the Japanese video game industry, you'd change "nuclear power" to "video games", and change "public safety" to "public interest". Kind of a bold way to put it, but you get the idea.

In Japan, it's easier to overwork or pretend to overwork which is hoped will cover-up the problem and/or make it go away.

Why? Because Japan has old elderly men in charge with old thinking who think their way is the best way.

The U.S. and European sides want Japanese games to work, the old men in Japan don't always listen. It's thier way or no way.

A long time ago some of these old men in charge spent all of the company money on luxury items, hostess bars, expensive vacations, homes and didn't put company money in the bank to invest in their employees, new trends, and new development technology.

Another factor is that Japan doesn't have the investment money that it did back in the 1980's and 1990's. That money is gone because of the overall economy, the growing expense of technology, and overspending on stupid things like the ones mentioned above.

However, some of these old men (not all) are getting smart and are now opening up, starting to listen because they can't rely on the Japanese domestic market anymore. Some of them are panicking by copying the west, some are staying smart and are coming up with original ideas (the latter is the smart move).

You know what else is sad? Japanese game and toy companies have been putting the "Declining birthrate" as just one of the reasons sales are down.

Why? Same reason as above. No one is having sex in Japan, because everyone overworks and exhausts themselves. There is no time or energy to communicate with another human let alone have time for oneself. Therefor no one has the time or energy to maintain a relationship, get married and fuck. Pretty depressing. The anti-depressant or heroin to take away the pain has been the "kawaii" and "idol" singer culture that pushes people to "ganbarre!" and keep moving forward - plain and simple. Everyone is going to die alone into oblivion with this way of life. This is why no one has time for online offerings or interaction online. This culture is almost pushing a learned form of autism or a push into social anxiety where no one talks and no one speaks up. Pretty sad really.

It's not always like this. There are some people who hate all of this, see the problem and want to fix it.

This is what Inafune means when he says: "Japan has to change their way of thinking".

Why did Inafune leave Capcom? Why did Keita Takahashi leave Namco Bandai? Because they were tired of the large bureaucracy, corporate bullying and orders. Many others have quit altogether due to stress, exhaustion, nervous breakdowns, or (gasp) actually getting paid better in other forms of programming or design.

These guys will lead the way and take the secret of their success (creative freedom and a new evolving way of thinking) with them. So let them I say, let them lead the way.

All of the other big corporations, (Sega, Capcom, Square-Enix), are pouring water on a nuclear reactor that's not cooling. The meltdown has already come for some, and it will soon arrive for everyone else that doesn't communicate, evolve, find ways to work efficiently, and act fast.

These are all problems, but it's my hope they can be recognized, fixed or changed quickly.

 

[MaverickHunterX]

To put things in perspective, compare the Japanese nuclear disaster to the video game industry, both are somewhat similar because in one case everything fell apart, and with the Japanese game industry everything is slowly falling apart. Or is it?

Why? Because no one listens to one another and no one communicates when there is a looming problem. It's easiest to ignore the problem because it's not upfront and in their face. This has been the Japanese way for a while, then again some would say this is a worldwide problem. When a problem is upfront and in their face then they have to deal with it. Let's take a look at the statement made by a panel investigating the Japanese nuclear disaster.

“Across the board, the Commission found ignorance and arrogance unforgivable for anyone or any organisation that deals with nuclear power. We found a disregard for global trends and a disregard for public safety,” the panel said.

If this were a independent panel investigating the decline of the Japanese video game industry, you'd change "nuclear power" to "video games", and change "public safety" to "public interest". Kind of a bold way to put it, but you get the idea.

In Japan, it's easier to overwork or pretend to overwork which is hoped will cover-up the problem and/or make it go away.

Why? Because Japan has old elderly men in charge with old thinking who think their way is the best way.

The U.S. and European sides want Japanese games to work, the old men in Japan don't always listen. It's thier way or no way.

A long time ago some of these old men in charge spent all of the company money on luxury items, hostess bars, expensive vacations, homes and didn't put company money in the bank to invest in their employees, new trends, and new development technology.

Another factor is that Japan doesn't have the investment money that it did back in the 1980's and 1990's. That money is gone because of the overall economy, the growing expense of technology, and overspending on stupid things like the ones mentioned above.

However, some of these old men (not all) are getting smart and are now opening up, starting to listen because they can't rely on the Japanese domestic market anymore. Some of them are panicking by copying the west, some are staying smart and are coming up with original ideas (the latter is the smart move).

You know what else is sad? Japanese game and toy companies have been putting the "Declining birthrate" as just one of the reasons sales are down.

Why? Same reason as above. No one is having sex in Japan, because everyone overworks and exhausts themselves. There is no time or energy to communicate with another human let alone have time for oneself. Therefor no one has the time or energy to maintain a relationship, get married and fuck. Pretty depressing. The anti-depressant or heroin to take away the pain has been the "kawaii" and "idol" singer culture that pushes people to "ganbarre!" and keep moving forward - plain and simple. Everyone is going to die alone into oblivion with this way of life. This is why no one has time for online offerings or interaction online. This culture is almost pushing a learned form of autism or a push into social anxiety where no one talks and no one speaks up. Pretty sad really.

It's not always like this. There are some people who hate all of this, see the problem and want to fix it.

This is what Inafune means when he says: "Japan has to change their way of thinking".

Why did Inafune leave Capcom? Why did Keita Takahashi leave Namco Bandai? Because they were tired of the large bureaucracy, corporate bullying and orders. Many others have quit altogether due to stress, exhaustion, nervous breakdowns, or (gasp) actually getting paid better in other forms of programming or design.

These guys will lead the way and take the secret of their success (creative freedom and a new evolving way of thinking) with them. So let them I say, let them lead the way.

All of the other big corporations, (Sega, Capcom, Square-Enix), are pouring water on a nuclear reactor that's not cooling. The meltdown has already come for some, and it will soon arrive for everyone else that doesn't communicate, evolve, find ways to work efficiently, and act fast.

These are all problems, but it's my hope they can be recognized, fixed or changed quickly.

This guy gets it...thanks for replying!

The 'there are also crappy games made in the west' argument doesn't even need to be stated. At all. Because no one is arguing that there aren't bad games here. We're all completely aware. The western industry seems to be doing better than the japanese industry though, so the question is why? Inafune tried giving his answer.

I think the core issue keeps getting muddled by branching topics and side issues. I think it sounds pretty childish of them to say 'oh yeah well western games suck too' as an argument to constructive criticism.

Ditto. Thanks for reading the topic at hand.

OP how much crack did you smoke before you wrote this.

I want to try, it must've been an awful lot.

No coke, only Pepsi

 

[A.E Suggs]

I seriously think the real problem with the japenese game is nothing more than a cultural problem. They do games their way who stick with the japan culture thinking we still love to play a game where the hero is a 8yr old boy while in fact most of us right now prefer games with bad ass like Marcus Fenix or Nico bellic.

Marcus Fenix isn't even badass.

 

[AppleMIX]

Can we stop pretending that simply because Vanquish exists that all of western TPS development is invalidated? Vanquish is a great game, no doubt, but there are plenty of great western TPS.

 

[Mileena]

I love how there's all these threads about how terrible Japanese games are but nothing on the 99% pure trash that Western devs release.

 

[chertipros]

Can we stop pretending that simply because Vanquish exists that all of western TPS development is invalidated?

Yes please. Other japanese 3rd person shooters like shadows of the damned need some love too

 

[gryz]

haha first post certainly did not nail it this time.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Blind Men and the Elephant in debate form.

Besides the OPs pet peeve on not rereleasing old games, what I got from his argument was that Japanese companies make more bad business decisions than western ones.

I am not sure this is true. EA, THQ, Midway, etc. all make terrible decisions all the time. Those are just a few examples.

EA has a long history of paying a ton of money for developers they shutter or gut within 2 years. At this point one can only conclude that this is actually part of the business plan, and their management is so creatively bankrupt that the only way they can maintain their position is to waste huge sums of cash paying to close down their competition. This trend will end soon as EA's cash pile is shriveling up.

Midway...

THQ paid tons of money for shit licenses like Nickelodean (sp?), developed a few games, then decided the license business wasn't for them but they still had to pay license fees even with no games coming. THQ sunk the company making udraw tablets for 360 and ps3 in an epic failure that can only be likened to burying unsold ET cartridges in the desert. THQ will probably not exist in 2014.

In fact, one of the examples the OP lists as making terrible decisiosn is Square. Yet from my perspective Square has made amazing business decisions this generation, and it is their internal development that has performed poorly.

With the exception of THQ, those companies had more money to throw at more people to be thrown at problems than any Japanese pub.

 

[Fjordson]

I love how there's all these threads about how terrible Japanese games are but nothing on the 99% pure trash that Western devs release.

I've actually noticed more people trashing Western games lately. Big Western devs = public enemy number one it seems on GAF.

 

[piratepwnsninja]

http://www.edge-online.com/news/platinum-games-and-the-problem-with-japan/

 

[P90]

Another week, another thread going blah, blah, Japan devs suck, blah, blah. Can't we just have an OT of blah, blah, Japan devs suck, blah, blah and not bloat up the forum with these silly threads?

 

[spirity]

I've actually noticed more people trashing Western games lately. Big Western devs = public enemy number one it seems on GAF.

Bioware and Bethesda (and lately Blizzard - wtf is it with B's) get a load more shit than anyone else. Japanese or otherwise. Its not even comparable, and there's definitely a bandwagon element to it. People are just waiting to attack when they see a thread with one of those developers names in its title.

 

[Shinta]

Bioware and Bethesda (and lately Blizzard - wtf is it with B's) get a load more shit than anyone else. Japanese or otherwise. Its not even comparable, and there's definitely a bandwagon element to it. People are just waiting to attack when they see a thread with one of those developers names in its title.

I think the big difference is that it's really only commenters. With Japanese devs, it's all the editors and writers putting out articles that add to it as well on all the major sites. And they are definitely "comparable." With Japanese devs, this kind of things has been going on since at least 2007 or 2008, pretty much uninterrupted. With Bethesda, Blizzard and Bioware, it's been going on just in the comments a bit, for less than a year.

 

[Gaogaogao]

vanquish and binary domain and shadows of the damned are awesome, that is all. OP needs tl;dr version

 

[Risette]

To put things in perspective, compare the Japanese nuclear disaster to the video game industry, both are somewhat similar because in one case everything fell apart, and with the Japanese game industry everything is slowly falling apart. Or is it?

Why? Because no one listens to one another and no one communicates when there is a looming problem. It's easiest to ignore the problem because it's not upfront and in their face. This has been the Japanese way for a while, then again some would say this is a worldwide problem. When a problem is upfront and in their face then they have to deal with it. Let's take a look at the statement made by a panel investigating the Japanese nuclear disaster.

“Across the board, the Commission found ignorance and arrogance unforgivable for anyone or any organisation that deals with nuclear power. We found a disregard for global trends and a disregard for public safety,” the panel said.

If this were a independent panel investigating the decline of the Japanese video game industry, you'd change "nuclear power" to "video games", and change "public safety" to "public interest". Kind of a bold way to put it, but you get the idea.

In Japan, it's easier to overwork or pretend to overwork which is hoped will cover-up the problem and/or make it go away.

Why? Because Japan has old elderly men in charge with old thinking who think their way is the best way.

The U.S. and European sides want Japanese games to work, the old men in Japan don't always listen. It's thier way or no way.

A long time ago some of these old men in charge spent all of the company money on luxury items, hostess bars, expensive vacations, homes and didn't put company money in the bank to invest in their employees, new trends, and new development technology.

Another factor is that Japan doesn't have the investment money that it did back in the 1980's and 1990's. That money is gone because of the overall economy, the growing expense of technology, and overspending on stupid things like the ones mentioned above.

However, some of these old men (not all) are getting smart and are now opening up, starting to listen because they can't rely on the Japanese domestic market anymore. Some of them are panicking by copying the west, some are staying smart and are coming up with original ideas (the latter is the smart move).

You know what else is sad? Japanese game and toy companies have been putting the "Declining birthrate" as just one of the reasons sales are down.

Why? Same reason as above. No one is having sex in Japan, because everyone overworks and exhausts themselves. There is no time or energy to communicate with another human let alone have time for oneself. Therefor no one has the time or energy to maintain a relationship, get married and fuck. Pretty depressing. The anti-depressant or heroin to take away the pain has been the "kawaii" and "idol" singer culture that pushes people to "ganbarre!" and keep moving forward - plain and simple. Everyone is going to die alone into oblivion with this way of life. This is why no one has time for online offerings or interaction online. This culture is almost pushing a learned form of autism or a push into social anxiety where no one talks and no one speaks up. Pretty sad really.

It's not always like this. There are some people who hate all of this, see the problem and want to fix it.

This is what Inafune means when he says: "Japan has to change their way of thinking".

Why did Inafune leave Capcom? Why did Keita Takahashi leave Namco Bandai? Because they were tired of the large bureaucracy, corporate bullying and orders. Many others have quit altogether due to stress, exhaustion, nervous breakdowns, or (gasp) actually getting paid better in other forms of programming or design.

These guys will lead the way and take the secret of their success (creative freedom and a new evolving way of thinking) with them. So let them I say, let them lead the way.

All of the other big corporations, (Sega, Capcom, Square-Enix), are pouring water on a nuclear reactor that's not cooling. The meltdown has already come for some, and it will soon arrive for everyone else that doesn't communicate, evolve, find ways to work efficiently, and act fast.

These are all problems, but it's my hope they can be recognized, fixed or changed quickly.

Holy shit this can not be a serious post

Can we stop pretending that simply because Vanquish exists that all of western TPS development is invalidated? Vanquish is a great game, no doubt, but there are plenty of great western TPS.

It's not just Vanquish though.

 

[Deified Data]

Japan is fine.

That is all.

 

[Fjordson]

Bioware and Bethesda (and lately Blizzard - wtf is it with B's) get a load more shit than anyone else. Japanese or otherwise. Its not even comparable, and there's definitely a bandwagon element to it. People are just waiting to attack when they see a thread with one of those developers names in its title.

I notice it with others as well, like Naughty Dog, Rockstar, Bungie, etc. Just seems a bit excessive. I've never been too into Japanese games, but I rarely go out of my way to proclaim a Japanese developer "total shit" or whatever. Some Japanese games simply aren't for me.

And I understand certain disappointments with Bioware like the ME 3 ending, or Bethesda's issues with Skyrim on PS3, but it's usually a more general "developer *x* is awful and their games are garbage" sort of sentiment.

It makes you think about just how many different sectors there are within the general gaming populace. Some of these Western companies are more popular than they've ever been, yet in certain circles you'd think they're on the verge of being shunned out of the industry.

That's not to say piling on negativity towards Japanese games is excused or whatever. Just seems like a little extra vitriol going around lately towards Western devs.

 

[Polishin8r]

i don't have all day to red this shit, but Japanese game developers make most fun and original games out there!!!

• Metal Gear Series (action/stealth)
• Yakuza Series (fighting/ rpg)
• GT5 (racing)
• Demons/Dark Souls (hardcore rpg on a new level)
• Shaodow of Colosseum (action/ adventure)

And that's just the tip of the delicious cake they make the best games, they put a lot of time and effort and their souls in to the games they make especially the crazy man and hero Kojima

 

[Vilix]

Japenese developpers make game who stick with their culture. The typical japense game have a lot of suggestive sexual theme, players play most of the time someone under 18 and if you are unlucky enough the game will have some sick and twisted pedophile innuendo.

I think most of the gamers by now are now older and they realised that japenese games sucks and doesnt stick with what we love.

You will never see a good shooter like gears of war or something like fallout coming from japan but on the other hand they still have some verry popular rpg among the fans like Final Fantasy, disgea, persona and i dont see them changing the formula of these games.


I seriously think the real problem with the japenese game is nothing more than a cultural problem. They do games their way who stick with the japan culture thinking we still love to play a game where the hero is a 8yr old boy while in fact most of us right now prefer games with bad ass like Marcus Fenix or Nico bellic.

Wrong.

 

[babyghost853]

Japenese developpers make game who stick with their culture. The typical japense game have a lot of suggestive sexual theme, players play most of the time someone under 18 and if you are unlucky enough the game will have some sick and twisted pedophile innuendo.

I think most of the gamers by now are now older and they realised that japenese games sucks and doesnt stick with what we love.

You will never see a good shooter like gears of war or something like fallout coming from japan but on the other hand they still have some verry popular rpg among the fans like Final Fantasy, disgea, persona and i dont see them changing the formula of these games.


I seriously think the real problem with the japenese game is nothing more than a cultural problem. They do games their way who stick with the japan culture thinking we still love to play a game where the hero is a 8yr old boy while in fact most of us right now prefer games with bad ass like Marcus Fenix or Nico bellic.

Since I don't want to read anything this dumb again, you'll be going on my ignore list. Way to stereotype.

For the record I don't like gears, gta or cod. Should I go on and stereotype western developers, even though for example, Rockstar made Red Dead, which I did enjoy.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

you generally don't recall him saying so-and-so game blows

Maybe you don’t, but I remember this article and he was pretty clearly criticizing the games themselves.

"I look around T.G.S., and everyone's making awful games. Japan is at least five years behind,"

Seriously, how is this ambiguity over his comments even a thing?

think about such things as online offerings

Okay.

catering to their fans

Huh? Everyone does this.

It’s why niche genres exist.

giving more a choice to their consumers

Choice in what?

Thinking I'm talking out of my ass, huh?

Yerp.

The rest of your post seems to be saying “Japan, do what would make me personally happy, otherwise you are just giant assholes who don’t like making mainstream money.”

Two-thirds of your complaints only really apply to big companies that you remember from your childhood(i.e. companies that still make games that sell millions) and perceive as personally wronging you for not rereleasing old games.

I mean seriously, how is thing going to help any new/niche companies/games?

Not to mention you don’t actually explain how this relates to the success of Western companies. I mean, look at your entire “rerelease old games plz” rant. In your(completely wrong) personal interpretation of reality, western companies weren’t making many notable games until pretty recently.

So how would remaking/rereleasing old classics be adopting a western mind-set if, by your logic, western game companies don’t have many classics worth releasing and, thus, are incapable of even pulling such a strategy?

Hell, even your two actual examples of this being successful involve Japanese companies and Japanese games.

I don't have the choice if I want to play a game without motion controls

Isn’t being forced to play with only one kind of control scheme something typical for most kinds of games?

How is this even a Japan-specific problem?

even though in truth, it cost him "his son."

Okay guys, I really need to know.

Did Keiji Inafune contribute anything to the original Megaman outside of character design and sprites?

In order to play my older games, I have to rebuy them, not use the originals I just bought last generations (in some cases, it's the same gen!).

Or you can just dust off your PS1 and play your games on those? Not like old consoles faded into the aether when the new generation came ‘round.

Notes: You tend to use “us” a lot in your OP. Who is “us”? Gaf? The mainstream audience that Keiji clearly wants Japan to aim for?

Finally in what universe is Nintendo not successful(you cited them as a negative example, after all)? Do you exist in the space/time where Sega is the one that won their rivalry? Tell me, is the new Dreamcast-HD everything I’ve dreamed?

Maybe I’m just misinterpreting your real point, but you’re not exactly giving me much to work with.

 

[MaverickHunterX]

Maybe you don’t, but I remember this article and he was pretty clearly criticizing the games themselves.

Seriously, how is this ambiguity over his comments even a thing?

As stated in my original post, does he actually call out ANY individual game and say, "yeah, it blows?". He does; his company's own Lost Planet 2, stating its game play was too mixed (I personally dig LP2 and play it a lot with friends).

Okay.

So you agree with me on this? Thanks

Huh? Everyone does this.

No fucking way the Japanese companies do this as much as western based companies. How much content or general rereleases or even anniversaries have we missed out on because "the Japanese know better." (e.g. Mother 1+2, Metroid 25th anniversary, Nintendo VC Arcade only a 1/4 of what it is in Japan)

It’s why niche genres exist.

Yeah, I like that stuff too, but these people are throwing that away in hopes of making that next COD that will sell millions upon millions. FFXIII is the perfect example of this; flash over content. And the worst thing is that the west is being blamed for such games, claiming that we're being catered to, despite the fact it's shit I personally wouldn't touch with a five foot pole.

Choice in what?

As the essay said, letting me decide to play my old games the way I want to, and/or play the games the way I want to.

The rest of your post seems to be saying “Japan, do what would make me personally happy, otherwise you are just giant assholes who don’t like making mainstream money.”

Two-thirds of your complaints only really apply to big companies that you remember from your childhood(i.e. companies that still make games that sell millions) and perceive as personally wronging you for not rereleasing old games.

I mean seriously, how is thing going to help any new/niche companies/games?

That's the point. This isn't addressed to new/niche companies. For example, I always see NIS and Atlus bust their fucking asses to cater to the small fan base that they have. They try to release as much content as they can, any fucking way they can (digital or physical) and people love them for it. Thy also reward their rabid fans with awesome collector's sets. This is the way it should be done!

The old school Japanese companies bitch and fucking moan about not making that mainstream money. They have the ways to do so, and they ignore it. Now, I know you think this is a giant rant about rereleasing old school games; youre halfway right. Western gaming culture eats up the online marketplace. Look at steam. Fuck, look at GAFs own posters when an old school game is released (thinking of Klonoa and Tomba recently). It gets as much attention as a new game release. Yeah, I know. This takes time and money, but in several cases, the jobs already done. These things are already up on the Japanese marketplace(s), where the majority of consumers don't give two fucks. Why are they being catered to while we hold our fry-shut-up-&-take-my-money signs and wait for anywhere between 6 months to a year to get a fucking digital rerelease of the same content? Square proved that it could be done recently with Final Fantasy III PSP....

Not to mention you don’t actually explain how this relates to the success of Western companies. I mean, look at your entire “rerelease old games plz” rant. In your(completely wrong) personal interpretation of reality, western companies weren’t making many notable games until pretty recently.

So how would remaking/rereleasing old classics be adopting a western mind-set if, by your logic, western game companies don’t have many classics worth releasing and, thus, are incapable of even pulling such a strategy?

True, probably the closest thing I can think of is how we get the occasional rerelease of a PC classic like Monkey Island, Sam & Max, Id titles, etc. I wish they would do more (especially coming from someone who didn't game on a PC in the eighties; it'd be a new world to me)

But they don't have the same rich heritage that the Japanese companies do. Add the fact it is the Japanese companies wanting to make more money. So why not?

EDIT - misread; I meant that they should follow the ideology of putting as much as they can online (outside of japan, mind you) and let an online supported market make that money for them. Again look at steam and iTunes. It does work.

Isn’t being forced to play with only one kind of control scheme something typical for most kinds of games?
How is this even a Japan-specific problem?

Because I can't really think of a a western based developer that forces you to use motion controls for a hardcore based game. I'm not talking any of the kinect exercising or Just Dance/MJ dancing games; I mean picture if the newest COD or Halo or God of War forced you to use Kinect or PS Move without being able to switch to a controller. Fans would be livid! And imagine if when complained to, said company gave you the (KimPineDealWithIt.jpeg). This is how I feel about Ninty and their Wii/DS policies.

Okay guys, I really need to know.
Did Keiji Inafune contribute anything to the original Megaman outside of character design and sprites?

It is said that Capcom had a basic idea for MM, but Inafune created the art, story,and characters for the series. For over 20 years, he revamped and guided the series with more dedication than any other series creator (save for maybe Miyamoto) than I can think of. (reading the MM Complete Works and going over his memos made me want to make a MM game with him!) Plus, the man has created several other series for Capcom such as Onimusha, Dead Rising, and Lost Planet, so Kamiya can stick his jealous tweets up his ass

Or you can just dust off your PS1 and play your games on those? Not like old consoles faded into the aether when the new generation came ‘round.

The mainstream audience generally trades in their older systems to help pay for the newest stuff. Hell, GameStop already stopped selling ps2, xbox, and GameCube games, and soon PSP is on the chopping block. The only way to get said gems is to go hunting on eBay and amazon sellers.

Notes: You tend to use “us” a lot in your OP. Who is “us”? Gaf? The mainstream audience that Keiji clearly wants Japan to aim for?

Sure. Why not all three?

Finally in what universe is Nintendo not successful(you cited them as a negative example, after all)? Do you exist in the space/time where Sega is the one that won their rivalry? Tell me, is the new Dreamcast-HD everything I’ve dreamed?

Maybe I’m just misinterpreting your real point, but you’re not exactly giving me much to work with.

Yeah, Nintendo is successful, because like in the 80s with the original NES, they found the mainstream market. But with this in mind, Nintendo is also noted for cutting a lot of fucking corners, (graphics, online support, third party support, etc) and generally not giving two shits when being called out on it. You mention SEGA, but in truth, isn't this what killed SEGA? You have different markets clamoring for different things, and you have the Japanese headmasters thinking they know everything and they expected the world to follow every whim. Look where that got them.

 

[zroid]

What if Inafune doesn't want Japanese games made by Western dev houses, but rather wants his Japanese brothers and sisters to think about gaming (and its offerings) from a Western perspective?

I'm sorry, I didn't read your whole post. But just this line here... isn't this exactly what Inafune has been saying? What's to take out of context?

Specifically, he thinks Japanese developers should try to learn from the West and create their games for a more global audience.

 

[thetrin]

I know it's very easy to hi five each other and blame the dude bros but really, games like braid, minecraft, bastion and a host of other this gen are prime examples of creativity and innovation and they sure didn't come out of Japan....

You do realize Bastion borrows heavily from Ys, a 25 year old Japanese action RPG series, right?

I love Braid and Bastion, but neither are innovative. They're great games, but they don't break ground the way minecraft does.

 

[MaverickHunterX]

I'm sorry, I didn't read your whole post. But just this line here... isn't this exactly what Inafune has been saying? What's to take out of context?

Specifically, he thinks Japanese developers should try to learn from the West and create their games for a more global audience.

Kinda. My claim is that he's isn't saying "make games like the west," but "run the business; get that same inspiration that the west uses today."
(that ironically, they used to have)

 

[MaverickHunterX]

Japan is fine.

That is all.

Iwata has a NeoGAF account ?

I love how there's all these threads about how terrible Japanese games are but nothing on the 99% pure trash that Western devs release.

Please guys, with all due respect, read the original topic. No one is insulting Japanese games here; more so their business practices and their asshole attitudes in general.

 

[thetrin]

I'm sorry, I didn't read your whole post. But just this line here... isn't this exactly what Inafune has been saying? What's to take out of context?

Specifically, he thinks Japanese developers should try to learn from the West and create their games for a more global audience.

The problem is that western games are not for a global audience. They're for a western audience. It's an admittedly larger audience, but it's hardly global.

 

[KSai]

Marcus is less offensive because there's something almost comedic about him, but give me a break.

He has the voice of Bender and Jake! You can't not love him.

 

[orbkeller]

People have finally grown tired of their nonsensical story lines and outdated game mechanics.

 

[Kade]

People have finally grown tired of their nonsensical story lines and outdated game mechanics.

 

[MaverickHunterX]

Holy shit this can not be a serious post
.

What's wrong with this post? Its an interesting parallel...

 

[Finaika]

Wasted strength.

 

[digita1alchemy]

Japanese games aren't selling as well as they used to in the West because popular tastes have changed, not because Japanese games are getting any worse. I'll argue until I am blue in the face that, overall, Japanese games have far more interesting game mechanics and systems than most Western games. It gets frustrating to see games you know are great being unfairly criticized by players and reviewers while games that are shiny on the outside but fluff underneath get praised.

 

[Mysterious Stranger]

Japanese games are selling fine. Ever heard of Dragons Dogma?

Great game!!!

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

People have finally grown tired of their nonsensical story lines and outdated game mechanics.

I really want to know what these mechanics are.

 

[rookiejet]

Xenophobia!!!

tl;dr. WHY CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

 

[BurnOutBrighter]

Ugh. This is just as bad as the "Quit gaming if Wii U dominates" and "Should Sony drop the PlayStation brand" threads.

For all of the rules you're coming up with to describe the state of Japanese gaming, the exception is always the same:

Platinum Games.

 

[Neiteio]

You will never see a good shooter like gears of war or something like fallout coming from japan

EDIT: Whoops, beaten.

 

[sp3000]

Here's how this thread is going to go:

Weeaboos violently recoil at the suggestion that some Japanese devs might be more successful if they developed games that don't appeal exclusively to Japan, while vehemently denying that any good Japanese games have been aimed at a foreign or global audience.

Dudes go all Phil Fish and claim that Japanese games are bad, totally suck, haven't been good in years, will never be good, etc. for either petty, nonsensical reasons or no reason in particular.

People with a more nuanced perspective sit quietly and twiddle their thumbs as the above groups wage open warfare.

Pretty much how every single thread about Japanese games goes

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Bioware and Bethesda (and lately Blizzard - wtf is it with B's) get a load more shit than anyone else. Japanese or otherwise. Its not even comparable, and there's definitely a bandwagon element to it. People are just waiting to attack when they see a thread with one of those developers names in its title.

They're starting to catch hell for relying on their names instead of what made their names, and people are waking up to it after alot of blind love during that grace period. It's kinda the reverse.

I really want to know what these mechanics are.

Mechanics.