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[RetroGamingUK]

Just skimming through the top Metacritic games from this year and, apart from indies who are doing great too, it’s completely dominated by Japanese publishers, many of which have been in the industry since the 80s

Here’s a sample of some of the fantastic games we’ve gotten from Japanese publishers this year…


Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (Bandai Namco) - 94

AstroBot (Sony) - 94

Metaphor: Refantasio (Sega/Atlus) - 94

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (SquareEnix) - 94

Tekken 8 (Bandai Namco) - 90

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Sega) - 89

Unicorn Overlord (Sega) - 89

Castlevania Domino’s Collection (Konami) - 89

Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door (Nintendo) - 89

Silent Hill 2 (Konami) - 87


While there’s been so much doom and gloom about the industry of late thanks to the lack of great titles by the likes of Ubisoft, EA, Activision, Microsoft, Bethesda and others, can we all just stop and take a second to celebrate the great things coming out of Japan this past few years and how they’ve turned it around since the PS3/360 generation?

I’ll certainly be raising a glass to them for carrying the industry

 

[Doggyred]

I wonder what the difference is between them and western developers?

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

I wonder what the difference is between them and western developers?

For starters they still view game development as a craft and games as a work of craftsmanship rather than a commodity made by a committee.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

I wonder what the difference is between them and western developers?

Western devs are political activists, Eastern devs are creative entertainers

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

The worst thing that can be said about Japanese developers is that some are occasionally trying to act like Western developers.

 

[Zacfoldor]

I voted for Nintendo but in my heart it's Capcom.

 

[Porcile]

Too many dead studios and dead genres to really say Japanese game development is doing great.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Yasuke will settle the score.

 

[bender]

Your sample is missing the GOTY: Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island.

 

[Doggyred]

The worst thing that can be said about Japanese developers is that some are occasionally trying to act like Western developers.

That and they are really bad at optimizing their games on PC.

 

[simpatico]

I count Nintendo as kind of its own thing, but it's gotta be Bandai.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

I wonder what the difference is between them and western developers?

Heirarchy is still a big deal and emphasised across their society. So a lot of the big decisions in a game project probably come from those who have earned their stripes and have been there and done it since the 90's and 2000's. So they have merit and experience.

I think those who have graduated and just come out of College/University will have much more power and say in Western companies than Eastern ones. Western hires also have the progressive wind behind them to implement EDI ideology into art.

 

[Fatmanp]

I cant look past Nintendo but Capcom run them very close.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

15 years ago Japanese publishers and developers were on their knees, big series like Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, Silent Hill, Tekken were all going through their lowest ebbs meanwhile the companies that turn out nothing but dross these days were thriving…

EA - Mass Effect 1/2/3, Mirror’s Edge, FIFA 07-13

Ubisoft - Assassin’s Creed 1/2, Far Cry 3, Rayman Legends, Trials Evolution

Microsoft - Halo 2/3, Gears 1/2/3, PGR 3/4

Bethesda - Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3


It feels so long ago now, but western companies were doing really well, while Japanese companies were (somewhat deservedly) constantly under attack with articles like these…

 

[Nankatsu]

This decade it's easily Nintendo or Capcom.

Their output is insanely good.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

I wonder what the difference is between them and western developers?

Ugly chicks.

 

[Generic]

And yet the best game ever made is Fornite.

 

[Big Baller]

Japan like 'We own 4K town now'

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

That and they are really bad at optimizing their games on PC.

Yeah, ain't no denying that. And inconsistent, too - one port will be fine-ish, the next will be a trainwreck.

 

[nial]

Why include the Silent Hill 2 remake there? It's a Western project in almost every sense, even if Konami produced it; which doesn't mean much, and you can easily include Stellar Blade, a Korean game, under that logic.

 

[Gaiff]

Why is Sony on this list? Do their studios in Japan do anything besides Gran Turismo? All of their big IPs are western as far as I’m aware.

Edit: I guess Astrobot too.

 

[Gamerfan81]

The difference between how the East and West approaches gaming is summed up by what Reggie Fils-Aime said years ago.

Reggie Fils-Aime was interviewed briefly, and gave Nintendo’s stance on politics in video games. “Making political statements are for other people to do,” he said. “We want people to smile and have fun when they play our games.”

 

[nial]

Why is Sony on this list? Do their studios in Japan do anything besides Gran Turismo? All of their big IPs are western as far as I’m aware.

Edit: I guess Astrobot too.

Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Astro Bot, Demon's Souls, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Gran Turismo 7, Rise of the Ronin) is a Japanese publisher, so yes, it counts.
Plus, Gran Turismo is way bigger than any series in the OP, so why does it matter?

 

[Barakov]

And yet the best game ever made is Fornite.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

I count Nintendo as kind of its own thing, but it's gotta be Bandai.

I’m absolutely loving Tekken 8 and can’t wait for Ace Combat 8

 

[Saber]

I voted for Nintendo because they deliver the goods, simple as that.

 

[Gaiff]

Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Astro Bot, Demon's Souls, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Gran Turismo 7, Rise of the Ronin) is a Japanese publisher, so yes, it counts.
Plus, Gran Turismo is way bigger than any series in the OP, so why does it matter?

It matters because if that Japanese publisher is publishing western games, then this kind of defeats the claim that Japan is dominating (at least for that publisher). Furthermore, these are all published by Sony Interactive Entertainment which is based in California. I don’t think they qualify as a Japanese publisher just because Sony, the company, is Japanese.

As for your list, Demon's Souls is a remake done by a western studio, Death Stranding 2 has yet to be released, and Rise of the Ronin was a flop. You tried to pad out the list and it still came up short.

 

[Fake]

Japan rules, but western is so trash those days that don't even looks like they are trying to make games anymore.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

It matters because if that Japanese publisher is publishing western games, then this kind of defeats the claim that Japan is dominating (at least for that publisher). Furthermore, these are all published by Sony Interactive Entertainment which is based in California. I don’t think they qualify as a Japanese publisher just because Sony, the company, is Japanese.

As for your list, Demon's Souls is a remake done by a western studio, Death Stranding 2 has yet to be released, and Rise of the Ronin was a flop. You tried to pad out the list and it still came up short.

I also included Silent Hill 2 in the list.

Yes it’s developed (for the most part) by Bloober in Sweden, but they did this work under Japanese bosses.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Prolly best to just say Asian developers and add Stellar Blade, Wukong, etc. The list is overwhelming compared to west.

 

[Kikorin]

The gap will just get wider as Korea and China enter the AAA game scenario in next years. Console gamers that buy games are basically still the same crowd that did that 20 years ago, as new gen of players is all in GAAS and mobile. And western devs/publishers have completely disconnected from what these console gamers want, contrary of Japanese/Asian ones that still make the same games of 20 years ago, but better in some cases.

 

[Moriarty1889]

I wonder what the difference is between them and western developers?

They build games devoid of feminist woke trash driven with political agendas. They also believe in attractive looking women in their games as opposed to fat angry lesbians.

 

[ungalo]

I don't necessarily disagree but metacritic list are cringe.

 

[jakinov]

Black Ops 6 with a worst metacritic score will probably make more money than all of those combined. Like the many western GaaS games with also worst metacritic do on a yearly basis. The west might not be creating a lot of content that the people working at sites that do games reviews like but they are far from carrying the actual industry.

 

[Ridicululzz]

I think it's just the East/Asia in general really. The games they've made recently have really been awesome

 

[RetroGamingUK]

I think it's just the East/Asia in general really. The games they've made recently have really been awesome

Stellar Blade (Korea) and Wukong (China) are great, but it will take a hell of a lot more for them to compete with Japan.

Stellar Blade was published by Sony btw.

 

[nial]

It matters because if that Japanese publisher is publishing western games, then this kind of defeats the claim that Japan is dominating (at least for that publisher).

But that's the case for most of the publishers here. For example, Sega, Bandai Namco Entertainment and Square Enix all have European branches that produce a lot of games as well. That doesn't make them less of a Japanese publisher.

Furthermore, these are all published by Sony Interactive Entertainment which is based in California.

Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC is, right, but Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (based in Tokyo) still does its production business mostly by its own, and publishes every first-party game in Japan. Team Asobi is even within this company as a studio department.

As for your list, Demon's Souls is a remake done by a western studio, Death Stranding 2 has yet to be released, and Rise of the Ronin was a flop. You tried to pad out the list and it still came up short.

This is a common misconception, but Demon's Souls was mainly developed by SIE, rather than Bluepoint. The director was straight from Japan Studio, this is not like Silent Hill 2 where it's mainly made by Blooper.
I didn't try to pad out any list, I was mostly indicating that they exist and those games were produced by this company in Tokyo (which also includes Stellar Blade, Lost Soul Aside and Convallaria, but they don't fit the topic here, ofc).
It came up short because that's how they work these days, if you go on to separate PS5's first-party output by SIE Europe games, it would be a short list as well (Returnal, Horizon Forbidden West, Lego Horizon Adventures, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Destruction AllStars, Until Dawn).
Just to make things clear, PlayStation Studios output is divided by the work of three different production companies that are all part of the whole SIE Group:
Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Rise of the Ronin, Astro Bot).
Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (Spider-Man 2, Helldivers 2).
Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Ltd. (Until Dawn, Lego Horizon Adventures).

 

[Gaiff]

Stellar Blade (Korea) and Wukong (China) are great, but it will take a hell of a lot more for them to compete with Japan.

Stellar Blade was published by Sony btw.

They both have more, but it's a lot of MMOs or games that haven't come out here.

Throne and Liberty is the hottest new game on Steam and is made by a Korean dev. Crimson Desert looks promising and it's from a Korean dev as well. Lost Ark had over 1.3 million concurrent players on Steam. It's a Korean MMO. As for China, you obviously have Black Myth: Wukong, but also The Legend of Sword and Fairy 7, and a few other RPGs, and of course MMOs that didn't see the light of day here.

Obviously, neither combined can compete with Japan, let alone individually, but they got some really good stuff. I also believe Black Myth: Wukong will kickstart an interest in China for single-player games and we will see more of them in the future. Things look promising for China and SK.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Sega this year - Metaphor, Infinite Wealth, Unicorn Overlord, Sonic Generations ft Keanu Reeves, SMTVV, Persona 3 Remake.

Easily had the best year of any publisher.

 

[Danjin44]

This is mostly my own personal taste but this gen I'm almost completely lost interest in western games.....I dont think I bought single western game this year.

This year I'm definitely giving it to Atlus, they released great games back to back.

 

[nial]

Yep, voted for Sega as well.

 

[Bkdk]

Dei leading to hiring by race ratio and work from home likely biggest contributors to western gaming industry struggles. Their pay, especially the US ones are so much higher currently too compared to Asian devs. Painful time ahead for most US game devs. A lot will have to make the move elsewhere and cut salary to find work as more western studios layoff and shutdown incoming.

 

[bender]

This is mostly my own personal taste but this gen I'm almost completely lost interest in western games.....I dont think I bought single western game this year.

This year I'm definitely giving it to Atlus, they released great games back to back.

As much as I hate to admit it, a dirty, filthy Canadian made one of my favorite games of the year in Balatro.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Stellar Blade (Korea) and Wukong (China) are great, but it will take a hell of a lot more for them to compete with Japan.

Stellar Blade was published by Sony btw.

Mihoyo is the most successful gaming studio right now, above Rockstar. They are doing more than "compete". There are more studios transitioning from AAA gachas to console/PC. The advantage of China is that they have much more money and the talent pool is huge.

Another excellent ones from Korea are Neowiz (Lies of Pi) and Pearl Abyss, creators of the next banger: Crimson Dessert.

The West is losing flagship studios left and right. Right now it's carried by PS Studios (which must transition to new IPs), Rockstar and CD Projekt. The situation at Microsoft, Ubisoft, and EA is just embarrassing.

 

[KiteGr]

Sony is no longer Japanese...
At least not their gaming division.

 

[Danjin44]

Sony is no longer Japanese...
At least not their gaming division.

They still have Team Asobi, which only devs I care about from Sony this gen.

 

[RPCGamer]

Western studios can and do bring out good stuff still, well...mostly indie, but regardless, it's clearly struggling with it's own challenges.

 

[bender]

They still have Team Asobi, which only devs I care about from Sony this gen.

Polyphony Digital​

 

[Fbh]

Japan seems to focus on making fun to play games that are designed to appeal to the audience that is actually interested in these types of games.

A lot of western developers, at least in the AAA space, make games that look graphically amazing but aren't that fun to play, and they seem to try to appeal to an non existing audience that they'd like to have, instead of the existing one that would normally be interested in their games.

 

[Digital-Aftertaste]