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Though the reaction on a Japanese persons face when hearing games such as Tomb Raider, Goldeneye and Quake 3, there feelings wouldn’t be far of from yours from the games above! What I’m trying to get to is, why are some of the biggest companies from the East completely ignored in the West? Why is it that some games are imported others just stay in the West? In other words, what is it that makes Japanese games different to us?
Think of games such as Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid or Tekken. All these games were from Japan, but Metal Gear Solid never reached the heights it did in the east than it did in the west. So why do the East and the West have completely different tastes in gaming?
The successful game Driver was realised in the East and the West, but hardly got the amount of sales in the West than in the East. When a bunch of Japanese people where asked to test the game they replied, “We don’t like the game as you go round the corners far to slow!!!” This is something that us gamers haven’t even considered until now. This clearly proves that the Japanese aren’t turned on by the things that UK gamers are.
Many Japanese gamers prefer long stories that weave through, where every element has to have a reason. The Japanese have some very weird games over there that would hardly sell a copy over here. For example, there’s a game called Decorated Truck Racing, instead of driving the trucks you decorate them. Weird as it sounds it’s true!!!
People say that the only way that you can understand why Japanese gamers like theses weird games is to be born and breed Japanese!
The Japanese don’t like violence and blood. Think about Mario for instance, there isn’t any blood or guts, and the monsters don’t dye, they disappear with a ‘pop’. The monsters are merely, an obstacle to pass. Even the popular beat ‘em ups that the Japanese create all the time, no-one dyes. They always get up from things like being dropped from six foot in the air on to their neck. It’s just comic book stuff.
Here’s the top 5 lists in April from Japan and UK, plenty of the Japanese games are familiar to us, but just look at the others.
UK
1. Simpson’s Wrestling………….PS
2. ISS Pro Evolution 2………….PS
3. Star Wars Star Fighter………PS2
4. Zone of the Enders…………PS2
5. LMA Manager………………PS
Japan
1. Super Mario Advance……….GBA
2. Sakura Taisen: Hometown
Paris is burning……………..DC
3. Biohazard Code:
Veronica Complete…………..PS2
4. Dragon Quest Monsters 2:
Mysterious Key of Martha
Ruja’s Journey………………...GB
5. F-Zero Advance……………..GBA
So, despite everyone’s experience of playing countless Japanese games no-one can quite put there finger on what the Japanese want.
But things are quite the same on the other way- more Japanese games than ever are being expected in the West, the Final Fantasy series was previously classed as too be to Japanese’ for our Market.
But if you’re dying to get your hands on Densha De Go! Don’t expect it anytime
soon…
P.S… I would put this on Prime but unfortunaly cant!
Spider where exactly do you live. I live in London and the best radio station in my eyes is Kiss 100. One of the DJs 10pm on wednesdays, is called ShortyBlitz and that where the name comes from. In fact I am listening to Kiss right now.
(;o|
:)
Thankyou for bringing this topic on top again, i'm a bit unhappy that i didn't get a GAD, but, hey, what ya gonna do!
Just if theres anyone hating me, i dont come on FOG for the free games, it's just to addicitve!
a) French revision beckons. Orals tomorrow.
b) I need to go to the toilet.
Maybe later...
I really want to play games like Seaman - talking to fish that talk back to you - it sold well in Japan, about 500,000, and the USA gamers are lapping it up but we are not allowed!!!
Did you know that Japanese games are not rated in ages i.e. 12+, 15+ and 18+? Instead, each game is rated on a wackyometer "Too wacky for 5 year old" and so forth...
(Believe that and you'll believe anyth-)
It's about cultures though - different cultures of the country do affect the games.