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What type of games are the best? Those released in Japan, or UK/America. Some games cross the oceans to all territories and become big success stories, but some are not eligable for release outside of their original territory....
Why? Perhaps we like different sorts of games?
I think that rather than Western gamers liking different types of games to Eastern, it's more often the case that we are behind Japan in taking up new ideas.
For instance, the West have only recently come round to the idea of playing RPGs. FF2 and FF3 were fantastic on the SNES, and I had to import them from America. America had only just come round to the idea of RPGs at that time, that's why they weren't called their actual sequential names FFV and FFVI, the rest wern't released.
Final Fantasy 1 was released on the NES in the US, but it did poorly.
The first FF game we get here in the UK is FFVII!
Now the UK loves them.
RPG's have been a hit in Japan since they first hit consoles nearly 2 decades ago.
Japan has other genres which are flourishing, but would have no market in the West - I'm thinking particularly of the Bemani series (Keyboard/drum mania, guitar freaks, beatmania - all at their 4-6th mixes!). We got Beatmania for the PS, but it did poorly, even though it topped the charts for weeks in Japan... Why?
I think it's because we're not ready as a gaming nation.
I believe that the West will follow suite and love these games - but in around 2 years time.
I don't think it's the case that the Japanese don't like FPS, or other western type games, but more the case that the large choice of original games perform better in the charts.
The Japanese also like their fads (and I'm not talking about Film A Days!) Pokemon, barcode battlers etc. We get these 2-3 years after they have started in Japan (if at all) so there isn't as much impact, and you will always see these types of games running high in the Japanese charts ousting quality competition.
You think Pokemon was big here.... You should see the monumental size it reached in Japan!
I'm interested to hear what others think the difference between the Japanese and Western markets are....
I think I prefer the Japanese gaming market. Why? Because they are more innovative, and more experimental. We would rather bring out Tomb Raider 8 in the UK than bring out something as original as Moskito, Guitar Freaks etc.
Why? Perhaps we like different sorts of games?
I think that rather than Western gamers liking different types of games to Eastern, it's more often the case that we are behind Japan in taking up new ideas.
For instance, the West have only recently come round to the idea of playing RPGs. FF2 and FF3 were fantastic on the SNES, and I had to import them from America. America had only just come round to the idea of RPGs at that time, that's why they weren't called their actual sequential names FFV and FFVI, the rest wern't released.
Final Fantasy 1 was released on the NES in the US, but it did poorly.
The first FF game we get here in the UK is FFVII!
Now the UK loves them.
RPG's have been a hit in Japan since they first hit consoles nearly 2 decades ago.
Japan has other genres which are flourishing, but would have no market in the West - I'm thinking particularly of the Bemani series (Keyboard/drum mania, guitar freaks, beatmania - all at their 4-6th mixes!). We got Beatmania for the PS, but it did poorly, even though it topped the charts for weeks in Japan... Why?
I think it's because we're not ready as a gaming nation.
I believe that the West will follow suite and love these games - but in around 2 years time.
I don't think it's the case that the Japanese don't like FPS, or other western type games, but more the case that the large choice of original games perform better in the charts.
The Japanese also like their fads (and I'm not talking about Film A Days!) Pokemon, barcode battlers etc. We get these 2-3 years after they have started in Japan (if at all) so there isn't as much impact, and you will always see these types of games running high in the Japanese charts ousting quality competition.
You think Pokemon was big here.... You should see the monumental size it reached in Japan!
I'm interested to hear what others think the difference between the Japanese and Western markets are....
I think I prefer the Japanese gaming market. Why? Because they are more innovative, and more experimental. We would rather bring out Tomb Raider 8 in the UK than bring out something as original as Moskito, Guitar Freaks etc.
I certainly agree about cultural differences. And I should have talked about them in my original post as a variable. your post has covered them very well. Especially talking about raw fish!
I didn't mind Sega Bass Fishing, I thought it was a laugh :P But the Japanese do have a thing for Super Deformed characters!? (Small people with big heads), don't know why.
As I asked though... Would you say that more alternative and innovative ideas come out of Japan (and Japan's culture)?
I would.
Would you say that if gameing was left to the West, we would slow the industry down with sequals and lack of imagination? Namco, Square, Sony, Sega, Nintendo (Japanese depts.) - all produce very innovative, fresh games.
I'm not saying the West doesn't produce any, but in comparison to Japan it doesn't...
Do you agree?
I didn't mind Sega Bass Fishing, I thought it was a laugh :P But the Japanese do have a thing for Super Deformed characters!? (Small people with big heads), don't know why.
As I asked though... Would you say that more alternative and innovative ideas come out of Japan (and Japan's culture)?
I would.
Would you say that if gameing was left to the West, we would slow the industry down with sequals and lack of imagination? Namco, Square, Sony, Sega, Nintendo (Japanese depts.) - all produce very innovative, fresh games.
I'm not saying the West doesn't produce any, but in comparison to Japan it doesn't...
Do you agree?
Well, it also comes down to culture.
What sort of pikey git would buy a fishing game, A FISHING GAME and sit for hours 'hooking em in' like the sad loser he is?
Well in Japan such games are a hit.
Why not here? It's just not for us. Simple.
It is the case with a lot of, but not all such cases.
A lot of games from the east do poorly over here due to bad translation. I mean come on, FF7 was pushing it a hell of a lot, and was fortunate that it was such an amazig game in the first place.
But the majority is the cultural difference.
Why don't some games do as well here? Well, why don't japanese pop-stars go platinum in the UK? Why isn't extremist Manga simply accepted by the BBC and the public?
You might as well ask: why don't I have raw fish with every meal?
Think about it another way. Americans love big things. Big houses, big cars, big meals, etc etc. The japanese love small things. Small phones, small people etc etc. People who are completely different on a CULTURAL level will never have the same likes/dislikes.
And as to why games like ff1++ didn't do well, but would do now... people change. I wouldn't have played a game like ff6 6 years ago. I would now. Why? who can say? I got into manga, I got into rpg's etc.
It's not a matter of being 'ready', it's about what we want. We all hear and read about the games made in japan, and we all have a voice with which to demand it if we want it. the fact that many such games are never released here suggests, no it IMPLIES that we don't want it.
Another cultural difference here:
The western world has very little patience. Explains why we are all so hooked on rts games (C&C, Starcraft etc) whereas the Japanese have an unending patience which would explein why they can lose days at a time to rpgs, something you're less likely to do playing a build and destroy game.
my two cents.
-IB
What sort of pikey git would buy a fishing game, A FISHING GAME and sit for hours 'hooking em in' like the sad loser he is?
Well in Japan such games are a hit.
Why not here? It's just not for us. Simple.
It is the case with a lot of, but not all such cases.
A lot of games from the east do poorly over here due to bad translation. I mean come on, FF7 was pushing it a hell of a lot, and was fortunate that it was such an amazig game in the first place.
But the majority is the cultural difference.
Why don't some games do as well here? Well, why don't japanese pop-stars go platinum in the UK? Why isn't extremist Manga simply accepted by the BBC and the public?
You might as well ask: why don't I have raw fish with every meal?
Think about it another way. Americans love big things. Big houses, big cars, big meals, etc etc. The japanese love small things. Small phones, small people etc etc. People who are completely different on a CULTURAL level will never have the same likes/dislikes.
And as to why games like ff1++ didn't do well, but would do now... people change. I wouldn't have played a game like ff6 6 years ago. I would now. Why? who can say? I got into manga, I got into rpg's etc.
It's not a matter of being 'ready', it's about what we want. We all hear and read about the games made in japan, and we all have a voice with which to demand it if we want it. the fact that many such games are never released here suggests, no it IMPLIES that we don't want it.
Another cultural difference here:
The western world has very little patience. Explains why we are all so hooked on rts games (C&C, Starcraft etc) whereas the Japanese have an unending patience which would explein why they can lose days at a time to rpgs, something you're less likely to do playing a build and destroy game.
my two cents.
-IB
Just to add... I think that the Japanese are 2 years ahead of America, and 3 years ahead of the UK with regard to all forms of consumer electronics. That includes games, gadgets and communications. If you want to see what type of games our computer charts will comprise of, or see what gadgets we will be using, take a look at Japan.
It may all seem wacky now, but I think we will follow, just a coupl eof years later!
It may all seem wacky now, but I think we will follow, just a coupl eof years later!
What type of games are the best? Those released in Japan, or UK/America. Some games cross the oceans to all territories and become big success stories, but some are not eligable for release outside of their original territory....
Why? Perhaps we like different sorts of games?
I think that rather than Western gamers liking different types of games to Eastern, it's more often the case that we are behind Japan in taking up new ideas.
For instance, the West have only recently come round to the idea of playing RPGs. FF2 and FF3 were fantastic on the SNES, and I had to import them from America. America had only just come round to the idea of RPGs at that time, that's why they weren't called their actual sequential names FFV and FFVI, the rest wern't released.
Final Fantasy 1 was released on the NES in the US, but it did poorly.
The first FF game we get here in the UK is FFVII!
Now the UK loves them.
RPG's have been a hit in Japan since they first hit consoles nearly 2 decades ago.
Japan has other genres which are flourishing, but would have no market in the West - I'm thinking particularly of the Bemani series (Keyboard/drum mania, guitar freaks, beatmania - all at their 4-6th mixes!). We got Beatmania for the PS, but it did poorly, even though it topped the charts for weeks in Japan... Why?
I think it's because we're not ready as a gaming nation.
I believe that the West will follow suite and love these games - but in around 2 years time.
I don't think it's the case that the Japanese don't like FPS, or other western type games, but more the case that the large choice of original games perform better in the charts.
The Japanese also like their fads (and I'm not talking about Film A Days!) Pokemon, barcode battlers etc. We get these 2-3 years after they have started in Japan (if at all) so there isn't as much impact, and you will always see these types of games running high in the Japanese charts ousting quality competition.
You think Pokemon was big here.... You should see the monumental size it reached in Japan!
I'm interested to hear what others think the difference between the Japanese and Western markets are....
I think I prefer the Japanese gaming market. Why? Because they are more innovative, and more experimental. We would rather bring out Tomb Raider 8 in the UK than bring out something as original as Moskito, Guitar Freaks etc.
Why? Perhaps we like different sorts of games?
I think that rather than Western gamers liking different types of games to Eastern, it's more often the case that we are behind Japan in taking up new ideas.
For instance, the West have only recently come round to the idea of playing RPGs. FF2 and FF3 were fantastic on the SNES, and I had to import them from America. America had only just come round to the idea of RPGs at that time, that's why they weren't called their actual sequential names FFV and FFVI, the rest wern't released.
Final Fantasy 1 was released on the NES in the US, but it did poorly.
The first FF game we get here in the UK is FFVII!
Now the UK loves them.
RPG's have been a hit in Japan since they first hit consoles nearly 2 decades ago.
Japan has other genres which are flourishing, but would have no market in the West - I'm thinking particularly of the Bemani series (Keyboard/drum mania, guitar freaks, beatmania - all at their 4-6th mixes!). We got Beatmania for the PS, but it did poorly, even though it topped the charts for weeks in Japan... Why?
I think it's because we're not ready as a gaming nation.
I believe that the West will follow suite and love these games - but in around 2 years time.
I don't think it's the case that the Japanese don't like FPS, or other western type games, but more the case that the large choice of original games perform better in the charts.
The Japanese also like their fads (and I'm not talking about Film A Days!) Pokemon, barcode battlers etc. We get these 2-3 years after they have started in Japan (if at all) so there isn't as much impact, and you will always see these types of games running high in the Japanese charts ousting quality competition.
You think Pokemon was big here.... You should see the monumental size it reached in Japan!
I'm interested to hear what others think the difference between the Japanese and Western markets are....
I think I prefer the Japanese gaming market. Why? Because they are more innovative, and more experimental. We would rather bring out Tomb Raider 8 in the UK than bring out something as original as Moskito, Guitar Freaks etc.