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Originality is dead in Western games. It has become a thing of the past- the memory of bedroom coders of old and of gamers of generation long since past. Quite simply, Western bureaucracy has forced the original thinker to leave.
A profound statement, and one sure to be contested, but I believe it to be quite accurate. Western games have become commercialised to the point whereby a developer will not take the risk of doing something new- they would rather make another, safer game that is bound to be forgotten after a couple of years.
Go to a Western developer with an idea as strange and wacky as Super Monkey Ball, Pikmin or Rez and don’t be surprised it they turn it down in order to make a sequel so similar to the previous game that it’s hardly worth calling it a sequel. Ask a developer to create something that looks as fresh as Jet Set Radio and they’d laugh- those games either fly or fall, and they aren’t prepared to find out which.
So what is it about Western developers that makes them so stubborn to complacency? Certainly not a lack of talent- the Western bedroom coders of past decades prove that point. Nor is it a lack of interest in original games- you need only look at game charts to see that original Japanese-made games do equally as well as most Western sequels. In fact, I’ve already given you the answer to the question in one word: commercialism.
You see, in the West developers are run in a far different way than in Japan. Over here developers are mainly funded by large publishers who are in the game to make money with little risk. So it follows that, unless you are an exceptionally high regarded producer with a stack of best selling games, you’ll never get a penny from an investor- and with the cost of game development today it just isn’t possible to do it yourself.
Over in Japan, most developers work for themselves- Nintendo, Sega, Namco, Square, Konami and all the rest are self subsistent development houses that run their own accounts, and more importantly, are run by games developers themselves. Miyamoto-San, a humble artist and game producer, oversees all the game developments at Nintendo, while each Sega department has it’s own C.E.O. in the form of an in-house producer.
I fear that we could soon see a complete end to originality in Western games- forever. Like the movie industry, we could soon see tides of popularistic, unoriginal games coming from the West, while truly original game, the game equivalents of “Run Lola Run” and “Requiem for a Dream”, would run into near obscurity.
But then again... there’s always the Japanese to rely on.
Sonic
A profound statement, and one sure to be contested, but I believe it to be quite accurate. Western games have become commercialised to the point whereby a developer will not take the risk of doing something new- they would rather make another, safer game that is bound to be forgotten after a couple of years.
Go to a Western developer with an idea as strange and wacky as Super Monkey Ball, Pikmin or Rez and don’t be surprised it they turn it down in order to make a sequel so similar to the previous game that it’s hardly worth calling it a sequel. Ask a developer to create something that looks as fresh as Jet Set Radio and they’d laugh- those games either fly or fall, and they aren’t prepared to find out which.
So what is it about Western developers that makes them so stubborn to complacency? Certainly not a lack of talent- the Western bedroom coders of past decades prove that point. Nor is it a lack of interest in original games- you need only look at game charts to see that original Japanese-made games do equally as well as most Western sequels. In fact, I’ve already given you the answer to the question in one word: commercialism.
You see, in the West developers are run in a far different way than in Japan. Over here developers are mainly funded by large publishers who are in the game to make money with little risk. So it follows that, unless you are an exceptionally high regarded producer with a stack of best selling games, you’ll never get a penny from an investor- and with the cost of game development today it just isn’t possible to do it yourself.
Over in Japan, most developers work for themselves- Nintendo, Sega, Namco, Square, Konami and all the rest are self subsistent development houses that run their own accounts, and more importantly, are run by games developers themselves. Miyamoto-San, a humble artist and game producer, oversees all the game developments at Nintendo, while each Sega department has it’s own C.E.O. in the form of an in-house producer.
I fear that we could soon see a complete end to originality in Western games- forever. Like the movie industry, we could soon see tides of popularistic, unoriginal games coming from the West, while truly original game, the game equivalents of “Run Lola Run” and “Requiem for a Dream”, would run into near obscurity.
But then again... there’s always the Japanese to rely on.
Sonic
Page:
I agree. Western companies seem more at ease developing games from most popular genres (driving etc) whereas Japanese developers strive for originality. Thsi could be for two reasons:
1) Japanese gamers are more demanding and aren't stupid enought to buy updates of virtually the same game each Christmas (Tomb Raider Chronichles, anyone?)
2) Western developers, because of Reason 1, don't want to risk not getting a return on their investment and their producers would rather they make an unoriginal game that makes money rather than an original, critically acclaimed one that doesn't make money. Simple as that.
P.S. Sonic, could you read my story on the horrible future of videogames in the Ninty forum, your feedback would be much appreciated
1) Japanese gamers are more demanding and aren't stupid enought to buy updates of virtually the same game each Christmas (Tomb Raider Chronichles, anyone?)
2) Western developers, because of Reason 1, don't want to risk not getting a return on their investment and their producers would rather they make an unoriginal game that makes money rather than an original, critically acclaimed one that doesn't make money. Simple as that.
P.S. Sonic, could you read my story on the horrible future of videogames in the Ninty forum, your feedback would be much appreciated
yeah, I do agree with you Sonic, just saying that originality isn't (not yet anyway) TOTALLY dead in Western games, although it's headed that way...
Yes, but the problem is that when a big game like Half life is made (which is certainly not as revolutionary as some Japanese titles, but still not a bad effort), for years afterwards clones and sequals of the game are made. If you look at Japanese developers, this happens on a smaller scale.
Jet Set Radio has been followed by a sequal, but other companies have used the ideas of Cell Shading in new ways (Zelda), not just clones of Jet Set. Same goes for most other original Japenese games.
Sonic
Jet Set Radio has been followed by a sequal, but other companies have used the ideas of Cell Shading in new ways (Zelda), not just clones of Jet Set. Same goes for most other original Japenese games.
Sonic
I agree mostly, but there is still hope for the west. Genres which have been redefined such as 1st Person Shooting was re-defined by Half-Life (A western title) and 'Beardy' stat heavy RPGs are becoming more popular largely due to Black Isle and the Baldurs Gate series.
But still, go to a console owners house and look at their games collection- most of the consoles big and original titles will be Japanese made, while most sequels, or un-original rehashes will be western games that aim to cash in. And when was the last time you saw a Japanese company buy the rights to a popular film to make into a game?
But still, go to a console owners house and look at their games collection- most of the consoles big and original titles will be Japanese made, while most sequels, or un-original rehashes will be western games that aim to cash in. And when was the last time you saw a Japanese company buy the rights to a popular film to make into a game?
For all the run lola run's, subtitled and without commercial baking, i think we'll always see the malcolm x low budget masterpieces and even occasional being john malkovich financially backed hollywood oddball originality. *cough-rare-cough*
Good post tho, i think i'd have to agree with you, though to take it to a lesser extent in the future.
Good post tho, i think i'd have to agree with you, though to take it to a lesser extent in the future.
Good post! I reckon that small developers are under pressure to deliver and thus they go with the tried and tested genres of driving etc as anything original is seen as a risk
Ps. Could you read my post on replayability, its connected
Ps. Could you read my post on replayability, its connected
Originality is dead in Western games. It has become a thing of the past- the memory of bedroom coders of old and of gamers of generation long since past. Quite simply, Western bureaucracy has forced the original thinker to leave.
A profound statement, and one sure to be contested, but I believe it to be quite accurate. Western games have become commercialised to the point whereby a developer will not take the risk of doing something new- they would rather make another, safer game that is bound to be forgotten after a couple of years.
Go to a Western developer with an idea as strange and wacky as Super Monkey Ball, Pikmin or Rez and don’t be surprised it they turn it down in order to make a sequel so similar to the previous game that it’s hardly worth calling it a sequel. Ask a developer to create something that looks as fresh as Jet Set Radio and they’d laugh- those games either fly or fall, and they aren’t prepared to find out which.
So what is it about Western developers that makes them so stubborn to complacency? Certainly not a lack of talent- the Western bedroom coders of past decades prove that point. Nor is it a lack of interest in original games- you need only look at game charts to see that original Japanese-made games do equally as well as most Western sequels. In fact, I’ve already given you the answer to the question in one word: commercialism.
You see, in the West developers are run in a far different way than in Japan. Over here developers are mainly funded by large publishers who are in the game to make money with little risk. So it follows that, unless you are an exceptionally high regarded producer with a stack of best selling games, you’ll never get a penny from an investor- and with the cost of game development today it just isn’t possible to do it yourself.
Over in Japan, most developers work for themselves- Nintendo, Sega, Namco, Square, Konami and all the rest are self subsistent development houses that run their own accounts, and more importantly, are run by games developers themselves. Miyamoto-San, a humble artist and game producer, oversees all the game developments at Nintendo, while each Sega department has it’s own C.E.O. in the form of an in-house producer.
I fear that we could soon see a complete end to originality in Western games- forever. Like the movie industry, we could soon see tides of popularistic, unoriginal games coming from the West, while truly original game, the game equivalents of “Run Lola Run” and “Requiem for a Dream”, would run into near obscurity.
But then again... there’s always the Japanese to rely on.
Sonic
A profound statement, and one sure to be contested, but I believe it to be quite accurate. Western games have become commercialised to the point whereby a developer will not take the risk of doing something new- they would rather make another, safer game that is bound to be forgotten after a couple of years.
Go to a Western developer with an idea as strange and wacky as Super Monkey Ball, Pikmin or Rez and don’t be surprised it they turn it down in order to make a sequel so similar to the previous game that it’s hardly worth calling it a sequel. Ask a developer to create something that looks as fresh as Jet Set Radio and they’d laugh- those games either fly or fall, and they aren’t prepared to find out which.
So what is it about Western developers that makes them so stubborn to complacency? Certainly not a lack of talent- the Western bedroom coders of past decades prove that point. Nor is it a lack of interest in original games- you need only look at game charts to see that original Japanese-made games do equally as well as most Western sequels. In fact, I’ve already given you the answer to the question in one word: commercialism.
You see, in the West developers are run in a far different way than in Japan. Over here developers are mainly funded by large publishers who are in the game to make money with little risk. So it follows that, unless you are an exceptionally high regarded producer with a stack of best selling games, you’ll never get a penny from an investor- and with the cost of game development today it just isn’t possible to do it yourself.
Over in Japan, most developers work for themselves- Nintendo, Sega, Namco, Square, Konami and all the rest are self subsistent development houses that run their own accounts, and more importantly, are run by games developers themselves. Miyamoto-San, a humble artist and game producer, oversees all the game developments at Nintendo, while each Sega department has it’s own C.E.O. in the form of an in-house producer.
I fear that we could soon see a complete end to originality in Western games- forever. Like the movie industry, we could soon see tides of popularistic, unoriginal games coming from the West, while truly original game, the game equivalents of “Run Lola Run” and “Requiem for a Dream”, would run into near obscurity.
But then again... there’s always the Japanese to rely on.
Sonic
Page: