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Sekine-san wants a date. Do you accept or decline? Four discs, a million copies sold and over ten sequels already made, the Tokemiki Memorial series in Japan is a phenomon. And you can guess the subject matter...
To us, the Japanese have a strange love affair with gaming. It's a far more acceptable pastime, and has been lovingly injected into society since the early nineties. Districts have been labelled 'gaming districts', because of the huge quantity of game-selling shops there. In fact, in Japan you're just as likely to see a game's shop as you are to see a mobile phone shop in England. Scary, hey.
But the Japanese have got a good taste in gaming. They accept games for what they are, not because they are cool. People play all sorts of games, from ones which are loved worldwide such as Mario, Sonic and ISS, to games which would never see the light of day in this country - Tokemiki Memorial being one of them. It's a different kind of gaming, gaming which few people in England or America are accustomed with, and I think fewer would be willing to adopt. My friends, East and West gaming are as different as chalk and cheese.
In England today, we love realism. It seems we can't get enough of it. I can get enough of it, and had enough of it since the first Gran Turismo. However, there are plenty of racing sims stocking the shelves and plenty more games featuring accurately modelled weapons and realistic looking characters. I know realism is a recurrent theme in gaming at the moment, and does feature heavily in the US and Japan. But what we're currently lacking in gaming are the things which make it so popular in Japan.
Yes, the gaming market isn't in the depression we're seeing in the UK now. When I say depression, I don't mean a market depression. Gaming is bigger now than ever before. What I mean, is that true gamers; hardcore gamers; the gamers who play for a purpose - we're getting constantly tired with videogames. No longer are we challenged by that un-leapable chasm in Metroid, no more shall we be striving for a hundred perfect laps in F-Zero. Instead, we're sitting, hand on chin, in front of our PC watching simulated characters going about their daily lives. You know what game I'm talking about. And know what? For its 100+ weeks in the UK charts, it managed to last less than 5 in Japan. Quite surprising.
Because Japanese like their quirky. Nezmix was a game about mice, and was appalling, but sold well. They like their peripherals too - the Xbox game Tekki was dispersed between consoles in a ratio of something like 1 game:4 consoles, very high considering the price and size of the accompanying peripheral. They love their Mario, and I love their Mario. They can see that Zelda does not need to be realistic. They know that gaming doesn't constitute how many shaded polygons can be rendered on screen. It's a shame that so many people here and in the US can't.
But this isn't a rant, I still have fun playing games. The 'realistic' Grand Theft Auto is to me a carthartic escape route, a road down which I'll never walk nor shall the game encourage me to. It features open-ended gameplay which is fun. For all it's artistic and realistic merit, Sega GT 2002 is a bit of a bore. It features lovely looking cars, but is a bit boring to play. As is Gran Turismo 3.
Hopefully though, the future will be bright. I could name twenty titles I'm likely to buy which aren't super realistic, or simulators. In fact, despite being the bulky, Halo-boosted hulk that the Xbox is, it is home to some of my most anticipated games. Panzer Dragoon Orta looks stunning, and if you were to say the Dragoons were modelled with real life physics involved, I'd clock you one. No, I'm not ranting about the state of gaming, nor am I evaluating consoles for their unrealistic measures. Gaming is really fun, but in my opinion gaming is only fun when it's an escape route, a way out from the chores of real life. Gaming is in a depression, but a quick to last depression after which the general public will get bored, stop buying games and we'll return to a futuristic version of the early 1990's. If only England could mirror Japan. That would be gaming bliss!
To us, the Japanese have a strange love affair with gaming. It's a far more acceptable pastime, and has been lovingly injected into society since the early nineties. Districts have been labelled 'gaming districts', because of the huge quantity of game-selling shops there. In fact, in Japan you're just as likely to see a game's shop as you are to see a mobile phone shop in England. Scary, hey.
But the Japanese have got a good taste in gaming. They accept games for what they are, not because they are cool. People play all sorts of games, from ones which are loved worldwide such as Mario, Sonic and ISS, to games which would never see the light of day in this country - Tokemiki Memorial being one of them. It's a different kind of gaming, gaming which few people in England or America are accustomed with, and I think fewer would be willing to adopt. My friends, East and West gaming are as different as chalk and cheese.
In England today, we love realism. It seems we can't get enough of it. I can get enough of it, and had enough of it since the first Gran Turismo. However, there are plenty of racing sims stocking the shelves and plenty more games featuring accurately modelled weapons and realistic looking characters. I know realism is a recurrent theme in gaming at the moment, and does feature heavily in the US and Japan. But what we're currently lacking in gaming are the things which make it so popular in Japan.
Yes, the gaming market isn't in the depression we're seeing in the UK now. When I say depression, I don't mean a market depression. Gaming is bigger now than ever before. What I mean, is that true gamers; hardcore gamers; the gamers who play for a purpose - we're getting constantly tired with videogames. No longer are we challenged by that un-leapable chasm in Metroid, no more shall we be striving for a hundred perfect laps in F-Zero. Instead, we're sitting, hand on chin, in front of our PC watching simulated characters going about their daily lives. You know what game I'm talking about. And know what? For its 100+ weeks in the UK charts, it managed to last less than 5 in Japan. Quite surprising.
Because Japanese like their quirky. Nezmix was a game about mice, and was appalling, but sold well. They like their peripherals too - the Xbox game Tekki was dispersed between consoles in a ratio of something like 1 game:4 consoles, very high considering the price and size of the accompanying peripheral. They love their Mario, and I love their Mario. They can see that Zelda does not need to be realistic. They know that gaming doesn't constitute how many shaded polygons can be rendered on screen. It's a shame that so many people here and in the US can't.
But this isn't a rant, I still have fun playing games. The 'realistic' Grand Theft Auto is to me a carthartic escape route, a road down which I'll never walk nor shall the game encourage me to. It features open-ended gameplay which is fun. For all it's artistic and realistic merit, Sega GT 2002 is a bit of a bore. It features lovely looking cars, but is a bit boring to play. As is Gran Turismo 3.
Hopefully though, the future will be bright. I could name twenty titles I'm likely to buy which aren't super realistic, or simulators. In fact, despite being the bulky, Halo-boosted hulk that the Xbox is, it is home to some of my most anticipated games. Panzer Dragoon Orta looks stunning, and if you were to say the Dragoons were modelled with real life physics involved, I'd clock you one. No, I'm not ranting about the state of gaming, nor am I evaluating consoles for their unrealistic measures. Gaming is really fun, but in my opinion gaming is only fun when it's an escape route, a way out from the chores of real life. Gaming is in a depression, but a quick to last depression after which the general public will get bored, stop buying games and we'll return to a futuristic version of the early 1990's. If only England could mirror Japan. That would be gaming bliss!
I was beginning to think I was the only person who thought like you do.
Me - Have you played yet?
Friend - Yeah, it looks crap
Me - WHAT!? WHat's wrong with it, it's amazing!
Friend - The graphics are rubbish!
Me - And...?
Friend - The graphics are rubbish and it's no different than the prequel!
Me - You loved the prequel!
Friend - Umm... it's got rubbish graphics!
In case you wanted to know, the game was Mario Sunshine.
Me - Have you played
Friend - Yeah, it looks crap
Me - WHAT!? WHat's wrong with it, it's amazing!
Friend - The graphics are rubbish!
Me - And...?
Friend - The graphics are rubbish and it's no different than the prequel!
Me - You loved the prequel!
Friend - Umm... it's got rubbish graphics!
In case you wanted to know, the game was Mario Sunshine.
Well done on the GAD!
I'm sure that Final Fantasy does get tactical near the end, but I've never made it that far in any Japanese RPG. I've tried with Breath of Fire and Golden Sun, and I find them great fun at first but then they just seem to retread what went before. They're pretty linear too:
"Shall we help them? Yes/No"
"No."
"I really think we should help them!"
I guess it's personal taste. These games seem to be more about story than anything else, and it just doesn't grab me. I've enjoyed stories in some games - Broken Sword or Deus Ex for example - but deep down I'd rather just *play*.
Have you played Waku Waku 7 on your mutilated X-Box? It's the pinnacle of Japanese wackiness as far as I'm concerned. The boss is a concrete pillar wearing a bandana. O-kaaaaay.
I'm sure that Final Fantasy does get tactical near the end, but I've never made it that far in any Japanese RPG. I've tried with Breath of Fire and Golden Sun, and I find them great fun at first but then they just seem to retread what went before. They're pretty linear too:
"Shall we help them? Yes/No"
"No."
"I really think we should help them!"
I guess it's personal taste. These games seem to be more about story than anything else, and it just doesn't grab me. I've enjoyed stories in some games - Broken Sword or Deus Ex for example - but deep down I'd rather just *play*.
Have you played Waku Waku 7 on your mutilated X-Box? It's the pinnacle of Japanese wackiness as far as I'm concerned. The boss is a concrete pillar wearing a bandana. O-kaaaaay.
Hear, hear.
Innovation is the grease that lines the gamers soul, but unfortunately, it seems to be the anthrax in the mass-market's envelope. The vast majority of games that stray from the 'realistic' or expected formula bomb at retail in the West (even more so in America, where endless NBA, NHL and NFL games from EA top the charts in a way to make FIFA look like a fad).
I believe that Western culture is far more ensconced in it's comfort zone, and averse to stepping outside to try new experiences, or take a risk on an unknown. Which is odd, considering the relative importance of custom and history in the East as opposed to the West. And which is also a bummer for us lot who love to play games that push the envelope.
As long as there's still _some_ creativity in the gaming world, we'll be alright. With any luck, the likes of Sega and Nintendo will ensure that it continues.
Innovation is the grease that lines the gamers soul, but unfortunately, it seems to be the anthrax in the mass-market's envelope. The vast majority of games that stray from the 'realistic' or expected formula bomb at retail in the West (even more so in America, where endless NBA, NHL and NFL games from EA top the charts in a way to make FIFA look like a fad).
I believe that Western culture is far more ensconced in it's comfort zone, and averse to stepping outside to try new experiences, or take a risk on an unknown. Which is odd, considering the relative importance of custom and history in the East as opposed to the West. And which is also a bummer for us lot who love to play games that push the envelope.
As long as there's still _some_ creativity in the gaming world, we'll be alright. With any luck, the likes of Sega and Nintendo will ensure that it continues.
I understand what you mean about the bad stuff - however, in Final Fantasy there is some element of strategy. For example, when the game gets near the end simply pressing attack is no good, and some of the last areas are awefully hard. Ikaruga does look brilliant, and I'm glad it's on the Dreamcast - I'll be buying that purely for nostalgic purposes :).
I think the Japanese also have a greater concept of playability though. Look at the variety of different games; it's huge. Their imaginations aren't limited by subject matter, cost or target audience - they make games for the sake of it. It's just that Japanese gamers understand this better, and don't just buy games because they feature guns or cars. Glad you feel the same way though, and glad I won :-D.
I think the Japanese also have a greater concept of playability though. Look at the variety of different games; it's huge. Their imaginations aren't limited by subject matter, cost or target audience - they make games for the sake of it. It's just that Japanese gamers understand this better, and don't just buy games because they feature guns or cars. Glad you feel the same way though, and glad I won :-D.
There are some types of Japanese games that I love, and they are usually the ones that reawaken my faith in games. I love the inventive daring stuff, the games that would never get made here: Ico, Rez, Pikmin and so on. And then there are the types of games that are so devilish and intricate that it can take months to master them properly: the Streetfighter games for example. Most of all I love games that drag consoles back to their roots and say screw the story, just shoot stuff: I am so excited about Ikaruga that I can hardly stand up.
The trend I hate in Japanese gaming, though, is the endless, almost uninteractive stuff that requires perseverance rather than skill to complete. I hate RPGs, I guess, and the stream of non-threatening random enemies that punctuate their interminable stories. I hate turn-based combat, and the idea that pressing 'Attack' makes the game interactive or tactical. I want games to be about skill, not endurance. I want a challenge that increases rather than staying at the same level for 100 hours. To be honest I'm tempted to lump Gran Turismo in with this type of game, because it continues long after the challenge disappears. The new Starfox, from what I hear, suffers from the same problem. Press A to shoot? No thanks, I'll press the power button and go read a book.
The trend I hate in Japanese gaming, though, is the endless, almost uninteractive stuff that requires perseverance rather than skill to complete. I hate RPGs, I guess, and the stream of non-threatening random enemies that punctuate their interminable stories. I hate turn-based combat, and the idea that pressing 'Attack' makes the game interactive or tactical. I want games to be about skill, not endurance. I want a challenge that increases rather than staying at the same level for 100 hours. To be honest I'm tempted to lump Gran Turismo in with this type of game, because it continues long after the challenge disappears. The new Starfox, from what I hear, suffers from the same problem. Press A to shoot? No thanks, I'll press the power button and go read a book.
Sekine-san wants a date. Do you accept or decline? Four discs, a million copies sold and over ten sequels already made, the Tokemiki Memorial series in Japan is a phenomon. And you can guess the subject matter...
To us, the Japanese have a strange love affair with gaming. It's a far more acceptable pastime, and has been lovingly injected into society since the early nineties. Districts have been labelled 'gaming districts', because of the huge quantity of game-selling shops there. In fact, in Japan you're just as likely to see a game's shop as you are to see a mobile phone shop in England. Scary, hey.
But the Japanese have got a good taste in gaming. They accept games for what they are, not because they are cool. People play all sorts of games, from ones which are loved worldwide such as Mario, Sonic and ISS, to games which would never see the light of day in this country - Tokemiki Memorial being one of them. It's a different kind of gaming, gaming which few people in England or America are accustomed with, and I think fewer would be willing to adopt. My friends, East and West gaming are as different as chalk and cheese.
In England today, we love realism. It seems we can't get enough of it. I can get enough of it, and had enough of it since the first Gran Turismo. However, there are plenty of racing sims stocking the shelves and plenty more games featuring accurately modelled weapons and realistic looking characters. I know realism is a recurrent theme in gaming at the moment, and does feature heavily in the US and Japan. But what we're currently lacking in gaming are the things which make it so popular in Japan.
Yes, the gaming market isn't in the depression we're seeing in the UK now. When I say depression, I don't mean a market depression. Gaming is bigger now than ever before. What I mean, is that true gamers; hardcore gamers; the gamers who play for a purpose - we're getting constantly tired with videogames. No longer are we challenged by that un-leapable chasm in Metroid, no more shall we be striving for a hundred perfect laps in F-Zero. Instead, we're sitting, hand on chin, in front of our PC watching simulated characters going about their daily lives. You know what game I'm talking about. And know what? For its 100+ weeks in the UK charts, it managed to last less than 5 in Japan. Quite surprising.
Because Japanese like their quirky. Nezmix was a game about mice, and was appalling, but sold well. They like their peripherals too - the Xbox game Tekki was dispersed between consoles in a ratio of something like 1 game:4 consoles, very high considering the price and size of the accompanying peripheral. They love their Mario, and I love their Mario. They can see that Zelda does not need to be realistic. They know that gaming doesn't constitute how many shaded polygons can be rendered on screen. It's a shame that so many people here and in the US can't.
But this isn't a rant, I still have fun playing games. The 'realistic' Grand Theft Auto is to me a carthartic escape route, a road down which I'll never walk nor shall the game encourage me to. It features open-ended gameplay which is fun. For all it's artistic and realistic merit, Sega GT 2002 is a bit of a bore. It features lovely looking cars, but is a bit boring to play. As is Gran Turismo 3.
Hopefully though, the future will be bright. I could name twenty titles I'm likely to buy which aren't super realistic, or simulators. In fact, despite being the bulky, Halo-boosted hulk that the Xbox is, it is home to some of my most anticipated games. Panzer Dragoon Orta looks stunning, and if you were to say the Dragoons were modelled with real life physics involved, I'd clock you one. No, I'm not ranting about the state of gaming, nor am I evaluating consoles for their unrealistic measures. Gaming is really fun, but in my opinion gaming is only fun when it's an escape route, a way out from the chores of real life. Gaming is in a depression, but a quick to last depression after which the general public will get bored, stop buying games and we'll return to a futuristic version of the early 1990's. If only England could mirror Japan. That would be gaming bliss!
To us, the Japanese have a strange love affair with gaming. It's a far more acceptable pastime, and has been lovingly injected into society since the early nineties. Districts have been labelled 'gaming districts', because of the huge quantity of game-selling shops there. In fact, in Japan you're just as likely to see a game's shop as you are to see a mobile phone shop in England. Scary, hey.
But the Japanese have got a good taste in gaming. They accept games for what they are, not because they are cool. People play all sorts of games, from ones which are loved worldwide such as Mario, Sonic and ISS, to games which would never see the light of day in this country - Tokemiki Memorial being one of them. It's a different kind of gaming, gaming which few people in England or America are accustomed with, and I think fewer would be willing to adopt. My friends, East and West gaming are as different as chalk and cheese.
In England today, we love realism. It seems we can't get enough of it. I can get enough of it, and had enough of it since the first Gran Turismo. However, there are plenty of racing sims stocking the shelves and plenty more games featuring accurately modelled weapons and realistic looking characters. I know realism is a recurrent theme in gaming at the moment, and does feature heavily in the US and Japan. But what we're currently lacking in gaming are the things which make it so popular in Japan.
Yes, the gaming market isn't in the depression we're seeing in the UK now. When I say depression, I don't mean a market depression. Gaming is bigger now than ever before. What I mean, is that true gamers; hardcore gamers; the gamers who play for a purpose - we're getting constantly tired with videogames. No longer are we challenged by that un-leapable chasm in Metroid, no more shall we be striving for a hundred perfect laps in F-Zero. Instead, we're sitting, hand on chin, in front of our PC watching simulated characters going about their daily lives. You know what game I'm talking about. And know what? For its 100+ weeks in the UK charts, it managed to last less than 5 in Japan. Quite surprising.
Because Japanese like their quirky. Nezmix was a game about mice, and was appalling, but sold well. They like their peripherals too - the Xbox game Tekki was dispersed between consoles in a ratio of something like 1 game:4 consoles, very high considering the price and size of the accompanying peripheral. They love their Mario, and I love their Mario. They can see that Zelda does not need to be realistic. They know that gaming doesn't constitute how many shaded polygons can be rendered on screen. It's a shame that so many people here and in the US can't.
But this isn't a rant, I still have fun playing games. The 'realistic' Grand Theft Auto is to me a carthartic escape route, a road down which I'll never walk nor shall the game encourage me to. It features open-ended gameplay which is fun. For all it's artistic and realistic merit, Sega GT 2002 is a bit of a bore. It features lovely looking cars, but is a bit boring to play. As is Gran Turismo 3.
Hopefully though, the future will be bright. I could name twenty titles I'm likely to buy which aren't super realistic, or simulators. In fact, despite being the bulky, Halo-boosted hulk that the Xbox is, it is home to some of my most anticipated games. Panzer Dragoon Orta looks stunning, and if you were to say the Dragoons were modelled with real life physics involved, I'd clock you one. No, I'm not ranting about the state of gaming, nor am I evaluating consoles for their unrealistic measures. Gaming is really fun, but in my opinion gaming is only fun when it's an escape route, a way out from the chores of real life. Gaming is in a depression, but a quick to last depression after which the general public will get bored, stop buying games and we'll return to a futuristic version of the early 1990's. If only England could mirror Japan. That would be gaming bliss!