This is something I've been thinking about. Please excuse the vague opening, because I'm not too sure about what I'm talking about, really.
I was thinking about Sonic, and why it continues to be a franchise. I figured that almost all of the new games suck, and nobody really likes the character anymore. Then I wondered if maybe he was still popular in Japan. No, I thought, Japan plays a lot more games and have more discerning tastes.
But do they? In Japan, there is a much broader audience for videogames. Because of this, are low quality games more generally accepted? Is there a "mainstream"? (See top 10 radio hits)
I know that the Japanese like highschool and dating simulators a lot. Why? I wish I knew, and that's partly what this thread is about. How and why the tastes differ.
Americans like FPS (is it the top genre in the States?), but the Japanese generally don't as it gives them motion sickness. Is this because they didn't get a chance to start out with something like Doom and Wolf3D? I don't know.
The Japanese market for RPGs is much larger than the American market, to the point where pretty much any RPG is going to sell like hotcakes.
It seems to me like the American market is more geared to visceral, action-filled games while the Japanese prefer slower-paced games that allow for more strategy. This is all conjecture, though. If anyone has other thoughts to offer, please do help to sate my curiosity.
(Yo Houk how about giving your perspective)
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Seems like those would be really hard tastes to quantify.
skate, halo 3
Like I said, I can really only base them off of things I've heard and my general understanding of the markets.
I am fairly certain that sales numbers would back my thoughts up, though, and if anyone knows where to find some I will put them in the OP.
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Well played.
sometimes, american archetypes dont work there. Like Crash Bandicoot, where they had to close his mouth in Japan cause toothy grins arent liked there.
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Ratchet and Clank.
Guess which one is the Japanese box art.
http://i3.yesasia.com/assets/16/157/p1004615716.jpg
http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/japanboxes/japanboxes.htm
A lot of them are better because of the lack of "Main character standing while pointing a gun" while a lot of them are worse for various reasons.
Man, Wario must be the fucking anti-christ over there.
Fixed.
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We are, though.
Thread derailment in T-Minus 10 posts.
http://DocumentingLaziness.blogspot.com/
Japanese like effeminate, moody types.
The Japanese like the buff, strong, gay guys just as much as the next country.
They equate them with homosexuality, while we equate effeminate men with it. Which is interesting.
Also, Cho Aniki PS2 port?
But is that because they never play them in the first place because they do not enjoy them? So in turn they are not used to the camera and get sick?
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But KOTOR, Jade Empire, Neverwinter Nights, and all the other BioWare RPGs are Canadian!
edit: I love how Sudeki for america has a big titty shot, but in Japan it's like a standard anime box.
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guess where canada is located
guess
i'll bet it's america.
.... north ... american .. tastes??
::run::
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vs
or
vs
Is he holding the lightsaber backwards?
I don't find that very "western".
And Disney World is nowhere in sight.
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What the hell is WoW then?
Just saying, they seem to enjoy a lot of single player games that focus on grinding until you drop. At least in WoW there is back and forth with other people.
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Not that I can think of any other examples.
Well, the most obvious is the exaggeration of emotions in Japanese games.
I'm by no means an expert on Japanese culture (God forbid!) but generally, emotions seem to get supressed most of the time and they use games and anime as a sort compensation.
This seems somewhat childlike to westerners I guess.
And Disney World is nowhere in sight.
is it because they are infearior? eye shape?
But he is so dark and brooding. A typical American hero archetype.
I should have chose Tidus or the other fucker from the new Final Fantasy.
? The Mechwarrior mechs are awesome.
The raven is my personal favorite.
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