Anyone read the various features in the latest EGM on the fall of Japanese gaming (they also talk about it's potential to rise again).
I'd have to agree with them. I used to be a huge fan of japanese games to the point of bashing western games--didn't play FPS, western RPGs etc. etc. But by the end of last gen I was sick of gaming and barely playing. Just felt like I was playing the same old shit over and over again. As John Davison put it--Japanese developers are stuck in 1998. And for Japanese games losing their market power, all you have to do is look at sales charts and see how dominated they are by western games--especially if you take out Nintendo who really hasn't lost any steam in selling their software.
Since getting a 360 last October after having gotten into games like Gears of War at my buddies, my interest in gaming has sharply returned. And it's been all western games--FPS, western RPGs etc. for the most part. So for me it's been a complete 180 in gaming tastes and interests. Though I can't say if it's because western developers are more innovative, or just because its new to me since I was stuck on Japanese games mainly in the past.
Anyway, I was curious what other thought and whether they had lost interest in Japanese games, or were still interested etc.
Some other interesting tidbits in the article are how Japanese devs are shifting from "hardcore" games to casual. Mentioned that after the poor sales of The World Ends With You in Japan that Square-Enix's president told stock holders they'd be focusing less on "hardcore" games in the future and more on casual fare. That stuff doesn't bode well for my interest in Japanese games returning as I hate casual games and non-games....if we're just getting that and the standard JRPGs, schmups, etc. Japanese game purchases will remain few and far between for me.
I'd have to agree with them. I used to be a huge fan of japanese games to the point of bashing western games--didn't play FPS, western RPGs etc. etc. But by the end of last gen I was sick of gaming and barely playing. Just felt like I was playing the same old shit over and over again. As John Davison put it--Japanese developers are stuck in 1998. And for Japanese games losing their market power, all you have to do is look at sales charts and see how dominated they are by western games--especially if you take out Nintendo who really hasn't lost any steam in selling their software.
Since getting a 360 last October after having gotten into games like Gears of War at my buddies, my interest in gaming has sharply returned. And it's been all western games--FPS, western RPGs etc. for the most part. So for me it's been a complete 180 in gaming tastes and interests. Though I can't say if it's because western developers are more innovative, or just because its new to me since I was stuck on Japanese games mainly in the past.
Anyway, I was curious what other thought and whether they had lost interest in Japanese games, or were still interested etc.
Some other interesting tidbits in the article are how Japanese devs are shifting from "hardcore" games to casual. Mentioned that after the poor sales of The World Ends With You in Japan that Square-Enix's president told stock holders they'd be focusing less on "hardcore" games in the future and more on casual fare. That stuff doesn't bode well for my interest in Japanese games returning as I hate casual games and non-games....if we're just getting that and the standard JRPGs, schmups, etc. Japanese game purchases will remain few and far between for me.
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