Siliconera writes, "After talking with the Fossil Fighters: Champions team about making dinosaurs collectable, Siliconera spoke to Mark MacDonald and John Ricciardi from localization studio 8-4. 8-4 are the wordsmiths behind the Nintendo DS game and a shelf of other titles you may have played including Nier, Tales of Vesperia, Monster Hunter Tri, and Dragon Quest VI."
In an interview with Siliconera, 8-4 talks about SaGa Scarlet Grace Ambitions' avante-garde nature and its localization.
Name a hit games franchise from the 1980s or ‘90s and it’s bound to be a Japanese creation: Mario, Final Fantasy, Zelda, Pokémon, Pac-Man.
Recall one from after 2000 and it’s instead likely to be a product of the West: Halo, Call of Duty, Angry Birds, Minecraft, Assassin’s Creed.
It’s an anecdotal sign of Japan’s falling presence in the Western games market, reinforced by cold statistics; you’ll find no Japanese IP in the Top 20 best-selling games of 2014 in the UK. The highest-charting effort from the region was Super Smash Bros in 28th place.
That’s a far cry from the biggest-selling titles of the 1990s, where 15 of the Top 20 games were Japanese.
I don't want an industry dominated by either cultural development style. I just want an industry where each developer gives us their best efforts and we soak up the experiences.
Yes that is how it was during the PS one/PS 2 era. For every amazing jrpg there was an awesome western game like twisted metal, vigilante 8, duke nukem, need for speed, jet moto, etc. The media wants everyone to believe that Japanese gaming rule the roost when in reality Japanese gaming fell to just survival horrorm, fighting, and the jrpg genre. The other genres were made by western game developers. The only time Japanese gaming was strong was during the nes/snes era. The mid nineties and early 2000s western gaming ruled the roost. Look at the games that moved the industry forward: Half Life, grand theft auto 3, need for speed underground, Halo, the getaway, etc. Last generation neither western gaming nor Japanese gaming were able to make videogame masterpieces. Bioshock in the eyes of pc gamers is a poor mans version to system schock. MGS 4 is not as good or better than MGS solid much less snake eater. Face the actual truth if shooters and call of duty clones is the time when western gaming was at its best. Then clearly nobody played western games in the nineties. Jak and Daxter is a western game and tomba is a platformer from the creators of duke nukem
Then the PS4 is the platform/catalyst to bring that "balance" in the global video game ecosystem.
It has the universal acceptance among different nations around the world to bring the best of both worlds - eastern and western made games into millions of gamers hands this generation.
Japanese games need to have a compelling, aggressive and competitive price point compared to western games to allow ease of access to these often considered "niche" games. This strategy allowed western indie games to gain gain popularity among casual gamers. They need to compete in price points against western made AAA games.
But most importantly Japanese developers need to go back to their roots of being true to themselves, their culture that makes them unique/interesting to westerners, and true to how they interpret western culture in their own way that sets them apart from western developers.
For example is Demon's Souls, Dark Souls and Bloodborne survival horror JRPG. These games are sure fire hit games in the east and west. And they remind me of how the first Biohazard/Resident Evil was during PSOne days.
They are Japanese interpretation of western culture and ideas.
If only Japan would resist trying to ape western the way they did last generation in game development then we will see a Second Impact of Japanese games in the west.
I hate the idea of Japanese developers being "forced by money" to "westernize" their games like what Scalebound is. It's an ANOMALY, a cancer that nearly killed the Japanese sector of video games.
It's an abnormality.
Western developers now have the chops to make good western games for its western audience.
The success of a Japanese game should happen the "natural way" where a Japanese developer makes a game with it's own unique Japanese interpretation of western ideas, concepts and elements then make such a great job western gamers so demand it and put that game in the pedestal of mega success in the western market.
Games like Bloodborne, Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, Tekken, Street Fighter, Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy for examples.
Most of these games are made for the Japanese first not the west yet western gamers like us love them because they are good games.
end of rant
I don't think so, the Japanse market is largely (though not entirely) a niche one for most Western games and console development is becoming less of a priority in Japan. However, love the avaliability of JRPGs on my PS4 so not complaining myself but I do see why the majority don't take to these games
There is no need of one rule over another. A balance is what we need!
Have the chance to play both of the "sides" is the best for us all.
At the moment I'm playing Fallout 4 and Tales Of Zestiria and that's the magic of video games!
We should use this labels only to know what the game is about, but focus only if the game is fun or not.
Maybe they should focus on MP only games with a 50$ season pass. Maybe that'll make it more attractive for the western audiences. /S
well put. perfect opportunity for japanese developers to show the west how it's done.
The author profiles eight of the most popular video game shows on the web, helping you chose the podcast that's right for you.
Not a very comprehensive list, they are missing 3 of my favorites... Rebel FM, Giant Bombcast & Weekend Confirmed!!! I do like the Indoor Kids though so thumbs up on that. :)
LB
Point taken, but I had to draw the line somewhere. Eight Is Enough, to quote my editor.
