Yamaoka: Japanese game development 'is in trouble'

Indeed.

Oh come now, you can't say that because it's true in all markets and all sorts of media, American game makers make games specifically for the American audience, games such as Madden, Crackdown and other big sandbox games. These games don't translate well into the Japanese market as CAPCOM have found with GTA (They published GTA games in Japan).
American TV makes show for the American audience, although they seem to do well in other countries, like the UK, I doubt many parts of the world would see them as American audiences do...

Man, Tales of Symphonia was the only game in the "Tales" series that I've played and that had the most anti-climatic ending in any game I've played. Fun game but the ending cutscene was a four and a half minute FMV. I know some of you remember that last quote... "This tree's name is..." What?!? What's the name of that freakin' tree?!? Aw, don't cutoff now!!!

The tree's name is Yggdrasil.

You know many people have the same opinion that your friend.
Because there was this dark time when you play Nintendo or playstation or you was some freak like me who play PC games. Mech Warrior, Diablo, Star Craft, Doom etc..
Later Xbox and Microsoft begin what we can call the reborn of American video games. Because more people play their games beside PC players, no because they were dead.
But if you ever play consoles, it seems american developers are practically new. Where is my diablo?

the older ones were fun, back when encounters were like 2d fighters and played out like a frantic combo-fest, as opposed to the 3d hack-n-slash button mash in the latest games

Yeah, it's a JRPG. So the tree is always named either Mana, World, or Yggdrasil.

@ Mightyelf

I don't even know what the f*ck you just said.

Well thank you Mightyelf now I'm down in memory lane. Diablo was awesome, screw WOW Blizzard gimme Diablo 3.

Well the in my opinion American developers seem more likely to improve their titles and innovate their games once in a while and Japanese studios are more likely to innovate and then improve those ideas once in while.

But then again it seems that there is a point where both American and Japanese studios don’t know what to do next so they keep recycling their old titles, for example I.D (When it feels like it) releases FPS after FPS and Square Enix develops Rpg after Rpg.

A sad case is Epic which used to develop crazy fun games like lost Vikings or one of my old favorites Xargon but now it seems they are more into whoring the U3 engine, yes Gears of war and U3T are awesome and a perfect example of how shooters can be fun again and not repetitive but I would like to see a Lost Vikings game once of these days and I would totally hate see them just developing 3rdps after 3rdps.

Another example is Nintendo, how many wonderful titles those magnificent bastards created and now it seems all they do is exploiting the same franchises over and over, has why I was pissed when I heard Project Hammer was canceled; a new Ip from Nintendo and it had to be cancelled why? , yes titles like Super Paper Mario or Super Mario Galaxy are exciting and new but it seems Nintendo don’t want to explore new ideas for new franchises.

Mr. Esc,

Lost Vikings was Blizzard. Epic has always beena small company known for their FPS games.

Oh yeah sorry I was still down the memory lane.

But I clearly remember that Epic did xargon and hell I want to play that game again and maybe after this assload of work I might do so.

Seriously I want a new Xargon game.

"nice, hopefully this interview will open up the eyes of a certain friend of mine, who thinks anything and everything Japanese is better than American."

I like Japanese games better than American games, too (generally speaking, of course).
You're never going to "open my eyes" and make me magically say, "OMG! OMGOMGOMG! I LOVE AMERICAN GAMES! GIMME ALL THE FPS and SCI-FI RPG GAMES OUT THERE!"
Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.


"Well the in my opinion American developers seem more likely to improve their titles and innovate their games once in a while and Japanese studios are more likely to innovate and then improve those ideas once in while."

I agree with this statement.

@Samfish - I'm not trying to make her love American games or get her to love them more than Japanese produced games. She just has a deep rooted prejiduce against anything American.

I just want to let her see that some people in the culture she adores thinks that some things in the US of A is okay in their book. I linked the interview to her and she ignored it though =(

In FFV the tree was named X-Death (actually Exodus)

@ samfish

i actually laughed out loud @ "i agree with this statement"

I think what makes it important for Japanese developers is that the American and European markets are HUGE. So if games made by non-Japanese developers sell better in these regions, the Japanese market share shrinks considerably. Japanese developers will all probably have to look to trends in American games to better appeal to a larger piece of the pie.

Sounds like you've been burned before. I'm sure you'll keep a closer eye on your drink at your next rave.

Thanks for the LoLz, Pureshooter.

=(

*sigh*

Okay, this is the second time I am going to call you out on it in one post; but I just have to.

English better be your second language. If so, you're fine.

But if it isn't? You should stop talking forever.

Okay, so after looking at some of your other posts, it looks like English probably IS your second language.

So I rescind my scathing comments! I am, in fact, a big Jerk Face. My bad!

Thank you for this all important comment.

Those pants are full of win. Pure rock star.

isnt your avatar from some lesbo game?

Uh... No. You can experience lesbo action if you want to. But not everyone chooses to be a woman in the game. Not that there is a problem with lesbian action.:) Its Gay males that are the problem :P

More gay males = more single girls = More for me!

Japanese have different standards for gayness and manliness, generally the reverse of what we Americans have. Basically, if a man spoke with a heavy lisp, wore long, dyed hair, lipstick, glitter eye shadow, blush, a halter-top, a pair of Daisy Dukes and breat implants, he'd be the Japanese version of John Wayne.

The two regions innovate in different ways.

I love Shadow Of The Colossus, and I also love Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.

Both of them were innovative, just in different ways (yes I know Pandora Tomorrow started the Mulitplayer.)

Does that mean one is better than the other? No!

I love having fun with those Japanese games that know they are games, but I also like being so "into" a game like Splinter Cell that when I'm spotted, I yell and run away/stab him in the face. Or when your inches away from the guard tucked in the corner an your heart's racing because your not sure if he is gonna turn around or not.

Well that's my 6 cents...

(BTW I'm gettin' a memory card so I can actually save on SoTC, memory cards are sooo last gen.)

Well said, Raikage.

Add to your list Shadow of Colossus, LocoRoco, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, Viewtiful Joe....shall we go on?

Actually, I think the opposite way this guy does, I see at US developers and then see what the japanese devs have put out, and then I go "wow, US devs haven't gone that far" hell, the best game from a technical standpoint of view from the US that I have seen (or has been show for that matter) is UT3...Gears was awesome, but if im not wrong took more than 2 years to be made, we already have ingame footage of FFXIII and MGS4...and it is a la par, if not (IMHO) better...

Also that, the US market still greatly focused on FPSs...

Well Noshino, what about Oblivion, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Half Life, PORTAL!!!, Zac and Wiki (I think...), and Madden*

Those games are just as good and innovative as the ones you listed, and OMG THEY"RE NOT ALL FPSs!!!

*JOKING!!!

I fully agree with your statement and I think that (only generally speaking due to mandatory exceptions) it's due to a fundamental design philosophy where they constantly attempt to converge movies with videogames. Perhaps it's too hard to imagine that electronic entertainment can also become an artform as a simple toy.

I do want to say this. A game concept like Ouendon would have NEVER been made in the US. Period. The concept may have been dinked with to the level of a flash game, but never expanded to a full game. Western dev studios simply are not structure to think outside the box. They can make the box bigger, certainly. But never escape it. I mean, hell, evidence? Bioware still hasn't gone beyond the morality system of Baldur's Gate. In many ways, they've gone backwards.

I would like to point out that that's bullshit.

If you like Japanese games more, that's fine. They do have a style that is there own that some people prefer. I enjoy a lot of Japanese games myself.

But don't claim Western game devs don't think outside the box. There are plenty of crazy, off-the-wall Western games. I only feel the need to point out Tim Schafer, really: Psychonauts, Escape from Monkey Island, his upcoming Brutal Legend. These games do exist, but, since they're American, they don't count?

I don't like to do this, but o well, so just because the Mona Lisa wasn't a bunch of swirls means it's nothing compared to a 3 year old finger-painting?

Seriously, I can design a Japanese game right now... A cartoonish monkey riding an alligator through space, collecting stars to bring music back to the world only being controlled by the shoulder buttons. Also including hours of pre-rendered cut scenes and a cute theme song.
BIG WUP.

I'm not saying all Japanese games are like that of course...

BTW I'd totally buy my game...

jerkface are you the moderator of this thread? or of everyone's thoughts? wishes? desires or complaints?

can the joystig podcast revoke your shoutout?

cogline

You bring up Schafer. Which is funny to me since I'm a big fan but I have to do this. Just because you brought him up.

Tell me, what is Psychonauts beyond a platformer? The game is funny, brilliant, and imaginative, but it's Mario 64 Schafer style.

Escape from Monkey Island is an adventure game. Same as it always was. Beyond the writing and setting, what sets Monkey Island beyond Zork and King's Quest?

Brutal Legend.. well, nothing gameplay has been shown. Can't judge the gameplay. But when I saw the game, I had a hard time not saying "Hey, look... Tenacious D's Jack Black is starring in a Metalocalypse inspired Heavy Metal Magazine video game."

Meanwhile, Schafer hasn't done anything new to the gameplay aspect itself.

driven2sin

Well this site needs a spelling moderator for you.

All he did was agree with my post, what's it to ya?

Go bother someone else, your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!

... only stupid people are breeding ...