2008 Japanese game retail tallied, tumbled

The Japanese bet too heavily on HD consoles? I think Japanese developers did just the opposite. Japanese publishers have been very reluctant to move to HD consoles because of the expense and the simple fact that the DS and PSP are more popular than regular consoles. The majority of all Japanese games are still released for handheld consoles, the PS2 and now the Wii. It's the opposite in the west where devs don't really feel the love for handheld consoles and would rather create HD games.

Exactly. The niche games like visual novels and fighters that were plentiful on the PS2 are absent on the PS3. Either the development costs are too high to make a niche game, or the install base is too small to support a niche game. Either way, most developers have not jumped onto the HD bandwagen.

It's more of a switch to PSP, DS and Wii than it is a loss of actual units. The PSP, DS and Wii bring in less revenue than the PS3 or other home consoles do. This switch reduces revenue. Also, the games on these systems are less expensive than the "bigger" name units.

That's my prediction. I would like to see a comparison of year over year units sold.

That and the exchange rates do have a big impact. Japan already made the stupid mistake in believing they could just print up money and "stimulate" the economy through government spending in the early 1990s. They aren't buying into the bogus Keynesian theories this time around and their currency is getting incredibly strong because of it. We in the west are going to see a huge increase in prices in the near future because Japan isn't going to subsidize our stupidity.

I think you're right, LT. I'd hardly call this generation a bad one considering the staggering sales heights of the Wii, DS, and (relatively speaking, in Japan) PSP. The sales and games just aren't focused in the same fields as those enjoyed by the US and Europe.

And you're also right about the economics. For the moment I think we're going to get big price cuts as US private people and corps are hoarding cash while both US and Japanese companies slash prices to get them to spend it. But once that "stimulus" (and all the other ones after it) catches up, look out. That's going to be some epic inflation.

Bwha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

No quality games since .... Bwha ha ha ha ha ha!

Thank you internetz, just when I think the chimpanzee like de-evolution of the human race has finally hit rock bottom you break out the bulldozer piloted by guys like this Alien Lord mongoloid here.

So, let me see if I get this right, Mr. game expert, western developers essentially re-farting the same game since Catacomb 3D back in '91, only with better graphics and a new name, in your view somehow overshadows the only evolution in the game industry having come form the east since the videogame crash in the 80's? Hmmmm... and intriguingly cocktacular deduction my dear four legged friend, but for future reference I would leave the thinking to beings capable of the act, hmmmm, old boy?

Sure there has been a decline in volume, but not quality, coming from Japan since 2006, but seeing the westerner's try to fumble with the torch having been thrown in their faces by just continuing doing the same thing they've been doing for two decades, only now they are doing it on consoles is the apex of pathetic.

Keep enjoying those FPS's you twat.

Looks like the Japan-bashing is hurting some feelings among basement-dwelling downvoters. The ironic thing is that the Japanese developers acknowledge the problem too. They, unlike their Cloud-slashfic-writing diehards in the US, recognize the limited appeal their game(s) have, they're just trapped by the economics.