i'm all for them making games to cater to the west ... but i'd like them to maintain some of the essence of what makes them japanese. i'd like to see more games translated and released to the western markets but i hope they don't try to emulate western developers because that would be very sad
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Listen to Wu-Tang and watch Kung-Fu
What I'm trying to get past is this whole east vs west thing. Way back when it was all pretty much Japanese games but we never thought of them as japanese. They were just good games. I don't think there is anything particularly japanese about final fight or zelda for instance.
Now Japanese developers are trying to either technologically ape western devs or make games that cater to the west. They never had a problem catering before this gen so what has changed? Is it because instead of jumping on the most popular platform like they used to in the homeland, or globally, they've had to change?
Had to change because of enourmous development budgets, so had to go high end and on as many platforms as possible?
When did Capcom ever have a problem catering to the west before? Are Dead Rising and Lost Planet anymore western friendly than the Resident evil games or street fighter games?
If there is a difference, I want to see and hear and feel that difference. Can a western company make a japanese inspired artistic game like Okami or a really great JRPG - cliches and all?
I want to see the japanese doing what they want to do rather than apeing the style and form of western developers.
Should Japanese developers try to make more western style games?
NO
bugsonglass said:i think catering to the west and making western style games are two different things.
i'm all for them making games to cater to the west ... but i'd like them to maintain some of the essence of what makes them japanese. i'd like to see more games translated and released to the western markets but i hope they don't try to emulate western developers because that would be very sad
This, and think MGS4 was a perfect example of it. MGS4 borrowed the action elements needed from western games, but kept everything that makes MGS an awesome japanese game in tact.
gamingeek said:What I'm trying to get past is this whole east vs west thing. Way back when it was all pretty much Japanese games but we never thought of them as japanese. They were just good games. I don't think there is anything particularly japanese about final fight or zelda for instance.
Now Japanese developers are trying to either technologically ape western devs or make games that cater to the west. They never had a problem catering before this gen so what has changed? Is it because instead of jumping on the most popular platform like they used to in the homeland, or globally, they've had to change?
Had to change because of enourmous development budgets, so had to go high end and on as many platforms as possible?
When did Capcom ever have a problem catering to the west before? Are Dead Rising and Lost Planet anymore western friendly than the Resident evil games or street fighter games?
If there is a difference, I want to see and hear and feel that difference. Can a western company make a japanese inspired artistic game like Okami or a really great JRPG - cliches and all?
I want to see the japanese doing what they want to do rather than apeing the style and form of western developers.
Awesome post, that firt paragraph is exactly how I feel. I still dont remember when did Japanese games get the lable of Japanese games. Its so weird to me, Japanese games to me are the most traditional games around. At some point all of a sudden the whole industry decided that Japanese games are weird or something. It bugs the hell out of me, I find 5 million FPSs on consoles weird, I dont find DMC or RE weird. It happens all the time with any Japanese game, reviews mention how "this game has antiquated japanese gameplay" What THE FUCK. The whole constant circle jerk of western this and western that gets so annoying, no western games are no better and they do a ton of stupid shit as well. They are different, but apparently we live in an age where if the game doesn't have a twin stick controls or some online mode or allows you to make a pointless choice in the story, its weird and japanese.
Not to say they cant learn from each other, the issue is that one way does not make a game great. Its not as clear cut as some journalists make it out to be where oh western shooters are far superior and all shooters should be like them. Or when someone plays a FF game and wonders why he can't affect the story why is the game not open ended and bashes the game cause of it, its just not that type of game.
gamingeek said:What I'm trying to get past is this whole east vs west thing. Way back when it was all pretty much Japanese games but we never thought of them as japanese. They were just good games. I don't think there is anything particularly japanese about final fight or zelda for instance.
This.
The east vs west debate should die in a fire.
But the West has open world games. The original Zelda was an open world, the 3D platformers had much room for exploration and doing stuff out of order.
Bu..but camera is static and stuff, yeah what about Mario 64,, Sunshine?
Developers should not think in east and west, but only in good games. It is awesome that some studios take inspiration of how other studios do their stuff, but do so because they make good games and not because they are Western.
So Genki what do you think about the Eastern and Western stuff!
Damn straight Genki, damn straight
Iga_Bobovic said:gamingeek said:What I'm trying to get past is this whole east vs west thing. Way back when it was all pretty much Japanese games but we never thought of them as japanese. They were just good games. I don't think there is anything particularly japanese about final fight or zelda for instance.
This.
The east vs west debate should die in a fire.
But the West has open world games. The original Zelda was an open world, the 3D platformers had much room for exploration and doing stuff out of order.
Bu..but camera is static and stuff, yeah what about Mario 64,, Sunshine?
Developers should not think in east and west, but only in good games. It is awesome that some studios take inspiration of how other studios do their stuff, but do so because they make good games and not because they are Western.
So Genki what do you think about the Eastern and Western stuff!
Damn straight Genki, damn straight
What country is that ripoff of the American flag with one giant star?
Dvader said:What country is that ripoff of the American flag with one giant star?
Liberia, a country founded by run away American slaves.
Iga_Bobovic said:Dvader said:What country is that ripoff of the American flag with one giant star?
Liberia, a country founded by run away American slaves.
Oh, well good for them.
Dvader said:Iga_Bobovic said:Dvader said:What country is that ripoff of the American flag with one giant star?
Liberia, a country founded by run away American slaves.
Oh, well good for them.
Not really, that country went down the shitter really quick. They were in the news a few years ago, not sure if it was at the local news in America.
Iga_Bobovic said:Dvader said:Iga_Bobovic said:Dvader said:What country is that ripoff of the American flag with one giant star?
Liberia, a country founded by run away American slaves.
Oh, well good for them.
Not really, that country went down the shitter really quick. They were in the news a few years ago, not sure if it was at the local news in America.
Probably not, unless a huge disaster happens or someone threatens us our news hardly covers anything outside US or US interests.
Since nobody has said it yet.... should western developers make more japanese-style games?
Iga_Bobovic said:Dvader said:What country is that ripoff of the American flag with one giant star?
See also: Puerto Rico
They should make the kind of games that will sustain their development industry. If it were not for SquareEnix buying up these companies many of them would no longer be around.
Why? Because they lost revelence with their audience. They stayed the same, their audience changed, both domesitcally and in the west.
Now having said that, I'm talking about developers in general. I think the great "directors" like Inafune, Kojim and Suda should keep making their style of game, and not change for purposes other than to satisy their own creative muses.
So I would say that these phrases like "western games" and "cater to the West" mean "WRPGs and shooters of the FP and TP varieties". Then we also have more strategy games on consoles now, like Halo Wars.
MGS4 was "westernized" because it had mechanics associated more with FP and TP shooters. Personally, I would have preferred if it had stayed like previous MGSs, though I must qualify this by saying that I haven't played a bit of MGS4. The controls are different and the story is all over the place, disjointed, and [other negative adjectives], and just... out there, even compared to MGS2.
I would like to see western developers make things like we used to see come out of Japan, though. I'd like to see western devs make things like Silent Hill, Resident Evil (old style), Zelda, and Okami. Okami made me feel like I was playing an anime without it being an RPG, though, which I loved, since I'm a fan of anime. This is one place where I couldn't see western devs excelling at, since anime is characteristically Japanese.
aspro73 said:They should make the kind of games that will sustain their development industry. If it were not for SquareEnix buying up these companies many of them would no longer be around.
Why? Because they lost revelence with their audience. They stayed the same, their audience changed, both domesitcally and in the west.
Now having said that, I'm talking about developers in general. I think the great "directors" like Inafune, Kojim and Suda should keep making their style of game, and not change for purposes other than to satisy their own creative muses.
What about Miyamoto? Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Wii Music say "hi".
Angry_Beaver said:aspro73 said:They should make the kind of games that will sustain their development industry. If it were not for SquareEnix buying up these companies many of them would no longer be around.
Why? Because they lost revelence with their audience. They stayed the same, their audience changed, both domesitcally and in the west.
Now having said that, I'm talking about developers in general. I think the great "directors" like Inafune, Kojim and Suda should keep making their style of game, and not change for purposes other than to satisy their own creative muses.
What about Miyamoto? Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Wii Music say "hi".
I was just mentioning the creators that gg mentioned and added my favorite. There are at least another 10-15 I'd include. Though to your suggestion Miyamoto doesn't really make games any more.
One of the site's forefathers.
Play fighting games!
Yarcofin said:Since nobody has said it yet.... should western developers make more japanese-style games?
Iga_Bobovic said:Dvader said:What country is that ripoff of the American flag with one giant star?
See also: Puerto Rico
No they have an inverted Cuban flag. A giant triangle on the side. Learn your flags. 
I wish all developers would just focus on making better games.
Kojima mentioned that he wants to make the next Metal Gear game in a more western style an open world game.
Inafune is always talking about catering to the west. Other japanese developers are always talking about how they are falling behind in either technology or development.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Should they try to be more western? Have they fallen behind? Do you see a problem here?