Kojima agrees - Western devs are king

Many people, mainly the non-english-speaking ones, don't know it has a derogrative meaning. I didn't know until a couple of years ago.

 

Yeah, but chap certainly does. He's been around here and posting in threads (and probably called on it) a number of times before.

I'm not really sure how people don't know anymore. I mean, aren't slang and insults the first thing we run across?

 

Oh yeah i didn't see who used it... The poltergeist.

We do need an exorcism here, another one, now that we also found out that SegaR&D is Deadmeat.

 

Jak II, R&C II, sadly, didn't really hit it big time commercially. The whole series deserved much more sales than they did. Even now that the third installments are out, no one is talking about them, and they are some of the best games this generation. Oh well...

 

We did? Aw... I'm afraid I missed the surprise revelation thread! I guess I was just enjoying the quiet.

 

Shhhhhhh just don't say their names three times in a row or they'll appear out of nowhere.

 

Perhaps in the US, but worldwide Nintendo's out-dated, out-moded, un-popular games seem to have moved just as much hardware as Microsoft's western developer kings.

 

It was lost in the 21st page of the mammoth PS3-NV thread.

 

Ah, my bad. That thread was indeed like a black hole that would swallow all your hopes and dreams...

 

I don't think people understood the first 87 times you said that in the last 12 seconds. I'm sure it's all clear now

 

Everwhere inside of Japan, the Xbox is struggling and Western developers in general are finding it harder and harder to sell their games.


Ok, sarcasm aside (it's not actually "harder" it's more like "a few have been able to sell their games at all"), how about this? When a form of media becomes really, really profitable and popular, more publishers and developers are entering, increasing competition, diluting the field, driving smaller players out canning lesser-performing products, and emphasizing home companies and home dollars in their home markets

Why did Japanese developers have such dominance before? After Atari crapped up the field, they were the ones who brought about its resurgence. They made the machines, they brought in the new playstyles that established themselves, they consolidated the developer talent into larger companies faster, and most importantly--they were the ones to follow.

After the market spreads out, becomes more inclusive, shifts in where the money is made, has more big business practices filtering throughout...? Well then you see the usual market factors hold true: advantage lies with the home markets. They have the more recognizable names, acquire the locally-popular licenses, note the change in gaming trends in their local markets faster, aim towards their local markets with much more emphasis, consolidate their marketing dollars within them...

Just what is it that should actually be surprising us here? Our taste in games is widely different, and since the market fluctuates depending on regional tastes, the local developers--with more profit at stake and more home-grown talent--know how to appeal better to their own than abroad. US and European tastes align more closely--which makes them a better cross-market--but even then you find many games that will sell very well in one, but elicit a shrug in the other. And they have decidedly different "dependable brands" that they are encouraged to continue developing for because the home market feeds on it, while it may wear off on others much faster.


I'll ask the question again--what is your point? We tend to have more people rightly railing on the "follow the leader" and unimaginative tendencies of ALL markets than thinking there's anything particularly ominous about this "shocking fact." And should we raise eyebrows at people who think a foreign market is more interesting than their own? To many people things are interesting because they are foreign and less-familiar.

We see examples of tripe and greatness wherever we go. We assign those labels individually and worry when the gaming field seems to be heading away from us, and get giddy when it's coming closer. But guess what? The gaming market doesn't care at all what our opinions are: it follows the popular, spends more effort feeding the masses, and tends to shy away from the interesting-but-doesn't-sell-well.

 

Zelda could be huge next-gen if they stick with the look everyone loves, the one in their Legend of Zelda trailer. Wind Waker nearly killed the license for casuals, but it can be resurrected. Same with Mario but it will be more difficult. Nintendo fails to grasp the idea that its not all about gameplay nowadays, its also about immersion, having a good story, good voice-over work, a worth-while story (and I know Nintendo is able to make one even within their kid friendly games, look at their rpg's, they have hilarious dialogues)...honestly its like Nintendo gave up this generation.

 

Are you talking about Jak 3 and Up Your Arsenal?

 

Who else would he be talking about?
The only platformers from second (aren't they first?) party studios are the Jak and Ratchet franchises, from Naughty Dog and Insomniac. Now THAT was a good choice from Sony.

 

cthellis42: I don't see how Jak 3 and UYA are "Eastern-flavored" at all. I haven't played Jak 3 yet (besides the demo), but all three Ratchet games and the first two Jak games didn't feel Japanese to me. I would sooner mistake Sly Cooper for a Japanese game. Maybe I've been playing too many mushroom-inspired Japanese games.

Totally agreed. Their games are consistently great (and they're selling well!).

(SCE bought Naughty Dog. Insomniac is still independent.)

 

EA closed Origin
EA will most likely retain rights to Wing Commander only for handheld ports and "cease and desist"ing anyone making WC-alikes

 

Yes. For one, platformers--2D and 3D--kinda sprung from Mario's loins, they both have a more cartoony and superdeformed style, and have distinct "mascot" and "sidekick" flavors... The games themselves are more action-heavy, but I I would align their style and genre more in that direction than US/Euro, wouldn't you?

It doesn't need to be Mario to feel more like one is playing those style of games.

Sly Cooper is more of a mixed bag, as cel shading makes me lean that way (tends to come off as more "anime"), but the stealth aspect has notable examples to draw from either: Deus Ex? MGS? Splinter Cell? Tenchu? Hehe...

They've both gone down more over time (Jak to Jak II especially), but it's still a "genre" thing. Like the difference between RPG's--EA developed LotR: The Third Age, but it was distinctly an "eastern-style" RPG.

Frankly, I put Sucker Punch, Naughty Dog, and Insomnic at the fore for platformers right now, but I still see their art-style and game-style as being based on Japanese foundations rather than US ones. It's kinda like fighting games. "Brawlers" are western, but "fighting games" are eastern, no matter who makes them. (At least, they start out with definite leanings in those directions which can be overcome.)

 

EWWWWWWW... Gross!!?