BA RR Part 2.

Following a conversation with Sharon, I'm changing the perspective of my research/essay slightly.

What direction has Japan moved in since the 'Westernization' of game content?

What kind of impact has video game Westernization had on Japan?

What kind of impact has the Westernization of the video game industry had on Japan?

Chapters:

• Overview of Japanese industry/Introduction.
• Brief history.
• Surge in the West. Japanamerica.
• Criticism + Join to the next chapter.
• Inafune.
• Hideo Kojima.
• Focuses on the Western market & Experiments.
• Controls.
• Ryozo Tsujimoto quote, Monster Hunter.

• Aesthetics.
• Release schedules. 
• X/Y released worldwide at the same time.
• Wii U released in NA before JP.
• Japanese developer isolation & "Going back to what is known."
• Tales Dev on 'doing what they do best'.
• TGS in 2012 and 2013.
• 2012 = no Western presence.
• 2013 = lots of Western devs. Dominating more than Japanese console wise.
• E3 has no Nintendo. Konami (Kojima!) & Capcom did attend.
• Mobile gaming.
• Market figures. TGS 2010 vs 2012
• PS4/Xbox One not releasing in Japan till 2014, console focus shifting away. Japan called a 'tier two' country RE: release priority for the Xbox One.
•  Different factions? The crossroads & future potential. Combining all of the above.
• Kojima/Inafune, criticizing the industry.

• Japanese developers split into factions. 
• Focusing on the mobile market
• Specialisms.
• Appealing to the West and trying to adapt.

• Durkheim quote & Japan taking on Western ideas, traits, and processes.
• Homogenization & Heterogenization. Taking inspiration from Western tech and ideas with Japanese creativity to create a globalized, heterogenic game.

(Conclusion)

Cultural homogenization and heterogenization are not alternatives or substitutes; rather, they tend to come together.
 
Market growth causes heterogenizing and homogenizing mechanisms to operate in tandem. Some parts of the market become more alike, while other parts of the market become more different. Mass culture and niche culture are complements, once we take the broader picture into account. Growing diversity brings us more of many different things, which includes more mass culture as well. 

Product differentiation and niche markets rely on certain kinds of social homogeneity. Mass marketing, for instance, also creates the infrastructure to peddle niche products to smaller numbers of consumers. Magazine advertising, mail order, and the Internet allow recording companies to make a profit issuing CDs that sell only five hundred copies. Book superstores enable readers to stumble across the products of small presses. Most generally, partial homogenization often creates the conditions necessary for diversity to flower on the micro level. Claude Lévi-Strauss noted, "Diversity is less a function of the isolation of groups than of the relationships which unite them." (Creative Destruction, Tyler Cowen [p16])

Cross-cultural trade does not eliminate difference altogether, but, rather, it liberates difference from the constraints of place.

 ---

“Certainly different societies tend to resemble each other more, but that is not the same as saying that the individuals who compose them do so. . . . There are no longer as many differences as there are great regions, but there are almost as many as there are individuals.” (Durkheim, Emile [1893])

I like the above quote quite a bit. Inafune and Kojima both criticize the Japanese games industry. While Inafune is more extreme in his criticism, they both indicate that Japan's refusal to look to the West and bring in technology and influence from other countries is its downfall. Inafune claims that Japan's belief in its superiority (bestowed from success of old) is the reason for its stunted growth. While adapting parts of the West's technology, processes, ideas and locales may change certain parts of the Japanese game formula, it wouldn't have to change the individuality and creativity that Japanese games are known for. Taking on aspects of the Western world for use in Japanese gaming would only create more kinds of individual games as new ideas filter through and are adapted for use; while Japanese games may change to have more in common than Western games than before, each individual game would exhibit more differences than before from its peers. Japanese games will remain creatively Japanese, but able to appeal on a global level through the adaptation of beneficial technology, culture, and techniques. Heterogenization, not homogenization.

"I don't want to break this down to a thing where it's Japanese games versus non Japanese games. The key is it has to be a global game, it has to be something made for everybody. I want to get rid of all those barriers." (Kojima, Hideo [2012])

Heterogenization in this context meaning 'diverse in kind or nature; composed of diverse parts.'

I am excited about the way my perspective, topic and research focus has evolved throughout this project. At first I wondered if Japan should Westernize their games. I realized after looking into more recent years that this question is behind the times; Japan has already made that movement with games like Resident Evil 6 and Dragon's Dogma (aesthetically). They've seen failed experiments in this area, however (Ninja Gaiden 3), and some developers (Tales Series devs) have backed well away from Westernizing their games at all.

“Usually people become more interested in fantasy when the reality around them is not as interesting or satisfying,”

But why wouldn’t American directors be more than willing and able to provide an animated escape zone, at least as much so as the Japanese? “In some ways our culture has gotten much more cynical,” says Solomon. “That’s a problem of a lot of animated films from this country—the characters are so sarcastic and hip, they don’t even seem to believe in the story they’re in. You don’t find that sarcasm in Japanese anime."

This perspective, given by historian and animation critic Charles Solomon, provides interesting insight into why Japanese animation took off in America. While Japanamerica primarily addresses anime and manga's popularity in the West, a lot of what is said applies to Japanese video games as well. Solomon's quote is telling; young people found their need for fantasy and escapism better fulfilled by Japanese offerings than American ones because the characters in American products sabotaged the illusion of their own fantasy world with their disbelieving attitudes. This is the exact opposite, he claims, of Japanese anime and characters, who believe in their world and react to it with genuine sincerity regardless of how unbelievable their circumstances might be.

--

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2011/10/05/digital/why-do-japanese-developers-keep-us-waiting/#.UqD3pOI2Lkc

Found a good article on long development times in Japan and their refusal to adopt/license Western game engines. The article boils down to the fact that Japanese studios have a bad habit of developing engines alongside games and then never using them again. This contrasts with Western studios, which make an engine and then make several games around it.

--

Some insight on why Japanese traditional market is shrinking:

"Baba came up with another statistic that sheds light on why the traditional Japanese games market is contracting. Whereas in the US and UK, the average gamer is in his or her late thirties, the average Japanese gamer is 21 to 22. He said: "In Japan, when you grow up, you tend to stop gaming. The population is declining, so the number of gamers is declining.

The extreme youth of Japanese gamers also explains the growing popularity of Gree and DeNa's games, which mostly provide no more sophisticated a gameplay experience than tarted-up Top Trumps. In Japan, of course, the salary-man's game of choice is the inexplicably popular pachinko - so at least Sega, having merged with leading pachinko company Sammy, should be OK."  [Boxer, Steve, quoting Akira Baba, 2012]

Professor Akira Baba, from the University of Tokyo.

One of the big differences between Western and Japanese games is the huge visual gap. Americans complain that Japanese games are too bright and crazy and cartoonish, while Japanese gamers complain American games are too dark and generic and realistic. Why do Japanese games tend to stylize the graphics rather than favoring realism?

Inafune: From birth, you are exposed to your native culture and you view it through your own eyes. Japanese children are exposed to "manga culture" and the established aesthetics that exist in Japan. It is ingrained in our culture. Western audiences, especially Americans, on the other hand, are exposed to a wide variety of characters. From Spongebob to comics such as X-Men, Spiderman, and other superheroes, westerners are exposed to vast differences in the cultural products they consume and this is seen in the visual style exhibited in western games. I don't think this cultural difference is going to change, and to be honest, I don't think it should. As Japanese designers, we can still make games that appeal to not only Japanese, but also western visual tastes.

Kobayashi: I think a lot of the bright, cartoonish visual look in many Japanese games is a result of the strong culture of anime cartoons and manga comic books we have in Japan. The gamers here have all grown up on anime and manga, and many continue to read manga into adulthood. Since Japanese anime and manga are usually very bright and colorful, that tends to be the kind of visual style that is accepted in Japan. For overseas, it might be that with more of an entertainment background in movies and TV, realism is the type of visual style that is desired. Of course, this is not always the case as there are a lot of American and European gamers that do like the bright and colorful art style and plenty of Japanese gamers that prefer the realistic visual style.

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/eastvswest/eastvswest.htm kurt kalata

Kelts, Roland (2006-11-28). Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S. (Kindle Locations 434-435 & 439-442). Palgrave Macmillan. Kindle Edition.


http://www.dualshockers.com/2013/07/02/microsoft-no-xbox-one-in-japan-this-year-tier-2-country-asks-journalist-not-to-report-negatively/

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-09-09-playstation-4-wont-launch-in-japan-until-february-2014

http://gac.sagepub.com/content/6/1/61.full.pdf+html

http://gac.sagepub.com/content/3/1/13.full.pdf+html?hwoaspck=true

http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/07311.36257.pdf

http://www.aughty.org/pdf/orientalist_perspective.pdf

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/04/keiji-inafune-qa/

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/09/25/western-games-may-have-won-the-tokyo-game-show-this-year/

Kojima, Hideo. (2012). Kojima: Japanese developers lack global outlook, technological skills . Available: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-03-16-kojima-japanese-developers-lack-global-outlook-technological-skills. Last accessed 14/11/2013.

Durkheim, Emile (1964 [1893]). The Division of Labor in Society. New York: Free Press. (p.136).

http://www.latintimes.com/articles/10602/20131125/square-enix-focus-online-games-kh3-ff14-release-date-delay-why-financial-problems.htm#.UplWROK8N1j

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/02/feature_fire_emblems_western_adventure

Whittaker, Jason (2004), The cyberspace handbook, Routledge, p. 122, ISBN 0-415-16835-X

BA7 RR.

I've been having trouble narrowing down my exact essay subject, so I'm going to be researching as broadly as possible. From there I'll locate something that interests me and narrow down my scope a little. This entry encompasses my research and planning for my studio, and I write things down as I get them. Thus, it's a little bit cluttered and I'm guilty of going off on more than a few tangents/putting odd things in the middle of other things.

At the widest level, I'm going to be researching Japan's gaming industry. I'd like to also dabble into the differences between what appeals to Western players and Japanese players, and the efforts that have been made by game developers to breach those gaps.

Japan was a part of the game industry from as early as the 1970s, where companies like Sega, Namco and Nintendo produced arcade games. After the NA video game crash of 1983, Japan became the dominant country in the industry with the release of the NES.

This domination has waned in recent years with the rise of the Western industry, dropping 40% in eight years (2002 - 2010). This has been attributed to a multitude of causes, including differences between Western and Japanese audiences and also Japan's economic recession. However, certain Japanese game developers have spoken out about the Japanese games industry itself, citing it as 'xenophobic' and closed off to new ideas. One of the biggest dissenters is Keiji Inafune, creator of Mega Man and Mighty No. 9. Another is Tomonobu Itagaki, creator of the Dead or Alive series and responsible for the revival of Ninja Gaiden in 2004.

Another developer, Hideo Kojima (of Metal Gear Solid fame), has spoken numerous times about Japan's 'obsession' with the west but their failure to change or market for the West, noting that office structure, practices, and video game tropes in Japan will not make for good sales in a Western market. From his interview with Famitsu (re-reported on 1UP);

"Do we really need to succeed worldwide? That's what I'm really wondering about. Everyone talks about overseas, overseas, but nobody's really thinking about what needs to be done if we want to succeed. We get obsessed with thinking about worldwide because we've had previous success with games and anime worldwide, but none of those successes matter nowadays. When you're making a game, it doesn't matter what nationality the team is -- I think there was a lack of understanding among Japanese developers on that issue. It all comes down to the team you have. Even if I brought in the best developer in the world, it won't result in anything if nobody around him understands what he says."

"It's hard to feel this when you're in Japan, but there is a gap opening between the West in terms of pure quality. If you're trying to break out overseas, then I think the only way is to divide your development teams between the Japanese and global markets. It's impossible to encompass it in a single group -- everything needs to be separate, down to the office and pay structure. There are loads of talented developers overseas, but you can't get them unless you spend the money. If you base your calculations off the standard Japanese salary structure, nobody's going to come to you. It's the difference between what you pay a Hollywood star versus a Japanese film star."

Article quote, 1UP:

So it's a money issue, but Kojima also noted that it's a case of Japanese developers wanting their cake and eating it too -- in other words, striving for acceptance (and sales) in the US, but not really making the changes required to make that happen. "To put it in an extreme fashion, Americans like games where you have a gun and you're shooting at space aliens," he said. "If you don't understand why that's fun, then you shouldn't be making games for the world market; you don't need to. I mean, Japanese people might say 'Why space aliens?', but Americans will counter with 'What's with these games featuring these feminine-looking boys fighting in Japan with these huge swords?' It's no wonder the target audience for a lot of games is getting so compartmentalized." [Gifford, Kevin (quoting Hideo Kojima), 2011]

Another quote from Kojima;

"In the 8-bit days," Kojima noted, "you had to symbolize a lot of things and make gamers follow certain rules. In the West, that did a complete 180 starting with the PS2. It's no longer the game designer's job to think up the rules; his job is to dissect gamers' preferences and build a world they can get addicted to. That's why having FPSes dominate the US market into the future is absolutely fine by me." [Gifford, Kevin (quoting Hideo Kojima), 2011]

“One thing about Japan – and this isn’t just games – is that things that are made in Japan are very much targeted at Japan, whether it’s games, movies or novels. It’s the curse of Japan.  My generation is now being exposed to a wide range of influences, that’s why what I want to make is a little bit more in tune with what the people in the west would like” [Hideo, Kojima, 2012].

Possible titles:

Should the Japanese games industry adapt to making games for the West?
or
Japan's Evolving Gaming Industry: is the "Westernization" of Japanese Games a Good Thing? Is it necessary?
or


From a financial standpoint, the West is incredibly profitable. However, many gamers have become jaded about the flood of formulaic games and smothered creativity in the Western industry. In many articles that feature Japanese developers speaking out about their views on the industry, many Western gamers have commented, either expressing their feelings that the Western industry isn't ideal, or disagreeing that the Japanese industry is in trouble. The latter would seem to be speculation on their part (as it is unrealistic that they would know the Japanese industry better than an industry dev), but the former is generally their opinion as a customer, and it is a common one.

Reasons why not;

The niche that Japanese games occupy provides a relief and indulgence for those prefer that kind of game. Many Japanese game developers speculate or give the opinion that appealing to the West means making games like Western developers; both in process and in content. Doing so would cut out the minority market that still prefers Japanese games -- minority market cutting is something that occurs far too often in the West already in an attempt to appeal to a 'broader audience'. (Thief, Dead Space 3).

Japanese games don't sell as well, but they're not marketed nearly as well as Western games are in the West. (Ace Attorney, Harvest Moon: AnB. One only got a digital release in the West, the other has a retail box but isn't available in-stores). Could it be speculated that this unwillingness to put money into 'less safe' games out of fear that they'll cause a loss in profits is the very reason they fail to sell, thus creating a loop? No marketing for fear of money loss/lack of audience -> No sales as audience is not made aware of  the game -> Budgets cut, series are cancelled, etc. This loop of no marketing causing poor sales causing less marketing happens to games with female protagonists, as discussed here. Even as a long term fan of the Ace Attorney and Harvest Moon series (and having been aware of the upcoming games), I missed the actual date of both releases entirely.

There are also arguments that there's nothing wrong with the Japanese gaming industry at all; only that they are no longer making games for anyone outside of Japan. This is due to a divergence of audience interests between Japan and the West. Others still argue that the issue isn't that Japanese games are different from Western games, citing Western-mimic failures like Quantum Theory (Gears of War-esque) as examples of this. Instead, the issue is that many Japanese game developers refuse to examine Western games at all; thus they cannot learn about anything they have to offer.

A quote from 1UP's Ryan Winterhalter;

"This issue is that many (but by no means all) influential Japanese designers refuse to examine western games at all. The result is that the Japanese gaming industry is currently suffering from its own version of the Galapagos syndrome, and the famed "Monster Hunter Claw" is its own specialized adaptation. While the west was busy fine tuning dual analog control from movement in a 3D space, designers in Japan were experimenting on their own methods of control that had to work on the single analog PSP."

"Galapagos syndrome" is a term that originated in Japan and refers to the isolation of a branch of an otherwise globally available product. Ryan argues that Japanese games being dissimilar to western games isn't the issue -- instead, it is that they do not examine Western games at all and thus miss the opportunity to incorporate certain innovations/improvements. The "Monster Hunter Claw" technique that Ryan refers to is way players had to grip the PSP in order to control camera movement in Capcom's Monster Hunter series. This claw hand caused many gamers discomfort and was an issue when it came to series accessibility; Monster Hunter is notorious for being a Japanese best seller while being somewhat less popular/less focused on the West.

 Monster Hunter claw

 The circle pad pro, which adds a second stick to the 3DS.

This problem has been alleviated slightly with the series' migration to Nintendo consoles and handhelds. The Wii and WiiU editions of Monster Hunter Tri and 3 Ultimate allowed for dual stick movement/camera control. With the addition of the circle pad pro accessory for the 3DS version of MH3U (and the built-in lock-on feature, something previously absent from the series), dual stick movement and easy navigation are also a handheld feature. The platform switch, camera control tweaks and inclusion of online play on console versions were, according to an interview with producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, all part of a conscious effort to bring the Monster Hunter series to the West.

"It's all part of a concerted, deliberate effort on the part of Capcom to grow Monster Hunter's popularity in the west.

"You're right in terms of us intentionally doing this," Monster Hunter producer Ryozo Tsujimoto told Eurogamer. "It's always been our wish to make a good start and we've always been saying we'll do this at one point." [Yin-Poole, Wesley (2013), quoting Ryozo Tsujimoto]

Despite Capcom's efforts to improve and integrate Western control schemes and innovations, some games and developers still exclude sections of their audiences. Released recently, Pokemon X/Y included target shooting minigames that the player could use to improve their Pokemon's stats. Due to the lack of a second stick on the 3DS and Nintendo's lack of first/second party game compatibility with the circle pad pro, this game can only comfortably be played using the stylus right handed.

One game, Nier, had two different versions: Nier Gestalt and Nier Replicant. Nier Replicant was released in Japan on the PS3, and featured a youthful main character. Nier Gestalt was released in Japan on the 360 and also overseas. This version featured an older protagonist, one that the developers hoped would appeal to older gamers and the audience outside of Japan.

Topics/titles/things to discuss. Essay structure?

Japanamerica/Japan's past & previous influences on the West. Falling sales, mobile market?

Current state of affairs/Hideo Kojima & Keiji Inafune standpoint.

The bad. Possible loss of what makes Japanese games good. Silent Hill, challenges. Do they even need to 'Westernize'?

The good. Successes? Dragon's Dogma, Monster Hunter control adaptations.

Merging West and East without losing the essence of what makes Japanese games Japanese. Opinions.

Do Japanese games need to push the same numbers as the latest Western AAA?

Mobile gaming -- Japan's increased focus on mobile devices. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that the Japanese gaming industry isn't failing; it is merely evolving.

2012 TGS: Phones and tablets = 507 games, traditional consoles and handhelds = 210 titles.
2010 TGS: Consoles and handhelds = 423, smart phones and tablets =141.

In 2012, the mobile gaming market in Japan was worth $5.1 billion, while the console market was worth $4.6 billion. Figures retrieved from Serkan Toto's report translations.

"They were always really created for the Japanese market - it's only been recently that companies like Capcom and Konami have really focused on the world market, so because their console market is always supported by a certain percentage of a much smaller population, so as the market goes they need to expand overseas.

They've tried to do that, but traditionally Japan's always made games for its own market, but traditionally we've been infatuated with that style of development and their dedication to detail and the attention to that that made the games somewhat special. The balance and charm of Japanese games is something unique, but it was never meant to be global." [Greiner, John, (2012)]

Cieslak, Marc. (2010). Is the Japanese gaming industry in crisis? . Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/9159905.stm. Last accessed 10/11/2013.

Gifford, Kevin. (2011). Hideo Kojima and the Japanese Obsession with Overseas Success. Available: http://www.1up.com/news/hideo-kojima-japanese-obsession-overseas. Last accessed 10/11/2013.

Winterhalter, Ryan. (2011). Why Japanese Games are Breaking up With the West. Available: http://www.1up.com/features/japanese-games-breaking-west. Last accessed 10/11/2013. 

Wesley, Yin-Poole. (2013). Capcom hopes Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate will spark a "breakthrough" in the west . Available: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-03-01-capcom-hopes-monster-hunter-3-ultimate-will-spark-a-breakthrough-in-the-west. Last accessed 12/11/2013.

Greiner, John. (2012). The truth about Japan: a postcard from the Japanese games industry . Available: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-10-tokyo-story-a-postcard-from-the-japanese-games-industry. Last accessed 11/11/2013.

Kojima, Hideo. (2012). Kojima and Mikami speak out about the Japanese gaming industry. Available: http://www.gamingcapacity.com/kojima-and-mikami-speak-out-about-the-japanese-gaming-industry/. Last accessed 14/11/13.

http://kotaku.com/lack-of-pokemon-x-y-lefty-mode-set-to-bum-out-10-of-wo-1445153347

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2012/09/05/digital/gunslinging-the-japanese-way/#.UnwlnOI6ZeA

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/4780423/ns/technology_and_science-games/#.UnwkBuI6ZeA

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2011/06/29/life/local-heroes-take-japanese-video-games-to-the-world/#.UnwkFOI6ZeA

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2012/05/02/life/japans-gamers-are-starting-to-shoot-em-up/#.UnwkGOI6ZeA

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f80645a6-3343-11de-8f1b-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2k0kAH2df

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-03-16-kojima-japanese-developers-lack-global-outlook-technological-skills

http://www.1up.com/news/kojima-productions-shows-off-new-game-engine

http://www.gamingcapacity.com/kojima-and-mikami-speak-out-about-the-japanese-gaming-industry/

http://kotaku.com/5666353/final-fantasy-xiii-developers-couldnt-cater-to-a-western-audience

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/ChristianNutt/20130920/200739
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http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013
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http://www.1up.com/features/japanese-games-breaking-west?pager.offset=1

http://www.shacknews.com/article/77465/tales-producer-japan-going-back-to-roots-avoiding-westernization-of

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/129984/made_in_japan_western_.php?print=1

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/01/12/the-westernization-of-japanese-games

http://venturebeat.com/2012/10/01/adapt-or-die-do-japanese-developers-really-need-to-westernize-their-games/

http://www.edge-online.com/features/interview-tomonobu-itagaki/2/

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/captivate-inafune-and-reeves-speeches-blog-entry

 http://www.destructoid.com/inafune-japanese-game-industry-is-not-fine-250765.phtml

http://www.edge-online.com/features/tokyo-game-show-and-why-japan-isnt-ready-for-next-gen-home-consoles/