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Japanese traditional video games have their worst/lowest sales week in history
- Thread starter hiska-kun
- Start date
Oh, so as in a last attempt at reaching out to a dedicated game hardware audience? I guess it can be seen like that. But at the same time, not really, because there are a number of Japanese developed, upcoming games that we can already tell will be a success. Until those predictable successes stop being a thing, it doesn't seem like a "last stand" scenario to me.
Finale Fireworker
Member
Japan* is changing.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
Society just needs a resurgence and acceptance. We made it through the amazing technical era of console advancements. Everyone was there because it was being developed. Now things are extremely trendy and it makes people seem like they cannot be hassled by technology. I analyzed and developed a lot of what I like when the tech for smart phones wasn't even around. Some people don't know a quality made JRPG or action game because they're settling for a Generic Clone of something else on mobile. I guess that's not nice to say about new developers, but IMO it's the truth.
Have they considered the cost of food, rent, etc. etc.? One bad month isn't a year. Look at your average game store? Do you think all those games will get sold this year?
Is someone going bankrupt because of this? If anything they've killed gaming and turned it into something sizable.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
The only real difference in publishers pandering to sub-culture demographics between the East and West is that distasteful Western subcultures fetishise inappropriate violence over inappropriate sexualisation.
I just finished reading that series of articles and I wanted to say thanks. I kind of felt that Japanese culture (as imported to the US) had changes, but I wasn't sure in what ways. This gives me some context for the shift I felt in the products I cared about. Moreover, I think it really illustrates the difficult position Sony and Nintendo are in with regard to video games and national vs. international tastes.
AcademicSaucer
Member
Japan is like , "Console games were a mistake, they are nothing but trash"
get2sammyb
Member
I've read through much of the thread but I don't believe this has been answered, so was just hoping for a bit of clarification. Am I correct in understanding that combined software sales (units) for the most recent Media Create report were the lowest that they've ever been since tracking began? Is that accurate?
And if so, how long has Media Create been tracking?
Apologies if this has already been cleared up.
EDIT: Just saw the Kotaku link which clears up many of my questions. Thanks!
And if so, how long has Media Create been tracking?
Apologies if this has already been cleared up.
EDIT: Just saw the Kotaku link which clears up many of my questions. Thanks!
RecursiveFault
Banned
The only hope is that Japanese developers don't get too hurt because of it.
Oh ok, OP confused me
DryEyeRelief
Member
Japan is changing, the West is shrinking
TreasureHunterG
Banned
Japan's situation is a wake up call for companies like Nintendo, who persists to keep their power, control and influence restricted to their japanese branch (i. e. Iwata), and shut down autonomy from it's western arms, which is the largest influence for dedicated gaming consoles now. If they still wants to be competitive and relevant to the game, they should, once again, work as a global company, as they were, previous to the Iwata administration, and rebuild NoA and NoE as independent branches.
It's sad to see Japan's situation. Their economy is going downhill and local studios can't afford to compete on current gaming ecosystem anymore.
It's sad to see Japan's situation. Their economy is going downhill and local studios can't afford to compete on current gaming ecosystem anymore.
qualitydisc
Member
This is so depressing but I can't stop reading it.
Megidolaon
Member
This is sad. Japan is my bread and butter for gaming. It feels like their console input is on its way out and even their handeld market is losing to mobile. I don't like mobile so this is sad for me. I guess expect even slimmer pickings from here out...
Even the anime industry is not doing so well for me. Aside from a few shows from the last couple of years, all the most exciting things for me have been remakes. Tis a sad time. :-<
Even the anime industry is not doing so well for me. Aside from a few shows from the last couple of years, all the most exciting things for me have been remakes. Tis a sad time. :-<
Well, we knew the writing was on the wall for a while. Sucks when your diet consists of 95% Japanese games like me (most western games, FPS, western RPGs don't appeal to me in the slightest). But at least I'm lucky in that I love retro gaming and have a host of classics to go back and play.
And maybe one day mobile will evolve and shed off all the things that make the platform such a drag.
And maybe one day mobile will evolve and shed off all the things that make the platform such a drag.
And.. And what? And what!?!?
Devilgunman
Member
I'm not really concern. If Japanese games don't sell in their own country, ship them to the west. If their games are good, people will buy it.
you know all those games are going to be on consoles as well.
I think there are some key differences between western and Japanese gaming cultures that stop the west becoming Japan in the near future. One of which is how focussed the west is on the 30 something gamer demographic, while Japan has always been heavily kid/teen focussed with maybe niche's like Otaku compromising of their adult gamers.
While traditional hardware might retain it's popularity in the west I don't think the same can be said for traditional game design as western kids seem to as open to F2P monetisation as the Japanese are, so we will continue to see F2P (& maybe VR) taking over mainstream gaming as we grow older.
I think Konami is a massive wake up call to a good number of the online gaming community.
Hopefully in the future more gamers are open to supporting the genres they like even if it's on a console they otherwise wouldn't buy.
If ppl want to play new traditional Japanese games we can't have repeats of Bayonetta 2 which is looking a gift horse in the mouth
While traditional hardware might retain it's popularity in the west I don't think the same can be said for traditional game design as western kids seem to as open to F2P monetisation as the Japanese are, so we will continue to see F2P (& maybe VR) taking over mainstream gaming as we grow older.
I think Konami is a massive wake up call to a good number of the online gaming community.
Hopefully in the future more gamers are open to supporting the genres they like even if it's on a console they otherwise wouldn't buy.
If ppl want to play new traditional Japanese games we can't have repeats of Bayonetta 2 which is looking a gift horse in the mouth
then shooting it in the head, sealing the body in concrete and dumping it into sea
DXLelouch153
Banned
maybe VR porn will replace mobile gaming in Japan
if we have to sacrifice the population increase for console gaming to survive then so be it
if we have to sacrifice the population increase for console gaming to survive then so be it
This is not true for DS & Wii, more for 20th century consoles. Hardware doesn't really get released in JPN first anymore. Also, you left out Japan's indication of the PS4 being a runaway success. I know you schtick, just felt like getting drawn in this time.
the ds and the wii absolutely led in japan in their respective fields before taking over in the rest of the world.
ps4 will probably lead on the console side over time, assuming that sales pick up more than they have once mgs v and final fantasy versus xiii hit. the 3ds did take a lead against the vita worldwide though, while simultaneously dropping off from its predecessor.
if it helps, you can look at the market split having gone from handheld/console (with various systems within) to dedicated/non-dedicated. and what you'll see in japan, and now the rest of the world, is that dedicated hardware is on the decline. i don't think the world will fully catch up with japan until next gen though.
Its very unfortunate, because it spells doom for a lot of smaller devs who primarily go after the japanese market when developing their games. Even the handhelds arent doing that hot at all in terms of sales even though you have standbuys like monster hunter and the like.
To be fair, Terra Battle was actually the only mobile game I played for weeks straight. It's really fun and you're rarely forced to pay to win. I still did to support, otherwise I would have felt bad, as I enjoyed my time with it.
Yes its true but if you take a look at their stretch goals they weren't intended to be on consoles in the first place. The priority this time goes to the PC.
The Japanese would have more reason to buy home consoles if the majority of them cared to play Western games, but they don't. Thus the libraries of consoles in Japan look severly lacking in comparison to handhelds. Most of the Japanese who buy Western games or Xbox Ones are either doing it out of curiosity, collection purposes, or because they are legitimate fans of it, which is pretty rare. When I visited Japan, I was surprised to see Call of Duty on the shelf at all, though I only ever saw one copy. Japanese games were much more prominent.
But when you are only buying games from a single country, it can become routine and stale. Japanese devs really don't like the idea of risking their sales on a new idea even if the new idea has potential. Someone like Swery has a lot of passion for his games, but unfortunately his games don't sell well. They really aren't marketable outside of the sheer weirdness factor which is not a concrete selling point when compared to collect-a-thons or brand name.
It is also more appealling to be able to play games on the go in Japan on the train or bus, since most of them work long hours and don't want to come home and play a console game for two hours when they could eat and/or sleep instead. Maybe watch the news.
The rise of mobile is scary to those of us who prefer consoles/PCs, but it looks like it's here to stay. As long as there continues to be Japanese devs for consoles, I remain hopefully optimistic.
But when you are only buying games from a single country, it can become routine and stale. Japanese devs really don't like the idea of risking their sales on a new idea even if the new idea has potential. Someone like Swery has a lot of passion for his games, but unfortunately his games don't sell well. They really aren't marketable outside of the sheer weirdness factor which is not a concrete selling point when compared to collect-a-thons or brand name.
It is also more appealling to be able to play games on the go in Japan on the train or bus, since most of them work long hours and don't want to come home and play a console game for two hours when they could eat and/or sleep instead. Maybe watch the news.
The rise of mobile is scary to those of us who prefer consoles/PCs, but it looks like it's here to stay. As long as there continues to be Japanese devs for consoles, I remain hopefully optimistic.
It kind of sounds like you're understating the consumer base for Western games in Japan. Call of Duty sells well over there (Square Enix publishes those games for a reason) and Grand Theft Auto is a popular series in Japan, with GTAV having sold over a million copies.
For the rest, it's just like how the Western market is more inclined towards Western games than Japanese ones. The difference is that the former market is much larger than the one in Japan.
Glendemonium
Member
This was hard to swallow reading page after page of this thread. The writing was on the wall for years, but I couldn't bring myself to grasp the overall feel of what this bodes for the Japanese game industry.
Many of us who grew up with the NES-Playstation 2, Japanese devs were literally the driving force of gaming, gave us years of entertainment and a community where we can come together (thanks to the internet and cons) and share our experiences. It feels like a best friend you knew for years but suddenly you drift apart because of so many changes.
Such is life, but I can't see what this bodes for Sony and Nintendo. More for Nintendo with it's long history of iconic franchises.
I'd be fine if console gaming became a bit niche again though, just profitable enough to sustain the few companies to make games for it. It'll probably mean we won't be seeing too much multi million AAA production games, but it's a small price to pay to enjoy playing games in the living room/PC. Remember when gaming was this hobby, similar to those who like comic books, Star Trek, etc. There was just enough money going into it to keep it afloat years after.
With indies and passionate devs with smaller studios there IS money for these kind of games. Gaming was fine before the demand for big budget blockbusters, it was just something we grew attached to during the Playstation golden age and it just grew from there.
(Crackpot Mode Engaged)
I have a gut feeling the Nintendo NX isn't going to be a traditional console, but either direct competition with Apple with it's own brand of tablets and phones, or Alienware-esque rival with a Steam like platform for its backlog of titles and new ones to come. Both compatible with Amiibos because that's still a thing. The shift in the Japanese markets has led me to assume this because I'm a speculation nut.
Many of us who grew up with the NES-Playstation 2, Japanese devs were literally the driving force of gaming, gave us years of entertainment and a community where we can come together (thanks to the internet and cons) and share our experiences. It feels like a best friend you knew for years but suddenly you drift apart because of so many changes.
Such is life, but I can't see what this bodes for Sony and Nintendo. More for Nintendo with it's long history of iconic franchises.
I'd be fine if console gaming became a bit niche again though, just profitable enough to sustain the few companies to make games for it. It'll probably mean we won't be seeing too much multi million AAA production games, but it's a small price to pay to enjoy playing games in the living room/PC. Remember when gaming was this hobby, similar to those who like comic books, Star Trek, etc. There was just enough money going into it to keep it afloat years after.
With indies and passionate devs with smaller studios there IS money for these kind of games. Gaming was fine before the demand for big budget blockbusters, it was just something we grew attached to during the Playstation golden age and it just grew from there.
(Crackpot Mode Engaged)
I have a gut feeling the Nintendo NX isn't going to be a traditional console, but either direct competition with Apple with it's own brand of tablets and phones, or Alienware-esque rival with a Steam like platform for its backlog of titles and new ones to come. Both compatible with Amiibos because that's still a thing. The shift in the Japanese markets has led me to assume this because I'm a speculation nut.
Kagoshima_Luke
Gold Member
In my heart, Japan will always be the videogame Mecca.
I won't deny that I'm no expert, I was just basing it more off personal experience heh but the trend does continue to lean towards mobile in Japan, and Western devs are not developing mobile games at the same rate as Japanese ones due to the stigma of most mobile games outside of Japan being F2P copycats of each other worth little value. I still don't think these are dark times for the industry, it's not like a full-blown crash has happened.
This isn't unit sales like the OP, but the annual revenue chart should generally get at what you're asking:
May have been said already, but the silver lining here is that the last time game sales were at the level they're at now was 1991, when there were many more young people than there are now, and video games were much more a kids/teenagers thing than now. So we either have a wider base of game players, or the diehards are spending more per capita than they used to -- maybe a bit of both, given the eclectic variety of PSP and DS players I see on the train every day.
The consumption tax hike and Bank of Japan-engineered inflation are also killing household spending and making Taro Q. Salaryman just a bit poorer than he was before. As a long-term resident of Japan I find this profoundly depressing. The 50-plus generation is content to let everyone below them sink into second-class status and is not willing to make any sacrifices at all, and the politicians know where the votes are.
Duxxy3
Member
I think it's just a natural evolution of the Japanese market. Handhelds have been more important than consoles for a few generations now. It's a society that games on the go.
I don't think this effects Japanese developed games with a large western audience - Metal Gear, Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy etc.
I don't think this effects Japanese developed games with a large western audience - Metal Gear, Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy etc.
Beelzebufo
Banned
I disagree. Japan doesn't really make up a significant amount of sales, and consoles are still doing well in other areas. Japan's a weird place.
I'd still say creatively their input matters quite a bit. Outside of indies, games developed in Japan featured some of the more unique gameplay out there. One of the big reasons I prefer Japanese RPGs to western ones is due to the former having far more interesting combat systems, generally. Especially when it comes to real time battle systems.
I've always liked Japanese games because they tended to prioritize art style and design over just graphics as a whole. Also, Japanese games tended to not try and adhere too much to reality. I feel like so many Western games are trying to be as realistic as possible. I really don't care about realism. I get enough realism in my day to day life.
So not, I'd have to disagree. This will have an effect on the industry. And even though Japanese games aren't as prominent as they once were, they did significantly impact the industry. Just look at the indie games whose devs say they were inspired by games made in Japan. Shovel Knight is a great example of that.
Megidolaon
Member
I wish there wasn't so much pressure on games to have amazing graphics/budget. Most Japanse devs just don't have the budget to compete with Western devs and it's killing them. I don't care if a game doesn't push the hardware, as long as it is good. FFXIII was the exact opposite of what I wanted after XII. Better graphics and less interesting everything else.
I like the bold anime style of Persona 5 even more than the hyper realism. FFXV looks great, but I won't care how nice it looks if it is mostly a linear flashy cimematic-fest like XIII (not saying it will be).
Heck I was amazed with how nice KH2.5 still looks which is just upscaled PS2. Why can't they just settle for a lower graphical quality if console gaming is getting too expensive?
I like the bold anime style of Persona 5 even more than the hyper realism. FFXV looks great, but I won't care how nice it looks if it is mostly a linear flashy cimematic-fest like XIII (not saying it will be).
Heck I was amazed with how nice KH2.5 still looks which is just upscaled PS2. Why can't they just settle for a lower graphical quality if console gaming is getting too expensive?
TheBryanJZX90
Member
Because of all the people on message boards prattling on about the minimum Fs that are acceptable in each S or the number of Ps, no not the number of Ps on the tv the number of Ps the game put out before it gets scaled duh.
Haunted
Member
holy shit what a read. I wanted to copy paste so many lines because they so perfectly apply to this situation.
damn damn damn
Retreating into domestic tastes and betting on the moe pachislot market on GREE and other JP only platforms might be a short term solution for survival, but could spell global irrelevance in the long term.
Not enough pandering o3o
FinalStageBoss
Banned
Rip Japan, they had a good run, We'll move on without them.
TheBryanJZX90
Member
Néojaponisme has some great stuff. Read some of his recent articles though things have changed a bit since 2011, like the collapse of a large part of the yankii and gyaru market, which complicates his 2011 arguments.
Japan... Japan never changes.