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[Pedigree Chum]

Used to be a huge fan of Japanese games, I wouldn't even touch 90% of western games. That's changed a lot over the current gen however, nowadays I'm much more into western games in general. I still buy the odd Japanese title (MGS, Okami, Team ICO, stuff and some niche stuff like Katamari) but the stuff I really love come from western devs, stuff like Splinter Cell, Burnout, Riddick, Halo, etc. It probably doesn't help that Nintendo games don't appeal to me as much as they used to, I like their older 2D stuff but almost none of their 3D stuff.

I personally don't see my tastes changing in the next-gen, IMO western games continue to get more and more interesting as time goes on also western devs aren't afraid of change, the way they've embraced online play has been huge for me.

There's still games that western devs will never be able to make, stuff like SOTC that are just incredible experiences that can't be found in western software. But these types of games don't come along all that often, for everyday gaming I find myself playing western titles a lot more.

 

[Archie]

I enjoy both

 

[renvi]

east

 

[Ghengis Cohen]

I always think I like both, but then I look at my game collection. Its almost entirely Japanese. (Except for my small PC collection)

 

[bob_arctor]

Japanese all the way, no contest.

 

[Warm Machine]

I used to be a 100% East gamer and now I'm almost a 100% west gamer. I find that Japanese games have become to safe and predicatable.

 

[DaCocoBrova]

Japanese all the way, no contest.

That was me 6 years ago, but a whole lot has changed since then. I stillprefer them, but sports gaming alone ensures that I have a balance of both.

 

[Moor-Angol]

East forever

 

[jayhawker]

My library consists of roughly 60% East and 40% West. Generally, my most anticipated games are all Eastern, but they disappoint me occasionally, and I get a lot of good Western surprises. So...yeah, about 60-40.

 

[Tain]

Please, I beg of you.

Don't do this.

It just isn't worth it.

Don't do this.

 

[sonikokaruto]

not sure wich side is wich, so i prefer japanese games.

 

[7Th]

Good games.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

Probably West on the whole, much as Pedigree breaks it down. Though it feels limiting to see it that way. I really love Capcom, for instance.

I also agree that the decline of Nintendo is the central factor in feeling that way for me. The majority of both probably aren't worth talking about. I prefer good games. The PS2 shows that there are miles of eastern shovelware just like most of the systems show us the west's trashcan here in the US.

 

[Deku]

RPGs and console/portable games from Japan are better.

God games/Simulations from the West are better. There are exceptions of course. Will Wright's games would be right at home in a Japanese company, and he's a leading western designer.

 

[Syphin]

 

[thetrin]

I like what both offers, but the games I end up getting turn out to be Japanese. So I guess I'll say east.

 

[Red Blaster]

Console games are generally done better by the Japanese developers, whearas PC games are where the Western devs shine.

 

[Pedigree Chum]

I used to be a 100% East gamer and now I'm almost a 100% west gamer. I find that Japanese games have become to safe and predicatable.

Yep, there are exceptions of course (Okami will be kick ass) but overall east seems to be stagnant.

 

[pcostabel]

East. I find that, with few exceptions, western games have bad art and/or boring gameplay. The only western developers I like are Naughty Dog and Insomniac.

 

[shuri]

J-rpgs will have to ask themselves if their games and efforts are still revelent from now on

 

[saelz8]

Both

 

[GitarooMan]

Please, I beg of you.

Don't do this.

It just isn't worth it.

Don't do this.

I agree, recipe for disaster.

 

[bob_arctor]

Yep, there are exceptions of course (Okami will be kick ass) but overall east seems to be stagnant.

Which is fine with my lifestyle now--not too much time for everything, just the real must-haves. I'm burnt out on FPS now, hell, I'm so corny that I won't even do "war" FPS's cuz of my stance on the Iraq war. I hate "edgy" or "extreme" anything, don't do wrestling games, hate EA. Basically, my stance can be summed up like this: who's still making shmups?

 

[thetrin]

hell, I'm so corny that I won't even do "war" FPS's cuz of my stance on the Iraq war.

Am i the only person missing this quantum leap in logic?

 

[ibu]

shuri: ...... FFXII end of discussion.

I play games from both continents frequently but I would say I am 50/50 at the moment in games collection wise but I prefer Japanese games more.

 

[dark10x]

Japanese games, typically. The main reasoning would be a much tighter focus on the core gameplay, more polished products, and better usage of the hardware. There usually seems to be a very solid focus on a particular style of gameplay which leads to a more enjoyable and well designed experience.

When I think of Western games, I always begin thinking of confused multi-genre affairs with low framerates, screen tearing, tacky loading screens, poor interfaces, bad compressed videos of in-game footage and bad animation spread across all platforms. It isn't completely true, of course, as there are plenty of exceptions...but comparing the big companies against each other on each side, the East crushes the West. There are just so many uninspired games coming from so many large companies that it drowns out the quality (if you break this up into territories). There is a lot of talent on both sides, though.

To be honest, I really don't like to look at it in this way as it results in the above thoughts. I prefer to look at developers on an individual basis...

 

[tegdf]

definitely Western games, the only eastern games i like are the MGS games and RE games

 

[Vennt]

East, West, North or South, bring it on as far as I'm concerned as there are games from all regions I love and hate, trying to seperate shit like this into "camps" is beyond stupid and delving into realms of absurd I fail to even recognise.

See? Civility isn't hard people, now follow my lead

 

[Mrbob]

Used to be mostly eastern gamer. Now I play mostly western titles. Most Japan developed titles do not appeal to me anymore. My breakdown would be something like this:

90 percent west
10 percent east

 

[Tabris]

Eastern.

I don't like FPS, sports, racers or "sandbox" games much. Which is most of the western market.

Of course there's exceptions to the rule, like Halo.

 

[Majmun]

East.

I love RPG's, survival-horror games and action games. And Jap devs make the best games in those genres. imo

Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy -- Resident Evil, Silent Hill -- Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry.

Just a few examples.

 

[h1nch]

I love both pretty equally. People who only like one or the other (and try to claim their preference to be the only worthy style) can lick my balls.

I find eastern style games put more emphasis on the storytelling and deliver it in such a way that gameplay and narrative are kept seperate. The main drawback of this is the relatively large amount of time spent just watching the story unfold, and not actually playing (like Xenosaga for instance). I also enjoy that quirky charm that most japanese games seem to have. Also games tend to be less open ended (open ended would probably make it difficult for the story element to be effective).

Western style games IMO put more emphasis on pure gameplay. You spend more of your time actually hitting buttons/doing shit yourself. RPGs are more open ended, with greater emphasis on character customization. Story is either less of a priority, or is otherwise an optional element (in western rpg's you usually have to work to uncover the story, instead of it being force fed to you).

Theres much to love in both camps. Anyone who restricts themselves to just one is really missing out.

 

[Maximilian E.]

Mostly western..
There are some gems from east though, Ninja Gaiden is one example..

But for the most parts, Western games kills eastern games.. (IMHO)

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

J-rpgs will have to ask themselves if their games and efforts are still revelent from now on

This was already true back with Daggerfall, Deus Ex, and Baldur's Gate and the rest of the Infinity engine games.

 

[FiRez]

West
(even if the art sucks compared to japanese games)

 

[Juice]

I would say I like both, but at the same time I feel like only a handful of games I actually buy are made by western devs.

I noticed a lot of others said that. The only explanation I can offer is that the best Western games resonate just as well as the best Eastern games. It's just that the majority of Western games are licensed or multi-platform ass, while a greater share of Eastern games were designed intentionally and done well.

That might explain why my top ten favorite games are probably 50% Western, but my actual collection is maybe 5% Western.

 

[railGUN]

West for the most part, though i'm addicted to FFXI (360 vers)... JRPG's, for all their depth, their combat and their scope, the stories always turn me off, just too damn dramatic and over the top. I prefer Oblivion, Baulders Gate and the likes over most JRPG's... but i'll admit that FFXI is hella fun (please don't kill me).

 

[Uncle]

I tend to enjoy western RPGs more, but otherwise it doesn't make any difference.

 

[Chairman Yang]

Aside from the geographic difference, is there really any divide between "Eastern" and "Western" games that isn't contrived and artificial? For every supposed trend that people make up, I can name lots of exceptions that break the rule.

You may as well ask: Eastern US or Western US--which games do you prefer? It's about as useful a question.

 

[negitoro7]

Even though Street Fighter and Sega arcade games dominated my childhood (East), I'd say Western FPS games have occupied the majority of my recent gaming years.

So unless Street Fighter IV comes around or Sega makes a huge comeback with new Virtual On, Super GT games, etc. I'd have to go with West.

 

[saelz8]

I love both pretty equally. People who only like one or the other (and try to claim their preference to be the only worthy style) can lick my balls.

I find eastern style games put more emphasis on the storytelling and deliver it in such a way that gameplay and narrative are kept seperate. The main drawback of this is the relatively large amount of time spent just watching the story unfold, and not actually playing (like Xenosaga for instance). I also enjoy that quirky charm that most japanese games seem to have. Also games tend to be less open ended (open ended would probably make it difficult for the story element to be effective).

Western style games IMO put more emphasis on pure gameplay. You spend more of your time actually hitting buttons/doing shit yourself. RPGs are more open ended, with greater emphasis on character customization. Story is either less of a priority, or is otherwise an optional element (in western rpg's you usually have to work to uncover the story, instead of it being force fed to you).

Theres much to love in both camps. Anyone who restricts themselves to just one is really missing out.

Well said.

 

[Teasel]

East

 

[Mama Smurf]

East, not that I dislike West. But they brought me Super Metroid, Yoshi's Island and RE4....you just can't fight that.

 

[gjb-sensei]

East FTW.

 

[Tabris]

Also western developers really need to spend more money on QA.

I swear every game I play by a western developer has huge bugs in it.

Like KOTOR is a good example of this.

You don't see this with any eastern developer except for Tri-Ace (SO2 has froze on me more times than any western game combined)

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

I love both pretty equally. People who only like one or the other (and try to claim their preference to be the only worthy style) can lick my balls.

I find eastern style games put more emphasis on the storytelling and deliver it in such a way that gameplay and narrative are kept seperate. The main drawback of this is the relatively large amount of time spent just watching the story unfold, and not actually playing (like Xenosaga for instance). I also enjoy that quirky charm that most japanese games seem to have. Also games tend to be less open ended (open ended would probably make it difficult for the story element to be effective).

Western style games IMO put more emphasis on pure gameplay. You spend more of your time actually hitting buttons/doing shit yourself. RPGs are more open ended, with greater emphasis on character customization. Story is either less of a priority, or is otherwise an optional element (in western rpg's you usually have to work to uncover the story, instead of it being force fed to you).

Theres much to love in both camps. Anyone who restricts themselves to just one is really missing out.

Then I have to wonder, why not just read a book instead of playing a JRPG? I also loved them in the 16/32-bit days, but I just gave up on them due to the lack of innovation or change in the genre. Dragon Warrior right now really does play almost exactly the same as it did on the NES, and I think quite a bit of us can agree that there have been JRPGs where we grinded through the dreadful content just to see the story.

 

[Calidor]

95% Japan 5% west

 

[siege]

I prefer western games, but I enjoy a lot of Nintendo's stuff as well. Not a fan of the JRPG's and anime styled characters usually found in eastern games.

 

[GreekWolf]

When I was younger ( child and teenager ), I was predominately attracted to Japanese games - cutesy, colorful, eccentric, mostly linear.

Now that I'm an adult, my tastes have evolved into more of a western flavor - mature, open-ended, violent, dramatic, complex.

As h1nch pointed out, there is no right or wrong style... and anyone, no matter who you are, can find something in either genre that is enjoyable.

 

[Logan Cano]

Mostly japanese games, around 80% of them. Am I fanatic?? I don´t know but I´m damn sure I´d take a main FF over any of those numbingly boring western RPGs.

Oh, and Halo can go f°ck itself too.