Japanese Gaming habits

[GodofHardcore]

The Arcade may be dead in the US. But I know in Japan it's thriving Virtua Fighter 5 is basically a Sport now

I'm pretty sure all the Hit Import games with us Westerners aren't such big hits in their home country and DSes are sent in the male with samples of Mr Sparkle.

But for those living in Japan, what exactly do them wacky Japanese play?

Are Shmups really that popular over there (I hear they aren't)

Do Fighters rule the roost?

Adult games?

Those games that seem to have been made on dat Yakuza meth?

How do their Gaming habits differ from the gaming habits of us here in the West?

[Yakumo]

Most popular Japanese games are Adventure (love / dating games to those who are uneducated :p), Shooters, RPG, pointles crap such as the "educational" stuff on the DS selling like hot cakes. Fighting games, platform games, driving games are probably at the lower end of the market to be honest which is why you can find more "love / dating" games than anything else.

Yakumo

[cez]

The non-gamers play some "brain training" on the NDS.
The casual gamers play Wii and PS2 (Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, etc.).

2D Shooters, dedicated VF5 or Bemani play and everything else that can be considered "hardcore" in the west is just as "hardcore" here. It's just that the communities are bigger and thus more "visible". But nerds are still nerds.

Dating sims and other "gyaruge" (short for "girl games") might sell big but are still a niche market. They are more tolerated than accepted by the general public, I'd say.

[ASSEMbler]

Obsessive compulsive play mechanics or super cutesy games lacking any substance, plus they don't like to die.

Games that give some illusion of skill and prowess like
rhythm games, which are merely disguised rote memorization.

Add in a heaping spoonful of frustrating gameplay and multiple levels
of uneccessary customization and complication, ESP when combined with
simulations involving baseball, horses, or mecha.

[GaijinPunch]

VF5 is nowhere near the hit VF4 was. (Not when it came out, not now). Shooting games are somewhat of a nitch, but they still come out, just on a small scale. Games are somewhat mainstream, just like in the US. As such, the seemingly lame crap is what sells the most.... Final Fantasy anything and Mario are sure fire cash cows.

While what has been said here is true, it is not unique to Japan, in the least. In fact:


Games that give some illusion of skill and prowess like
rhythm games

Has there been a "difficult" western game released in the 5 years? Something that requires skill... not leveling up. W/o arcades, this type of game typically ceases to exist.

If you really want to see what sells, look around on the net for top selling games. Shouldn't be too hard to find.

[ave]

Anyone has a clue why Dating-Sims/Adventures are that popular in Japan and nowhere else? I just played Tokimeki Memorial and I considered it as interesting (didn't understand everything, but a little) but it was also pretty boring at times, i.e. when you have to gain exp for a maths exam or so. And still, I can't imagine that Japan has so many guys who are THAT desperate for a gf that they need a virtual blue-haired girl with 15inch-eyes.

[Wolfrider]

I get the impression that Japan is no longer the gaming mecca that it used to be. I imagine its more ubiquitous than in the US, but I get the feeling that Korea is now the "place to be" for gamers.

What's the arcade scene like?

Still isn't gonna stop me from going. And yes, that is one of the primary reasons I'm going, it's a pilgrimage for me. :)

[GaijinPunch]

Games are still a huge industry... they've just become a lot more mainstream in other countries, making Japan look not so special. As for where "the place to be" is, it depends on what types of games you like. Arcade games? Japan, no doubt, and nothing else comes even close. Online games? Probably Korea or the states, but Japan still has it's fair share of people who have lost their livelihood to MMO's... just nobody died from playing them yet. At least hasn't been reported in the news.

[GodofHardcore]

I get the impression that Japan is no longer the gaming mecca that it used to be. I imagine its more ubiquitous than in the US, but I get the feeling that Korea is now the "place to be" for gamers.

What's the arcade scene like?

Still isn't gonna stop me from going. And yes, that is one of the primary reasons I'm going, it's a pilgrimage for me. :)


Yeah if you like Starcraft and only starcraft

You know what game I want but will never ever ever ever ever beable to play?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idolmaster

WANT! I'd buy a J-360 just to have it.

[Wolfrider]

Yeah if you like Starcraft and only starcraft

You know what game I want but will never ever ever ever ever beable to play?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idolmaster

WANT! I'd buy a J-360 just to have it.

*Drools* (And not in a dirty way)

[ASSEMbler]

Has there been a "difficult" western game released in the 5 years? Something that requires skill... not leveling up. W/o arcades, this type of game typically ceases to exist.

PC yes, console no. Consoles by their very nature these days are about
hand holding care-bear gaming.

It's probably why I play less and less console.

[GaijinPunch]

Yeah, but if PC games are all about genres you don't like, it's not really an option. :(

[Tatsujin]

for regê (retrogames) also japan is still the place to be. that's all I want, and what makes me happy here (concerned gaming).

also 2D shooting games are still common here, there almost isn't any arcade which doesn't have in minimum 1 or 2 cabs.

japan is still the gamer mekka, especially regarded to the acceptance of gaming itself. it's a part of its culture, different from europa or US where games still join that kind of childish image. might changed during the last few years, but it's still present.

here you can see an 80y old granny which plays DS while waiting for the bus.

[sven666]

i was surprised to see eeeeevryone playing that dull-as-dishwater brain training on the DS.. whats up with that?

the people i lived with when i was there all had their own DSes, and only that game.. ?

RPGs are pretty massive aswell as is the latest graphics-fest (much like here in the west i guess), xbox360 might be a huge flop in japan but there wasent a gamestore that didnt have lost planet running while i was visiting.

porn games is a huge genre aswell that is pretty nonexistent over here, most gamestores in akihabara have several floors dedicated to porn games.. apparently it is the only PC based games that sell? (there doesnt seem to be any for any console?)

as far as retrogames go tho id say it is bigger here in europe, ofcourse we dont have the equivalent gamestores but the whole retromovement as a sub-genre (and even as a sort of lifestyle) is much bigger and more accepted/popular, over here it is pretty much the first incarnation of videogames that have found their way into the public mainstream even.

ed: and dont mug yourself, if youre into games or anime or other neo-culture upcomers japan is still mekka...

[XxHennersXx]

I think that gaming is losing it's touch across the world. :( We prayed for it to be mainstream and now that it is we are no different than others and gamers and gaming just blurs together. :'( I still want to visit Japan though. I wonder whats going to happen to gaming. Every few months I think about this and become depressed.

[Tatsujin]

once, we're all gonna die.

[Giel]

porn games is a huge genre aswell that is pretty nonexistent over here, most gamestores in akihabara have several floors dedicated to porn games.. apparently it is the only PC based games that sell? (there doesnt seem to be any for any console?)

The 18+ stuff appears on the PC, and if it's populair enough(e.g. there's an anime of it) then they make a censored edition and release it on the console. So the console is sim-date without the hentai scenes.

[GaijinPunch]

We prayed for it to be mainstream and now that it is we are no different than others and gamers and gaming just blurs together. :.

We did? I prayed for it not to. All of my hobbies seem to go mainstream at some point, which basically means tits up at this point. Look at how shitty music is now. Maybe games will get to the point where independent stuff is better than high dollar kaka.

[Tatsujin]

more "for sure" rather than "maybe".

[GodofHardcore]

I think that gaming is losing it's touch across the world. :( We prayed for it to be mainstream and now that it is we are no different than others and gamers and gaming just blurs together. :'( I still want to visit Japan though. I wonder whats going to happen to gaming. Every few months I think about this and become depressed.

But how much of what you play is actually mainstream?

[GaijinPunch]

I would like to say none, but it's just not true. Odin Sphere I thought would sell like tits, but it's done great across the board apparently. Can't remember the last new game I bought.

Oh, yeah. Here's Famitsu's sales ranking for last week:
http://www.m-create.com/jpn/s_ranking.html