Poll: Do you believe that Japanese developers should cater more towards the west?

[Awexsome]

Of course not. They should make the games good in their own way. I for one usually prefer an average JRPG to an average WRPG.

There are stand-outs from each side like Mass Effect or the Tales series that I would take over any game period, but Japan should do what Japan does best.

 

[Jabberwock King]

No, we have enough western games, we don't need the Japanese making them too. One thing I will say is that I dislike the anime look that shows up in the Tales games and the DQ games.

The look of the Tales games is exactly what drew me into it. What I want from Eastern developers is more of their good games. Turn-based RPG systems simply need to die and the games that use them need to adopt something more like the Tales series real-time combat. The technology needed to produce systems like this are probably easy to acquire and use, and if anyone wants to claim that turn-based RPGs are traditional, then so are hereditary monarchies, but you don't see too many of them with actual government power anymore, now do ya?

 

[jumjalalabash]

If by cater you mean release all the Japanese exclusives, then yes.

 

[Palademon]

Where's the option for "No, that'll prevent the awesome crazy".

I feel the Japanese bring a lot of innovation in what they do, and even manage to make things that wouldn't be allowed anywhere else.

 

[Richardplex]

I think gameplay wise no, marketing yes. The amount of awesome games unavailable here that loads of people want in the west but that they won't ship or translate, not even as subs, is ridiculous. I don't want most of the games, but I can still see it's absurd.

 

[RN7]

No, the Japanese developers are doing fine where they are. Catering to the West would result in...bad times. I also think the same applies to Korean developers who have games marketed to the West *cough* Nexon *Cough*. They should stick to what they know, linear progression style. Having them make sidegrades gets them a bit lost.

 

[Stilkon]

If they did cater to the West, then I think that the USA would then try to cater to the East. THIS WILL NOT TURN OUT WELL.

 

[BlackWidower]

Here's a none of the above: About as much as the west caters to Japan.

 

[Pingieking]

Which option is more Persona?

This.

They will probably have to, in order to get decent returns on big budget games. Japan accounts for so little of the market now, so if they want to get more than 2 million units sold the game has to do well outside of Japan.

 

[grimhammer]

Western developers are better at making games catered to the west. The japanese should do their thing, we've been buying their games for as long as they've been making 'em and I don't see that stopping. It's dropped recently because of that, because they try to make their games appeal to us and the game suffers because of it. Okami is in my opinion one of the best, if not THE best, games ever made and it's so japanese it craps sushi.

I'll play modern warfare and skyrim and other stuff the west is awesome at creating but I'll also play and love bayonetta, catherine, dark souls and other seriously japanese games. There's room for both styles and more

 

[Thunderhorse31]

I don't see Bethesda trying to make JRPGs or Rockstar trying to make mech games, so why should we expect Japanese devs to cater to us in the West?

Different strokes for different folks. I happen to like it all - we might as well let each company stick with what it does best.

 

[Someone Depressing]

Think about it. What does the west have to other to video-games other than 2-hour CoD clones, with the occasional sparkling sandbox-gem(Ok. Quite alot of other things, actually...)? I think they're doing fine on their own: Whacky, crazy, and fun as hell.

 

[Hunter.Wolf]

I chose "Yes, as long as they don't compromise anything in game."

Why .. because i have seen what they n do when they embrace western flavor of games with a jap spirit ... there are two great examples of that.

Demon's Souls and Vanquish .. both rival western games from the same genres (genres dominated by western games) and still manage to feel fresh, unique and japanese all at the same time ... that's the example i want more jap games to follow.

That said .. having JAP games that are VERY JAP isn't bad ... Yakuza and Cathrine are examples of those .. they are very jap games and not too many people will enjoy them without having a liking for jap culture, quirkiness ... they are good to have from time to time ^_^

 

[Kaytastrophe]

I personally don't enjoy Japanese/oriental game developers. But that doesn't mean they need to cater to me. Let them do their thing and who knows maybe one day one might appeal to me but as it is I will pass; and that's ok.

With the exception that if you release an oriental game in the west, give us the choice between subtitles and voice over. Sometimes it sucks having to read dialogue in a game.

 

[SpaceBat]

We have enough western games as it is. Let them keep doing what they do, except for the JRPG scene, which may require a little update IMO (NOT in order to cater to the west et cetera).

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I would say no. I believe Yahtzee kinda covered this in his way back in his Tabula Rasa review, when he talked about how companies, instead of trying to appeal to a particular audience, they try to appeal to as many audiences as they can resulting in a bland mediocre experience for all.

 

[viranimus]

Well its a case by case situation. Some franchises no its perfectly fine to let them be just as quirky and Japanese as they want to be. Games like Persona and Tales are perfectly fine to amp up the JRPG style However a franchise like say Final Fantasy, whos fanbase is supported largely by both east and western audiences there is no good reason why it should be an exclusively Japanese affair. It should reflect influences from both sides of the fence. EDIT: You might think thats a bad idea because it leads to hybridization, consider FF3(snes) was perfectly balance with Eastern and Western influence and it is arguably the best of the entire franchise.

 

[Manji187]

Cater: no.... but more reality and logic wouldn't hurt...they should try and limit the "Just go with it" randomness (in narrative/ plot and gameplay) to an acceptable level.

 

[Goldjit]

mmm this is nice. Thank you for all the replies so far.

OK, a theory:

How about a joint production? Could major companies (or 2 breachs), each from different parts of the world create then own viewpoint towards a game and then come together to create something feasible and profitable towards all markets involved?

Could both cultures bring their respect design and mash it together or would their be to many differences both in the work place and the design of the game?

Now I'm refering to two companies making a sort of vs. series, I mean a new IP from the ground up that can fuse together two viewpoints without one taking the leader role over the other?

This is me just thinking out loud, wanting to know the opinions of everyone here. So lets hear them