The Downfall of Japanese Games?

[LucanDesmond]

When I was five years old, I got a Nintendo Entertainment System for my birthday. I grew up playing games made by Nintendo, Sega, Tecmo, and Square, just to name a few. I grew older, and my systems became more powerful, but I was still playing games made by the same people. I loved Mario and Zelda games, Sonic, Final Fantasy, and more.

So what happened? I realize that I won't touch almost anything made by those people anymore.

Nintendo is too busy rolling around in money they got from soccer moms to care about making games for me with any frequency. One Zelda, Mario or Metroid game every other year isn't enough to keep me, and many others, interested. And since Nintendo is making so much money with their simpler games for people that aren't "gamers" it's unlikely that this will change anytime soon. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I'm glad Nintendo is doing well, I'm just not interested in what they're selling anymore.

Sega. Dear lord. Yahtzee summed this one up pretty well in the Sonic Unleashed ZP. They need to be taken out behind the tool shed and put out of their misery. They keep trying to sell us increasingly poorly made Sonic games and many of there other IPs are a little on the lackluster side.

I'm sure this statement will be flamed. I don't care. This is my opinion. Square-Enix. Formerly know as Squaresoft. In their better days. They can't stop beating the VERY DEAD Final Fantasy horse to make anything that is any good these days. Square hasn't put out a great game in about ten years. The best stuff they've put out in recent years are remakes of their classics for the DS and PSP. They made a lot of mistakes with regards to prioritizing what games to make, in my opinion. Final Fantasy was ALWAYS too important to be put on hold to give any time or money to something that might end up being better. Xenogears, FF Tactics, and Chrono Trigger are all games that had great potential but got minimal attention in favor of the latest FF to have an over convoluted, ridiculous storyline played out by a cast of feminine emo boys and their slutty girlfriends. Even Kingdom Hearts, a decent series with a lot of potential hasn't seen a full console release in over 3 years now with nothing new in site (I'm not talking about hand held stuff).

Finally, there's Sony. The PS1 and 2 were great. I loved them and hundreds of games for them. Now we have the PS3. I want to like it. I really do. I have one and it mostly collects dust when I'm not watching movies on it. I haven't played a game on it since MGS4. Its an overpowered, under supported machine with only a handful of great games and a poor substitute for Xbox Live. I know that makes me sound like an MS fanboy. I'm not. I just like whats good. The console came out 2 years before its "community" software was available and it [Home] is a JOKE. It's like Sony looked at their competition in MS and said: "Let's do something different! It will be great! We'll take out everything that makes any sense or makes it any good, and then release it and call ourselves awesome! People will believe us because we made the PS2 and that was awesome, so this will be awesome!"

So now I find myself playing games mostly on my Xbox 360 and PC. And the games I play are made by studios and companies like Valve, Blizzard, Bethesda, Lionhead, and Ubisoft. None of those studios are japanese.

The gaming industry became a success because of Japanese developers in the 1980's. But I have to wonder if the Japanese are past their prime in the industry. Obviously they aren't out yet, especially Nintendo. What will they do in the future?

Share your opinions.

TL/DR: Don't post. If you're too lazy to read my opinion, I don't wanna read yours either.

 

[luckshot]

you could be right, Nintendo and sega do seem to be stuck in a whirlpool of suck.

but for me there just seems to be nothing to interest me in buying...i'll look at a game and say "i'd like to try that....but not for $60" no games interest me enough to purchase them at their current prices

this happened with gift cards too, i ended up buying movies even though i wanted to buy and try a video game, maybe i need my head examined

 

[Random Argument Man]

Sheesh, you're just changing gaming style. I would like to make a correction though. It's not Sega that needs to be shot for its on good. It's team Sonic.

 

[Erana]

The JRPG Will never die!
*beats inner fangirl with brute hammer*

I've got a point there. Things won't ever stop being made, its just that they're having a bit of a hard time appealing to the western audience. Just wait 'till FF13 and KH3 come out.

 

[MintyFreshBreathGuy]

I have no idea what they could do aside from Sony. They still have a good chance in my opinion because they're into consoles and not the actual games. I also like the PS3 more than the 360 even if the internet sucks.

Nintendo might want to think of something else. They could improve the Wii and with it make a whole new series that people in 2040 will complain about being too overly done. The Legend Of Super Metroid! I'm kidding, in all honesty, I think that that's the only thing they can do. Unless they want to make "Mii! The Video Game"

I was never a fan of Square-Enix. I like anime, but it's all I can do to stop suicide from taking me before the ending credits of an episode do. Let me put it more simply: I don't want to play an anime. The only one I could probably live through would be Valkyrian Chronicles or if they made an Azumanga Daioh video game. What they can try to do is switch their focus, before they make "Final Fantasy 19867: The Unending Dream"
I don't know what they would make, but just something non-Final Fantasy-ish.

Oh, I almost forgot Sega. The only way they'll come back is through a Dreamcast 2 and more 2D sonic games, that's it. Anything else will KILL THEM!... unless I get to them first.

By the way you never said anything about Konami, what's your opinion on them?

 

[TheBluesader]

I think Japanese devs suffer from the same problems devs do over here, and maybe more so because of the domestic interest in their products. As companies go from development studios to giant money-making conglomerates, what will sell becomes more important than what is original or well made. So mass-marketed crap gets churned out because the money people know it will sell, while original ideas get shot down because so much money rides on it now.

Look at what happened to Tomonobu Itagaki and Team Ninja. Money makes artistic and programming ability irrelevant.

 

[LucanDesmond]

@johnx61:
Yea I kinda agree with you. I LOVE Zelda games, but they do need to do something different with the series. I don't know what, just that the last few games have all been very similar.

@Random Argument:
Once again I agree, but Team Sonic is like 90% of what Sega is, so I kinda just put them all in the same boat.

@Erana:
How I wish the JRPG would live on forever. I grew up loving the earlier FFs like 4 and 6. ^ is one of my all time favorite RPGs, alongside Xenogears and Chrono Trigger. Sadly the genre has become stale and predictable. The only time it ISN'T predictable is when it makes NO SENSE WHATSOEVER. Which, in recent title I've tried, is about 98% of the time.

 

[John Stalvern]

I think Nintendo is just riding the profits from all their casual games. I'd like to see more games that appeal to hardcore gamers, but the more I look the more I think the Wii simply wasn't built with the intention of catering to us.
Maybe they'll change their tune when releasing their next console. I hope they do.

 

[TerraMGP]

Frankly I think blizzard is as guilty, if not more guilty of forcing themselves in a rut than any Japanese developers. Think about it a moment. The Diablo games really have not evolved much, in fact they have evolved arguably less than Mario considering they are all the same watered down bare bones hack and slash games that have sadly sparked here in the US. Then you have Warcraft and starcraft, both decent RTS series in their time though in the end Warcraft has not evolved too much and its looking like Starcraft won't evolve at all save that it will take 3 years to fully release starcraft 2. Then we have WoW. Another case where they refuse to make something 'original' and instead make a game that pasts the Warcraft Mythos over the Sucky Diablo 2 mechanics to create low rent digital crack everyone else wants to copy. I don't understand why its ok for Blizzard to recycle everything over and over again but not ok for Nintendo to do so. I won't defend sega because they have mismanaged sonic (Put in princes sally damnit) but it seems that all the media-driven anti nintendo hype is about the fact that they won't put out anything new. I am glad someone pointed out that other developers don't either but the problem is just as prevalent in the US as it is in Japan.

The only real diffrence between Mario and Master Cheif other than MC being made of suck and plot armor is that mario has been around longer. Yes that makes people ***** about how Mario is old and stale but really so is every other story if you think about it. Everything still follows the monomyth regardless of what you have. Nintendo just decides to do what People seem to love blizzard for and work with characters that already have high recognition world wide and large fan bases for their flagship games. Japanese game developers are no more or less responsible than US developers for the stagnation in the industry they just have the bigger bullseye because they have on average been at it longer.

Unfortunately people can't seem to enjoy games now without a new character each time though, and that is kind of sad. people should be able to have fun with games regardless of the thin veil over it if the game is well made.

 

[LucanDesmond]

Oh yea Konami. They have two game series I care about. MGS and Castlevania. MGS4 was ok, the story was a little on the crazy side, but I accept that because I've been accepting it for ten years now. And Castlevania, well it needs to just stick to hand helds, because thats where it's best these days.

@harhol:
I missed Valkyria Chronicles. I haven't tried it yet, but I heard good things. Forgot it was Sega game. Hopefully it's good, because Sega needs it.

 

[klaypeeple]

Damn, I was hoping to be inb4 the obligatory "FFVII was the last great offering" praise, but alas, I had stuff to do today.
Yes, Squeenix has been on the downhill trot, but so has every thing in video games. It's all about the glitzy glam of the visuals than about the story. My point though, is that while I've watched Samus, Mario, Link, Sonic, and Megaman slip into (and in many cases, well beyond) mediocrity, the one thing I can stand tall and proud to exclaim is that the Final Fantasy franchise is still alive.
The average video gamer will stand firm on the belief that FFVII was the last thing Square made of any signifigance, but the hardcore RPGer in me will argue that among RPG's, the FF series is a safe bet, nay, a sure thing when it comes to RPG greatness. I'll admit there were duds in the mix; specifically 8 and 9, but that's completely forgiveable considering the FF series has taken things from scratch each and every time, aside from some cameos. No two games act/look/play alike. Even the one direct "sequel" in the series, FFX-2, stands alone in gameplay style and character maturation. Sure beats the old resident evil/god of war/mario copy paste you get with every new title.
Please don't jump on the "Final Fantasy died after FFVII" bandwagon without at least having played the games!

 

[Aura Guardian]

Excellent topic LucanDesmond. I agree, even though I am a Nintendo fan, the ONLY games from Nintendo are the usual Mario,Metroid,Zelda,Kirby,etc. I mostly play my X360. Even though I'm not a Sony fan, The PS3 is trying SOOOO hard to be both a Wii and a 360 back then. Remember the Sixaxis and Lair? And they no longer have JRPGs anymore. Just shooters. Since they failed with the Sixaxis and know focus on the shooters, its trying to be like the Xbox 360 and not what it used to be. And the HOME, well...yea

 

[LucanDesmond]

Damn, I was hoping to be inb4 the obligatory "FFVII was the last great offering" praise, but alas, I had stuff to do today.
Yes, Squeenix has been on the downhill trot, but so has every thing in video games. It's all about the glitzy glam of the visuals than about the story. My point though, is that while I've watched Samus, Mario, Link, Sonic, and Megaman slip into (and in many cases, well beyond) mediocrity, the one thing I can stand tall and proud to exclaim is that the Final Fantasy franchise is still alive.
The average video gamer will stand firm on the belief that FFVII was the last thing Square made of any signifigance, but the hardcore RPGer in me will argue that among RPG's, the FF series is a safe bet, nay, a sure thing when it comes to RPG greatness. I'll admit there were duds in the mix; specifically 8 and 9, but that's completely forgiveable considering the FF series has taken things from scratch each and every time, aside from some cameos. No two games act/look/play alike. Even the one direct "sequel" in the series, FFX-2, stands alone in gameplay style and character maturation. Sure beats the old resident evil/god of war/mario copy paste you get with every new title.
Please don't jump on the "Final Fantasy died after FFVII" bandwagon without at least having played the games!

Well if you like the FF series thats fine. But I really think that it started to go downhil after 6. Sure 7 was good, but I think 6 was better. Then 8 was even further down the hill, 9 pretty much hit rock bottom. 10 took half a step up from rock bottom and then made a Charlie's Angels meet The Powerpuff Girls sequel and dug out a NEW rock bottom. 11 Doesn't count, it's an MMO and a totally different kind of game that shouldn't have been given a number. 12 was bad, they tried to reinvent the battle system again and instead wound up with a mess that couldn't decide if it was an action game or an RPG. Plus the story was EVEN MORE ridiculous and that characters were EVEN MORE feminine and/or slutty. 13 looks like it's going to follow the trend.

IMO FF is dead.

PS. Oh and I did play them all. I didn't FINISH 12, but I did play it.

 

[TerraMGP]

Damn, I was hoping to be inb4 the obligatory "FFVII was the last great offering" praise, but alas, I had stuff to do today.
Yes, Squeenix has been on the downhill trot, but so has every thing in video games. It's all about the glitzy glam of the visuals than about the story. My point though, is that while I've watched Samus, Mario, Link, Sonic, and Megaman slip into (and in many cases, well beyond) mediocrity, the one thing I can stand tall and proud to exclaim is that the Final Fantasy franchise is still alive.
The average video gamer will stand firm on the belief that FFVII was the last thing Square made of any signifigance, but the hardcore RPGer in me will argue that among RPG's, the FF series is a safe bet, nay, a sure thing when it comes to RPG greatness. I'll admit there were duds in the mix; specifically 8 and 9, but that's completely forgiveable considering the FF series has taken things from scratch each and every time, aside from some cameos. No two games act/look/play alike. Even the one direct "sequel" in the series, FFX-2, stands alone in gameplay style and character maturation. Sure beats the old resident evil/god of war/mario copy paste you get with every new title.
Please don't jump on the "Final Fantasy died after FFVII" bandwagon without at least having played the games!

Well if you like the FF series thats fine. But I really think that it started to go downhil after 6. Sure 7 was good, but I think 6 was better. Then 8 was even further down the hill, 9 pretty much hit rock bottom. 10 took half a step up from rock bottom and then made a Charlie's Angels meet The Powerpuff Girls sequel and dug out a NEW rock bottom. 11 Doesn't count, it's an MMO and a totally different kind of game that shouldn't have been given a number. 12 was bad, they tried to reinvent the battle system again and instead wound up with a mess that couldn't decide if it was an action game or an RPG. Plus the story was EVEN MORE ridiculous and that characters were EVEN MORE feminine and/or slutty. 13 looks like it's going to follow the trend.

IMO FF is dead.

PS. Oh and I did play them all. I didn't FINISH 12, but I did play it.

See I would disagree with your take on 9. If anything the protagonist was far more interesting than cloud, the mechanics were more the spiritual successors to 6 and a return to form, and the darker overall themes set in the relatively light backdrop gave it the fairy tale feel that sets it apart. Nine managed to bring back themes that were abandoned after the games left the SNES but at the same time hold on to a stand alone setting and theme that made you care about the characters again. It was no 'tales of symphonia' but I would actually put it above 7 in my own personal FF list. Six is still my favorite though.

But I agree that 10 and 11 kind of tapered off a bit too hard. Have not gotten to try 12 but I am willing to give 13 a chance.