Why are there no Japanese sandbox games?

[Voltano]

I was watching my brother play "Prototype" here two days ago and noticed how fast Alex Mercer (the protagonist/avatar in the game) moves around in the streets of New York. I started asking him, "Since Alex moves so fast and 'Prototype' is a good sandbox game (to us), wouldt it be cool if there was a sandbox 'Sonic' game?" He thought it would be a good idea as well, but we agreed that the Sonic Team might not like the idea due to wanting to focus on linear levels.

I still think a "Sonic" sandbox game might be interesting, but that thought lead me to a question: How come there is no sandbox games made from Japanese game developers? I think there might be some interest in making a sandbox game with the Japanese game developers, as some of their JRPGs do encourage exploration-challenges. I know Japanese games tend to favor story-driven games, so I think this might be one reason why they avoid sandbox games (though I think sandbox games can be story-driven, if done right).

Anyone else noticed this, or have theories on why Japanese game developers don't make sandbox games?

 

[Fiad]

Just selling to a different market, Japanese gamers prefer and buy a very linear story driven game, while American/European gamers favor more of an open world.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

The same reason most Japanese RPGs are 100% linear. Free will is not allowed in Japan! You must become one with the masses!
(Don't flame me, its a joke)

 

[wooty]

I guess the market is different, Japanese gamers prefer a story and structure over general exploration.

 

[ZiggyE]

Well, for the most part, Prototype is no more a sandbox than any of the earlier Final Fantasy games, which provide freedom of exploration but a linear story, just as Prototype does. I'd go as far to say the Persona games are MORE non-linear than most western games, as a large part of their mechanics is based around time management, but none of them are sandboxes.

A sandbox is a game like Garry's Mod.

So if we use the definition of sandbox you are using; then yes, the Japanese do make sandbox games, such as the Persona series. If we use the actual definition then why aren't Westerners making more sandbox games outside of mods as well? The answer is because they rarely sell. Something like Garry's Mod does sell because it has the popularity of the source engine backing it, but very few similar games are so fortunate.

 

[Hagi]

My guess it's to do with tentacle monsters, in my experience most things Japanese somehow involve tentacle monsters.

See, in a linear design there's really only two directions in which tentacles can extend, forward and backward. This minimizes the threat of tentacle monsters.

In an open world design tentacles could really extend into any direction, this would give tentacle monsters way too much of an advantage and would make the game unfair.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

japanese games can be very rigid in their forumlas sometimes. But theres always exceptions. And like ziggy says your really talking about free roam.

 

[Kotaro]

It has to do with the Japanese market. They prefer more linear, narrative-driven games.
Same reason that Metroid was always far more popular here than there.

 

[drummond13]

The same reason there are no Japanese "Western RPGs". They make different games.

And you still play Sonic? Really?

 

[Obito]

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the Yakuza series made by Japanese developers? I'm pretty sure they count as sandbox games. But yeah Japanese developers don't tend to make sandbox games.

 

[DracoSuave]

Japanese companies don't make Japanese sandbox games because Japanese customers don't buy sandbox games.

There's no demand in their primary market, so there's no supply.

This isn't to say the Japanese don't love exploration in their games, or wide worlds. Let's face it, the biggest selling game franchise in Japan is Dragon Quest, and that's a LOT of exploration and a LOT of open world. (Yes, this is actually the archtype for JRPGs).

However, that exploration is very goal oriented. You're exploring, while getting to the next town, or grinding to a level to overcome the next dungeon, or while looking for treasure to get the next boss. There's always a point to it, rather than sandbox games which have fucking around and doing stupid stuff as a primary gameplay element.

They're not linear because they don't like to explore... they're linear because they like to have a -goal- and a point to the exploration. Look at Final Fantasy 12. Very -very- wide open, lots of exploration, but that exploration had a point... there were rewards and hidden secrets to be found, not just driving around for an hour making fires cause fire is fun.

 

[teisjm]

No more heroes was a sand-box hack'n slasher, even though it failed beyond horribly at the sandbox part.
While i haven't played it, isn't yakuza a sand-box game?
You could easily argue, that Zelda is a sandbox game, with the big open world, and sidequests.

 

[DracoSuave]

You could easily argue, that Zelda is a sandbox game, with the big open world, and sidequests.

While those describe sandbox games, those are not the defining characteristic.

It's the ability to just fuck around as a valid, and fun, aspect of gameplay. Zelda doesn't really have rewarding fucking around. You go, you sword some monsters... which you'd be doing anyways.

In a sandbox game, You're grabbing a car, driving up stairs, hitting pedestrians, setting things on fire by ramming into them with a flaming death machine, getting out, stomping a few hookers, and then grabbing an ambulance so you can blare your sirens while running over grannies.... and NONE of it has any point. You're not grinding 'XP' or making money or doing anything but pissing around for the sake of pissing around. And there's no punishment for it above maybe some cops chasing you down until the game either kills you in a spectacular explosion, or gives up cause you outran them or whatever. There's no narrative consequence, no in-game punishment... just going around and playing randomly and with impunity.

It's this emergent 'make your own fun' style game play that differentiates the sandbox from the standard action-adventure.

 

[ZehMadScientist]

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the Yakuza series made by Japanese developers? I'm pretty sure they count as sandbox games. But yeah Japanese developers don't tend to make sandbox games.

My thoughts exactly

OT: Well, even if they don't make a lot of sandbox games, if they keep releasing games like Okami, I say burn Jsandbox games.

 

[Worgen]

the yakuza series is sandbox and so is shemue, the reason they dont do more is sandbox is expensive and despite the graphics, most japanese games are made on the cheap so they try to do more with what they have but that also tends to make things more linear

 

[Robert Ewing]

It's just the market. Japanese gamers generally love a good story, not a sandbox. They also want to play the unconditional hero. You aren't necessarily a hero in a sandbox game.

 

[Qitz]

For the same reason the PSP is HUUUGE over in Japan and makes a little splash over here. It's just what they've received more of so they've gotten more used to it.

Same with grindy games, like Monster Hunter. Most westerner's like games that DON'T require you to grind out tons and tons of hours for small upgrades. Some of each section do, but most developers have found that most don't so they stick with that.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Yakuza says hi.

They aren't as popular, really.

Japan loves itself a GAMEPLAY reward, rather than a NARRATIVE reward, it feels like. Hence why even it's story heavy RPGs have a ton of Post-Story grindy content like massive bonus dungeons and New Game Plus. Hell, they complained about the open-ness of FF12, if I remember correctly.