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Thread: Video games of Japanese origin vs others.

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    Default Video games of Japanese origin vs others.

    I always thought video games of Japanese origin were better than video games from other countries of origin. They were generally more original, not just based upon some sports or military stuff, and they looked and sounded better. Obviously, there were times were American studios took over franchises of Japanese origin and they made good games (e.g., Metroid Prime, Wave Race Blue Storm), but I think Japanese people were just more creative and more logical than other people, so that's why their games had better level design and more original more elegant artwork. And of course, games of French origin were also usually pretty good in terms of level design but there weren't many. Some games of American origin were great, but there just weren't as many franchises that really stood the test of time.

    Obviously, the original Sonic the Hedgehog (the characters, the running speed/play mechanics) were quite original in 1991, although some games of American origin like the Lost Vikings were original too (I became fascinated about the history of vikings for a while and I enjoyed the death animations in the Lost Vikings although they weren't super original they used to sexually arouse me even when I was little, for some reason seeing electrocutions in entertainment really sexually aroused and sometimes disturbed me; I was such a psychotic pervert even when I was little I just didn't tell people about my perversions but some people seemed to wonder if I was a pervert and said I had a dirty mind.)

    I was a huge fan of Castlevania, but the quality of the games varied somewhat and I need to get back to playing Bloodstained Ritual of the Night, but it's not quite as exciting as the Castlevania Order of Ecclesia was in 2008, at least to me (and certainly not as exciting as Sonic Adventure was in 1999 nor Devil May Cry in 2001, those games really blew me away when they were new.)

    Of course there have always been many sequels, compilations, remakes, remasters, and reboots. I guess there have always been so many sequels because they're profitable; humans can't make too much originality and humanity doesn't always demand originality. Of course, imagination is more important than knowledge (as Albert Einstein said) especially when the products of someone's imagination are elegant (even though they make me feel inferior sometimes.)

    Your thoughts? (please feel free to make insults if you think this post is ridiculous, I think the insults are funny sometimes)

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    Given the dominant japanese themes of group harmony and tradition, I don't think anything embodying those values is prone to be appealing to western audiences. This is exacerbated by the fact that they've been pumping out steadily cheaper and more self-similar things for the last couple decades.

    So I don't think the japan-craze that briefly took place in western countries had anything to do with peculiarities of japanese culture. The video game market particularly shifted to favor them because of a market crash in the US involving the spectacular failure of the E.T. game. If anything, japanese producers started playing around with outside ideas and symbols and driving them in new directions when their industries were still new and seeking to self-define, which is what gave them their novelties. But from what I know, that's pretty much died down and it's gone to crap again.

    If you do enough research, you'll eventually learn things like "ninjas" as we define them were never a real warrior caste and were invented as a modern folk legend to add mystique to japanese heritage; that katanas are actually really heavy, really brittle, and generally crap compared to western steel; that Samurai wielded spears as often as swords because they're the universally superior weapon; that even the modern incarnation of origami partially copied from German napkin-folding techniques, etc. There's quite a bit of embellishment that's been done to make all things japanese seem more intriguing to themselves and to outside markets than they might otherwise be.



    Japanese stuff is overrated imo. The true blindness in the "weeb" archetype is that he fails to recognize that the true spark of his intrigue in japanese products came not from the culture itself, but from the innovative period of creolization that came when japanese producers were seeking to self-define. He fails to embrace contradiction, instead following blindly the tired old steps of another. That, to my understanding, is how the trope took off.
    Last edited by Grendel; 06-01-2020 at 08:05 PM.

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    If to talk about popular gaming consoles - those are mostly from Japan since mid 80s. This may help to make better games due to better contacts of Japan games developers with consoles' producers.
    Also best Japan games developers may concentrate more on Japan made systems than on other ones - this may improve the average quality. The reasons for this can be different, including non-market ones.
    If to take IBM PC games and popular non-Japan computers - the situation does not look as Japanees games are often among most popular ones. Taking the rather equal conditions on PC for all and significant income motivations - they'd could to use "creative super-powers" to lead there, in case those would be.

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    I totally get you! Japanese games often have a unique charm and creativity. I've had amazing experiences with titles like Mario and Zelda. But I've also enjoyed fantastic games from other countries, like The Witcher series from Poland. Now I prefer Warcraft, as I can buy great weapons for it at CS2. What about you?
    Last edited by MylesVaughn; 11-09-2023 at 01:34 AM.

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    JRPGs are the best stories ever written down. No contest. You'll never find a story told like Chrono Trigger, The World Ends With You, or Tales of in the West.
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    I think the creativity in Japanese games is owed a lot to Japan's post-WW2 lack of nationalism. With American games, all of creativity gets smothered out by the nationalistic/chauvinistic mentality that's prevalent in the population and thus you get a bunch of uncreative sports games and military shooters. Japan as a collective society lacked the same prideful mindset that's prevalent in America, and people weren't as concerned about their quirky ideas being shot down as "weird". So in other words conditions in Japan were more nerd-friendly and people's minds were less occupied by political garbage, which allowed a lot more creativity to flourish. I use past tense terms because the Japanese government is trying their best to revert Japan back to it's Meiji era state these days and we are slowly seeing other Asian countries like Korea and China overtake Japan in anime and gaming.
    Last edited by I am a frog; 11-16-2023 at 04:37 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by I am a frog View Post
    I think the creativity in Japanese games is owed a lot to Japan's post-WW2 lack of nationalism. With American games, all of creativity gets smothered out by the nationalistic/chauvinistic mentality that's prevalent in the population and thus you get a bunch of uncreative sports games and military shooters.
    Until 2000s mid, there seems was good with creativity of games made in USA. Then oldschool started being replaced by more mass production and simplistic approach, - to do not better, but for wider range of people to arise sales. Where much of those people now were kids with consoles, as multiplatform have come.
    Also games development started to cost more and take more number of people. There is much of complex graphics, sound, music, text. It's became close like to make a costy movie. Millions of usd for average good game and hunderds, if not more of people. Creativity means risks and harder to connect people with each other. The process have moved to standartisation of ideas, of development engines - to a simplification. This allowed to get higher, sooner and more guaranted profits. It's not a management of good quality and masterpieces, - it's a management of mass production and higher sales.

    Is it different in Japan of now? This can to be if is valued something other than max profits from world sales. For some of games or studios, as minimum. Nintendo seems is accented on local fans and does not try to get billions on those games, - does quality things for enough of profit, as in old times. This also reduces risks, as tastes of those fans are good known, there is lesser of competing on smaller maket, authors are for long on some kind of titles and are trained to give stably the needed. Introverted approach.

    In same Japan, if to take their cartoons - it's mostly an example of low quality mass production.

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    The evolution of franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog and Castlevania highlights the diverse landscape of gaming. It's intriguing how certain games can evoke such strong emotions and memories, regardless of their origin. Also, if you're into CSGO skins, I've found the best place to buy and sell csgo skins. Check it out for some awesome deals. As for your point about sequels and originality, it's a balancing act for developers, but creativity always sparks innovation. And hey, we all have our unique interests and quirks when it comes to gaming.
    Last edited by ThomasWalsh; 02-12-2024 at 07:39 AM.

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    I always found it really interesting how much jRPGs differ from western cRPGs. jRPGs strike me as really meaningful story games, as usually the mechanic part of a jRPG is usually simple and straightforward. Western cRPGs are usually darker, with more questlines, and harder mechanics.

    I was thinking why is it like that. I feel like western cRPGs first and foremost were made with paper RPG/D&D geeky nerds in mind, so when you have older titles such as Might and Magic and Wizardry, their mechanics are really clunky and janky, and the plot, story, lore, and the like is more intricate and similar to those fantasy worlds in literature. jRPGs, I feel like they are made with a typical gamer in mind, mechanics are usually simpler, and the story often uplifts you in a way. Part of what makes them different could be also the way how culture of Japan evolved over the years, while American/western culture is more based on healing the darker aspects of our history (which, in turn makes the games darker) and Japanese games are more about this quiet thing. I don't know, I feel like I ramble.
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