Why arenât Japanese games made by companies not called Nintendo not as big or important as they used to be? Square Enixâs Final Fantasy veteran Akitoshi Kawazu has a theory.
âAside from a few well-known titles, games from Japan are receiving less and less attention, regardless of if itâs an RPG or notâ, he told Nintendo Power magazine. âI feel that it has something to do with the marketing abilities of Japanese publishers, as well as the games themselves.â
âThe technology is not on par with Western games, and it also seems like developers are losing their passion to stick with their vision because they are being overwhelmed by costs or market trends.â
He also says that Japanese developers âneed to take on a project with the confidence and strength to stick with their vision.â
All viable theories, but Iâve long believed (warning: gross generalisation ahead) itâs the average Japanese studioâs love of old-fashioned menus, long text sequences and an inability to appeal to the emerging âmainstreamâ Western consumer thatâs been their undoing, rather than their marketing spend.
But hey, thatâs just me!
Square-Enix â Japanese games arenât getting much attention, tech isnât up to snuff [Nintendo Power, via Go Nintendo]
