Do you favour games from Japanese developers?

[baad bwoy]

There are only two types of games in this world: good games or bad games. Where they come from is utterly irrelevant.

And games with robots

[Salsa Party Animal]

On PS2 I only buy Japanese developed games plus Rockstar (GTA SA)

I find most western developed games are poor on PS2.

On GC I mainly buy Nintendo and Japanese games like Capcom, Sega and so on.

ON XBOX I mainly played western games and Tecmo. As it is my choice for multi format 3rd party games.

On GBA SP I only play Nintendo games.

I do prefer Japanese games, but I also love western games like Halo, Metroid Prime

[JU!]

I thought the mission mode was a nice touch myself.

Either way, I'm having a hard time believing you sat there and thought "You know... I'm just not getting into this mission mode. Why? Because it's British, that's why. Now, if it was Japanese...".

No i just thought it would have had more of a learning curve to it had it been handled in Japan by Sega.

[Ady]

Why though?

[Sketcz]

While the West can make good games, on the whole Japanese developed games are always far superior. Design ethos, art, music, characterisation, cover designs, level structures and above all else, concept wise. Only the Japanese could envisage something like Katamarii Damashi.

So yes, I prefer Japanese developed games.

I disliked Metroid Prime partially because instead of doing it in-house, they got some team of Texans to do it. It's like fine Champagne, if its not from the valley, no matter how sweet it tastes, it just is not Champagne. Seriously, what do they know about the true "soul" of Metroid?

Same thing with CubeWars, they're getting a UK team to do it, so whats the first thing they do? Screw up the design and make it real time.

Im sorry, but I was born and bred on the Famicom and Japanese developed games, thats just how I am. Japanese developed games on the whole, will always be superior in my eyes. (unless it is REALLY badly designed rubbish....)

[John Beaulieu]

I disliked Metroid Prime partially because instead of doing it in-house, they got some team of Texans to do it. It's like fine Champagne, if its not from the valley, no matter how sweet it tastes, it just is not Champagne. Seriously, what do they know about the true "soul" of Metroid?

Metroid Prime captures the 'soul' of Metroid perfectly ...... you could say who 'in-house' at Nintendo can know anything about the true "soul" of Metroid with the demise of Gunpei Yokoi?

[Ady]

I remember playing plenty of quirky and inspired western games back in the C64/Amiga days, so I really don't think the Japanese have some sort of special 'imagination gene' that us western peons don't.

Oh and Otaku84, don't you want to become a games designer/developer yourself? I'm sure you've got many wonderful ideas for games, so how would you feel about people writing you off just because you're not Japanese?

This is a valid question btw.

[Sketcz]

John:
Love it when you reply to my posts Mr Beaulieu, you always make me feel so special!
Actually, with the death of Gunpei I would not have complained if the Metroid series was laid to rest as a sign of respect. To me it feels creepy playing the continuation of a series by someone who is dead and unable to oversee it.

Ady:
Nope, if you'd read my latest letter in games, you'd know that I am totally disallusioned with the games industry right now, so have no intention of becoming a designer anymore. My ideas would be considered too old fashioned in todays modern age. You just have to read that latest blog on EA employees working overtime.

I designed a homebrew DC game (and PC games), had 5 minutes of fame as people raved about it, and now my thirst has been satiated.

Anyway, I was exagerating slightly with my post, having done 2 months of an "Understanding Japan" course at Uni has shown me that Japan is unique as a culture, but not exceptionally so.

The problem with the West today is the fact that there is such a divide between developer and publisher, the one interferes with the other and dilutes a games vision. Some of the best japanese games were made where devs and publishers were combined in the same corporation. The West is more than capable of making great games with unique vision, but they are seldomly allowed too. Some of the best Western games, (such as Star Control 2), had very troubled dev histories as the publisher withdrew funding after they recieved to toe the line.
Not to mention the great arcade games created in the early days.


So in actual fact, I was just teasin' you ady.

But my comment about not liking Metroid prime stands, I personally did not enjoy it as much as SM. Wether this was due to its country of origin or not, I dont know, and I dont care too much.

[Ady]

The problem with the West today is the fact that there is such a divide between developer and publisher, the one interferes with the other and dilutes a games vision. Some of the best japanese games were made where devs and publishers were combined in the same corporation. The West is more than capable of making great games with unique vision, but they are seldomly allowed too.

Yeah. Which is what I said in my first post in this topic.

Snap!

[Sketcz]

Really?
I never read that, just Marcus' post, then posted my own.
Great minds eh?
Cool.

[Paul3704]

I disliked Metroid Prime partially because instead of doing it in-house, they got some team of Texans to do it.

I think that's quite a blinkered comment. I wasn't all that keen on the game myself, but i could see the care, love and soul that had gone into it, and can appreciate what others like about it.

Your other post i tend to agree with, as it's got some good points in it regarding the working relationship between developers and publishers. An argument to dislike a game because of it's country of origin doesn't stand up very well in my opinion.

Seems a little snobbish, no offence.