[Immortal K-Mart Employee]

"Japanese gamers generally prefer fantasy, strategy, and role-playing games, while U.S. gamers prefer crime, shooters, and sports. Even when it comes to fighting games, U.S. tastes have been more violent, historically speaking."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4780423/

[d4nth3m4n]

with everything else bleeped and blurred, its about all we have. this is a frustrating, stressful country we have here.

[gorickey]

Originally posted by Immortal K-Mart Employee:
...while U.S. gamers prefer crime, shooters, sex, and sports.

Fixed.

[Daracle]

Thats a pretty well known fact if you would look at the game sales over the years

[ryju]

I prefer Dance Dance Revolution

[starman]

That makes no sense. The Japanese have a long history of hentai and violent videogames. Maybe they hide it better than we do .

Mike

[funkboy]

From past comments, I can't help but think that you're relishing this opportunity to put down American video gamers, when you yourself probably enjoy similarly violent games.

Is this true?

--

Also, for further reading:

http://www.gamasutra.com/gdc2004/fea...-kane_01.shtml

Gives a great perspective on what Japanese gamers like compared to American tastes.

[Immortal K-Mart Employee]

Originally posted by funkboy:
From past comments, I can't help but think that you're relishing this opportunity to put down American video gamers, when you yourself probably enjoy similarly violent games.

Is this true?

--

Funny, I don't remember writing that above article.

Personally, I HATE FPS. Halo was ok, hugely overrated, short and receptive.

The only FPS I like is Metroid more because it is adventure based.

I like Zelda, racing games and adventure based titles. Silly cartoon violence is fun like Conkers and Ratchet and Clank.

So in other words... no, it is not true.

[insha]

Like other American XBox owners, I play FPS (Halo, RS3, GR, etc.) and Sports; but I will concede here that the games that Americans are playing are really violent. Now that does not mean the games that being played outside of the US are any better, either.

Like the other day, I was in Blockbusters (say what you will), and I saw a game for XBox called Manhunt. It seemed like a sick game from what I make out from the box. You basically went around slicing people up with a sickle, axe, and what have you. Also games like Hitman, XIII, and GTA (I like them but don't deny their violent nature).

As for Japanese, I think their games are violent, but not gory (or at least not the one's I've played). Their games have equal (or more) death, destruction, and other violent situations compared to the US games. Genre (for the most part) has nothing to do with a game being violent; it's the social norms that define the games as violent.

[Zimphire]

I don't play video games at all.

And the people who usually do .. are teens.

[wataru]

There are plenty of examples of violent Japanese games and movies. But are they mainstream? No. The vast majority of games and movies on any given store's shelf in Japan is far less violent than is common in America. And the fact that people are more (or disproportionately) aware of the weird and violent Japanese products I think has more to do with us than them.

[Zimphire]

Who makes the video games sold to us?

[ryju]

Originally posted by Zimphire:
Who makes the video games sold to us?

A lot of the companies like Konami, Capcom, Sony SCEA, Squaresoft etc have American branches that make their own games that aren't always released in Japan and vice versa.

[Immortal K-Mart Employee]

There are different types of violence though. Cartoon violence like ratchet and clank and graphic violence like Resedent Evil/ GTA3.

Americans seem to like the real stuff, gorish.

[Immortal K-Mart Employee]

Originally posted by Zimphire:
Who makes the video games sold to us?

Americans make most of the FPS and gore ones mentioned. But even if the Japanese were making them they are catering to what the Western market wants.

[insha]

Originally posted by Zimphire:
Who makes the video games sold to us?

Most of the XBox games that are being developed are within the US; they are FPS and Sports and some Platform genre games; but the imports from Japan should be picking up (at least for XBox). Majority of games for Sony and GC are developed in Japan, AFAIK.

[Millennium]

Originally posted by ryju:
A lot of the companies like Konami, Capcom, Sony SCEA, Squaresoft etc have American branches that make their own games that aren't always released in Japan and vice versa.

It's actually fairly rare for a game to be developed in the US, though localization is quite common. Much more common than before, of course; it used to be almost unheard of.

Nintendo has been doing it more and more often recently, through its use of second-party developers. They always sort of led the pack in this regard, but it's fairly common for them now. Not so much for the other companies, however.

[Millennium]

Originally posted by Zimphire:
I don't play video games at all.

And the people who usually do .. are teens.

That is, unfortunately, a very common misconception. The truth is, the largest game-playing demographic nowadays is well over 18. It seems that video games became not a kid thing, but a generational thing.

[Millennium]

I might add, if we're going to play the Japan/US game, that Japan has quite a large array of violent video games which never make it to the US. The only difference is that while the most violent games in the US highlight murder, the most violent games in Japan highlight rape.

Which of these is worse is left as an exercise for the reader.

[sanity assassin]

Originally posted by Millennium:
It's actually fairly rare for a game to be developed in the US, though localization is quite common. Much more common than before, of course; it used to be almost unheard of.

Nintendo has been doing it more and more often recently, through its use of second-party developers. They always sort of led the pack in this regard, but it's fairly common for them now. Not so much for the other companies, however.

It's not rare at all, and with games that seemingly are produced in the far-east, they are designed, coded, and developed throughtout the world.

For instance, I'm now working at Rockstar games, working on titles such as Grand theft auto; our studios are spread out over the US, and Europe, and many many companies who produce titles on a par with us, are also based in the US. The US has a STRONG gaming industry.

[Zimphire]

American games don't condone the violence of "innocents" usually from what I seen.

You usually are shooting aliens, or in the military.

[insha]

Originally posted by Immortal K-Mart Employee:
There are different types of violence though. Cartoon violence like ratchet and clank and graphic violence like Resedent Evil/ GTA3.

Americans seem to like the real stuff, gorish.

At first it was the cartoons, then movies, and now television (to a certain extent). Now I'm not saying that Americans are violent; it's just that we have been accustomed to seeing it on a regular basis as "entertainment" that all of the stuff, like RPG (although they are huge in US too), pales in comparison. I think it is also, that the FPS, for Americans becomes what the RPG is for the Japanese. You know, we want to be right there in the midst of all the action, and see (experience) it as close as it is possible as we would have in real life.

As for Cartoon violence; I don't think there is a difference. Matt Goering (sp?) the creator of The Simpsons, presents this dilemma very clearly with the violence depicted in the "Itchy and Scratchy Show", a cartoon within a cartoon, that is watched by Lisa and Bart (both under 10 years of age).

[sanity assassin]

Originally posted by Zimphire:
American games don't condone the violence of "innocents" usually from what I seen.

You usually are shooting aliens, or in the military.

I take it you haven't played Manhunt, I was one of the animators on it, and so far, the game got condmenation in New Zealand, and throughout other nations, it was highlighted as one of the most violent, and shocking games ever. Where was it written? The US, devleeoped? The US and Britain.

[Zimphire]

No I haven't. the only really game station I have seen is the Game Cube.

But that is just because my friend's son has one.

My favorite game is Snood.

[insha]

Originally posted by sanity assassin:
I take it you haven't played Manhunt, I was one of the animators on it, and so far, the game got condmenation in New Zealand, and throughout other nations, it was highlighted as one of the most violent, and shocking games ever. Where was it written? The US, devleeoped? The US and Britain.

I saw it on the shelf for XBox; but left it, as it seems too violent for my taste.
I had no idea about the condemnation in NZ

[sanity assassin]

Originally posted by Zimphire:
No I haven't. the only really game station I have seen is the Game Cube.

But that is just because my friend's son has one.

My favorite game is Snood.

Zim - you and me need to have a night in playing games, I'l bring round a ps2, and we'll have a blast.

em, folks, please don't take that the wrong way.

[sanity assassin]

My all time fav. game is Sensi soccer on the Amiga.

[Zimphire]

Originally posted by sanity assassin:
Zim - you and me need to have a night in playing games, I'l bring round a ps2, and we'll have a blast.

One of two things would happen.

1. It would lose my attention too quickly.
2. You couldn't get me to stop.

But I love watching people play.

em, folks, please don't take that the wrong way.

I don't think my reply helped.

[sanity assassin]

Originally posted by Zimphire:
One of two things would happen.

1. It would lose my attention too quickly.
2. You couldn't get me to stop.

But I love watching people play.

yeah, thats kinda like me too, very few games keep my attention long enough to evenm get into it.

[sanity assassin]

Originally posted by Zimphire:

I don't think my reply helped.

lololol, i know, we're in trouble zim.

[dampeoples]

I've always played RPG's, I wonder why nobody seems to be pointing the finger at those, unless the gore isn't as apparent, but they're all about killing.

[funkboy]

Originally posted by Immortal K-Mart Employee:
...
Personally, I HATE FPS. Halo was ok, hugely overrated, short and receptive.

The only FPS I like is Metroid more because it is adventure based.

I like Zelda, racing games and adventure based titles. Silly cartoon violence is fun like Conkers and Ratchet and Clank.

So in other words... no, it is not true.

Sounds good, thank you.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by dampeoples:
I've always played RPG's, I wonder why nobody seems to be pointing the finger at those, unless the gore isn't as apparent, but they're all about killing.

Zelda was my favorite... ever since the first one...

[Beewee]

Originally posted by Immortal K-Mart Employee:
"Japanese gamers generally prefer fantasy, strategy, and role-playing games, while U.S. gamers prefer crime, shooters, and sports. Even when it comes to fighting games, U.S. tastes have been more violent, historically speaking."

I enjoyed GTA for PS2 but it wasn't the violence it was the "freedom" to be able to (theoretically) do what ever I wanted to. Once I had wittled down all of the possible options the game had, I became bored with it and so here it sits on my shelf never to played again.

Maybe it isn't violence that we seek but freedom of choice.
The game industry creates nonlinear games with lots of violence because that is the easiest thing to control is "complete" freedom.
In GTA there were very few consequences for you actions. Kill a few people and the cops come, kill the cops and the FBI comes, kill them and the Army comes, they kill you and the game rests. Fail a mission and do it over and over until you pass it. The industry is getting lazy, they are only out to make money and don't want to add all of these extra elements to a game.

If they would take a game like GTA and merge it with something like Shenmue and market it as a "Non-Linear RPG with Fighting Elements" I think you'd have quite the video game.
Unfortunatley because all video games have an "ending" it is impossible to put infinite possiblities in a game

[OB1]

Everybody play Super Monkey Ball.

[Zimphire]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
Zelda was my favorite... ever since the first one...

Yeah same here. I am almost tempted to buy a GC just to play Zelda on it. Then sell in on Ebay.

[Socially Awkward Solo]

Originally posted by Zimphire:
American games don't condone the violence of "innocents" usually from what I seen.

You usually are shooting aliens, or in the military.

This shows that you don't have a system or play. That is not at all true.

Why are the military not innocent?