Iconic Game Maker Says Japanese Devs Should Stop Trying to Appeal to Westerners

One of the most exciting thing about burgeoning markets is seeing what Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, Russian,etc,etc,etc. games look like. Every game developer should embrace their country's history and culture and incorporate that into their art. Because that's what makes art so fascinating and valuable.

I’m assuming it’s a sort of clumsy translation (Japanese to English often is) and that Sakurai isn’t quite saying a variation of ENGERLAND FOR THE ENGERLISH or something. There’s definitely something to be said for Japanese developed games having a specific flavour but then we’ve all been a bit guilty of going ‘wow look how zany and wacky they are’ at times which can be a bit infantilising. I’m not going to begrudge Japanese devs for being inspired by Western media (Kojima is a prime example) and to be honest, I feel like the big Japanese devs have left behind that chasing the Western market thing they did in the 2010s with Resi Operation Raccoon City, the DmC reboot etc. Part of that was Western devs getting a shot at Japanese IPs though, Double Helix did both Silent Hill Homecoming and Strider for example. The reverse would be cool to see, not often they trust Western IPs to Japanese studios.

Its true and Capcom found that out the hard way.

"he said that Japanese creators should “keep pursuing the things Japanese people like"

The ironic thing from Sakurai statement:

1. Plenty of Japanese devs are still making games that cater to what Japanese people like. But those games are not always resonate to Japanese people despite the game looks and plays exactly like the Japanese wants.

One example; Capcom with Kunitsu Gami. The game has very strong classic Japanese vibes and the uniqueness clearly aimed towards Japanese audiences. But i didn't heard anything about the game sold well among Japanese gamers. Meanwhile the overseas market including western market helped the game sold 500K copies. I wouldn't be surprised if somehow the new Onimusha and Okami 2 don't sell well in Japan.

2. It feels like Sakurai isn't really up to date with the current Japanese gaming market. This days, many Japanese gamers loves western games. They loves playing CoD, Valorant, Minecraft, Fortnite, Overwatch etc. Heck, i used to team up with Japanese players in TloU 1 Faction and Uncharted 4 MP.

And i remember Nagoshi praised Ghost of Tsushima and said Japanese devs should be the one making games like that. So i get it why some Japanese devs want to makes games similar to Western devs and cater to Western market.

@breakneck sega is leaning into the "look how crazy" too heavily Imo. That's why pirates is no day one purchase for me.

Gamers are universal and enjoy different games from all over the world. I've played with and against Japanese gamers in call of duty,EA wrc,dirt 2.0,diablo and most recently I've been seeing a fair few turn up in PoE2..even if japanese devs focus purely on Eastern influenced games the gamers will still purchase whatever they enjoy playing.

No love for Resident Evil 6

Most of my favourite games and shows have been from the East in recent years. The West's output has imo become stale for a variety of reasons.

Japanese games for the Japanese seems like a winning formula and I wholeheartedly support it.

@breakneck
A lot of studios cater to the west in that they often bow to our sensibilities rather than focus on their own culture. We've been seeing a lot of things being cut out of changed that wouldn't have been in the past, simply because it would be problematic for a western audience to experience. There is growing outrage over these changes from the Japanese audience, who do not believe they should have to submit to our sensibilities. The most recent thing I can think of was in dragon quest remake where they changed the designs of the outfits to make them more modest (even on the Japanese versions) and got backlash from their Japanese audience. We need to remember that we're not the center of the world and that if we want to play games from other countries we should be prepared to engage with things we don't agree with.

In all honesty that's probably for the best, that was the reason I played eastern games in the first place, because they were DIFFERENT.

I think Kojima is a bad example with him being a chronical westaboo and having wet dreams of Hollywood.

A guy who helms a Mario franchise is calling for Japanese developers to focus on their domestic audience and not worry about foreign sensibilities? Okay.

I’m not questioning the Japaneseness of Mario or Smash Brothers (they are as Japanese as any other game out there) I am pointing out that commercial art tends to be a broad thing whose creators draw from a range of influences including but not just local folklore.

I wonder why that guy on the left is pursuing. Maybe another farleys rusk

I disagree with the Death Stranding mention, I feel like Hideo Kojima’s games are very much Western influenced specifically Hollywood.

He’s the equivalent to weebs who wish they were Japanese. He’s a Japanese guy who probably wishes he was American at times.

Hes right. Not every developer has to make games that feel alike. While i skip most japanese rpgs its a good thing that their games are as different as they are. Just like in anime. Used to be kinda weird to us be we all loved it quickly

I dislike the term 'The West'. There are vast differences in cultures that we generically define as some sort of homogenized lump of unified tastes. The Japanese are vastly different to the Chinese, so too the Scots from the Spanish.

@danzoEX The biggest western influences in Kojima games is his cinematic cutscenes which very well coreograph and looks like a big budget Holywood movies. Outside that, his story and gameplay approach still feel very Japanese.

A game for everyone is a game for no one. look at all the recent western game releases that have been commercial failures

@breakneck times like Forspoken witb Square.

@Skeletor85 i dont think the western devs are pushing max profit by doing that. Just look at bioware, rocksteady and concord’s devs to name how it turn out for them. Ubisoft soon gonna go under for their part

If the game is good - I’ll buy it. That’s the only formula they need.

Yup, beside looks at western developers now, all the firing and a mess of underwhelming games, it's foolish for japanese (or any country) developers to appeal to western. Just let japanese games be japanese.

At the end of the day, he’s right about developers needing to make the kind of games they want to make. Usually it will work out if they follow their creative passion.

But segregation of Japanese studios from the rest of the world isn’t necessarily the best approach, in my opinion. I know he’s not advocating for that in these comments though. But sometimes the fandom does seem to push for a weird delineation of Japanese games staying purely ‘Japanese’, as if the West is tainting the sanctity of their creative products.

I think gaming is best with a fusion of cultural influences present, rather than silos of self-contained sociocultural products. That said, if a developer has a vision that is heavily culturally isolationist then they should feel empowered to pursue that, knowing that the reach of the product is likely to be limited. But that’s ok. Art isn’t always about commercial success. It’s ok to make something that only a select few will enjoy. There’s plenty of room in the industry for all types of games.

I have loved Japanese games since childhood. Nintendo is one of the reasons why I grew up loving Japan, eventually learning a bit of their language, and enjoying their culture.

Please keep Japanese games Japanese and I’ll be happy.

There's a reason I've been playing jrpgs for 26 years and mostly stay away from western games

@breakneck tbf regarding sonic, he was made to appeal to the west in the first place and isn’t even that popular in Japan

@Carnage Sakurai helms a Mario franchise? Last I checked he's been independent for over 15 years and worked on Kirby, Kid Icarus Uprising (independently) and Super Smash Bros.

Yep the comment section didn't disappoint. A lot of people choose to keep living under the idea that the Asian market is so much better and creative when most people over there either want to play hollow experiences wrapped in anime women with large breasts or gachas on their phone and the developers offer accordingly.

But hey what matters is the illusion that out there a place where they could belong exists right?

Except Capcom decided to broaden their target audience after their extremely rough late 2000s/early 2010s run and now they're the most successful they have ever been.

Maximilian Dood did a great video on it
https://youtu.be/1acZ1LqoVQo?si=NSs7Nn_UPjy3FHif

There's enough western gamers that will gravitate towards the uniqueness. They shouldn't sacrifice that. Monster hunter didn't sacrifice.

@RoomWithaMoose (#1) I absolutely agree with this statement. Diversity is exactly what makes art so compelling!!!!!

There are tons of Japanese games I'd love a whole lot more if the grinding aspect of them was eliminated, that's my chief complaint about Japanese games. Culturally, I say bring on the weirdness that comes with keeping it Japanese, I love that part.

Hey, "you do you".

Most Japanese games don't put up big numbers. Most of those "creative games" people talk about sold like a couple million tops.

I have to agree. Most of my favourite things from Japanese developers is how unique they are and how ridiculous at times. The nest parts of Like a dragon are the silly side quests

The Sims games are the only Western games I like the most.

I agree, I mean the west can have their 'we only understand and accept our culture' mentality. I'll easily play a visual novel, JRPG or puzzle game if it has subtitles and good gameplay mechanics or a cool weird world/tone I'm all in on that.

When I see Mario vs DK games & that US Nintendo studio making them & not other western appealing games I do get sad or Namco US/others.

Japanese audiences a& westerns into Japanese media will enjoy it not full west and pushing away sales/interest from audiences.

Metroid Prime is still part Japanese of say the arm cannon or other aspects of Metroid's design & Retro blended their aspects to it. They didn't go oh it's a gun now. Sure Nintendo says what goes but even still.

Even UK to US or vice versa some just don't work for some audiences no doubt but how they approach it is also the issue. It's not just a west and east culture thing if other western works don't work either of their humour or otherwise either.

I can tell silly from serious, fan service humour levels to understand.

Anime fans of the west have proven they like the Japanese humour, design of anime, games, books, Jdramas, music, etc. Or how some still work across both.

Or Squid game/other Asian series over the years. Or westerners inspired by many Japanese/other countries works.

I still like Japanese media, tried some Korean or Chinese as well. It's not for 'protect it' but just go with what works. If it appeals then sure if it doesn't sure. I still jump in on those I find interesting because they are genuinely interesting not because "it's Japanese/Asian" media put a different distinction on it (which is just silly) but because what they offer sometimes are just more compelling then many western ones priorities nowadays (why I like older western works instead not nostalgia either, their older priorities were better) just don't fit my interest.

It varies what they are going for not because of "it's Japanese" and nonsense mentality of it's weird. I like the creative ideas they come up with more sometimes.

I enjoyed Diofield and do Front Mission Evolved, Binary Domain and others of Square, Sega and other Japanese publishers attempts for western appealing game attempts but I know they aren't the most ideal either and I enjoy the Japanese design more.

I mean western sitcoms, cartoons and more level of weird they get a pass but Japanese stuff apparently doesn't because cultural disconnect and stupidity on the western viewer's part to understand when it's really not that hard to understand why.

It's like game box art, why do we need it worded everywhere, or people don't look and want someone to tell them. Because laziness/stupidity to think/read about it for more then 2 seconds.

Their mentality of laws/morals and humour they don't get versus basic research many westerners aren't willing to do it because it like ads have to be shoved in their face for them to care/understand if they don't have a creative/open mind to entertainment. Or take a dive if they are willing to.

Thing is many still stick to popular series and only occasion try to make niche ones. Capcom hasn't unless particular times & have the same western publisher approach of popular games focus but just still good mix of Japanese/western appealing execution for their games, better then Square has tried. So I see why praise for Capcom. It varies for others I have to research/play them more.

Part 2:
It varies, fun worlds/characters/tone & gameplay does come first with Japanese games no some IRL messaging & graphics of western games I find boring to play. Taking fiction in enjoyable ways.

Sure some still niche and Japanese only easily understood so it makes sense & but still wide enough to be enjoyable or those still willing to be niche stay in Japan & on occasion come overseas.

If many concepts are still appealing to the west, still easily understood it's not that hard.

Even some adaptations suck the life out of it when it was already easy to understand to all countries or presented good characters, situations, tone & more but no some western non creatives get their hands on these anime live action adaptations, games, art or otherwise & make them worse.

They know their place & push it when they have to work towards that like other creatives with their names well known not convert others terribly we didn't come for them, we came for the original or the big creatives that worked for their creations/name to be presented, but localised HOW it should be not converted to something else.

Using localisation/voice acting is one thing but whether dubs or subtitled and Japanese dub, the elements that still make sense regardless of region or are better because they are part of that region's ideas and tone/world building and more is enough of some jokes, fictional silly scenarios and more.

If we can have western cartoons or teen/mature games, books, tv shows with enough nonsense in them to still be enjoyable, it's clear.

The different levels of Japanese humour & worlds, going for gameplay & tying it in well.

Like come on. If others don't get it sure.

Many westerners clearly enjoy Japanese design in their media and we want it to stay. Westernising it makes it really boring, dry, and forgettable.

It's a bit of both. There is nothing wrong with making a game for a Japanese or Western audience but games need to be translated to English for their to be a Western audience. Even if the audio is not translated there should be English subtitles. Most Japanese game can easily be in only two languages like Japanese and English and the can find a worldwide audience. Other languages are beneficial but at the bare minimum they need English.

I think Kojima’s games are uniquely Japanese, but appeal to Western audiences as well.

Death Stranding is a prime example.

I can't say if that's a good idea or not as I don't know what the Japanese people like. I'm from the west and I don't like no games from the west. I only like games from the East. So I would say keep making games that I like.

Couldn't agree more, I loved Japanese games because they were uniquely Japanese. As soon as they started to cater for western audiences they lost the plot.

It does feel like the Japanese devs are going back to just doing what they do best now.