Yoichi Wada Blasts Japanese Retailers for Anti-Western Bias

John Funk

U.N. Owen Was Him?
Dec 20, 2005
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Yoichi Wada Blasts Japanese Retailers for Anti-Western Bias



Square-Enix boss Yoichi Wada has once again taken his countrymen to task for their bias against Western-made games, but this time he's levied his complaints against retailers who refuse to carry the games in the first place.

Maybe it's just that Square-Enix acquired decidedly Western developer Eidos last year, but for whatever reason, Squeenix CEO Yoichi Wada seems to have a real grudge lately against the Japanese game industry for their refusal to give Western games a chance. Back in December, he called out Japanese gamers [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/96584-Squeenix-CEO-Calls-Out-Japanese-Gamers-on-Western-Bias] on the term youge- for Western-made games, which he said was "discriminatory" in that it implied that they weren't actual games.

In the same Batman: Arkham Asylum [http://www.next-gen.biz/magazine/an-audience-with-yoichi-wada] is absolutely one that fits Japanese tastes - it's Metal Gear Solid, but better.

"Well, actually, I've found the person that is prejudiced is actually the retailer and not the actual players ... the retailers have a prejudice against overseas titles, and they won't procure them. But something like Batman: Arkham Asylum, for example, is something that is very like the Japanese taste in games, in fact it caters to very much the Japanese taste."

"Arkham Asylum is like the best aspects of Metal Gear Solid, but evolved."

I dunno about that, Wada. I mean, Batman doesn't even have a mullet.

(Via VG247 [http://www.vg247.com/2010/01/07/wada-japanese-retailers-are-prejudiced-against-western-games/])

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Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
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Hes going to keep pushing the point...not a bad thing at least, if anyone is able to try and open the eyes of the Japanese public its one of the biggest developers
 

Cherry Cola

Your daddy, your Rock'n'Rolla
Jun 26, 2009
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You tell them Wada!

And you are wrong, Batmans tight spandex-suit is nowhere near as gay awesome as snake's!
 

IamQ

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Mar 29, 2009
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I think it's good that he wants the japanese retailers to be more open towards western games, just a shame that while not many (of any) retailers here west, are that much against japanese games, they've still got quite a reputation here.
 

Booze Zombie

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Dec 8, 2007
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Power to the man, people discriminating is never good.

Unless it's against Twilight, but that's for another thread, I fear.

Anyway, yeah, I always thought that a Batman game would be popular in Japan, it's strange to hear that the retailers aren't even bothering with a lot of Western games.
 

Georgeman

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Mar 2, 2009
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"Oh my godzorz! The game we published didn't sell so well so let's make a ***** tantrum again like we did with Modern Warfare 2!"

Retailers stock what the gamers want, Mr. Wada. If there is a demand for a game, then rest assured that the retailers will stock that game. If not then, well, you know what doesn't sell.
 
Dec 14, 2009
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iamq said:
I think it's good that he wants the japanese retailers to be more open towards western games, just a shame that while not many (of any) retailers here west, are that much against japanese games, they've still got quite a reputation here.
It'll be a while before we get anything like Rape play... then the world will implode.
 

Erana

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Feb 28, 2008
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Japanese Batman must sound epic.
I will be back after verification.

Edit: I have been sorely disappointed. :(
 

Lullabye

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Oct 23, 2008
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Georgeman said:
"Oh my godzorz! The game we published didn't sell so well so let's make a ***** tantrum again like we did with Modern Warfare 2!"

Retailers stock what the gamers want, Mr. Wada. If there is a demand for a game, then rest assured that the retailers will stock that game. If not then, well, you know what doesn't sell.
Maybe you didn't hear, but more often than not, our game titles are not promoted over in Japan. That's like the new final fantasy coming out in Japan, but it won't come out here because the retailers refuse to sell japanese games, for whatever reason. I traveled to Japan recently and brought ModernWarfare 2 wit me. I had a few friends over, and they brought a few of their friends and they all brought games they liked and we had a huge gaming pary. Everyone loved MW2 yet (not surprisingly) Most of them hadn't even heard of the game. Japan is a very proud nation that doesn't like taking much from other countries, and as such they sometimes get carried away with their patriotism.
 

Scrythe

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Jun 23, 2009
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CantFaketheFunk said:
Back in December, he called out Japanese gamers on the term youge- for Western-made games, which he said was "discriminatory" in that it implied that they weren't actual games.
The amount of irony in that sentence broke my Irony Radar.

Damn, these things are getting expensive...
 

Eldarion

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Sep 30, 2009
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CantFaketheFunk said:
I dunno about that, Wada. I mean, Batman doesn't even have a mullet.
Win

I had no idea this was an issue over there. Huh the more you know I guess.
 

Georgeman

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Mar 2, 2009
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Lullabye said:
Georgeman said:
"Oh my godzorz! The game we published didn't sell so well so let's make a ***** tantrum again like we did with Modern Warfare 2!"

Retailers stock what the gamers want, Mr. Wada. If there is a demand for a game, then rest assured that the retailers will stock that game. If not then, well, you know what doesn't sell.
Maybe you didn't hear, but more often than not, our game titles are not promoted over in Japan. That's like the new final fantasy coming out in Japan, but it won't come out here because the retailers refuse to sell japanese games, for whatever reason. I traveled to Japan recently and brought ModernWarfare 2 wit me. I had a few friends over, and they brought a few of their friends and they all brought games they liked and we had a huge gaming pary. Everyone loved MW2 yet (not surprisingly) Most of them hadn't even heard of the game. Japan is a very proud nation that doesn't like taking much from other countries, and as such they sometimes get carried away with their patriotism.
Regardless of the case, I'm still pretty sure that Wada is just venting frustration at the fact that Arkham Asylym didn't se- Oh wait, correction time. According to wikipedia, the game hasn't been released there yet. I see then, he is doing self-promotion for the game.

And I have a suspicion that even if those games were exactly the same, but with the difference of being developed by a Japanese developer, they would still not sell all too well there. I believe that each culture likes different games. I mean hey, Duck Hunt sold like crazy in America and crap everywhere else. Metroid Prime did well in America but not that great in Japan.

Gfan_00 said:
Didn't Eidos publish Arkham Asylum?
Not in Japan. Square-Enix will handle the publishing duties.
 

Wilbot666

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Aug 21, 2009
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The Japanese just don't like Arkham Asylum because Batman is an anti-ninja. His cowl covers the top half of his face instead of the bottom half. Silly Westerners, whoever heard of a ninja with a cape....