I do not like Western games at all (please read)

[Archaeology Hat]

Where is the variety? I from time to time want to shoot something! I want the game to be reasonably realistic! Since when do games being realistic make them not awesome and fun.
WHERE IS THE FUN!?!

Sorry I went on a rant there, but I had to say something. and I am pretty sure I am not the only one who thinks this way. I am no way baised on games. Dont get me wrong. Its just how can you blame me. It seems that developers either:

cant think of anything original or creative
publishers dont want to take risks

and thats just sad. I was watching this thread and thinking and came up with this:

The 3 A's of Japanese games

Anime
Angst
Androgeny

The 3 F's of Western games

Fun
Fantasy
Freedom(in games to do what I want)

If you think about, this pretty much sums it all up

I am not saying Japanese games suck all together, its just now I dont see any that interest me.
I just cant believe games like Final Fantasy sell like crazy, while creative and FUN games developers like Troikia go out of buisiness.

- That over I have to say I really don't think Japanese games are any better than Western ones, points mentioned earlier, alot of the rubbish is filtered out for us, and quite alot of what we get isn't much better than the our home-grown garbage.

 

[werepossum]

My wife plays adventure and puzzle games, and I think they're all Western. Our grandchildren play Japanese consolers and watch anime, and personally we hate it. Ninja children with huge swords, chicks with huge swords, androgynous boys who look like chicks with huge swords, and so much high school soap opera angst that we suffocate. It's just what each person likes and dislikes. Personally I can't wait to buy Crysis and Call of Duty 4. I can't imagine why anyone would want to watch/control cell-shaded transvestites with swords that weigh more than my Tracker. I'm also guessing that you (Zera) are young and female, and that's a demographic that the Japanese target more heavily that Western developers. Oddly, Japanese developers seem to prefer slicing people in into pieces with huge swords much more than they like shooting them.

So my wife and I can't abide angst, you and my wife don't like shooters, you and my grandchildren like Japanese style and drama, and my grandchildren and I like shooting things. Not really East versus West so much as personal preference. Go on Steam or look at a Walmart and you'll find lots of casual PC puzzle and adventure games, most from Western developers. Assuming you have a relatively recent PC with a decent video card, try the two Siberia games; they're excellent, with good plotting, gorgeous graphics, and no shooting, hacking, or sports.

 

[Unholykrumpet]

Woah, what's wrong with senseless killing, realism, and rights? You attribute "fun" to Japanese games which sounds to me more like you couldn't think of any other description for it and neglected some awesome Western games that do get that formula right. Oblivion, Fallout, Battle For Middle Earth, FEAR, Bioshock, Dawn of War, Baldur's Gate, World in Conflict, Warcraft III, Empire At War, Two Worlds (which kinda sucked but was still okay), Rainbow Six (tactical shooters), MOH:Airborne Assault, Company of Heroes, and that's just games that are on my desktop. All of them are great, original in significant ways, and most of them have good multiplayer. Throw away that PS3 or 360 and come back to where the great games are: PC.

Uh, most of the titles you mentioned are also on 360. I'm sorry, but I like my multiplayer experience to not be "who has the best comp setup and gets 200 fps", which console successfully does. Sorry, just thought I'd point that out. Other than that, I agree with your statement, most of those titles do own most Japanese titles. Oh, and the disney game aladdin kicked serious ass.

 

[Jacques 2]

There are always settings you can change to make games run better, so just about everyone gets a fair chance online as long as they have a good connection. After that it comes down to luck, strategy and what the game gives you. If X class/faction/weapon can always beat Y/Class/faction/weapon, then there it isn't fair to begin with. I don't play console games mainly because I have poor thumb control skills and can't on the fly use my thumbs to change my view. In the majority of games I play, it's FPS, so if I can't look freely, I'm not going to get much fun out of it.

On Topic: See WerePossum's post, as I agree with it 90%

 

[Fraeon [deprecated]]

I registered because felt like adding that by just sticking to the AAA titles, you're sure to get yourself playing the same games over and over. Simply because lots of money usually means little to no risk. That's usually how it goes. You can see the same stuff in Japan too... what were Nintendo's most waited games for the Wii again? Super Mario, Zelda and Metroid. That's right, the same game series we had seen 20 years ago. I was really looking forward to Project H.A.M.M.E.R. and that Disaster game, but I haven't heard squat from either of them.

By the way, I haven't seen the Japanese doing anything like Spore. Also, your mentioned Phoenix Wright is much like Sam & Max with quizzes (courtroom sessions) interspersed to make the game longer. Well, okay, I'm exaggerating a bit. But it doesn't change the fact that PW is still a point-and-click mystery game and western developers have done (and do) plenty of those.

But if you like quirky, bright and different games from the west, try Psychonauts, Sam & Max Episodes, Bookworm Adventures or Viva Piñata and begin from there. You can get Psychonauts for the same price as a box of peanuts these days and it's really out there with the games you must play. Lest I'll hurt you badly. With my internet flamethrower.

I'm not sure how relevant this question is, but one from me: where do games from Eastern Europe and Russia stand?

It's just because...lately, I've noticed I've been playing a lot of those games: from Silent Storm to IL-2 Sturmovik to The Witcher to Space Rangers and its sequel. Some of their games remind me of the days of when games were done in bedrooms. And their game design is still a bit different from the stuff in the (true?) west.

 

[9NineBreaker9]

Perhaps the reason that American games arn't really that intresting is because of the over saturation in our market. Every other game made by an American company is where you shoot something, and, after the first fifty thousand or so, that kind of gets old after a while. The Japanese might face the same problems with their JPRG, but I won't say anything because I don't actually LIVE there >.>

But, I would have to agree...American games are becoming more and more depressing. Only once in a great while does something new or original come out. The only things that I have played recently are Bioshock, Kingdom Hearts 2, Final Fantasy Tactics, and some of the Pokemon games. Now...only one of those games was NOT Japanese.

Maybe you are the rare kind of gamer...the one that (GASP!!) likes to have fun, rather than look at the sparkly blood splatters that every other game offers. Seriously! It's high time that the American game developers got of their sorry [expletives] and did something original or entertaining...there are so very few American games that are the out of the ordinary, happy-go-lucky fun-fests that mos Japanese games are (Pheonix Wrong, Trauma Center(s), Final Fantays...).

And, again, we need to respect the opinions of others. Just because THIS person doesn't like the spit polish American games that have little to no depth doesn't mean that we have to kill him...

And...50 Cent: Bulletproof!?!? WHY!? WHAT ARE THE CHILDRENS THINKING!!?!? *Mission 1: Go to the Laundry (I so wish I wasn't making that up...)*

 

[shadow skill]

You know something I think one major problem here is that shooters (Particularly first-person shooters.) are almost completely stagnant as a genre. Everything from the gameplay to the weapons themselves is exactly the same. All game genres suffer from this but most of the other genres compensate for this by at least attempting to have some story elements. Personally I think that the people responsible for making shooters need to dispense with the idea that a faceless and/or nameless hero makes the game more immersive and try telling a story for once. Not all of us have a three second attention span.

Though I agree with the poster who pointed out that what we see from Japan is indeed filtered, I also think that there is truth to what the OP is talking about. Look at the Xbox 360 and the sheer number of shooters that have come out for it. I cannot help but think that the vast majority of the games that would be localized for the Japanese market would be first person shooters. Even if you take into account the amount of shooter ports on the PS3 currently ome has to admit that the biggest games for the system (not including ports) have been mostly action adventure/ action rpg games.

As for KOTOR the game itself is good but I cannot help but feel cheated by the overly simplistic nature of Jedi Vs. Sith. The games also are not helped by the lack of emotional connection to characters. I am hoping that Mass Effect or The Witcher provide for more engaging conflicts.

Ps. I really wish there was a service for legitimately renting PC games because I do see some hope for decent games on the PC where rpg's are concerned because even with it'd flaws I can't say that I hated KOTOR.

 

[Jacques 2]

A faceless hero allows you to play as you, though I would prefer for Valve to at least show Gordon's reflection and HEV suit when you look down, I can deal with the being a mute bit, but the rest gets annoying.

The gameplay and weapons of shooters differentiate after the basic pistol, machine gun, sniper rifle, shotgun, crossbow and rocket launcher, but not much. The reason for this is because they are the basic sets of weapons we have today and that's what we've come up with so far. When an original concept is invented, it's usually a long time before it actually becomes fun to play with. Also, can you come up with a weapon that hasn't already been done?

FPS games have had stories, almost since the beginning. See Deus Ex, the System/Bio- Shock series, as well as the Half Life games, etc. etc.

JRPGs revolve around androgynous or child male characters fighting an evil nemesis that they are semi-related to in some way 80% of the time. 10% are just like the other 80% but the villain isn't in any way related to the character. The remaining 10% are divided up among, RPGs with female main characters, and games with an original theme.

I can't see the fun in taking turns in a fight 2 feet from your enemy.

 

[ROBO_LEADER]

Really, I think truly choosing a side is near impossible. While the Western games that seem to get the most publicity are what you have mentioned, that is in no way what the Three Rs of western gaming should be.

[Three R's removed due to lame comeback]

Where a game is made, or the style that it is made in doesn't affect the quality of a truly good game. I personally like First-Person Shooters, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't really enjoy playing Beyond Good and Evil a few times through. I like to play Age of Empires, but that doesn't mean that I can't like the Kingdom Hearts series just as much, if not more (Which I do, great games the entire way though). You say you don't like Western games at all, I'm not going to dispute your opinion by saying "You're wrong", so just take a look at the list of Western-made games I own that may change your mind:

Psychonauts
Age of Empires or Command and Conquer
Metroid Prime series
Beyond Good & Evil
Second Sight
Darwinia
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Personally, I really see no argument between Japanese and Western-made games, I think that if it's a good game, it's a good game, period.

 

[sumwar]

Before this thread ends could someone mention some innovative fun games that are from Japan?

edit: I found Gears of War to be innovative. Before then I never played a game with that sort of hide behind stuff and then duck out to shoot. Granted I don't buy games often(I'm a lazy bastard that needs to get a job=p).

 

[Fraeon [deprecated]]

Such long lists, yet no Dreamfall love.

I forgot it from my list as well, but it's well worth a mention.

 

[Jacques 2]

Which is the title and which is the subtitle though, "The Longest Journey" is the series title?

 

[Daxelman]

Tapth, it said Senseless.

You forget, senseless sells, "us westerners" like our violence served with a hot cup of bloom.

And you forget also, Japanese developers have produced shit too, It just hasn't reached America yet, nor do I ever hope it will...

BTW, Fallout>>>>>>>>>>>any JRPG, or ANY rpg for that matter, and "Easterners" play coughcoughStracraftcoguhcoguh too.

 

[LordOmnit]

I find it absolutely hilarious how often people use the term JRPG in a mocking way. I can't say that many of their complaints, though, are not valid points in that gameplay is frequently punctuated by random storyline bits (or bites and choking slammed in your throat fests), but then again, in any kind of game with a story you can't say it isn't the same thing to a degree. There is always some point where you lose control for story purposes (for the direct comparison), and either way all you are doing in any game with a story is progressing the story by playing. For those of you who think that you are playing a game that you get to chose the story, sorry, you are just revealing a story (if Fallout is this way, as this is kind of a direct response to the previous post by Daxelman, I don't intend to belittle it, since I haven't played it and hear that it is very good).
As for Japaness producers producing shit also, too true, the oceans of games that get released and don't sell into the fourth-digit are around over there, but then again you have to take into account that that is the exact opposite over here, where WESTERNERS are tight-fisted with their money, only producing what they are almost sure will be well-recieved (or they are trying to get their name out). Which is an understandable sentiment, but then again producing something for the sole purpose of having it sell well and make money off of it and milk it for all it's worth has no artistic vision at all, but producing oceans of crap to wade through for that one bit of pretty quartz isn't much better.
So what am I saying here?
Well, if everyone decided that it would be better to try and concentrate efforts to produce something of higher quality in ALL aspects (rather than better graphics, better story, or better gameplay), then maybe we wouldn't need to discuss things like this.
And that Starcraft comment doesn't make much sense, considering that "Westerners" play coughcoughMaddencoughcoughGTAcoughcough. I've heard people say that if they felt like playing a JRPG, then they'd just:

"watch some random anime and fiddle with the remote every once in a while"

(which I found hilarious despite playing JRPG's a lot) but for something like GTA you can literally turn on the news for some place like Miami or some other big crime-ridden city and get it much faster than having some avatar run around and smack around bitches and hoes, then get shot down by the police or fight back with them, or anything else you hear on the depressing news (verbatim, not similar to).
Or for other violence-fests you can visit your local B-movie theatre or Blockbuster/Hollywood Video for your fill of violence with the MILLIONS of horror, thriller, and action movies that come out.

 

[Olduvai_Joe]

Well, if everyone decided that it would be better to try and concentrate efforts to produce something of higher quality in ALL aspects (rather than better graphics, better story, or better gameplay), then maybe we wouldn't need to discuss things like this.
And that Starcraft comment doesn't make much sense, considering that "Westerners" play coughcoughMaddencoughcoughGTAcoughcough. I've heard people say that if they felt like playing a JRPG, then they'd just:

"watch some random anime and fiddle with the remote every once in a while"

(which I found hilarious despite playing JRPG's a lot) but for something like GTA you can literally turn on the news for some place like Miami or some other big crime-ridden city and get it much faster than having some avatar run around and smack around bitches and hoes, then get shot down by the police or fight back with them, or anything else you hear on the depressing news (verbatim, not similar to).
Or for other violence-fests you can visit your local B-movie theatre or Blockbuster/Hollywood Video for your fill of violence with the MILLIONS of horror, thriller, and action movies that come out.

I love how people view GTA as the quintessential western game, yet in San Andreas' first week it outsold Okami's total sales in 2006 in Japan.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Ckami#Sales
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=12634

I am pretty sure American developers can come up with awesome ideas for existing genres and even new ones. Its unfortunate that most publishers like to take fewer bets on cool ideas.

Ever noticed that Japanese companies do well, if not better with American licences. I mean look at Capcom. They mad those awesome beat-em-ups with licenses like the Punisher and Alien vs. Predator. Now those were fun. Konami did well with Ninja Turtles and the X-men. Hell when Capcom had the Marvel licence, they came together and created the Marvel vs. Capcom series. That was epic. And what did Marvel do? They left Capcom and went with *shudders* EA and created Marvel Nemesis. That was a great game wasnt it?(I am being sarcastic if you are confused)

Marvel also let Activision have the license, and they created the great RPG X-Men Legends and its sequel. When the Alien Vs Predator license went to a western company, that company (Monolith, as in the No One Lives Forever/F.E.A.R. Monolith, not the Baten Kaitos/Xenosaga Monolith) created two great games with it and proceeded to make an awesome TRON game. There are many, many great western games out there, you just need to know where to look.