Ninja Gaiden III Was a "Japanese Hamburger"

[John Funk]

Ninja Gaiden III Was a "Japanese Hamburger"

An attempt to appeal to Western gamers backfired.

A certain seemed to be cribbing from some Western games [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation] as opposed to its notoriously difficult Japanese roots. According to developer Team Ninja, his assessment is completely correct - in trying to appeal more to a Western audience, the studio had stumbled.

"It seems like we made a Japanese hamburger for the West," Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi told Gamasutra [http://gamasutra.com/view/news/172492/Serving_damn_good_sushi_is_the_Japanese_developers_path_says_Team_Ninja.php]. In doing so, says Hayashi, Team Ninja lost sight of its strengths and what the industry expected from a Japanese studio. "[Maybe] as a Japanese developer, we need to make good Japanese food... and that's what people are wanting from a Japanese developer."

As the Japanese industry flounders, says Hayashi, studios try to do whatever they can "just to basically stay above water," and that includes aping the West because that is seen as the most lucrative market. After hitting a wall with Ninja Gaiden, though, it was important for Team Ninja to reflect on what made it a notable developer in the first place. "We really felt that we need to emphasize our strengths as a developer and push those further, moving forward."

"I like Assassin's Creed, but that's not the only game I want to play," he says. Ubisoft has resources that Tecmo and Team Ninja simply can't bring to bear. "We can't compete directly with that, and we don't want to. That's not where we are."

But even in the face of a diminished Japanese industry, says Hayashi, it will always have a place provided it focuses on its strengths. "Maybe if the industry is going for that Hollywood blockbuster direction, we can offer something that's different," says Hayashi. "It's not like everybody wants to see Transformers every day."

"[Gameplay] will be first... We're not going to offer burgers anymore, but we're going to offer you damn good sushi."

Thanks, Yosuke Hayashi. Now I'm really hungry.

Source: Gamsutra [http://gamasutra.com/view/news/172492/Serving_damn_good_sushi_is_the_Japanese_developers_path_says_Team_Ninja.php]

Permalink

 

[Ne1butme]

I was about to make a comment about how a Japanese hamburger made from Kobe beef is delicious. Then I checked and since i've never been to japan, i very much doubt that the 'Kobe beef' hamburger i had in Arizona was legitimate Kobe Beef. And real Kobe beef would never be ground up.


So.... i guess the analogy is apt.


Also... yum, sushi. I think i'm going to have some tonight.

 

[Tanis]

Well at least they know where they went wrong:
Trying to be a clone of DMC.

Now, with the ACTUAL DMC in their hand, maybe that experience will help them make a good DMC.

 

[gigastar]

So, theyve admitted Ninja Gaiden 3 was crap and now we should all forget about it because the next one is taking no cues from it...

Sounds good, so long as they retcon the cursed arm thing.

Well at least they know where they went wrong:
Trying to be a clone of DMC.

Now, with the ACTUAL DMC in their hand, maybe that experience will help them make a good DMC.

Youre confusing Team Ninja with Ninja Theory.

Not that i blame you, it takes me a few seconds to get it straight in my head too.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

"It's not like everybody wants to see Transformers every day."

Yeah.... that's a GREAT example of a movie for that analogy, mate.
How about, almost no one wants to see that crud more than zero times.... better analogy already!

 

[Zhukov]

"Japanese hamburger" actually sounds pretty tasty.

...

Incidentally, what exactly are these strengths of the Japanese developers that this guy is talking about?

 

[Formica Archonis]

Source: Gamsutra [http://gamasutra.com/view/news/172492/Serving_damn_good_sushi_is_the_Japanese_developers_path_says_Team_Ninja.php]

Is that a site for really nice legs? Instant bookmark for me.

 

[KeyMaster45]

"It's not like everybody wants to see Transformers every day."

Yeah.... that's a GREAT example of a movie for that analogy, mate.
How about, almost no one wants to see that crud more than zero times.... better analogy already!

You say that, and yet the movies make dump trucks full of cash every time they hit theaters. I think it's fair to say that while they're crap, a whole lot of people are paying to see them.

OT: All this talk of burgers and video games is making me very hungry. I can't give an opinion on the last Ninja Gaiden game since I didn't play it, but it's nice to see a developer come out and admit that they made mistakes.

 

[Micalas]

I was about to make a comment about how a Japanese hamburger made from Kobe beef is delicious. Then I checked and since i've never been to japan, i very much doubt that the 'Kobe beef' hamburger i had in Arizona was legitimate Kobe Beef. And real Kobe beef would never be ground up.


So.... i guess the analogy is apt.


Also... yum, sushi. I think i'm going to have some tonight.

+1 on the Kobe burgers.

Also, have any of you had teryaki burgers? Decisious. This man has no idea how much their Japanese hamburgers appeal to us!

 

[Zhukov]

Incidentally, what exactly are these strengths of the Japanese developers that this guy is talking about?

They know how to make the best hack-and-slash games, their industry doesn't revolve around the success of generic shooters, they're very good (for the most part) at avoiding 'broader appeal' and instead focusing on making games with depth and hardcore appeal, they have their own sense of style rather than constantly ripping off Lord Of The Rings/Star Wars, their cultural differences give their storytelling techniques a unique flavour that forms a nice contrast to the sea of beige storytelling we're flooded with in the west, they tend to avoid masturbatory gun-fetishing in favour of actual introspection and analysis on violence and its effects, and they usually strive to make their games stand out with unique features, rather than simply making clones of whatever else is successful at the time...

You want me to continue?

No, not really.

To be honest, none of what you're saying strikes me as particularly correct.

Granted, I don't play enough Japanese games to make an informed judgement one way or the other.

 

[shadowstriker86]

I was about to make a comment about how a Japanese hamburger made from Kobe beef is delicious. Then I checked and since i've never been to japan, i very much doubt that the 'Kobe beef' hamburger i had in Arizona was legitimate Kobe Beef. And real Kobe beef would never be ground up.


So.... i guess the analogy is apt.


Also... yum, sushi. I think i'm going to have some tonight.

+1 on the Kobe burgers.

Also, have any of you had teryaki burgers? Decisious. This man has no idea how much their Japanese hamburgers appeal to us!

might wanna read this aboot kobe beef:

http://www.cracked.com/article_19896_the-6-creepiest-lies-food-industry-feeding-you_p2.html

 

[Zhukov]

If you don't play many Japanese games, why make snarky comments on the issue? Why try and correct me on something you have no way of actually knowing yourself? Gee skip, maybe it would just a good idea to actually go and play some more Japanese games before trying to make such bold statements? I certainly wouldn't want to comment on the Polish games industry without playing their wares first.

Ugh.

You are reading hostility that isn't there. I was not looking for an argument, especially not on a subject that I am, by my own admission, not particularly knowledgable on.

My initial question was one of curiosity, not snark. As in, "What strengths are particular to Japanese developers?", not "Gee, who do those dumb Japs think they are?". Your response was sullen, defensive and borderline hostile.

As for why I don't play more Japanese games, it's simply because precious few of them interest me enough to part me from my cash. If I could get them for free I'd happily give them a try. Sadly, this being reality and all, I am constrained by the limits of my wallet.

 

[antipunt]

HEY!

For your information, I happen to really like Japanese Hamburg steak!

..

wait, that's the same thing, right? >_>

 

[LazyAza]

All they needed to do for NG3 to be awesome was make another game like the first two but obviously improved in the ways that make sense. Tighter more responsive controls, a better camera, enemies that aren't quite as cheap but still really challenging. And to increase the potential audience for the title just include a mode where the game plays the same but the player isn't anywhere near as punished which is done simply through modifying the amount of damage they can take, the amount the enemies dish and the amount needed for enemies to be killed. I mean how was this not incredibly obvious?

 

[Grygor]

What amazes me is that they thought they had to make a game about a ninja more appealing TO ANYONE!

What amazes me is that they felt the need to "westernize" a franchise that has always been more popular in the West to begin with...