Poll: Japanese games Misunderstood?

[weker]

Okay recently I have been pondering about game reviews.
Games like Lost Planet, Armoured core 4 and in the future Front missions evolved are to name a few seem to always be attacked by players complaining that the games don't follow mainstream themes.
In my opinion most Japanese games which aren't JRPG tend to be a welcome breath of fresh air, from all the games that have been corrupted by the call of duty series.

Just want to know other peoples thoughts.


P.S posted this on game trailers but by god they where usless

Many reviewers tend to hold a games unqiue Japanese parts agianst the game.

 

[reg42]

They aren't really misunderstood, or at least that isn't the word I'd use. I just think stereotypical Japanese mannerisms can be very off putting to westerners, which is what a lot of Japanese games have.

 

[JEBWrench]

I played a Japanese game once. Misunderstood every line of dialog.

Ba-dum-tish!

 

[traineesword]

well its just personal taste isn't it? If the game reviewers from GameTrailers have panic attacks when a new gaming feature, such as one implemented from japanese games, then thats their loss. If they throw a paddy because their health doesn't regenerate, then whatever. i don't tend to listen to reviewers anyway. Okay, i'll read there review (because they can often be funnily crafted/written), but i'll often play the game and disagree with their opinion.

I don't get why people would want to complain about them "not following mainstream themes"... because they can just play their "mainstream themes" and not have to think about the big bad game ever again

Is there really a lot to misunderstand?

Big Bouncy Boobs. lol...

bwahahaha, thats hilarious... but is that really a japanese thing? i was pretty sure "big boobs" was a universal thing.
the japanese get critisized for "underage girls" so i don't get how they can be linked with "oversize breasts" at the same time. thats a lie actually, i can.

 

[randomrob]

The only Japanese games i really play are Nintendo games and JRPG's, but i wouldn't say other Japanese games are misunderstood. They appeal to their audience I guess, that audience just isn't me. Or anyone I know.

 

[weker]

Just to add more fuel to the fire one game which pissed me off because of reviewers want mainstream features was reviews for Alien Versus Predator where many reviews complained no crouch button.

 

[weker]

Is there really a lot to misunderstand?

Big Bouncy Boobs. lol...

Oooookay after that video finishs there is some really dirty stuff
^ ^
O_O (eyebrows get down here)

 

[azncutthroat]

Okay recently I have been pondering about game reviews.
Games like Lost Planet, Armoured core 4 and in the future Front missions evolved are to name a few seem to always be attacked by players complaining that the games don't follow mainstream themes.
In my opinion most Japanese games which aren't JRPG tend to be a welcome breath of fresh air, from all the games that have been corrupted by the call of duty series.

Just want to know other peoples thoughts.


P.S posted this on game trailers but by god they where usless

Many reviewers tend to hold a games unqiue Japanese parts agianst the game.

For most Western gamers (which obviously most Escapists are), yes, Japanese games are poorly misunderstood.

What most Western gamers don't understand is that games actually reflect the culture they are in. For example, Western culture is greatly influenced by democratic principals and personal freedom, hence why Western games typically allow a great deal of choice and freedom for players, most notably sandbox games like GTA.

Likewise, in Japanese culture (at least, traditionally), a person must find and accept their "place" in society. Thus, Japanese games, particularly JRPGs, are typically rigid in nature, since the player is "fulfilling" the character's role in the game (usually saving the world) and why there are many recurring characters and personalities.

Also, the demographics of Japan, which is mostly ethnically homogenous (in other words, not many foreigners), coupled with the Japanese tendency to adopt other cultural aspects (i.e. fashion) and internalize them to the point that it's recognizably Japanese with foreign influence (i.e maid cafes) and the polar characteristics with the West (i.e. Japanese kanji is read right to left vertically top to bottom and English is read left to right horizontally top to bottom, Westerners count on their fingers by closing their fist and opening fingers and Asians (not just Japanese) count by opening their hand and putting fingers down, etc. )... well, Japan is pretty "strange" to the West, and just as poorly misunderstood.

Is there really a lot to misunderstand?
-snip-

Big Bouncy Boobs. lol...

Btw, the video wasn't about big bouncy tits... it was about looking up the character's skirt.

 

[AgentBJ09]

It's hard to misunderstand anything about Japanese games when so many of the ones I've seen at work have an almost monotonous feel to them. As such, I believe European games are more misunderstood than Japanese ones.

Japan, in my observation, is far to liberal with the sexualization of women in their games. Up-skirt shots, large breasts in DoA and others, fetishes of almost every variety. I grew tired of it, and I try and stay away from Japanese games because of it.

Now, European games like Gothic, Risen, Crysis, Sacred, The Witcher, Two Worlds, ect., are more misunderstood because the Europeans design them in such a way that you have to slow down and think about what you're doing.

 

[NeutralDrow]

What most Western gamers don't understand is that games actually reflect the culture they are in. For example, Western culture is greatly influenced by democratic principals and personal freedom, hence why Western games typically allow a great deal of choice and freedom for players, most notably sandbox games like GTA.

Likewise, in Japanese culture (at least, traditionally), a person must find and accept their "place" in society. Thus, Japanese games, particularly JRPGs, are typically rigid in nature, since the player is "fulfilling" the character's role in the game (usually saving the world) and why there are many recurring characters and personalities.

...that's reading way, way, way too much into it.

It's also ignoring the vast body of linear Western games and the existence of Japanese sandbox games (I'll see your Grand Theft Auto and raise you an Animal Crossing), and the fact that Japan's gamers and the industry that caters to them are among the most individualist of the Japanese. Also not getting into the fact that Japan has been a liberal democracy for quite a long time now.

 

[antipunt]

I like Jrpgs but I'm not really sure...if they're 'misunderstood'

 

[Penguinness]

As is common with japanese games, anime.. they love boobs. I find Dead or Alive to be a good fighting game, but it's not something you want to play with someone like your girlfriend who will give you judging looks.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

I think there may be something lost in translation. Between our cultures there are many different ques which lead people to resonate a certain reaction. Americans with no cultural understanding of Japan may completely miss something that the average Japanese person would find incredibly important. And vice versa.

 

[Hashime]

No, they just tend to suck. There are some good ones obviously, but If you want to play a horrible, badly dubbed, culturally irrelevant, tedious, cliched, and sucky game, the Japanese have made it.

 

[Baron Von Evil Satan]

What's not to understand about tentacle sex?

For cereals: Of course there is a huge cultural difference between Japan and the west. Stuff get's changed to fit the references better, which can make the western version greatly different than the original Japanese version.

 

[DrHoboPHD]

No not really.

I'm not an expert on Japanese culture, I'll admit, but I find it hard to believe that in Japan cliches are considered excellent gameplay/story.

Now I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. While making at least one female look innocent with a young face while having tits bigger than her head, one that looks like she is 12-16 and act as cutesy and girlish as possible while wearing suggestive clothing, and one woman in her late twenties/early thirties that is fetishized to the point of hilarity is probably as bad as it sounds, I can look the other way there.

I can also give them the benefit of the doubt on their whole "make every main character an androgynous young mopey boy who tries to be serious and tough but obviously is vulnerable and wields a phallic sword of massive proportions." thing.

I can give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that pretty much every japanese character ever isn't as sexual as they seem (even though they obviously are.) I can ignore the blatantly sex-obsessed and in some places almost perverted themes that go on.

Here is what I can't ignore. THEY USE THE SAME CHARACTER ARCHETYPES/THEMES IN ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO. Even if you ignore the sex obsessed nature of it all the fact that (this is not an exaggeration) what has to be a good 95% of all anime/video games that come out of japan follow these same themes to the letter is just absolutely terrible storytelling/writing. If it wasn't for stupid and easily pleased weeaboos we might see some quality and originality come out of that country a bit more often, but no instead we are stuck with fucking final fantasy 7 and Bleach and Naruto.

 

[child of lileth]

I don't think they're misunderstood, as much as it's a bias market. "No generic space marines?! This game is shit! 4.0/10.0"- Gamespot employee.

Not all Japanese games are good by any means. But some aren't as bad as some reviewers say.

 

[omega 616]

It's hard to misunderstand anything about Japanese games when so many of the ones I've seen at work have an almost monotonous feel to them. As such, I believe European games are more misunderstood than Japanese ones.

Japan, in my observation, is far to liberal with the sexualization of women in their games. Up-skirt shots, large breasts in DoA and others, fetishes of almost every variety. I grew tired of it, and I try and stay away from Japanese games because of it.

Now, European games like Gothic, Risen, Crysis, Sacred, The Witcher, Two Worlds, ect., are more misunderstood because the Europeans design them in such a way that you have to slow down and think about what you're doing.

Wrong way round I think, I have not played any of the western games you listed but I do know crysis is an FPS and the only eastern games I have played are FFX, which is turn based and MGS which is a stealth action game, meant to be taken slowly but again you can Rambo it, the difference is MGS rewards you for taking your time.

Turn based forces you to slow down, fps you can go all stealthy but you can also go Rambo. Either way turn based is far slower than FPS.

You also made two opposite comparisons, you talked about the look of eastern games but the gameplay mechanics of western games.

On topic. I don't understand the misunderstanding in the OP. Sorry.

 

[soapyshooter]

not really misunderstood. 90% of the games are absolute shit and 10% are precious gems (Ico, SotC, MGS)

 

[Legion]

Is there really a lot to misunderstand?

Big Bouncy Boobs. lol...

That's slightly creepy.