The Nintendo World Store: they’ve got the games, but can they deliver the goods?

Somewhere out there, like some mythical creature, there exists a store just for Nintendo. The close cousin of other such decadent shopping fantasies as wholesale cupcake shops and free computer giveaways, an all-Nintendo store seems to promise decades of classic-title fun, packed into one high-energy, perusable commercial space. In short, it sounds like a blast. Who knows what wonders a fanboy (or fangirl, as the case may be) imagines might fill a Nintendo World store. Unfortunately, if the potential is infinite, the reality is definitely limited. True, high hopes shouldn’t overshadow the merits of a moderately interesting establishment. But this Nintendo enthusiast for one made the trip expecting to be a kid in a candy store, only to find herself in an average store surrounded by candy-toting kids.

Looking at the effects of society, media, and big business on the cultural presence of video games on either side of the Atlantic.

As American gamers, it’s not so unusual to stop and think about what gaming culture is like in Japan. Japanese top-ten charts, reports of “wacky” products, and stories of extreme fanaticism often make our video game news. On the social ladder of the gaming world, Japan still stands, if precariously, one rung above the United States. We look up to Japanese video game culture in many ways, not so much because we want to emulate it, but because we recognize its uniqueness. It gives us something to judge our own habits against. Slowly, through the lense of video games, we can begin to recognize broader issues: society, consumerism, history - both Japan’s and our own. In looking outward, we gain perspective and, ultimately, the ability to turn the objective eye away from others and onto ourselves.