Topic: Nintendo Hopes to Create Stronger Ties with Overseas Developers

[NWR_pap64]

According to Nintendo, a relationship with these developers will be crucial on the next generation of gaming.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/26215

Nintendo needs to create stronger bonds with overseas developers in order to present a diverse selection of games, company president Satoru Iwata noted during the recent Financial Results Briefing.

Iwata was asked about Nintendo's relationship with western developers and how it will affect the launch of the Wii's successor, apparently being developed under the moniker Project Cafe. Iwata explained that due to cultural barriers, there are games that tend to perform better in certain areas. He cited Activision's Call of Duty series as an example of a game that performs well in western markets.

Iwata also explained that cultural differences tend to play a big role in a game's acceptance. "In addition, because the expressions in games are becoming more and more photo-realistic, I imagine that the cultural differences in acceptance have started to be reflected more clearly. I think this is the reason why western users tend to prefer software created overseas than software from Japanese software developers."

[Oblivion]

I think this is all talky-talky hype and none of this with come to fruition.

[broodwars]

Is he seriously saying that Western gamers like Western games better because the characters look more like us due to "photo-realistic graphics"?  Umm...yeah, you just keep dreaming, Iwata.  You just continue to overlook the plummeting level of creativity and innovation in Japanese developers while Western developers are creating content that appeals to the mass audience rather than reclusive otaku.

[Stogi]

Yes Mario Galaxy is the least creative game of this generation.

[broodwars]

Yes Mario Galaxy is the least creative game of this generation.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Mario Galaxy, but it was alright.  Japan is just extremely trend-based, and it's something you see reflected a lot in their media (such as anime, where it's really pronounced).  Once something becomes popular, suddenly everyone has to follow that trend until the next trend is found, and it really stifles their creative output.

[Stogi]

Having been to Japan, I can easily say that Japan's creativity is anything but stifled.

[ShyGuy]

hahaha Pedro.

[TrueNerd]

Hopefully Nintendo is going to back this up by unveiling a console that isn't a full console generation behind whatever Sony and Microsoft are cooking up so it's easy and it makes sense for third parties to put their multiplatform games on Project Cafe. It may sound weird, but I'd kill for a level of third party support that the GameCube enjoyed.

[Chozo Ghost]

Is he seriously saying that Western gamers like Western games better because the characters look more like us due to "photo-realistic graphics"?

Well, now that you mention it doesn't it seem like all (or almost all) of Nintendo's human characters are Caucasians? They all have blue eyes, and most of the princesses (plus Samus, because she isn't technically a princess) have blonde hair. People in Japan don't look like that, so its odd that these are mascot characters for a Japanese company. I can't think of a single Nintendo character that actually looks Japanese.

[Stogi]

Ness.

[Ceric]

Now on the flip side take FF7's characters.  In their original forms their pretty ethnically ambiguous but, in their new HD forms they are definitely that weird Japan self portrait of theirs.  That right their is probably the biggest reason I can't bring myself to watch any of the different things.  I can no longer connect with say Cloud, because he looks so different from well... everything.  I mean I know he's suppose to look Japanese but, Japanese people can't seem to make characters that actually look like a Japanese you see on the street.  While the more African American and European build is much easier to re-create.

[MegaByte]

Iwata's been saying some questionable things recently. This seems to be the similar to the problem with Capcom and Mega Man. I wonder how he came to this conclusion. Does it have anything to do with NOA?

[Ian Sane]

Prior to this gen the trends were such that Western gamers seemed to prefer Japanese games.  And that makes sense because since the NES the console market was dominated by Japanese games.  Nintendo, Square, Capcom, Konami, Namco and Sega are all Japanese companies and their games dominated the console market for almost 20 years.

The best Western devs at the time were making PC games.  American console devs were **** companies like THQ and Acclaim.  EA was the big exception (and despite their success they SUCKED during this time).  Things started to change last gen with Microsoft entering the market and American titles like Halo becoming huge console hits.  GTA also became huge along with Guitar Hero.  We were starting to get more Western games that competed with Mario and Final Fantasy in terms or not only sales but critical acclaim.  Now almost all the PC devs have moved to consoles so we get the best of the best.

And at the same time Japanese development has gone down the shitter.  This gen has been pretty damn weak for Japanese games.  And I'm not talking about Nintendo because they have been one of the most consistent.  But those other companies I mentioned above have been very hit or miss lately.  And all of them have been stagnant.

I think how it really works is that Americans love the BEST and right now the best console games are being made by Western devs.

[Luigi Dude]

Yes Mario Galaxy is the least creative game of this generation.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Mario Galaxy, but it was alright.  Japan is just extremely trend-based, and it's something you see reflected a lot in their media (such as anime, where it's really pronounced).  Once something becomes popular, suddenly everyone has to follow that trend until the next trend is found, and it really stifles their creative output.

What you just said also describes the Western industry as well.  Just look at the large amount of FPS that have been released on the HD systems where most of them are basically clones of each other.  Not to mention the yearly sports and music games that are no different from each other as well.  Of course the music genre is basically dead now because of how badly it was rehashed so I guess that doesn't count anymore.

Plus most of the critically acclaimed Western series from this gen have already had at least 3 sequels made for them by now that are basically the same damn with minor improvments.  Which is no different from how a lot of the Japanese companies work as well.


Not to mention I wouldn't criticize Japanese media that badly when America's number one most watched TV network is CBS, where over 80% of all it's shows are nothing but sh!tty CSI rehashes and the other 20% are generic comedies that use the same damn jokes and cliches that have been around for the last 40 years. 

Not to mention look at the overwelming amount of remakes and sequels that Hollywood has made in the last 10 years, as well as the amount of remakes and sequels that are currently planned on being made.  Hell in the last decade, only two, I repeat two of the 30 highest grossing films the last decade were from original movies not based on an existing franchise or just an aptaption of somthing else.
http://www.slashfilm.com/only-two-of-the-top-30-grossing-films-of-this-decade-are-original/


So I wouldn't single out Japan when the Western media is just as bad when it comes to trends and following what's popular.

[Ceric]

Yeah, I've been tending to drift in and out because I really like a new experience.  Like Dewy was.

[Kytim89]

Nintendo should put Retro Studios to develping westernized titles after they finsih the next Starfox for the Super Wii. 

[Thaneros]

I myself really don't care for photo real-realism in graphics and find it as an "easy way out" and gets boring after a while.....