Modern Japanese Games "Just Suck"

[Yoshi]

Don't tempt me. Pick the objective criteria you want to use, because the outcome is going to be the same.

[Frogacuda]

I think most gamers perceive Japanese games as kind of retro or backward at this point. Even the good ones like Bayonetta or Yakuza 4 or whatever tend to come off like PS2 games with better graphics, but the same levels made of invisible fences and dated camera systems and basic gameplay foundations.

It's not really about their ability to craft a game. I don't think Japanese games have gotten worse, I think western games have gotten better and Japan has stayed behind.

[dave is ok]

Who are the big Japanese game companies anymore?

FROM Software are legit. Nintendo are still alive and kicking. Square Enix are well on their way to irrelevancy.

[Diff-chan]

I think most gamers perceive Japanese games as kind of retro or backward at this point. Even the good ones like Bayonetta or Yakuza 4 or whatever tend to come off like PS2 games with better graphics, but the same levels made of invisible fences and dated camera systems and basic gameplay foundations.

It's not really about their ability to craft a game. I don't think Japanese games have gotten worse, I think western games have gotten better and Japan has stayed behind.

No. What happened this generation was a ton of western developers shifting resources from PC to consoles. Before, they focused on the PC so many people just didn't play them. So now you get all these people out there saying OMGWESTERNGAMES when in reality these games have existed (and were very good) for years. A game like Oblivion really isn't some amazing shift from what they were doing before. To someone who never played a PC-style RPG, though, it's revolutionary and novel.

old fart console gamers say that nobody is doing anything new. Old fart PC gamers say that everything is getting dumbed down. Two sides of the same coin.

[Yoshi]

Square Enix are well on their way to irrelevancy.

You mean Eidos Japan?

[Yoshi]

Even the good ones like Bayonetta

Fuck. I left Platinum off my list above.

edit: If you combine diff's comment about perspective and Frog's regarding technology investment, I think you cover 80% of it.

[Fe 26]

I knew Yoshi made this thread before I even clicked on it.

I kind of agree with Diff and I kind of agree with the statement that Japan is still stuck in the PS2 days.

I feel about the same way about modern US games as I did when everyone went ape shit over Halo. This shit isn't amazing to anyone that has always had an up to date gaming computer since the 80s. 90% of it is just repackaged PC stuff on a console. And the other 10% isn't even the game, its how people like sony and microsoft have made connecting for multilayer super easy.

[Thief Silver]

Atlus still makes good shit, Nippon Ichi is a prime example of what Frog was talking about by the way. They came out of Nowhere with Disgaea which was amazing, and then made 20 iterations of the same shit.

[Finch]

No they haven't. They made like 5 PS2 games, 2 which were Disgaea. We never even got that game where you get to spank the girls...

[Diff-chan]

Atlus still makes good shit, Nippon Ichi is a prime example of what Frog was talking about by the way. They came out of Nowhere with Disgaea which was amazing, and then made 20 iterations of the same shit.

Good point, I can't think of any modern American development houses that are doing that.