I've been wondering whether culture is a detriment or a benefit to videogames.  As technology improves it seems as though creators and developers have more and more ability to inject culture into the game whether it's gameplay ideas, art style, story, environment, soundtrack, or what have you.

Here's some examples:

• The Wind Waker art style which was very Japanese and could only be pulled off because of technological enhancements in graphics.
• The Western-influenced shooter genre based on violence and realism around war (such a popular theme in American entertainment)
• Pokemon and it's Japanese cuteness.  Japan has a way of finding cuteness in ugly abnormalities like crooked teeth in young girls, or in this case cute monsters!

There are more examples but here's where I'm coming from.  This culture is what allows an idea to be born.  But when it is able to then be fully expressed through technology, that fresh idea now becomes refined and polished, and now ends up gaining a niche audience as a result to the point where certain culture no longer find it accessible.  Japan just doesn't like shooters, but I think the 3d era really put the nail in the coffin on that.  And American doesn't seem to be as friendly towards anime style graphics like Wind Waker, Skyward Sword, or even the new Zelda game.

Anyways, how in your opinion does culture hurt and/or help the videogame industry?  And can you think of any examples?

I'm beginning to think that by putting a poll people generally won't post as much since it sums up their opinion.  But please feel free to elaborate!  I'll just throw a few more examples out there,

• Tengami probably would not have been made in terms of it's soundtrack, art style, or even game design (pop out book) had it not been for seeing them in Japanese culture.  At the same time though, such a specific environment can turn away people who just don't love Japanese things.
• Mario, other other hand, I argue is much more void of culture because its odd combination (pumbers/pipes, princess's, turtles, racoon suit) prevents it from coming off as too cultural.

My favorite adventure game, Grim Fandango, is based on Aztec mythology and Mexican culture, didn't need new tech for that. Guacamelee is also based on Mexican culture, could have been made for ps2.
XBox Jade empire has plenty culture too, even more with Okami. Culture can help Mario too, the van Gogh levels in NSMBU were simply stunning.

Giving a game a real world setting and/or adding cultural elements helps immersion and variety. Variety keeps games interesting. Choosing the same setting over and over can hurt video games though. I'm growing tired of the overused American city setting. Can't we run around in Mumbai for a change.

The Tanooki suit is based off of Japanese mythology which claims that tanooki (racoons) can use leaves to shapeshift :P Also, the statue he turns into is in the form of Ksuitigarbha, a figure in Buddhism (just learned that second part o.o)

Also, the Koopas are inspired by Kappas, another figure in Japanese Mythology:

Gory violence is popular in Japan, which is something you can see in some of their games. They favor swords over guns and sometimes feature things like dismemberment and blood spray.

Are you sure about that?  That looks nothing like any representation of a Kappa I've ever seen.  It just looks like ... a turtle.

Well, it all depends how loosely the inspiration was used. I didn't make that picture though...I just found it when I was googling stuff :P You can interpret things however you want.

I guess the more humanoid types could be inspired by kappas, after looking at them.  They could have chosen a better image, that's for sure.

This is more my idea of a kappa:

Oops, wait, wrong picture:

Ah yes.  The Mario idea came to me just as an after thought.  But the idea is that the Mario universe is a much more even mixing of different cultural ideas.  It's a NY-Italian plumber with some Japanese references here and there in a classical European "save the beautiful princess" setting.  Not saying other games don't do it, but I think it stands out in Mario much more.  And no one cultural reference steals the show as opposed to a game like Zelda, and many others imo, where Greek Mythology is oozing all throughout.

Totally forgot about the Van Gohg level, but I bolded what really caught my eye.  Very interesting idea!

Looks like Arakawa under the bridge >.>