Japanese Game Developers Failing

[johnsobas]

richardhutnik said:

reaver_x said:
we are getting plenty of RPG's next year which is great b/c the consoles need this. However it still dosent hold a candle stick to the DS RPG library. Hopefully FFXIII helps stabilize things and be as a calling sign for other RPG developers to make games for the consoles

If what is meant by "Japanese developers" is those who produce JRPGs, then the Japanese game developers are facing SERIOUS problems.  The videogame industry is evolving and new genres are appearing, or at least multiple genres are fusing together.  The rest of the world is growing larger than the Japanese market, and they have their own preferences.  Japan is still a key area of influence, but one is hard pressed to say that it is now the center of the universe.  Japan still holds onto key top developers who have an impact, but the industry has moved beyond them.  It is a place now where, if something is huge in Japan it doesn't necessarily mean it will be huge everywhere.

yes exactly, japan hasnt' really shrunk but the west (especially europe) is getting so big and largely share the same interests in games.  Western developers can better afford to make HD games because there is a much bigger audience.  Most of the Japanese developers that are making games on HD consoles are making games for the western audience.  When they make games with the japanese audience in mind they usually make them on handhelds unless they are games that highly depend on graphics or require motion controls.  There is far less risk making a cheap game on DS and selling it to a known audience in Japan than making a PS3 game and taking your chances on the western market.  You're gonna have to invest a lot of money on marketing and the budget is gonna be far bigger.