Square-Enix CEO Yoichi Wada is frustrated with Japanese gamers' refusal to give Western-made games a chance, calling the Japanese term for the games "terribly discriminatory."

The relationship of Japan and the West when it comes to video games is a strange one, and Square-Enix CEO Yoichi Wada has spoken at length on the subject more than once. Wada clearly admires the Western game industry, mentioning that he wants to see his native Japan follow suit with more games made for adults, and - like many other Japanese developers - has obviously been mulling over how Japanese game makers can market their titles to Western gamers more successfully instead of dealing with a relatively small, insulated market.

But for the moment, Wada isn't concerned with how to market his company's games in the West, but with the exact opposite: In an interview with Japanese TV posted to YouTube, Wada expressed frustration with Japanese gamers' resistance to Western titles, in part due to the country's collective "meh" to Modern Warfare 2, which Activision handed off to Square-Enix to publish in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Specifically, Wada has an issue with the Japanese term youge- (洋ゲー), the word used to refer to titles made in the West as opposed to Japanese-made games, or geimu (ゲーム - yeah, it's just the word "game"). By differentiating between the two, Japanese gamers are essentially saying that Western games aren't actually games, and the Square-Enix boss doesn't like it.

"Even now, there have been people in Japan using the label youge- (Western games) with a terribly discriminatory meaning," said Wada. "I'd like them to try it once. If they play it once, they'd realize how incorrect that label is."
There's no doubt that Wada has a bit of a personal investment in the matter considering that strong sales of MW2 would benefit his company's coffers, but considering his previous statements on the matter it's not hard to believe that the man genuinely wants Japan's gamers and game makers alike to broaden their borders in more ways than one.

(Via Kotaku)

Source from Kotaku but can be found on http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news...n-Western-Bias

so he just wants MW2 to do very well

he is partially correct

Wada, as nice as it would be for you if you could, you can't change your customers. Their taste and their culture is simply quite different to those in the West whose cultures are more related (especially the English speaking countries).

Well if you read the last part of the paragraphy you read that he has said similar things like this before. It seems he really would like Japanese people to stop being so sheltered and more multi-cultural if you will. I would have to agree.

maybe they should have commercials that last longer then 6 sec then.

Maybe devs should make games that appeal to their audience instead of expecting anyone to buy anything they shovel out.

well the crash games did well in Japan

His argument would of been a bit more credible if MW2 wasn't being released in Japan in a couple weeks time, where they have the publishing rights to.

The Japanese are too closed minded they want to live of a segregated culture, this is the same with video games.

There must be a reason why there is such disdain to western games apart from them being Western.

I once read that it's sometimes linked to the ideals western games bring e.g. violence and fighting (without a honourable reason). If you look at it, succesfull western games like Fallout and MW2 revolve in minor or major ways around war, something the Japanese dislike. Then again, why Oblivion wasn't picked up seems strange and I think this can be chalked up rather to their preference to RPG's. Or their disdain towards anything first person.

By the way isn't World of Warcraft really popular over there as well or was that jsut China?

I'd love it if we had some active Japanese forum-goer here who can give us more insight.

isn't also the other way around? I mean doesn't the western market do the same for "eastern" games not named FF.