- The former PlayStation boss, Shuhei Yoshida, says that Japanese games are successful because they can only be developed in Japan.
- He clarifies that Japanese titles are popular because they embrace their unique and local culture, which appeals to gamers globally.
- Yoshida also argues that copying other formulas will not help your games succeed, as players want unique elements to experience.
Many of the Japanese studios have seen immense growth over the years. The games produced in the land of the rising sun have proven to be quite popular in the entire gaming industry, and the ex-PlayStation boss argues that it’s because of a very simple fact.
He claims that Japanese games are simply successful because they can only be developed in the country by locals who understand their culture very well.
Why it matters: Shuhei Yoshida claims that Japanese games have been so popular in the industry because they embrace their local culture instead of trying to westernize or generalize for everyone.
In an interview with PlayStation Inside, Shuhei Yoshida elaborates that the Japanese industry was saved because it embraced what made it stand out amid the crowd and presented its identity to the world.
the recipe for the rediscovered success of Japanese video games is to have been able to return to the development of games that can only be made in Japan, by Japanese people.
For those not in the know, the Japanese gaming scene severely declined during the PS3 era, when many local developers chased Western trends. However, NieR: Automata—released in 2017—finally turned things around for the local industry.
The action RPG was successful because it embraced Japanese storytelling that massively appealed to gamers; promoting local culture has become a norm for Japanese developers since.
Shuhei Yoshida also adds that no studios can succeed by copying other formulas; instead, it’s better to introduce unique cultures to the gaming industry.
Do you think Japanese games are successful because of their local culture, or is something else making them stand out from Western titles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devotedly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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