Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima has questioned whether Japanese developers are capable of producing titles that can go toe-to-toe with modern triple-A titles.
"It's much more competitive now: if you look at triple-A titles on a worldwide scale there's maybe only ten really big games that can get gamers' attention, and I'm not sure how Japan can compete on that level," he said.
The Japanese luminary also said he thinks consumers are currently satisfied by the plethora of first-person shooters being released, which means demand for different experiences is low.
"I think it's more consumer demand - right now, consumers are happy with what they have. First-person shooters sell like crazy, so there's not really a strong demand for anything else, and that's why [original ideas] stop being made."
"People are satisfied with making minor upgrades and tweaking things here and there - as long as that's the landscape, it will keep on happening. I don't see a problem necessarily, but at the same time it is nice to see new things come."
Kojima's duties are currently split between Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D for the Nintendo 3DS and Metal Gear Rising, which was secretly cancelled before being revived and given to Bayonetta and Vanquish studio Platinum Games.
Comments
35 comments so far...
StonecoldMC on 4 Jan '12 said:
I wouldnt say that FPS are the only Games that consumers are buying (Skyrim, Batman & FIFA all say hello among others) but it is the most popular genre of Games at the moment.
If you release a good Game, with good marketing then it will sell and it will sell well. I just feel that maybe the Japanese shouldnt try and appeal to the Western market and just do what they do best, cray off the wall niche titles (in general).
l1nc on 4 Jan '12 said:
Kojima is so right. Everyone goes out of there way to but the latest cod, fifa or battlefield, all games rehashed for a new year. But when developers release something new and original no one buy's it for example Enslaved, mirrors edge or dead space 1. The average gamer/consumer are like sheep playing follow the leader. I have been gaming since 87 and still enjoy all gaming genres I also believe that Japanese developers are amongst the best in the world.
rhyfel on 4 Jan '12 said:
well you can have any game you want as long as its a fps, R.I.P games industry, i really hope sheep sorry people get board of the fps eventually but iam not holding my breath and game devs might just start using there imaginations again, the big videogame crash of the 80s was linked to a over saturated console market, i hope it happens again to the fps market then we might get some new original and imaginative games, the games industry is stale like a old loaf of bread.
Sammy_bham on 4 Jan '12 said:
I think the article and comments ive read so far are a bit of an over-presumtion to be honest.
just because cod is one of the biggest and fastest selling game in history, doesnt mean nothing else stands a chance.
youll find over time now fps will die off.
are people forgetting mario? zelda? skylanders? uncharted? skyrim? batman? gran turismo? etc etc?
yes, COD has outsold most.
but mario is still selling strong, dance games have gone through the roof (soon to die, im sure).
with upcoming games like mass efect 3, tomb raider numerous sonic and mario games etc, i dont think developers have a problem or anything to worry about.
next metal gear will sell lke a charm. the games industry is still growing, and better then ever before.
the main problem is advertising, there just isnt enough,
havng games advertsed before films on channel 5 isnt gong to help anybody, to start wth, nobody watches that channel.
having big billboards (like cod and battlefield) or sid eof buses is a good start. Skyrim has sold resonable well due to its advertising, (more then most games ive seen recently).
but the reason zelda, just dance, mario, cod and battlefield sell so well, is pure advertising.
i gurantee not many parents are going to buy ff13-2 for their kids because there will be hardly any advertsments for it. only the hardcore fan base will buy it, because they will search for it.
its simple marketing.
if you advertised a poo on tv, and said it was full of goodness for kids, parents would buy it.
cod and battlefiled arnt the best games, but sell well.
richard99 on 4 Jan '12 said:
Yeah shooters are the big genre right now, it used to be the same story with platformers.
That doesn't have to mean they're the only genre worth developing right now, I'd say there's more competition than other genres so it's got to be harder to set yourself apart.
Portal 2, Skyrim, Arkham City and Skyward Sword have all done really well without being shooters. They're good games which on it's own makes for a pretty big selling point.
wrightandrewjame on 4 Jan '12 said:
I wouldn't say that Kojima. There are plenty of other games that are selling, not just the ones StonecoldMC said there's also Just Dance 3, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Need for Speed: The Run, Mario Kart 7 and Forza 4 all of which aren't shooters and are in this week's Top 10.
Japanese developers need to get on doing what they do best. Making Japanese games. Don't try and Westernise your games or you'll end up with some bastardized product that has some parody of Western culture with Japanese quirkiness that no-one will get. Like a game where the President of the United States of America has a giant mechanical robot and fights against his evil Vice President on the White House lawn... What, they made that already?... Metal Wolf Chaos? Who made it?... From Software? They made Demon Souls and Dark Souls didn't they? There's hope for Japan yet!
gnokgnik on 4 Jan '12 said:
I would like a revival of good platform games. Anyone remember the Monty franchise on the Amiga or Toy Bizarre on the c64. And for shooters, i would like someone to make something great out of the Capcom classic Commando (not FPS please). And how about getting Cannon Fodder into next gen in som way or another? Or Wizball...? Or maybe bring back arcade shooters like Terra Cresta or the Xenon games. We'll see what happens.
MANYOO4EVA on 4 Jan '12 said:
@ gnokgnik
I heard a rumour that Cannon Fodder was being remade but only available in Russia or somewhere like that.
Cannon Fodder would be an awesome addition to XBLA/PSN just the same as Worms: Armageddon and Worms: Mayhem are.
Back to the article though, the FPS genre is the biggest of the lot at the mo, but I found MW3 and BF3 VERY disappointing.
I'm just hoping that Aliens Colonial Marines will be something different to the FPS genre. Am sick of modern warfare shooters.
zombiesinmyhead on 4 Jan '12 said:
That headline should have read; Hideo serves up big slice of arse pie!
Yes FPSs are popular, but they're not the be all and end all. And as for pandering to the western market, which he has clearly mistaken for the American market, well, look at Resident Evil 5. That went down a storm didn't it.
People like Japanese games, stop being such a whining fart Hideo and MTFU.
TheCrimsonFenix on 4 Jan '12 said:
Dear me CVG, you sure like to twist quotes with your headlines don't you? Not that I'm surprised.
martinawatson on 4 Jan '12 said:
If by Monty your referring to Monty Mole then that was on the Spectrum first big boy (not that im slagging off the Amiga-excellent machine as was its main competitor the Atari ST), your point is strong though , would love to play Lords of Midnight , manic miner, sabre wolf etc etc, they should make them for the ps consoles , keep you busy on a plane journey.
SpandexArmstrong on 4 Jan '12 said:
How can somebody with glasses that thick be so stupid?!
(dont blast me guys, just a simpsons quote I couldn't resist lol)
dicky1993 on 4 Jan '12 said:
god i hate the cover picture on the article of this man
for some reason it angers me
and he's wrong, past top 20 games charts have loads of variety
V4.SKUNK on 4 Jan '12 said:
Japanese rarely make good games any more and most people who buy COD are not real gamers. Enthusiasts will buy good games like Dark Souls, Portal2, BF3, Shogun2, Zelda etc...
I also think one of the problems now comes from the FACT games journalists are casual gamers or don't even game at all, then proceed to give COD rehash etc.. a AAA rated score every year even though it fails to improve on anything thus giving casual gamers the impression COD is a good game...
almanac2015 on 4 Jan '12 said:
The heads at Bethesda will be shocked to hear this news. As will Naughty Dog I imagine.
Yeah, shooters are popular right now but they aren't the only thing that can sell. I think the problem with Japanese developers goes well beyond the popularity of shooters. Series like Final Fantasy are getting tired, and developers like Polyphony Digital and Team Ico spend too long on games.
There are plenty of popular games and series that have been released this console generation that aren't FPS games. Japanese Developers merely need to look internally at what they are doing wrong and start pumping out some decent games instead of relying on tired and repetitive concepts and shaking an angry fist at Call of Duty.
stealth on 4 Jan '12 said:
If by rarely makes good games anymore, you mean constantly makes the best games each month than I agree with you.
It started in january 2011 with the release of valkyria chronicles 3, one of the best games of the year
And this year it starts in january as well with a new full fledged resident evil
gmcb007 on 4 Jan '12 said:
You know that what bugged me about some of the major criticism games like LA Noire recieved from reviewers.
They branded it as repetitive yet they praised COD and Battlefield 3 as something that never gets dull. It's not just the fact shooters are a popular brand, it's that they're unfairly favoured. Look at last winter, this site would not stop posting articles about the war between the 2 upcoming FPSs while they overshadowed all other gaming news.
Unfortunately some developers are pressured by their publishers to take the shooter route instead of taking the risk of trying new things.
gnokgnik on 4 Jan '12 said:
@martinawatson
Yes, you're right about Monty on the Spectrum, and I got confused when mentioning it for the Amiga, cos I meant the Monty franchise on the C64 by Gremlin Graphics (I believe it was), titled: "Monty on the run" and "Auf wiedersehen Monty". Music by Rob Hubbard as I recall.
Megatrons_Fury on 4 Jan '12 said:
Jap developers cater to the oh my god stand clear of the fallout when i use the term.....
HARDCORE GAMER
They have a template they have almost never strayed from, if you are older than 30 and have any kind of retro knowloedge at all you will clearly see a pattern on their game design that dates back to the 80's.
Nowdays it seems they are more than happy to just keep on trucking with this philosophy, they dont really care about the western market at producer and director level, only the high up execs are looking to change as they see the bigger financial picture
For ages i have been saying that if they dont at least become flexible most of the companies will be gone within the next 3-7 years only the real heavy hitters like Capcom, Konami and Nintendo will be left
As LASTDOD continually likes to say.... GO play DISGAEA 4 MEGATRON, and thats because i like the jap way of doing things, its also why i have all the jap rpg's and the weird stuff that most folk dont ever know comes out on machines but as much as i am old school i know deep down that my love of gaming has changed hugely, the western market, the damn Wii casual market and those folk who buy 3 games a year (FIFA,COD and other generic triple a title) have changed everything.
Shooters do sell, its because they are easy to pick up and play and games are supposed to be an entertainment not a job so thats just common sense and the jap developers just dont do that genre well, at least not the first person ones.
I feel like im stuck between a rock and a hard place on this matter because i dont ever want the jap core gaming design to go away but i dont want them to carry on making things that only 12 people buy and go out of business... God dammit i miss the days when everyone was happy and every genre sold well.
I have decided i dont like this subject, so im off to eat some crispy cremes snacks with a nice cup of coffee and look at something else............... Sad now............
KesMonkey on 4 Jan '12 said:
Just thought those particular nuggets of "wisdom" were worth repeating. Not because there's any truth to them, or because they're insightful or revealing comments, but for the sheer level of mental retardation on display.
How people who make comments like this make it through the average day without accidentally electrocuting, drowning, or poisoning themselves is beyond me.
I suspect I'm risking a ban for my use of the word "retardation".
So be it.
Fr33Kye on 4 Jan '12 said:
Games are expensive. Selling well a few years ago is not the same as selling well now.
Didn't LA noire sell like 4 million?
Marketing is king.
OH my bad, on the whole japan thing, they have outdated business practices and dont put much work into their technology. That and they also dont make many new ip's anymore. They just sort of stick to the ones that sell in japan.
dicky1993 on 4 Jan '12 said:
lots of people on this site bought COD and i'm pretty sure we're all "real gamers" don't go branding us!
and i bought BF3, i just didn't enjoy it. so now i'm not real waaaaaaaaaaa
and din't buy dark souls, shogun 2 or zelda waaaa waaaaa i'm not real
kmcroc on 4 Jan '12 said:
I enjoy all kinds of games from RPG,JRPG,TPS,FPS.s**t i have been gaming since the first & second home console were released, but the fault of one genre game selling more than the other genre game fall on the laps of delvelopers & publishers ,consumers. they let themselves become stuck in a rut or in a safe zone that allows them to not take risk or even try. worst case scenario if the industry is going to servive they are going to have to put themselves on some kind of game release program where the ratio of shooters is equal to non shooters .
in simplier terms consumers stop being chickens**ts & try something different , delvelopers be more f**king creative take a chance anyway on that next game that isn't a shooter,. Publishers stop being a bunch of Ftards & help these delvelopers put out games that are different & fun.
klapkip on 4 Jan '12 said:
What about games from Bitmap Brothers remade : Gods, Xenon, Magic Pockets
Does anyone remember games like Sanxion, Uridium, Hybris, One, The Last Ninja, SWIV, International Karate, Fort Apocalypse, Rick Dangerous. Just to name a few from the Commodore 64 timeframe. Please give them a reboot !
In Amiga-time just say Psygnosis (now under the Sony belt) and remember some playing time with Leander, Agony, Awesome, Barbarian, Blood Money, Menace, Obliterator, Shadow of the Beast
And to Capcom....if you read this....where the hell is MAXIMO ?
Megatrons_Fury on 4 Jan '12 said:
I shall see your MAXIMO and raise you a.............
MEDIEVIL 3
BANG.............
As for the bitmap brothers, psygnosis and co all i'm going to say is this......
Thats when the UK development scene was at its greatest, then 32 bit gaming came along and made graphics king instead of gameplay. Psygnosis managed to keep thigns going for a while but much like RARE, they are a company long past their prime.
Also for those in the know hows abouth this....
FEAR EFFECT 3....
DOUBLE BANG
I simply cannot be stopped today, i'm on fire!
gnokgnik on 4 Jan '12 said:
Er... yes I believe I wrote Xenon up there. But, yes, I agree with you and I have played and loved most of the titles you name. Bring'em on. It's time to bring the past of gaming glory to the future gen where they could outshine alot these days.
Channel4 on 4 Jan '12 said:
Very well said. Demon's Souls and Xenoblade are even proof that a good Japanese game will sell well even without marketing.
MrPirtniw on 4 Jan '12 said:
Monty Mole? Xenon? Aww, man- now you're taking me back. Anyone remember a game (I think I had it on the C64) where you started off as a sort of Tarzan type guy only able to run, jump and throw rocks- but then you find this awesome jet pack armour suit thing? Can't remember what it was called but I remember loving it. Also- Dan Dare, Trapdoor, Thing on a Spring, Spy Hunter and Roland on the Ropes
. The 30 minute wait for the game to load made playing them that much sweeter.
As for Kojima- can't say I agree with him to be honest. I haven't bought CoD, Fifa or Battlefield and I've had a nice variation of games to play this year- arcade games included. Just wish the Japanese would make awesome RPG's again (Though I'm probably missing out on a bunch of them for not owning a Wii). Last JRPG I really enjoyed was Lost Odyssey- everything else has been average at best- Last Remnant, Star Ocean, Final Fantasy 13 and Infinite Undiscovery = big, fat meh.
EDIT: Oh, and Encharted Arms. Urgh.
Barca Azul on 4 Jan '12 said:
I think there are too many FPS and hope the trend changes!
SLI on 5 Jan '12 said:
Are you talking about The Sacred Armour of Antiriad? Had that on the Speccy, but I was rubbish at it.
Kids today don't know how good the games from that period were/are.
I have recently been given an old Atari VCS/2600. Really having a great time blasting on those old games. Some classics there.
Vampyre on 5 Jan '12 said:
I'm sure those of you talking about the old games already know this, but if you don't, get your backsides over to the World Of Spectrum site, dive into the Archive, and play those beloved Speccy games in your browser through the Java emulator (so no need to download any emulator software). Unfortunately some games (by Elite and Ultimate (Rare)) are denied distribution.
MrPirtniw on 5 Jan '12 said:
Aww, yeah! That's the one (just youtubed it)- cheers! Will try playing it again on the site Vampyre recommeded. Cheers to you, too!
V4.SKUNK on 5 Jan '12 said:
Stop trolling and make a useful post with a constructive response. So what games do you own which you consider to be a "gamers" game?
V4.SKUNK on 5 Jan '12 said:
"games journalists are casual gamers or don't even game at all"
Go and look at all the reviews of games like COD and Skyrim, these games are mediocre at best yet they recieve very high scores. Just go look at PS3 reviews of Skyrim.....Did the reviewers actually play the PS3 version??? You just have to play it yourself for a few hours till you notice all the bugs to come to the conclusion they played a different game or didnt play it at all.
ladycroft142 on 6 Jan '12 said:
Sure shooters sell but it's more the quality of the shooter that allows it to garner massive appeal rather than its genre. If you look at the Christmas chart Skyrim and Just Dance beat Modern Warfare 3 showing that there is a huge market outside the shooter genre for quality non-shooter titles as well as more casual games. The likes of Batman Arkham City and Uncharted 3 also gained massive sales figures last year demonstrating that its quality that sells a title rather than genre and gamers desire more from the industry than an endless string of shooters.