Inafune: Western Devs Still "Love And Respect" Japanese Games

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Former Capcom boss and current Comcept co-founder Keiji Inafune has always spoken his mind.

And when it comes to the ongoing Western vs. Japanese debate, he has often called out his Japanese brethren for failing to keep the pace. However, as for a professional gap between the two sides, Inafune believes there is none; as in, there is no real animosity going on.

In speaking to Gamasutra, he explained that in fact, Western designers still have great respect for Japanese titles.

"Western [developers] still really love and respect Japanese games. They want to work with Japanese creators. Every time I work with a Western developer, they're so willing to take in my ideas on game creation. Then on top of that, they do what they do best -- they know how to appeal to a Western audience. Every time I've worked with Western developers, I've had a really good collaboration."

He also talked about how the most important part of a new game concept is having a "vast, wide vision," and that you shouldn't pigeonhole yourself into one genre. He also says it's important not to get bogged down by stereotypes and just sort of let the ideas flow. If you've forgotten, his studio's new project is called Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z; you can see the teaser trailer here; it's pretty intriguing.

So it's not a "battle" in Inafune's eyes. ...well, beyond the business battle for sales position, of course.

Tags: keiji inafune, japanese games, western games, gaming industry

9/22/2012 11:20:45 AM Ben Dutka

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