Japanese Development Practices Are "Old-Fashioned"
See Full ImageJapanese game developers have recently talked about the West vs. East debate from a design standpoint.
The latest is former Grasshopper Manufacture game director Massimo Guarini, who has recently started up his own studio, Ovosonico. In talking to GameSpot about Shadows of the Damned - which was received well by the critics but suffered mediocre sales - Guarini addressed other subjects of importance.
For instance, when asked about new IPs, Guarini said the launching of brand new titles "will actually be the industry of tomorrow." Despite all the sequels and spin-offs, he maintains that "no market in the world" can survive without a continuous influx of fresh, innovative products. Then he was asked about the differences between Western and Japanese development processes. Guarini replied:
"Based on my experiences, Japanese development tends to be characterized by a creative overwhelming chaos, where productions are often driven by a tyrannical single creative mind and development practices tend to be quite old-fashioned and, at times, extremely inefficient. On the other hand, Western development is generally characterized by an efficient, well organized, risk-averse sort of democracy; actual creativity and strong vision get diluted, if not sometimes completely lost, in endless brainstorming sessions driven mainly by market analysis rather than creators."
At the same time, he does say that both styles are "deeply complementary" and that both have their pluses and minuses. Guarini believes his new studio will be able to take the best aspects from each style and implement them in their projects...and that's something we'd love to see.
Tags: shadows of the damned, japanese games, western games, game news
7/25/2011 12:33:58 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (34 posts)
Temjin001
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 1:07:35 PM
Last edited by Temjin001 on 7/25/2011 1:08:51 PM
5 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 2:12:45 PM
Last edited by Beamboom on 7/25/2011 2:13:35 PM
4 up, 0 down
Warrior Poet
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 9:40:00 PM
The 2D "flatformer" is actually having quite the revival. Trine, Braid, VVVVVV, 'Splosion Man...Not as classic as the classics but very good and very interesting. They're mostly indie games, and very good ones too :)
1 up, 0 down
___________
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 @ 6:53:50 AM
which is kinda true, but that does not mean that people wont pay 60 USD for a good full 2D platformer.
look at little big planet, one of the generations best games!
allot of PSN and XBLA games could sell at retail for a much higher price and still do quite well!
0 up, 1 down
Douchebaguette
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 12:51:02 PM
Reply
0 up, 1 down
Douchebaguette
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 1:57:44 PM
Either method can always pan out sweetly depending on whichever individual and required situation.**
No idea wtf happened there.
0 up, 1 down
Highlander
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 1:00:13 PM
Reply
I'm not sure I buy into what he has to say. I read the entire interview and he mentions phrases like "business model" and "entertainment brand" an alarming number of times. To be honest, he really doesn't sound like a game creator developer to me, but more like a suit or a producer. In which case it's no wonder he has problems with the more creative approach taken in Japan. Suits like orderly risk averse environments run by committee.
11 up, 3 down
Beamboom
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 2:20:14 PM
Just like with music: I always want creativity but they need to know their instruments too.
6 up, 0 down
___________
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 @ 6:56:29 AM
these people dont make games because of a creative passion.
theres a reason why asian developers are slowly starting to turn to western developers for there games!
as he said asian developers create from a idea, westerners create to what they think will sell.
we need a bit of both.
no point making the best game ever created if no one will buy it, and no point making the best selling game if its boring.
in a perfect world creative games would sell the best, because there different and unique, and that creativity would bring allot of quality with it.
but sadly we dont live in a perfect world!
0 up, 1 down
Temjin001
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 1:01:55 PM
Reply
2 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 4:18:01 PM
0 up, 0 down
Excelsior1
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 1:05:50 PM
Reply
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 7/25/2011 1:06:54 PM
5 up, 0 down
Eld
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 1:18:59 PM
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2 up, 0 down
Ultimate_Balla
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 1:19:59 PM
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It's a mid-life crisis talk-thing among these developers, me thinks.
0 up, 0 down
cLoudou
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 1:45:25 PM
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1 up, 1 down
frostface
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 2:05:22 PM
Reply
The reason it wasn't as well received as the reviews might of indicated was simply that people don't want to buy a game that looks like a turd and has wonky controls.
I will give it credit for at least trying some nice ideas, e.g. having to escape the darkness or your life drains.
What ever techniques they brainstormed on that game just didn't work and if this guy was a part of that process, I really wouldn't be listening too much to his rhetoric.
2 up, 3 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 3:15:27 PM
Reviewers basically all agreed on this because most know what they're talking about. ;)
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 7/25/2011 3:15:39 PM
6 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 4:21:29 PM
0 up, 0 down
___________
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 @ 6:58:21 AM
but when the majority disagrees with you there wrong, like with GT5.
gotta love that!
2 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 4:26:10 PM
Reply
Making a game safe for the market is where the poison is these days though, I think it's okay to do this but do it within your genre and within your fan's accepted threshold for change.
3 up, 0 down
Cuetes
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 4:49:42 PM
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The main problem with our neighbors is not being able to look outside the box. I dont think however that this is by choice. There is talent over there, I think it's more of a clash of cultures.
The Asian way is already submissive, I think the games coming out of there are echoing the same elements. Stability is treasured over there, and developers are going with what they know best. The only problem is a bigger majority of gamers are people who like change and welcome the fresh. Therefore you have what you got now and Asian industry struggling to keep up with the new.
Last edited by Cuetes on 7/25/2011 4:52:34 PM
1 up, 2 down
gungrave
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 7:28:01 PM
I'm not a bit surprised that the price of that game dropped within the first month. Sorry, had to get that off my chest.
2 up, 0 down
main_event05
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 5:01:32 PM
Reply
2 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 5:18:49 PM
1 up, 0 down
KNG201
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 5:56:03 PM
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0 up, 4 down
Warrior Poet
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 9:42:41 PM
0 up, 0 down
FatherSun
Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 9:21:15 PM
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But if I were to try to decipher it I would say that the Japanese gaming industry is attempting to not only remain relevant but to also actually make some money in the process. Who can blame developers for wanting at least a piece of the pie that lies outside of their borders. I just think that they should not abandon they way they were doing things in the first place. They should try to supplement what they already have somehow. Easier said than done I guess.
If you look at it.. I think this is part of the reason why Microsoft is so popular in the United States. And part of the reason that the PS3 is not as popular. They know how to cater to the audience they have. And it is now almost a captive audience if you really look at it. Yes some may say they are tyrants in the way they do business and they may not be they most moral company out there but hey.. What company is. It is a consumers market. You will only get to their pocket by giving them what they want. Or at least giving them what they think they want.
Basically.. It seems that Sony being a Japanese company has more of a Global Presence and why the XBOX is more USA centric. Of course there are many other factors but getting into that would make this post exponentially longer.
It is all about LIVE!
Last edited by FatherSun on 7/25/2011 9:24:50 PM
1 up, 0 down
___________
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 @ 6:58:54 AM
Reply
1 up, 2 down
jiko
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 @ 9:28:05 PM
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Monday, July 25, 2011 @ 12:48:10 PM