Why are video games so popular?

I argue that, the answer to that question is harder to get

to then the infamous “kill-screen” in Donkey Kong. More so, to answer that question, we need to

analyze where video games are at in terms of being a cultural product. Similarly, Crawford and

Rutter describe a cultural artifacts as “artifacts that are given value, meaning, and position

through their production and use by game users (Crawford & Rutter, 2006). Cultural products

help define us as a nation; and help shape our national identity in a way that makes it incredibly

hard to define our identity without those products in play.

It’s arguable that in crafting these experiences and products, much is lost in terms of a solid

national identity for the product in the modern age. Globalization has taken production to a

whole new level; and with the advent of the Internet, we’re able to send code, ideas, or even

contracts from one side of the globe to another, all to access a more profitable market. This

transmission of products and ideas circumvents past limitations that held back these products

from being shared with other countries, and entering markets that it hadn’t before. While this

initially seems like a great platform for the sharing of cultural ideas and products, it instead has

pushed the Japanese gaming market into the brink of division. The western world is dominating

the video game industry, and Japan’s industry is suffering from a case of identity crisis. In an

interview, Kenji Inafune, (Producer on Mega Man, Onimusha, and Dead Rising) spoke not too

long ago about the Japanese gaming market, to which he described its current state in the global

market:

Every year that I come to E3 [An annual video game convention],

year in and year out, the one thing I've noticed is that it seems like the
Japanese game developer share seems to be getting smaller and
smaller. If you look at the major titles, they're now primarily Western.
If you look at all the different signs and all the billboards, most of
those are Western titles. A lot of the key announcements are also
Western titles. I think to myself sometimes, if we keep on this course,
the Japanese gaming market will disappear totally. That is one of the
valid concerns that I have, which is why as a Japanese publisher, as

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 Capcom, we really want to fight the good fight, and try and make our
games work within this more primarily Western market. (NeoSeeker)

Inafune is considered one of the classic video game designers, and what he says carries

some truth. The Japanese game market is not as strong as it once was, and needs something to

reinvigorate it. I however don’t agree that globalization, particularly global partnerships and

outsourcing, is the right answer. I’ll be looking into examples of both global partnerships and

attempts at marketing true cultural experiences, and relay it all into the question of: Does the

Japanese gaming market need global media partnerships to succeed? With my argument being

that, while being a sound business decision; outsourcing these valued cultural products

diminishes their value and intention of being a cultural product. Many smaller developers

attempt to re-establish the Japanese video game industry on the grounds that it did years ago.

Thus furthering the question of, do developers and creators like Inafune have to fear losing the

recognition of their cultural products in a western-dominated market, or should they just have

faith in their product and seek to innovate where necessary.

As Izushi and Aoyama point out; in Japan, there was a mainstream acceptance of comic

books and animated films by both children and adults alike that transferred well into the video

game industry. That being said, the United Kingdom and United States didn’t benefit from the

same amount of mainstream acceptance (Izushi and Aoyama, 2004, Pg.1857). Which helps

explain a bit of how change took place between the first title in the Devil May Cry series, and it’s

currently in develop entry, DmC. DmC is different in how, while it stars the series star, Dante. A

mercenary dedicated to killing demons. The look of the star has changed, reflecting the cultural

adoption that the series has undergone. Dante for many years has maintained the same image

seen in Figure 1. Inspired by magna characters, Dante is stylish and cool, permeating this very

strong and smug attitude. In keeping with Japanese tradition, Dante wears red, which is the

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colour indicative of heroism in Japan. Much to the surprise of many of the series fans, the

franchise was outsourced to the England-based Ninja Theory studios. Gone is the heroic red and

the magna influences; what is left is a character that resembles a punk-rock star from the 70’s;

particularly British punk-rock from the 70’s.

Figure 1 Figure 2

What differentiates the Japan-based version of Dante seen in Figure 1 from the version

designed by the England-based Ninja Theory in Figure 2 are the influences. In looking to create

more success for western audiences, Capcom has let their franchise be outsourced to a western

developer for success in that region. As Mia Consalvo writes,

Significantly, the process of ‘localization’ in video games is tied to the

Japanese business term ‘glocalization,’ defined by Robertson (1995)
to mean the successful global transfer of products to different
localities, by making modifications for such variables as culture,
language, gender or ethnicity. (2006, Pg. 120).

Consalvo is correct, in her article she uses the example of Final Fantasy, but as is

illustrated with DmC, there is not much which has changed, and in fact, the examples of cultural

outsourcing have increased. The question now is, is this outsourcing of cultural products a

problem? From a business perspective, opening up your intellectual property to a different

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culture is a financially viable option, and yet as a cultural product, it’s arguable that these games

suffer from losing the cultural context that makes them such representations of the country they

originate from. As Inafune stated in the intro to this paper, the Japanese market is dying, and it’s

only in seeking cooperation with the west, that these companies stand to make a profitable

success in the market. It’s ultimately about authenticity, and as Inafune states, the Japanese

developers are adding western based traits to these properties in an effort to make that claim of

authenticity to that culture, to look into defining the term of “Authenticity” it can be defined in

the way that Peterson describes,

“Authenticity, like ‘creativity’ and ‘entrepreneurship’ does not inhere in the object,
person, or performance said to be authentic. Rather, authenticity is a claim that is
made by or for someone, thing, or performance and either accepted or rejected by
relevant others” (Peterson, 2005, p.1083)

The problem with gaining this authenticity is that in the process it loses authenticity.

Japanese gamers and fans of the Devil May Cry series see this as a dramatic departure from the

idea of which this character came to represent. He was inspired by magna, and created as

representing traits of a Japanese hero. He now however comes across as someone who belongs in

the Sex Pistols, carrying the aesthetics of British Punk-Rock. It’s a claim made by Ninja theory

that I find is interesting, as those who see this are making it known that they see it as a claim that

they reject. It will be interesting though, as DmC has not been released and if this rejection

carries over, it may diminish sales all together, which will stand to prove that Japanese game

developers have to either stop outsourcing, or carefully consider it in the future.

Sarah Thornton discusses the details of a “currency of cool” by describing how subculture

capital is a means to how cultures acquire certain aspects of knowledge and commodity. By

doing so, they represent their subculture and raise their status by helping differentiate themselves

from the mainstream and other subcultures (Thornton, 1995, pg.124). Dante is a brooding punk

boy in DmC not simply out of a creative decision regarding the character, he’s been remodelled

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and redesigned to fit western audiences, and this is arguably a shame. As many fans, and gamers,

have come to see a character like Dante for who he truly is, and for the cultural values he comes

to represent. The gaming market is attempting to create higher points of entries into newer

markets, but as is the case with a game like DmC, we’re shown that the original cultural values

are the first casualty in this process.

While DmC is an example of a Japanese cultural product that is being adjusted for western

audiences, there are still games that adhere to the ways of making games in the East, and stand

tall in the vast sea of western outsourced products. Two titles worth mentioning are Bayonetta

and Demon Souls. Two titles, which in the last year or so, have become a critical and commercial

success in the market; due to their strict abidance to the Japanese method of game development.

This abidance rewards them in a way that shows to the industry that there are some marketable

aspects to the Japanese gaming market and that not all franchises belong in the western view of

authenticity.

In discussing Bayonetta, Dave Houghton of Gamesradar says,

It’s everything that’s ever been good about traditional Japanese

design; the flair, the imagination, the madness and the intricacy, all
blended together with perfect balance, and taken to a level you’ve
genuinely never experienced before. As an example of everything
that’s beautiful about eastern game development, you won’t find any
better. (Houghton, Pg.2)

Houghton recognises what many others have. That in a crowded market of westernized

Japanese products, a game like Bayonetta is proud to represent just what Japanese gaming is all

about. It’s representative of the Japanese culture by keeping true to its virtues and methods of

video game development. One look at the game in action and one would agree with Houghton

and his statement. Your screen is filled with tons of enemies at one time, and your odds of

survival seem slim but as is the case with any Japanese game, it provides you with a moment to

win over the overwhelming odds in a stylish and often times innovative way. That’s what gave

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the Japanese industry such a strong position in the early days of the industry, and yet over time it

seems that the innovation is seen to be in the eyes of Western developers who simply conform

Japanese properties to the traits of their own. Why Bayonetta succeeds, is that it is

uncompromising; it refuses to do what Inafune wishes it to do. It doesn’t work alongside

Western developers; it works as a challenge to what they’re presenting. It takes the values of

Japanese game development and uses it to showcase what Studios like Sega (and the later

mentioned From Software) can do for their industry.

Called one of the "first truly great Japanese RPGs of this generation, and certainly the most

remarkable" (Kollar, Game Informer). Demon Souls was developed by From Software, a

Japanese developer. Known for its extreme difficulty, but due abidance to a strict rule of learning

through negative reinforcement; Demon Souls (like Bayonetta) is another showcase example of

game developers not paying attention to the mainstream trends of the western industry, and

instead focusing on creating a game that appeals to gamers on a approach that while strict, is

meant to showcase just how video games don’t need to rely on outsourcing and globalization to

find success.

What’s remarkable (and ironic) about Demon Souls is that it has won universal acclaim in

the west by refusing to conform to its own standards. This showcases that a culture of gamers

still respect and appreciate the cultural products that Japan has to offer, and are willing to reward

these products when appropriate. This isn’t to say that Western developed games like Call of

Duty, Halo, and Madden aren’t still dominant on the sales charts. In fact, it’s somewhat ignorant

to not look at why the Japanese developers wish to outsource a majority of their products. That

being said, Demon Souls stands to prove that originality and an intense dedication to the craft of

gaming has its rewards.

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 The question now is, what does Demon Souls and Bayonetta stand for? I’d argue that they

aren’t just a last defence of a decaying market. Rather, that they are trying to do what made

Japan so successful in the first place. As Izushi and Aoyama said, Japan embraced the comics

and animated films into their mainstream long before Europe or North America did. They

embraced that part of the culture that made games so significant long before western developers

got a crack at it. What these developers do by sticking to conventional Japanese development

standards, is that they are trying to ignite the industry in the same way as done prior. While this

could appear redundant, it’s arguable otherwise. There’s a market for games that carry a

Japanese identity in their development style. Even in the U.S. gamers clamour for games that

Japan produces exclusively. On the 25th anniversary of Mario, it was announced that Japan was

getting exclusive Mario items that no one else was getting. Gaming blogs and websites in the

U.S. went rampant with uproarious demands that these come stateside, demanding that this

Japan-exclusive collection of anniversary items, knick-knacks, and games come to the West. So

while Inafune proclaims that the only successful way for the Japanese gaming market to stay

alive is to conform to western standards; that’s arguably not the case. There is a demand for

Japanese products that circumvents the more dominate demand for outsourced products.

Consalvo argues that the history of global collaboration between Japan and the West has

“either [been] a competition or collaboration” (2006, Pg. 119). I agree with Consalvo. The

Japanese gaming industry is divided between those who accept the West as a partner and those

who see potential in the products that they can sell a game regardless of how authentic it is to

western culture. Japan is locked into this global media culture that is pressed to divide the

cultures industry into two halves. While arguably some people wish to see Japan as having a

dying industry in video game development, I’d argue that it instead is one of the few countries

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that can support itself in this global media culture. Even as Consalvo states, many scholars

approach global media analysis from the “West as the dominant culture” view,

Many global media scholars have moved beyond the more simplistic
model of cultural imperialism to explore instances of national or
transnational cultural flows (or dominance) that go beyond ‘West-rest’
and focus on sites such as inter-Asian markets, including Japan’s
successful exportation of its popular culture to countries including
Taiwan (Ching, 1996; Su, 1999) and South Korea (Iwabuchi, 2001).
However, while these examinations of transnational cultural to leave
in place dominant systems of thought that privilege the West –either
analysis examines ‘West-rest’ and tries to incorporate evidence of
resistance (which is surely there), or the West is set aside, and
combinations such as ‘Japan – East Asia’ are read through.
Explorations of these new configurations often find evidence of
dominant and submissive partners, with the dominant often compared
to American or western culture in its capitalist or modernist attempts
to control other cultures. But although the
West is explicitly absent from the reading, it implicitly returns, either
through the naming of a country that is ‘modern/western in disguise’
such as Japan, or the setting aside of the dominant term which leaves
its dominance uncontested. (2006, Pg. 122).

Outsourcing Japanese products, as is the case with DmC is a controversial move that has

garnered much criticism from fans. Not just because of the character redesign, but what that

represents. Japanese players are seeing a cultural product change so that a game can sell more in

the higher selling western markets when Dante can serve to be an incredible Japanese product.

The red herring of the western markets turns developer’s attention to cracking that market, and

instead of doing what Demon Souls or Bayonetta does by simply doing what their industry has

successfully done for years. Video games stand to become more and more prominent in

academic studies, popular culture, and politics. While we may see the west as the dominant

force, it doesn’t need to be. These perceptions of dominance are self-induced, and serve but to

reinforce a growing trend. Gaming became popular in countries like Japan, and in growing up, I

found myself attracted to the trends and designs in Japanese games. Even at a young age I

acknowledged the artistic merits of such titles, and clamoured for more. There are still others like

me, those who appreciate the Japanese games for what they are. Outsourcing these titles not only

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devalues the cultural significance of these titles, but encourages this process further. In the end,

time will tell if Japanese developers will follow the path of people like From Software or follow

Capcom. This division, while immense, cannot carry on forever. The creativity and

inventiveness of the industry is bound to make something that attracts the attentions of gamers

without the code leaving Japan. It’s only a matter of waiting, and watching.

Sources Cited

Consalvo, Mia (2006). Console video games and global corporations : Creating a hybrid
culture. New Media Society 8: 117

Crawford, G., & Rutter, J. (2006). Digital games and cultural studies. In J. Rutter & J. Bryce
(Eds.),
Understanding digital games (pp. 148-165). London: Sage.

Izushi, Hiro and Aoyama, Yuko (2006). Industry evolution and cross-sectoral skill transfers: a
comparative analysis of the video game industry in Japan, the United States, and the
United Kingdom . Environment and Planning A Vol: 38 Issue: 10 Pg: 1843 - 1861

Peterson, Richard. "In Search of Authenticity*”Journal of Management Studies (2005),

Blackwell Publishing.

Thornton, Sarah (1995). Music, Media, and Subculture Capital. Polity Press.

How Gritty Western Obsessions Are Murdering Japanese Games , Gamesradar. Retrieved at:

http://www.gamesradar.com/f/how-gritty-western-obsessions-are-murdering-japanese-

games/a-20100429161629109027

Capcom Japanese Gaming Market in Danger of Fading, Neoseeker. Retrieved at:

http://www.neoseeker.com/news/14224-capcom-japanese-gaming-market-in-danger-of-fading/

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Phil Kollar (2009-10-20). "Game Informer Demon’s Souls Review - From Software Gives RPG

Players Tough Love". Game Informer.

http://gameinformer.com/games/demons_souls/b/ps3/archive/2009/10/20/review.aspx.

Retrieved 2010-11-03.

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