The concept of moe (pronounced MOH-ay) is incredibly important amongst Japan's indigenous nerd population, otherwise known as otaku. The reasons for the shift in Japanese gamer taste are numerous, but there are three that western gamers in the country continuously note - a peculiar emotion called moe, the Japanese concept of hobbies and adulthood, and a tradition of disparaging foreign games. While the slow takeover of the AAA console space by former PC heavy-hitting franchises, genres and studios like Fallout, FPS games, and BioWare changed the tastes of the western market in the past decade, other forces have been working on Japan in the same time. Gamer taste in both regions underwent a massive sea change in recent years. Regardless, the fact remains that Japanese gamers are now seeking different experiences from North Americans and Europeans. There's no single cause that can explain the phenomena - the possible reasons range from the social and economic, to the practical and mundane. ![]() Rather than this being another piece that focuses on the alleged downfall of the Japanese industry, we thought we should focus on why Japanese games and western tastes have diverged so much in recent years. Japanese games are now by and large made to appeal almost exclusively to Japanese gamers. The games themselves are as good as they've ever been, but they're just not made for the entire world anymore. ![]() ![]() Japanese game development did run into trouble during this console generation, but their issues are so removed from the average gamer's experience (workforce and labor management) as to be meaningless. And while their critiques have a certain degree of truth to them, they're missing the point. "Our games are as good as ever, they're just not for you anymore."Ĭritics in the west have been crowing about the supposed death of the Japanese industry for years. "It's not you, it's me." That's the message the Japanese gaming industry is telling the world this week at TGS.
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