Tue, Aug 31, 2010 | 21:21 BST
Kawazu: Japanese game market lacks “passion” due to overwhelming market trends
Final Fantasy XII executive producer Akitoshi Kawazu has claimed the problem facing the Japanese game market today is a lack of “passion” due to overwhelming development costs and market trends.
Speaking in a interview with Nintendo Power magazine, Kawazu feels it takes more than one person on a team to “keep up with all the skills necessary for game development”, while maintaining the confidence needed to “stick with their vision”.
“Aside from a few well-known titles, games from Japan are receiving less and less attention, regardless of if it’s an RPG or not,” he said. “I feel that it has something to do with the marketing abilities of Japanese publishers, as well as the games themselves.
“The technology is not on par with Western games, and it also seems like developers are losing their passion to stick with their vision because they are being overwhelmed by costs or market trends.
“It’s necessary for each individual developer to constantly be up-to-date with the latest computer and game technologies. It is also important for development teams and groups as a whole to support technological advancement. It is impossible for one person to keep up with all the skills necessary for game development on his own.
“On top of this, developers need to take on a project with the confidence and strength to stick with their vision. Everything I mentioned here applies to me personally, as well, and they are all things I would like to bring to fruition with my next project.”
That’s a shame, really, but at least he didn’t claim the Japanese industry was “finished like Inafune did at TGS last year or “dying” like Itagaki said earlier this month.
However, it sounds like Capcom’s Jun Takeuchi had it right when he said unless the Japanese games industry evolves and keeps up with western games development, it doesn’t have a “hope in hell”.
Hopefully, it will all get sorted soon.
Thanks, GoNintendo, Kotaku.
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Posted in: Development, Japan, Square Enix
Tags: Akitoshi Kawazu, jpanese market
14 comments
#1
Happy Hardon Harry
31/08/10, 8:50 pm
The Japanese still create great games. I think they are too hard on themselves.
Saying that, the JRPG genre needs a serious overhaul in design. I can’t play them anymore, they bore me shitless.
#2
SlayerGT
31/08/10, 8:53 pm
“developers are losing their passion to stick with their vision because they are being overwhelmed by costs”
I completly and sadly agree.
#3
RETARDED VIKING
31/08/10, 8:53 pm
Maybe they should stop putting children as main heroes that can save the entire galaxy cause really i don’t buy that.
#4
Gekidami
31/08/10, 8:55 pm
^ They want to put adults in their games but… Costs!
#5
RETARDED VIKING
31/08/10, 8:58 pm
#6
HighWindXIX
31/08/10, 9:05 pm
I gotta say, he hit the nail on the head so to speak. I really hope that the Japanese developers can get their stuff together and start making more and better games. Maybe they need to steal some Western coders to augment their ideas?
#7
theevilaires
31/08/10, 9:07 pm
Whatever anyone says in here don’t make fun of Japanese people…..or you will be banned!
#8
LOLshock94
31/08/10, 9:10 pm
final fanasty destroyed japanese market
#9
Zana
31/08/10, 9:15 pm
Kawazu was the executive producer of XII, not XIII. He also produced FFCC Crystal Bearers which was a really fresh take on the genre, so I hope his team will continue on this road.
#10
theevilaires
31/08/10, 9:18 pm
I don’t know why they can’t just start adapting in western ways but still have that Japanese influence, minus the horrible voice overs.
They just have too much pride as a culture and don’t want to change. I’m telling you thats what it is. Or they are just plain stupid. We don’t want megaman 5000, Vanquish looks good and so did Bayonetta but that like once in a blue moon stuff over there in Japan now.
#11
Stephany Nunneley
31/08/10, 9:21 pm
@9 yeah you’re right. The font I read made it look like 3 “lll” instead of two.
#12
OlderGamer
31/08/10, 9:46 pm
No comment.
Really.
None.
Ok, maybe just one.
I have been saying this for …
wait nevermind.
Nope nothing to see/read here.
Move along.
#13
MushroomStamp
31/08/10, 9:47 pm
Ok, seriously. It isn’t just their content, which albeit tends to be a little “strange/different”. I honestly think the problem lies in the lack of talent. It has been a long time since I have actually seen a well coded game come out of Japan. VERY FEW. It’s like their programmers stopped learning in the early 2000′s and just keep using the same techniques. They need to improve their programming schools dramatically.
#14
AHA-Lambda
31/08/10, 10:11 pm
actually this is kinda similar to the news post i posted earlier =/
truly the end of days is upon us!!
*remembers i dont like jrpgs*
well i’m good for abit i guess