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Japanese financial rag says gaming market is "melancholy"

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In an article titled The Melancholy of Cool Japan, the Nikkei Shimbun's argued that the decreasing relevance of the Japanese games industry on the world stage can be partially blamed on the American nationality of gaming's biggest publishers, EA and Activision.

Adding to the general malaise, says the piece, is that 30-something gamers are too busy with jobs and families to play games.

If that weren't enough, Japan's declining birth rate is hitting gaming hard, said the paper.

Japanese publishers will navigate the marshes, though, says the piece, specifically naming Square Enix, Tecmo and Konami.

The Japanese industry has noticeably suffered of late, seeing a 20 percent decline in sales in the past year alone.

Both platform holders and Japanese developers have openly admitted gaming power has shifted significantly to the West over this generation.

Thanks, Kotaku via AltJapan

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