Japanese Video Games: A Model for International Popular Medias?

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Conclusion

Japanese video games occupy a special position in the U.S. due to their early acceptance and assimilation which resulted from a Japanese stronghold on the U.S. game market in the 1980's. Even with the differences that do exist between Japanese and American games, they have managed to gain mainstream acceptance from American consumers and have been incorporated into the domain of American popular media. Unfortunately, in order to attain this level of assimilation into the American market the original local Japanese product must undergo an erasure of its cultural specificity. Ironically, some American game publishers have felt the need to create products which appear Japanese in the eyes U.S. consumers in order to appeal to certain groups. Japan, on the other hand, is a country of consumers that has been conditioned to accept foreign-looking media such as American movies and music. Yet American video games have failed to earn the same place in the Japanese market that Japanese games have earned in the U.S. and throughout the rest of Asia.

Sony's impressive display at the E3 game show.

There are many international inequities and cultural issues that pose problems to the video game market, but it is important to recognize the positive things that have resulted from the international presence of Japanese video games. The world has become accustomed to the Japanese video game as a product, and even if erasure of local culture is sometimes necessary this has allowed Japanese video games to become the most internationally mobile form of media from Japan. I have been continually referring to them as "Japanese video games" throughout this piece, but to most consumers in the world they are simply "video games," and do not signify any degree of "Japaneseness." It would be wonderful if other types of media from Japan such as animation, music, and movies could also be relieved of their national and cultural baggage and be allowed to occupy the same mainstream international position that Japanese video games do. Perhaps it is human nature to identify objects of an artistic nature with the country and culture of their origins, but the video game market from the 1980's to the present has shown us that some degree of cultural neutrality may be possible even when dealing with this sort of object.

What is the future of Japanese video games? Will they continue to be a global product that seems to break down barriers between local and global culture, or will they be further delegated to niche markets for the enjoyment of "Japanophiles" and "otaku" (anime fanatics). While I have presented evidence that may suggest the latter, it is certain that Japan will continue to be a major part of the international video game market for many years yet to come. How Japanese video games are marketed in the U.S. will be largely determined by the popular attitudes of the American consumers. If you are a fan of Japanese video games you should continue to enjoy them as you have up to now, and the international market for video games and other forms of entertainment will hopefully continue to develop in a positive way. JF

Click one of the following links to continue to the other sections of this editorial:

1. Introduction: A Brief History of the U.S. Video Game Market

2. Japanese vs. American Video Games - Do Cultural Differences Exist in Game Production?

3. Assimilation of Japanese 'Otherness' into the U.S. Market

4. Orientalism: When Exotic or Japanese-looking Imagery is Used to Sell Games in the U.S.

5. American Games in Japan: The Other Side

6. The Asian Video Game Market: Not Profitable Enough?

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