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Capcom Takes Grand Theft Auto To Japan
Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a press release announcing that Capcom will publish the phenomenally successful Grand Theft Auto 3 in Japan. It appears the big Japan publisher will "..localize, publish and distribute.. Grand Theft Auto 3" for both Playstation 2 and PC, and "Grand Theft Auto 3 is scheduled for release in the Japanese market in Fall 2003." Interestingly, one commentary about GTA3 in Japan says that the author's Japanese friends "..have been disgusted that such a game exists, and judgmental, as in 'that's the kind of game only an American would like'", but the game's suitability for the Japanese market will only be definitely proved/disproved by sales figures.
Wouldn't "Grant Theft Yugo" be a lot of fun?
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
"author's Japanese friends "..have been disgusted that such a game exists, and judgmental, as in 'that's the kind of game only an American would like'
This is coming from a place that just loves tentacle-rape Hentai.
Traditionally American -> Japan conversions have not done well.. Mortal Kombat and Doom/Quake (three that pop to mind as selling well in Europe / USA) did very badly in Japan.
The Japanese have a lower tolerance for pointless violence than we do in the west. Before anyone complains, I'd note that have a much better tolerance for the kind of sexual acts that two (or more!) people can legally perform in their own home, so I think it's quite clear who actually has the better moral structure set up...
Combination - fun iPhone puzzling
...GTA3 hasn't been released in japan as of yet? truly bizzare.
moox. for a new generation.
that's the kind of game only an American would like
As long as they're tossing out generalities, what about games featuring animated rape and incest? There isn't much of a market for those over on this side of the pond.
"I'd note that have a much better tolerance for the kind of sexual acts that two (or more!) people can legally perform in their own home"
Looking at the Japanese government's cover up and denial ( = approval) of the Rape of Nanking, we don't have to add "consensual" or "participants survive it" to your description of the Japanese sex acts.
...the way they think is diffirent from here (EU/US) and it is quite obvious that GTA3 will do badly there for pointless violence (as mentioned before) is not really their thing. Metal Gear Solid 2 got a lot of bad response in Japan because it was too American which, in all aspects, it is.
Fun/Happy games do better in Japan as the action-based games are a smaller market but are the topsellers in the EU/US.
Well Rockstar is going over seas to Japan and I'm really happy about that it's about time a real game with everything in it and more make it overseas. Capcom has made great games in the past but Partnership with Rockstar games in this venture is good for the gaming market in Japan which is declining even as we speak, they need a game like GTA3 Which was the highest selling game in the USA and think about the possibilities of GTA Vice city as well Capcom and Rockstar will make a killing in Japan granted in the past USA games haven't went well in Japan, but this is very different GTA has so much to offer and Capcom the makers of SF2, Mega man, Resident evil now think how popular those are and now add GTA franchise and you got a monster on your hands. I know this venture with Rockstar games and Capcom will do very well even in the future. Could you see the possibilities. To be honest I would love to play the Japanese version of GTA and See what Capcom and Rockstar came up with for this highly sold highly popular game so far for this decade. Well thank you for hearing me out.
For all of those that had witness let me give you one of my favorite sayings "Ph34r My M4d Skillz"
by letting you dress up the main character and obsess over his blood type. I bet they'll also make it so that you can collect various accessories to decorate your cars and houses.
Seriously, I WANT to see a game that will offend the Japanese.
I know more than you drink.
The GTA games are made in Scotland by the company formerly known as DMA. We sort of like it on this side of the pond as well, and we probably get the dark scottish ironical comedy in it better than most Americans. No offence, like.
Something that really struck me as funny was a stand up comedy show on the BBC filmed in Glasgow. Some canadian comic was doing a routine about how violent the Americans are, and used GTA3 as an example.
Not all Japanese porn is tentacle rape stuff. Just take a look at this fine video for an example of refined Japanese taste.
GMD
watch this
Interestingly, one commentary about GTA3 in Japan says that the author's Japanese friends "..have been disgusted that such a game exists, and judgmental, as in 'that's the kind of game only an American would like'"...
This is coming from the country who produced Yatta, Fecal Japan, Tokyo Breakfast, and more tentacle-rape hentai than America has action movies?
No comment.
Interestingly, one commentary about GTA3 in Japan says that the author's Japanese friends "..have been disgusted that such a game exists, and judgmental, as in 'that's the kind of game only an American would like'"
Not enough tentacles, I guess...
10. "Grand Theft Auto, eh?" (Canada)
9. "Grand Theft UNIX Code" (SCO Offices)
8. "Grand Canyon Theft Auto" (Arizona)
7. "Grand Theft Electric Auto" (Ed Begley Jr's Garage)
6. "Grand Theft Item #6" (This list)
5. "Grand Theft Poland" (Nazi Germany)
4. "Grand Theft Evil Otto" (Berzerk! videogame)
3. "Grand Theft Exploding Auto" (Israel)
2. "Grand Theft Rickshaw" (China)
1. "Grand Theft Entire Country" (Iraq)
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
*EVERYONE* likes tentacle-rape hentai.
Or at least they should, you sick bastards.
Almost happened in 2000, but the would-be thief lost in court (his lawyers could not lie convincingly enough) and the actual winner ended up being inaugurated.
"Howard Dean [deanforamerica.com]: A Presidential Candidate Who Doesn't Suck "
Howard Dean doesn't suck. He BLOWS. He is nothing to worry about, no one likes him as his main distinction is that he is the candidate who has defended Saddam Hussein the most passionately.
I don't usually go in for violent games but GTA3 has a certain charm and it is one of the most playable games I have ever encountered. I imagine that the Japanese market will react the same way everyone else in the world reacted to GTA3 -- they'll buy millions of copies.
For objective reporting on the tasteful and refined Japanese game scene you can refer to these reputable reviews.
If you disagree then it must be overrated, redundant or trolling.
"..have been disgusted that such a game exists, and judgmental, as in 'that's the kind of game only an American would like'"
That smells more like somebody who heard all about the game on CNN as opposed to actually playing it.
This a country where they sell used panties in vending machines and the dominate form of pr0n is hardcore bondage! But someone dares claim "only an American could like [GTA3, aka "a game like that"]?" Ah, I doubt it. Not in a country of Hentai cartoons, where only 65 years ago, the average person thought of their emperor as a living god. :)
'that's the kind of game only an American would like'
Isn't Rockstar a UK company? I know Rockstar North worked on State of Emergency and Vice City, but the origional GTA series didn't start on this side of the pond.
Hot Soup - Lethal Doses
It seems to me that the only applicable explanation is a deeply rooted post-war disgust of anything American except dollars. This shouldn't be a new concept to anyone who pays any attention to world politics. Any other theories out there that don't involve simply bringing up hentai as a defense?
As to Rockstar I hope they do great. The reality of it is when the game lands on the shelf it won't have a giant neon sign above it saying "Made in the USA" and when push comes to shove gamers tend to buy good games not games manufactured by political entities they feel empathy towards.
Who moderates the meta-moderators?
Anyone remember this positive Japanese perspective on the game, from a rather unlikely source? (Slashdot story here.
Gamespot also wrote an article about "Liberty City Has No Place in Japan" a while back.
I guess they will change the fish market vans into hot dog carts...
Most Japanese think Americans are loud, violent gun-toting maniacs thanks to the movies they see in theaters and on TV...
"Yes you too can pretend to be an American in this realistic American city simulator!"
I wonder if they'll make the cars drive on the other side of the road?
They seemed to love pointless violence then.
Not trolling.
Really, most _Americans_ are appalled by the GTA series, once you get outside gamer circles. And even moreso if they've actually _seen_ the game being played. I mean, this is a game where you pull drivers out of cars, beat them to death, and run over pedestrians while trying to avoid the cops.
It doesn't exactly take a puritan to find that disturbing.
(I have played the game, and found it not to my taste. I don't mind that it exists, and hey, if that's what the market likes, so be it, but this is a far stronger case that the game has objectionable content than the typical anti-3D-shooter sentiment.)
-- Kate
...the developers of Grand Theft Auto don't live in New York, Miami or even the USA. They're in Europe, although I don't remember the country, it ain't the USA.
Hm. I find it hard to believe you played it for very long, if at all seriously. The #1 misunderstood aspect of GTA3 / Vice City is this:
(1) There are penalties for violence.
I mean, really. There are no points for killing random strangers. And if you do (depending if anyone saw you) police will turn up and try to stop you. If you keep resisting their attempts to kill or arrest you, police helicopters start shooting at you from the air. If you still manage to excape - the FBI turns up in black SUVs, then the army arrives with tanks and machine guns. When you die (or get arrested), you have to start your mission over from scratch - and they take all your weapons away from you.
There are a few missions where you have to try and escape from the heat (such as after a bank robbery), but more often than not your character gets killed for going on a rampage.
Yes, the missions follow a mobster storyline, in which you might have to do questionable things like killing your opponents in crime, drug-running, etc. It's no worse than the Sopranos. But outside of the mission structure, your level of involvement is up to you:
(2) You can be as mean or as nice as you want.
*THIS* (the free-form structure of the game) is the main appeal of the game to many (myself included) *NOT* the senseless violence. If someone enjoys driving along the sidewalk... that's their choice. I'm sure you've driven backwards around the track in a racing game at least once - just to see what would happen. Well... it's the same thing.
Hence the report of a famous game designer's teenage daughter (was that Will Wright's?) driving around on a motor-scooter having hours of entertainment touring the sights of the city. All without hurting a single person.
You Lose
Before you all go crazy crucifying the Japanese for saying only we Americans would like such a game, remember a few things. -This is based soley on a few friends of some guy we don't even know. -I studied Japanese culture in college and it is far, far more repressed than ours. It is not socially acceptable to express your true feelings or desires. Those things are expected to be explored only in private.. hence they tend to take them to the extreme when they have the privacy (tentacle rape, etc). All this leads to incredible amounts of bottled up tension and shame that has driven japanese suicide levels to unbelievable rates, sadly.
1) Your analysis is based on bad assumptions so your result is way off. 2) You're a sick bastard for fucking a horse.
Are they going to have the main Guy have tenticles? For that occasional full body cavity search. Include a cute but obnoxious side-kick? Perhaps they are going to change the Guy to a Gal! Nothing better then a gun-packing honey!
-- What's this '-r *' file doing here? -- Oh well, a simple 'rm' should do the trick.