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Sony's Happiness Controller Game Elevates The Joy

Posted by simoniker on from the more-weird-games dept.

Thanks to GamePro for its preview of Sony's forthcoming Japanese PlayStation 2 game, Happiness Controller. The preview explains: "The goal of Happiness Controller is to make 100 people that you control happy", and details: "Some of the types of people you need to make happy include... Happily married businessman, whose company is about to go bankrupt... A child whose father is a slob, and whose mother comes home late at night drunk... Bar club hostess, who gets paid to listen to rich Japanese businessmen talk." However, the preview ends: "Given the very Japanese nature of the 100 characters, if a North American release is planned it would likely have different characters."

33 comments

  1. I don't think I'd enjoy this by DarkkOne · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But I'm sure alot of the sims players probably would... And dammit, we need to support strange japanese games when/if the make it to the US. Because there's some damn good ones that have come out and NOT made it to the US on the assumption "we wouldn't get it."

    1. Re:I don't think I'd enjoy this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "We need to support strange japanese games when/if the make it to the US."

      Why? Those of us who do "get it" have been importing such games for years, and those Americans who don't "get it" are honestly in the vast majority anyway.

      Just keep buying good games. Let the marketers and staisticians extrapolate their silly sales information based on that, not on any kind of artifically-inflated, pro-quirky, pro-Japanese bias. (And I say this as someone whose import game collection composes about 40-50% of all the games I own. Of my "domestic" games, the clear majority are localized Japanese games.)

  2. i wouldnt get *that* by imr · · Score: 1

    that

    1. Re:i wouldnt get *that* by Pluvius · · Score: 1

      I always thought that this was weird, personally.

      Rob

    2. Re:i wouldnt get *that* by bugbread · · Score: 1

      What's the deal with that game, anyway? I see it come up from time to time, often erroneously attributed to Japan, but it's definitely not a Japanese game. Korean? Anyone know?

  3. What the hell is wrong with those people? by fmaxwell · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why is it that Asian products and companies have such idiotic names? "Happiness Controller"? DFI = Diamond Flower Incorporated. Lucky Goldstar? KiKi Joy USB Game Controller?

    They seem to just plop the words "joy", "happy", "golden" randomly next to other words (what the hell is a "data flower" anyway?) and assume that they have a company or product name.

    1. Re:What the hell is wrong with those people? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      not all japanese products have the words "joy" "happy" and "golden" in them....
      I mean, come on now, lets take for example my favorite japanese toy..

      http://www.engrish.com/detail.php?imagename=god- je sus.jpg&category=Toys&date=2002-10-16

    2. Re:What the hell is wrong with those people? by DrEldarion · · Score: 1

      Because in Japan, throwing random English words into product names / posters / conversations is the cool thing to do.

      See also Engrish.com.

    3. Re:What the hell is wrong with those people? by fatgraham · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yeah, I prefer "e-company" "i-company" "company-corp" "companysoft" "company dot com"

      them crazy asians!

    4. Re:What the hell is wrong with those people? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      One word: Daikatana.

      (Hint: it's not a real Japanese word.)

    5. Re:What the hell is wrong with those people? by bugbread · · Score: 2, Informative

      Way to RTA. The game is called "Koufuku Sousakan". Unless one of those words is some hyperadvanced English that I've never heard of, I have no idea what your comment is in reference to.

      As to why the game is called "Happiness Controller" in English: once again, RTA. It's a game about controlling happiness. I don't see a whole lot of randomness in the naming.

    6. Re:What the hell is wrong with those people? by fmaxwell · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I prefer "e-company" "i-company" "company-corp" "companysoft" "company dot com"

      So do I. At least with those names, you have some idea that it's a tech company, whereas "happy golden flower" could be anything.

    7. Re:What the hell is wrong with those people? by Xaymot · · Score: 0

      Why is it that Asian products and companies have such idiotic names? "Happiness Controller"? DFI = Diamond Flower Incorporated. Lucky Goldstar? KiKi Joy USB Game Controller?

      Just to annoy your ethnocentric ass. The Japanese hate you and your American ways. Yay.

  4. Bad Translation? by fmaxwell · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is "Happiness Controller" is what you get when you translate "joystick" into Japanese and then back into English?

    1. Re:Bad Translation? by shadowcabbit · · Score: 1

      I'm going to get the god damned not funny anymore Rez Trance Vibrator joke out of the way RIGHT NOW.

      --
      "Why Subscribe?" Good question...
    2. Re:Bad Translation? by Soul-Burn666 · · Score: 1

      Oh wow! that truly is innovative!!!!
      If I had a PS2 and a girlfriend, I would have most certainly get that ;)

      --
      ^_^
  5. If I know my japanese videogames by Lord+Bitman · · Score: 2, Funny

    and, I think I do...
    No matter what you try, the only way to make anyone happy is going to involve lots of dominating sex.

    --
    -- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All
  6. official american jobs thread by MORTAR_COMBAT! · · Score: 1, Funny

    what would the 100 americans be doing that needed to have their 'happiness controlled'?

    public high school english teacher with rowdy students
    president of music company struggling with business model
    day-trader whose dot-com bubble has come and gone
    porn star who just turned 40

    etc...

    --
    MORTAR COMBAT!
    1. Re:official american jobs thread by AKnightCowboy · · Score: 2, Funny
      what would the 100 americans be doing that needed to have their 'happiness controlled'?

      Happy Golden Joy Fun Election Day 2004!! Vote for Bush san to beat evil Democrats to reveal the secret power!! What is sekret power? Use happiness controller find out!

    2. Re:official american jobs thread by radimvice · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      /.er with negative karma...

    3. Re:official american jobs thread by bugbread · · Score: 1

      Methinks you're confusing weird Japanese phrasing with weird Chinese phrasing. Random appearances of "Happy" "Joy" "Golden" and "Double" seem to be some sort of staples of poorly translated Chinese, not Japanese. The "Happiness" in this game's title actually makes sense, if you read the article.

      Besides which, Bush supports the war, ergo, Japanese don't support Bush.

  7. Re:I thought this might be a product for geek grrl by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

    It sure gives a new meaning to the word "joystick".

  8. Ren and Stimpy Reference by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why not a Happy Helmet and will Stinky Wizzleteats perform the theme track "Happy Happy Joy Joy"?

  9. Pillows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    "if a North American release is planned it would likely have different characters, since an American audience wouldn't connect or comprehend why some people have hugging pillows."

    I have a huggable pillow you insensitive clod!

  10. Re:I thought this might be a product for geek grrl by ScarletEmerald · · Score: 1

    Something like Rez?

  11. dyslexia by emilami · · Score: 0

    I first read this as: "The goal of Happiness Controller is to make 100 people that CONTROL YOU happy..." I find it unfortunate that wasn't what it actually said. That could have been fun.

    --
    http://www.accountkiller.com/removal-requested
  12. Happiness Controller... by Lord+Kano · · Score: 1

    I guess something is wrong with me, visions of a controller with a mouth just ran through my mind.

    LK

    --
    "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
  13. To make JP-US conversion easier... by UltimaL337Star · · Score: 1

    "Some of the types of people you need to make happy include... Happily married businessman, whose company is about to go bankrupt... A child whose father is a slob, and whose mother comes home late at night drunk... Bar club hostess, who gets paid to listen to rich Japanese businessmen talk" The other 90% of the population will consist of teenagers.