...but because the plot and story seem different and new compared to the current crop of games. I am sick to the back teeth of Animal Crossing: Wild World.
You're right. What with Nintendo's incessant release schedule introducing a new Animal Crossing every four years AND the seemingly endless army of Animal Crossing clones the third parties keep releasing. Not to mention the constant public fervor... When will we get a breath of fresh air from small town simulations featuring these anthropomorphic freaks!?!?
If only we could somehow convince publishers and developers to craft more of these "sandbox" games that evoke popular anti-establishment attitude. But that's just a pie-in-the-sky fantasy, I guess.
This is all simply an echo of a larger issue most American business had in the 80's - and one that is currently occuring again in China. The Big Three (Two) American Automakers couldn't complain louder about unfair practices that stimied auto sales in the Rising Sun, while Japanese cars couldn't lose market share if they tried in the US. All the while, it probably wouldn't have hurt Ford and Dodge to move the steering wheel to the other side and make their leviathan-sized autos just a _tad_ bit smaller.
My point though, is that the introduction of "American" products will always be met with some hesitation. I noticed three trends when it came to the introduction of American products in Nippon:
1. Products that have an already established and well marketed baseline will be met with resistance , if the introduced product is markedly different from the norm (Cars, video games, fashion)
2. Products that are uniquely "American," that fit a preconceived Japanese stereotype but does not contradict with point #1 will succeed. (MacDonald's comes to mind as the best example)
3. Products that pander to an international standard of design or one of Japanese inspiration will do well. The iPod, for example performed well because it fit Japanese design standards: small, convenient, focus on core product purpose, etc. Also, a friend of mine who is on the iPod design team studied in Japan for about 3-4 years, speaks Japanese fluently, etc. I make that point less to say that he single-handedly designed the device to meet sales, but to say that Apple clearly makes effort to appeal to Japanese standards as part of their product design
I'm surprised at the article not taking 'the easy way out' by listing countless Japanese titles that have been lost in translation. Regardless, I've always felt lemental Gear Bolt deserves some kind of honorable mention in the field. Even in Japanese the name sounds excessively weird.
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This is all simply an echo of a larger issue most American business had in the 80's - and one that is currently occuring again in China. The Big Three (Two) American Automakers couldn't complain louder about unfair practices that stimied auto sales in the Rising Sun, while Japanese cars couldn't lose market share if they tried in the US. All the while, it probably wouldn't have hurt Ford and Dodge to move the steering wheel to the other side and make their leviathan-sized autos just a _tad_ bit smaller.
My point though, is that the introduction of "American" products will always be met with some hesitation. I noticed three trends when it came to the introduction of American products in Nippon:
1. Products that have an already established and well marketed baseline will be met with resistance , if the introduced product is markedly different from the norm (Cars, video games, fashion)
2. Products that are uniquely "American," that fit a preconceived Japanese stereotype but does not contradict with point #1 will succeed. (MacDonald's comes to mind as the best example)
3. Products that pander to an international standard of design or one of Japanese inspiration will do well. The iPod, for example performed well because it fit Japanese design standards: small, convenient, focus on core product purpose, etc. Also, a friend of mine who is on the iPod design team studied in Japan for about 3-4 years, speaks Japanese fluently, etc. I make that point less to say that he single-handedly designed the device to meet sales, but to say that Apple clearly makes effort to appeal to Japanese standards as part of their product design
I'm surprised at the article not taking 'the easy way out' by listing countless Japanese titles that have been lost in translation. Regardless, I've always felt lemental Gear Bolt deserves some kind of honorable mention in the field. Even in Japanese the name sounds excessively weird.