Ben-DutkaAt last year's Tokyo Game Show, Capcom's head of Research & Development, Keiji Inafune, made the following bold statement: "Japan is over. We're done. Our game industry is finished."
Now, due to the boldness of that comment, some believed there may have been something lost in the translation. Or maybe Inafune was just having a bad day. Well, that really isn't the case, as another statement made to the New York Times (as cited by Examiner.com ) once again reinforces his dire view of the Japanese gaming industry:
"I look around Tokyo Games Show, and everyone’s making awful games. Japan is at least five years behind. Capcom is barely keeping up. I want to study how westerners live, and make games that appeal to them."
In the past, many Japanese masterminds have stepped up to address the ailing Japanese games industry, including Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima. He recently said Japanese developers "lack motivation and passion," which also incited plenty of discussion and argument amongst gamers and journalists alike. For the record, Capcom just reported its lowest net income since 2004, so perhaps Inafune has good reason to say what he did, but his idea comes back to the "Westernizing" of Japanese games in order to compete. We see it with Square-Enix and we saw it with Capcom's unveiling of the new Devil May Cry. The latter was announced at TGS 2010 .
Other games shown off at the Tokyo Game Show this year were Capcom's other brawler by CyberConnect2, Asura's Wrath , Grasshopper Manufacture's Shadows of the Damned , Sega's Yakuza: The End , and Team ICO's The Last Guardian . But regardless of the games on display, Inafune's new quote is going to ruffle some feathers.
I suspect Tecmo Koei will tank first being a smaller company than Capcom. More recent reports claim that Tecmo Koei has had a 14% loss in revenue compared to last year. NGS2 sold below expectations and Quantum Theory doesn't look like it'll do anything to help them out.
I'm really beginning to think that their refusal to Square-Enix's buyout bid had more to do with the upper execs wanting to keep their positions than they were concerned for the health of their company.
That's depressing. At least we're pretty sure we're gonna get NG3, though.
What are we a bunch of animals? This guy wants to "study" us???
Do yourself a favor Capcom and fire this sorry excuse for R&D. He's nothing but a complainer and a defeatist.
Although the fact that Capcom kept him around for another year after the last TGS comment kinda goes to show what kind of clowns are running the show over there.
i wish i could just whack every Asian developer on the head, than maybe, just maybe they will wake up and smell the coffee!
its not that there 5 years behind, its not that there making crap games, its that there trying to imitate games there not!
imitations are always crap, no matter how good they are.
food for example, have you ever tried a itallian pizza made by a leb?
it tastes like sh*t!
have you ever tasted chineese food made by a italian?
it tastes like sh*t!
just like cars, italians are known for super cars, beautiful cars, there not exactly known for quality look at alfas.
if you want a car that will last for 100 years you buy a german car, if you want a beautiful car you buy a italian car, if you want a car that will break the moment you drive it out the showroom you buy a holden.
as i have said o so many times if i want itallian food i will go to a itallian shop.
if i want german food i will go to a german shop.
if i want french food god knows why i would but ill go to a french shop.
if i want a well built sturdy car and can afford it ill buy a german car.
if i want a carthat is beautiful and built with passion ill buy a italian car.
if i want a asian game ill buy a asian game.
if i want a western game ill buy a western game.
certain cultures, certain regions are known for certain things and certain styles of things.
SO FOR THE LOVE OF GOD CAPCOM, $E AND CO, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP TRYING TO BE WESTERN IMITATIONS AND JUST BE YOURSELVES, DO WHAT YOUR FANS WANT YOU TO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"I look around Tokyo Games Show, and everyone’s making awful games. Japan is at least five years behind. Capcom is barely keeping up."
OH! Nicely said Inafune-San!!! So all the Japanese developers other than Capcom are crap? Is that what you want to point out?
Don't complain about Sushi if you only like Pizza.
Don't complain about J-Pop if you only like Punk.
I really admire and love company's like Nippon1 or Banpresto with there Disgaea and SRW franchises.
If Capcom reaches the perfection of imitating western games, it will be the day I will never buy a Capcom game again.