Gaming Proof that Japanese gamers suck

[cubin']

Kotaku
2007-12-07

Suda51:
Mini-Skirt Or Not, No More Customers

Face it: Japanese Wii owners buy Wii Sports, Wii Fit and maybe Super Mario Galaxy. That's about it, really! So, when a third party company releases something that, well, isn't any of those three, what happens? Not much. That's No More Heroes executive producer and Harvest Moon creator Yasuhiro Wada and No More Heroes and Killer 7 creator Goichi Suda hoping to give out toilet paper and hoping to sign copies of NMH. Thing is, after twenty minutes of Suda and Wada standing in front of Akihabara's Sofmap, nobody bought the game. Keep in mind, that not only two well-known game creators were giving out toilet paper, but there was also a woman in a mini-skirt (that, after the jump). Talk about a tough crowd!

Japanese game press like IT Media, GA Graphic and Famitsu were at the bust of an event and didn't have any customers to photograph at the launch. According to Akiba Blog, a staffer from Famitsu publisher Enterbrain apparently went and bought a copy of No More Heroes for Wada and Suda to sign. Regardless of what you think of No More Heroes, stuff like this isn't just sad for Suda and co., but for Wii owners ultimately. No More Heroes isn't your typical Wii game, and it seems to be getting punished for that. Hope it does better in the States — for the Wii's sake.



This makes me sad

those poor guys look like they're going to cry. I bet if Nintendo released Mario Party 87 people would be lined up around the block

 

[jumpman17]

Honestly, I can't blame them for not wanting to buy No More Heroes. It doesn't look appealing to me in the slightest bit. Mainly because it's advertised as the super duper gory game with weird stuff and awesomez all in one, by the maker of Killer 7, that other game you didn't buy with the super duper gory game with the weird stuff and awesomez all in one!

 

[cubin']

This kind of thing added to the sales numbers will just about kill off any company investing in substantial third party games on Wii....they just don't sell.

It's too bad you never played Killer 7 jumpman. It was a really good game. By judging it on its weirdness you're just helping developers make the choice to create mario party 71 and mini game collection 43 instead of trying interesting and fun games.

 

[slvrdrgn123]

Why are they giving away toilet paper? Does it have something to do with the game?

 

[cubin']

Why are they giving away toilet paper? Does it have something to do with the game?

It's got advertising for the game on it. I would kill for some of that toilet paper!

 

[Veho]

The game has been in development since the Wii was announced. Let's face it, it's probably just a crappy launch title... a year too late. I don't blame them for their lack of enthusiasm.

Are there any reviews out yet? There's no media hype around it, no hysterical previews singing it praises, people aren't all psyched up to play it, and the initial sales will be bad. When possible positive reviews eventually start trickling in, the game will be drastically behind on sales, and be deemed another unjustly overlooked, sadly underrated title.

Media hype. Meh.

EDIT: Killer 7, Psychonauts, Beyond Good and Evil... Good games, victims of a lack of media hype and/or good marketing. By the time people who would want to play them even hear about them, they're not even to be found in bargain bins any more, and even if we wanted to, we couldn't buy them any more and maybe turn the industry around (or just tilt it a few degrees). So we download them, and lament their poor success, but the industry goes on to make "Minigames Mania 300".

 

[cubin']

I can't believe you guys are justifying this

 

[Veho]

I can't believe you guys are justifying this

I'm not. I'm saying it's a darn shame, it's unjust, but it's understandable, and, unfortunately, to be expected.

 

[Osaka]

instead of saying that Japanese gamers suck, did you even stop to think that the game may be the one that sucks?

 

[GeekyGuy]

I feel that pain. I was a "working" musician for a number of years, so I know what it's like to face the tumbleweed. I am sorry for those dudes, but it's part of the biz. I hope they don't let it knock them down, because Suda 51 has some great ideas for gaming.

 

[Deleted User]

Honestly, I can't blame them for not wanting to buy No More Heroes. It doesn't look appealing to me in the slightest bit. Mainly because it's advertised as the super duper gory game with weird stuff and awesomez all in one, by the maker of Killer 7, that other game you didn't buy with the super duper gory game with the weird stuff and awesomez all in one!
Maybe it's because the game is actually advertised as the bloody-weird-thing but yet released in a censored version. I won't buy it because I don't like to play a game the director originally wanted me to play in a different way.

The game has been in development since the Wii was announced. Let's face it, it's probably just a crappy launch title... a year too late. I don't blame them for their lack of enthusiasm.

Are there any reviews out yet? There's no media hype around it, no hysterical previews singing it praises, people aren't all psyched up to play it, and the initial sales will be bad. When possible positive reviews eventually start trickling in, the game will be drastically behind on sales, and be deemed another unjustly overlooked, sadly underrated title.

Media hype. Meh.

EDIT: Killer 7, Psychonauts, Beyond Good and Evil... Good games, victims of a lack of media hype and/or good marketing. By the time people who would want to play them even hear about them, they're not even to be found in bargain bins any more, and even if we wanted to, we couldn't buy them any more and maybe turn the industry around (or just tilt it a few degrees). So we download them, and lament their poor success, but the industry goes on to make "Minigames Mania 300".

No offense, but I bought Killer7 about two months ago (new!) because I always wanted to play it. Okay, it was no bargain but it surely wasn't the last copy to find and a used copy would've been even cheaper.

I have to agree on the hype thing though, if a game isn't hyped enough there are no customers.

 

[cubin']

instead of saying that Japanese gamers suck, did you even stop to think that the game may be the one that sucks?

No. Look at the Japanese video game sales charts.

Japanese gamers are complete retards.

(I'm talking generally)

Everyone thinks Japan is some video game wonderland but it's not anymore.

Typical Japanese gamer:
"z0mgz DQ9! zomg POKEMONZ ZOMG CUTE! zomg, differnt?!? NO WE DO NOT LIKE TEH DIFFERENT GAME!!111 mario party 76 Lawlz zomg CUTE!!"

I'm sure if Nintendo made this game everyone would be jumping all over it.

Veho: Sorry dude I misunderstood your post.

 

[Twiffles]

Does it matter if I was one of those that bought No More Heroes? >.>

 

[cubin']

Does it matter if I was one of those that bought No More Heroes? >.>

You provide me with hope Twiffles.

 

[Twiffles]

I'm not really the type of person to generalize games by first or third party. I used to, but as the market ages and you stay with that attitude, you'll miss out on some really good games. Like Beyond Good and Evil, and in this case No More Heroes.

 

[Osaka]

instead of saying that Japanese gamers suck, did you even stop to think that the game may be the one that sucks?



No. Look at the Japanese video game sales charts.

Japanese gamers are complete retards.

(I'm talking generally)

Everyone thinks Japan is some video game wonderland but it's not anymore.

Typical Japanese gamer:
"z0mgz DQ9! zomg POKEMONZ ZOMG CUTE! zomg, differnt?!? NO WE DO NOT LIKE TEH DIFFERENT GAME!!111 mario party 76 Lawlz zomg CUTE!!"

I'm sure if Nintendo made this game everyone would be jumping all over it.

Veho: Sorry dude I misunderstood your post.

so people who dont like certain types of games are retards? Even if what you say is true, it would only make the developers of No More Heroes even more "retarded" for trying to sell a game to people, that the charts show, wouldn't buy it.

 

[cubin']

so people who dont like certain types of games are retards? Even if what you say is true, it would only make the developers of No More Heroes even more "retarded" for trying to sell a game to people, that the charts show, wouldn't buy it.

No, not at all. It's fine if you like a certain type of game but it seems that the Japanese will never try anything new. I think this contributes to the Wii having a really bad selection of games. Nintendo consoles will always have decent first party games (mario galaxy etc.) but without third party games it gets really boring for gamers who want something different for once.

Nuh...the developers aren't retarded for trying to sell it. I guess it will sell well in the rest of the world.

Tips if you want to sell games in japan:

-having a gimmick
-being cute
-feature almost naked pre-teen girls
-anything that is popular. popularity rules in japan. if it's considered 'cool' you can bet it will sell like hotcakes.

I have no problem with some games having things in the above list but the whole market is saturated with crap over there, with a few decent games rarely showing up.

edit: It's more a problem with 'casual gaming' in general I guess. Not just the Japanese.

 

[Twiffles]

Of course, lolis add to sales in games. Most of the people that buy those games are huge perverts though. >_>

 

[lagman]

Well, Japanese gamers buy always the same RPGs, American gamers buy always the same Madden game and here in Mexico there's no other game than FIFA, it's just like that...and it's sad.

Killer 7 was an awesome game and No More Heroes looks truly unique but they're not the kind of game that sells millions of copies.

 

[Talaria]

Why are they giving away toilet paper? Does it have something to do with the game?

Yeah in the game to save you go to the bathroom and sit on the toilet. Thats where the link is drawn with the creators giving away toilet paper with No More Heroes on it