GTL: Bridging The Gap Between Japanese & Western Video Games

Twin Galaxies Editorial Staff,

February 8, 2018 12:00 AM

Companies like Atlus USA, Bandai Namco, & more are bridging the gap between Japanese and Western video games. Can this cultural connection change the gaming landscape as we know it worldwide?

Today's show covers the various aspects of Western and Japanese gaming industries. As developers and publishers put more and more effort into reaching across seas and making games more global, consideration of translations, ports, and localizaiton of video games becomes a greater issue. With the resurgance of the Japanese video game market and an adaption of influences both ways, how does the worldwide gaming landscape stand to change?

Before the more connected and globalized environment we found ourselves in today with gaming, Eastern and Western gaming culture evolved very differently. There was an extreme tonal difference between American games and Japanese games. Does this tonal difference still exist? Has there been a shift where Japanese and Western influences have melded and become less distinct from one another?

The panel discusses the consideration of focus, taking into account the subtlety of certain Japanese games while American games are far more into impact and memorable moments. Meanwhile, there is a discussion of whether darker and grittier games existed or whether they were simply not brought over to the West. The evolution and advances of Western and Japanese games over the course of the last ten years is also considered.

Nintendo is often considered to be among the only japanese studios that can consistently compete with Western studios in today's gaming marketplace. The panel considers the factors Nintendo have going for them that other Japanese publishers and devs might not. Is the famed "Nintendo polish" a factor or does Nintendo simply get a pass on various factors? What about long-standing series like Monster Hunter which has had a standard fanbase for awhile is now branching out in ways the series hasn't done before?

In the next topic, the show considers the curious case of localization. Players sometimes scrutinize localizations and translations heavily, but sometimes the challenge of localizing a game can be enormous for a developer. The panel discusses the true challenge of localization from a developer point of view, the difference between straight translation and localization, and whether or not it's more important to keep the original context or pursue relatability as the game crosses cultures. Are there opportunities to pursue both relateability and context?

The extensive process of localization and globalization is also considered. The panel discusses the various factors that go into whether or not a game gets localized, what keeps games away from being globalized, and the things beyond language that are changed in translation. The panel considers localization that change further content in a game, such as clothing on certain characters or box art being altered. Is it okay to make these changes to the game or should it simply be up to the rating systems on most games to warn gamers of what's in the game?

Finally, the topic turns towards the influences and crossover of Japanese and Western gaming. Mega Man co-designer Keiji Inafune once said that gaming and most art are directly influenced by the cultures we experience in child hood. Is it this clear cut or can influences change over time? As Japanese and Western cultures cross in a more connected world, are influences capable of melding and shifting more? Can this be attributed to an evolution and resurgence in the Japanese gaming market? The panel discusses the blending of cultures and perspectives and how these experiences are translated or localized when it comes to video games.

The show has wrapped for today, but you can watch it in entirety in the video above. You can also catch up on Game Talk Live's previous episode about developer crunch culture.



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