What does the Western Market want?

I mean, what do they really want? Just more graphic-porn and shooting?

This came to mind mind on why many Takes of... Whatever titles do get license here in the West. Some say its probably because they don't sale well here, as well as there not being a market for JRPG's.

So... what DO Western Gamers like to play the most?

Yep, I'm still here.

Hey now, just about all the best games of the last 3 years have been made by western developers. Don't be hatin'.

Myself, I like non-linearity and gameplay that's deep but easy to learn.

edited 13th Feb '12 7:57:52 PM by RTaco

"What does the Western Market want?"

To confuse you.

Ok, that's just me.

edited 13th Feb '12 7:59:20 PM by VutherA

I want great gameplay.

Not graphics. Not cutscenes(FMV's). Not a gigantic overarching and hard to understand story.

Just good gameplay with a reasonable enough story(if applicable), graphics that don't look like ass, written dialogue that you can press A/X to continue, and only FMV's for the opening, special attacks and endings. Or small chapter intervals.

Quest 64 thread

This is only true if everyone uses the same criteria to judge what the "best game" is... Since that doesn't happen, it's not.

The more accurate statement is the most sold games of the last three years have been made by western developers... But anyone who dislikes Avatar(or Twilight) would be the first to tell you that just because it made a lot of money, doesn't mean it's "good."

^ I'm talkin' about overall praise here. We've got both Portals, Assasin's Creed, Skyrim, Uncharted, Mass Effect, Minecraft, Arkham Asylum and its sequel, Brutal Legend, Left 4 Dead, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Spore, Scribblenauts, Fallout: New Vegas, plus the huge surge of indie games like Limbo, Braid and Super Meat Boy.

I find it odd that we're comparing western games to JRP Gs, of all things. That's a genre just as stagnant that the FPS.

And equal, if not worse, when it comes to presentation over gameplay.

edited 13th Feb '12 8:25:59 PM by RTaco

The western market? Six-shooters, gunfights, and campfire songs out on the trail, while herding cattle and fightin' off bandits. Bonus points if the Man With No Name shows up.

All I have to say is that they want to be Badass, hence why shooters are so popular over here and why JRP Gs are looked down upon. Rather than by given awesome gameplay and characters, they want to go their own way. It's almost like religion vs no-religion.

Aside from that, they want presentation over gameplay. Lame.

I resign myself to being the lesser applier of sarcasm in this thread.

Two words: Tribes: Ascend.

Well, okay, a few more words: Serious Sam 3: BFE.

Basically, we're seeing a return to a form from the good old days of PC gaming, when health didn't necessarily regenerate, when movement was fast and when cover systems didn't exist. I think that's the direction we should be heading in.

edited 13th Feb '12 8:50:48 PM by RocketDude

"Hipsters: the most dangerous gang in the US." - Pacific Mackerel

Most JRP Gs, and Tales Of games especially, don't sell well because of lack of advertising. When have you seen any ads for, say, Xenoblade or Persona 4? I, personally, was surprised that Tales of the Abyss had online banner ads way back when.

Point is, JRP Gs are going to stay under the radar if they continue to rely on word of mouth and the occasional review. Niche games, no matter how good, don't sell all that well because of that.

The exception is FFXIII, but that had other problems.

That only really applies to shooters, it's pretty obvious he's asking what Western games in general have over Japanese games.

edited 13th Feb '12 8:59:47 PM by Neo_Crimson

Sorry, I can't hear you from my FLYING METAL BOX!

Well, that's trickier, and I'm far from qualified to take a knock at answering that question.

"Hipsters: the most dangerous gang in the US." - Pacific Mackerel

What does the Western market want? Same thing any other market wants, good games that appeal to its tastes.

What are its tastes? Well, it doesn't seem to like Rogue Likes or Bullet Hell games very much, and it seems to really like first-person shooters and sports games, but other than that, I have no clue.

People are far too quick to stereotype gamers of both the Japanese and the Western markets.

Yes, because people play JRPGs for the gameplay.

Get out of here.

edited 13th Feb '12 9:18:59 PM by Scardoll

Fight. Struggle. Endure. Suffer. LIVE.

to be fair, games like etrian oddysey and nocturne are all about the grinding.

well ok, nocturne has a decent story with 6 varied endings and the presentation is pretty good

but on the otherhand, the story itself takes forever to get to and you wouldnt get anywhere near it if you dont like the gameplay.

edited 13th Feb '12 9:23:23 PM by Tarsen

I can certainly believe that.

Agreed. Or at least, I think people should. Now I'm not saying that an RPG shouldn't strive to have a good story, but if you have to trudge through the actual game section to get to it, then there is a serious problem.

Sorry, I can't hear you from my FLYING METAL BOX!

Anything that's 100% American, grilled on the Alamo and comin' straight to the White House on a wagon! YEE-HAW!

Stereotype jokes aside, I think they just want games that appeal to their tastes. Same with East Asian gamers. Don't go throwin' around stereotypes, boi.

As a person who doesn't play JRP Gs, I am also doubting the sentiment that no one plays JRP Gs for their gameplay. Some Square Enix executives would probably try to save a load of money and time by making VisualNovels or CGI films of ridiculously high graphics instead.

edited 13th Feb '12 9:46:56 PM by VutherA

I'll take gameplay over flair any day.

Likes many underrated webcomics

My own impression has been that most people who play JRPGs cite the characterization and plot as the main attractions. Oh sure, the gameplay is fun (People don't play games that aren't), but one does not normally play Final Fantasy VI or Persona 4 just to enjoy the turn-based combat. People play to enjoy the characters.

Either way, the genre in general is very much presentation over gameplay. That's not to say Western rpgs are any different (Just look at Bioware's recent games, where stuff like dialogue matters so much), but complaining that Western gamers enjoy presentation over gameplay while at the same time shilling jrpgs is disingenuous.

On another note, presentation over gameplay is not bad. I love Chrono Trigger, and that's definitely a case of people playing due to presentation over gameplay. Sure, it's fun to play, but I'd get bored quickly without the frame story and cut-scenes.

edited 13th Feb '12 10:06:38 PM by Scardoll

Fight. Struggle. Endure. Suffer. LIVE.

well, id assume one does naturally play persona 4 for the turn based combat by the 2nd playthrough. god knows i grew tired of the ridiculously long intro and constant repeating of whats already been said, aswell as the groups general suckingn-ness at being detectives and everything inbetween playing the actual game.

but im fairly sure part of that problem comes from the fact the plot is set up around a mystery. and a mystery only works once.

edited 13th Feb '12 10:17:16 PM by Tarsen

I stopped playing games for presentation years ago. After playing many RPG, presentation alone will not suffice, if the gameplay is the same thing over and over.

I play ''Nocturne for its amazing gameplay. I like Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy XII for their gameplay and the fact that they handle it in such a way that the story and presentation don't hurt it. I dislike the mess that was Final Fantasy XIII, sacrificing effective gameplay mechanics over graphics and storylines.

Oh, and there's Star Ocean. Literally zero characterization and mediocre stories. But nobody cares. Because the games have some of the fastest and most fun gameplay mechanics ever. Same for Valkyrie Profile. Or Resonance Of Fate, whose story is meandering, but the gameplay is amazingly innovative.

So yes, people play RPG for the gameplay and not just characterization. Get over it.

edited 14th Feb '12 1:02:10 AM by lu127

"If you aren't him, then you apparently got your brain from the same discount retailer, so..." - Fighteer

@Rocket Dude: This isn't what RPG's Western Gamers prefer, just video games.

Quest 64 thread

How about the Mario RP Gs?

Fantastic Supreme Überkaiser Emperor Folt of The Infinity and Beyond" ... "The First"!

So true.

As for "playing RP Gs for the Gameplay," I play RP Gs for the Gameplay, including Japanese ones. Just cuz you can't understand the appeal don't mean it isn't there.

edited 14th Feb '12 2:20:23 AM by MoeDantes

visit my blog!