Skip to main content

Japanese Games vs Western Games

Just recently I've finished the Special route on Ridge Racer 6. Afterwards, i went on to check my in-game stats. Apparently, I've been playing this ONE game for over 68 hours and counting. And I still haven't beaten the game. Unbelievable.

Playing RR6 so extensively for the past month or so made me realize how different Japanese game developers approach game design, as opposed to the western game developers. Western game developers seem to be so obssessed with cramming every bit of detail into their game's graphics, while Japanese developers opt for simpler graphical effects and less detailed textures. The reason for this seems to be that Japanese developers want to leave enough computational power and memory space for other elements in the game, such as A.I. and gameplay quality. In RR6 it looked like they opted for simpler effects and textures simply to keep the framerate at a constant 60 FPS even when so many cars are on track at one time. The constant framerate really helps with the gameplay, which can get really frantic on the higher classes.

The less-is-more approach of the Japanese reminds me of their approach towards Anime...I remember watching the documentary feature on the Animatrix DVD, and it mentions how Japanese animators use a lot of shortcuts to produce more work in less time...and somehow they manage to make their work look more spectacular in comparison to their western counterparts.

The Japanese also have this knack for inserting some personality into their video games. And that's interesting because I always thought the Japanese are more reserved than the Westerners (the people in the west love to be frank and speak their mind--sometimes they love it too much, imho.). Something as ridiculous as the RR6 game announcer, for instance, really adds to the game by making the race environment feel more alive and exciting. Recently I got to play the PGR3 demo, and while I was blown away by the graphics and sound, the environment for that game, like previous PGRs, is really serious and hardcore. It will definitely scare away anyone who has never, ever, ever played a racing game in the past. The personality that Japanese developers put into their games is also reflected in the colorful style and design of the elements of their games. Elements like characters, places and things...there just has to be a pastel color somewhere, on a Japanese title. Even a place as grey as an airport hangar in RR6 is transformed by Namco into an interesting place filled with light, color and life...with elements like airplanes flying by, confetti getting thrown on your car...I've seen those types of effects in previous Japanese games in the past, but have only begun to really notice them after playing a lot of Western games for a long time (like Halo, Baldur's Gate II etc). PGR3, on the other hand, while colorful in its own right, really sticks to realism in their environments through and through. Only in RR6 will you see a statue of a dinosaur before entering a big turn towards the finish line.

Popular posts from this blog

More on PS3 Hardware Failures: AICN's Moriarty Hit By BDL

Earlier I posted about how the PS3 is no less susceptible to hardware problems. The issue was dubbed the 'BDL' (Blu-Ray Disc Laser problem) over on Pinoyxbox by the multi-console users in the community. You'd find a lot more information about this by searching for error 80010514 and 80029906. That said, I saw this post on AICN from Moriarty ....apparently he also got hit by the BDL problem. He had the console repaired by Sony, and when he got his replacement, he was hit by another problem: he encountered an issue while updating his PS3, causing his system to get bricked. So now he's had two broken PS3s in a row, and the system has lost his recommendation as a blu-ray player system of choice for consumers: "Regarding Moriarty’s Awesome Non-Stop Blu-Ray Coverage... Or Lack Thereof! Dear Sony... Y’know, some days it doesn’t pay to be a movie fan. I’ve done tons of DVD coverage over the years here at AICN, and it’s funny... I’ve heard some people actually say, “But yo

Gamers based in the Philippines: How to get in Xbox Live

NOTE: This article has recently been updated (as of August 12, 2006). Singapore no longer lets you input '00000' as your zip code. Please see below for alternate zip codes. So you're a Filipino living in the Philippines with a brand-spanking new Xbox 360. You've heard about all the wonderful stories on Xbox Live. You happen to have a pretty good broadband connection. One day, you try out the Xbox Live sign-up options on your 360, and you find out to your dismay that your country is NOT listed. What do you do? Now, you can probably enjoy your 360 without live at all, but I have to tell you: YOU ARE MISSING OUT. As Peter Moore said in the recent MS Press Conference: "Having your 360 connected to Xbox Live is as vital as having your computer connected to the Internet". He is so damned right. I've been playing on Xbox Live for almost a year now (both on my original Xbox and the Xbox 360). Essentially I found out all of this with a little bit of research, a lit

Lost Odyssey Theme Song - "What You Are" by Sheena Easton

I've uploaded the theme song for Lost Odyssey in YouTube. Check out the video below: At first, I wasn't so into the song but when I heard it in full it grows on you. The song is actually quite beautiful. It was sung by Sheena Easton. With the lyrics from Hironobu Sakaguchi and the composition by Nobuo Uematsu. Very moving song, specially once you understand the lyrics. Below are the lyrics for the song "What You Are" by Sheena Easton When you touch me It feels just like a dream With the warmth that's in your eyes When you look at me I hear your voice beside me It whispers to me I can't hide how it makes me feel The shyness you see I may never Understand how deep it goes But I know how I feel What I hold deep in my heart There's just no way to stop this It's hopeless but true I feel this love More than anything So what more can I do You know I thought I would be much stronger than I am But then I feel the boldness that's inside my heart Just melt aw