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April 29, 2004

Insert Sofia Coppola Joke Here

We all know the age-old story about how some games are uniquely American, while others are very, very Japanese (probably anything with tentacles). Surprisingly, Japanese gamers are not as drawn to overtly violent games, and they seem to dislike first-person POV games as well.

So, don’t expect Halo 2, Doom III or Half-Life 2 to break any sales record in Japan, says a relatively well-researched report fro MSNBC (you know, that cable news channel you never watch). Also interesting is the theory that non-linear games, like Grand Theft Auto,
Don’t do well in Japan, because gamers in that heavily structured society prefer titles with a strong narrative and direction.

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4780423/

Posted by gamegal at April 29, 2004 03:39 PM