Localize dragon quest 9 already goddammit

Xenophobia still to keep foreign games off the Japanese Top10 for years to come. Learn how to game Japan, and tip.

oh crap FFXIII has been released.

I'm with Daxelman. WTF is Friend Collection?

Considering the title and the source, it's probably some kidnap/rape simulator...

Did some googling on Friend Collection, its basically a japanese The Sims on ds.

xenophobic has no place in Japan. So STFU about the xenophobia angle.

Japanese just doesn't care what they play. Obviously they also rely on a few brand names rather than actual game play. In any case, why do we care about Japanese gaming now days? It was cool when Japanese games were hot cakes right out the oven in 80s and 90s. However, the western games moved on. Surpass the Japanese made games. Even Samsung passed Sony. So what's the surprise? Are there so many "anything out of Japan is better than anything out of West" crowds on Destructoid and they don't see the truth?

Inazuma Eleven made the list? That's pretty ballin'.

Apparently, It's this.

Weird.

the top ten Japanese sellers of 2009?

nothing is more creepy than the cultish worship of cuteness.

this list gives me the willies. Yipes!

Is it true, My Pretty Pony is the head of the Japanese CIA?

Those Japs sure love RPGs! Who could blame them?

Americans describing the japanese as xenophobic? The irony...

Oh and it's not like most American games are translated there anyways. And let's also wait for the american 'top 10' list. It'll be something like :

1- Modern Warfare 2 Xbox. 2- Modern Warfare 2 Ps3 3- Modern Warfare 2 PC. 4- Madden 20xx Xbox.

Nothing to boast about really.

@ Everyone...
Top 10 World Wide 2009 :

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360) -- 4,200,000
Wii Fit w/ balance board (Wii) -- 3,500,000
Wii Sports Resort w/ MotionPlus (Wii) -- 2,400,000
Mario Kart Wii w/ wheel (Wii) -- 2,200,000
Wii Play w/ remote (Wii) -- 2,100,000
Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360) -- 2,000,000
Pokemon Platinum (DS) -- 1,900,000
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3)-- 1,900,000
Madden NFL 10 (Xbox 360) -- 1,500,000
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) -- 1,400,000

People complain about Japanese developers not evolving, but based on the numbers, it seems that Japanese consumers aren't exactly looking for change. The most unabashedly traditional games are the ones with the highest sales.

Exrecaller: Try living there some time. If you're white, black, or especially those who look Japanese but aren't, you will know what it means to be an outsider.

I'm betting that if FF13 had a bit more time it would rose to number 3


i don't think it would beat pokemon tough

@SnatchTease - I have lived in Japan. You're right, you are an outsider if you, ya know, come from outside. That said, Japan is a country which evolved from an isolated feudal system to a fully modern nation in a shorter time than any other country simply based on it's willingness to use what comes from other nations. So the xenophobia angle doesn't hold up.

What's the first thing you see when you come out of Shibuya? A Starbucks.
What's the most ubiquitous corner store in Japan? A 7/11.
What's the most popular food in Japan? Curry.
What's the most popular sport in Japan? Baseball.

Imported from: U.S.; U.S.; India; U.S.

The Japanese DO have an attitude that they are the best, but they are also a culture which has no problem with embracing anything which truly is better.

Lets look at the non-Japanese stuff on the worldwide stats:
Call of Duty:MW2.
Halo: ODST.
Madden.

Now Madden is a write-off. The Japanese simply don't care about football, and why should they? A bunch of American teams has nothing to do with them.

As for ODST. The game is fun, yes, but it isn't groundbreaking, and did so well here based on it's name as well as the rabid 'Firefly' fanbase that ate it up.

Finally, Call of Duty: Modern Warefare 2. This has won a few GOTYs, but it's also received alot of criticisms. The game itself is a gigantic hype machine, and has sold as well as it did on that point alone. Also, the Japanese don't tend to buy shooters.
The fact that a Western-oriented game does well in the West and less well in the East isn't a measure of xenophobia, and the fact that many think it is speaks to the cultural arrogance that we ourselves have.

@Klempky: I don't know man, I know a lot of people who refer to it as "That Game With Guns". Seriously.

Also, I don't think Japan is Xenophobic in that sorta way. I think their Xenophobic in their way of what's entertaining to them. Why do you think we're not getting the Rebuild of Eva movies in actual movie theaters while Japan has Red Carpet releases for the stuff?

Evangelion is vastly more interesting to the Japanese than it is to the West, just like CoD is vastly more interesting to us than the Japanese.

They have Dragon Quest, we have Halo.

Jeff Cusack: Japanese not xenophobic, but suffer self-entitled arrogance, ok, sure, I can dig it.

Xenophobic Americans (you'd have to be if you're so ignorant that you said the Japanese have shitty taste in games) calling the Japanese xenophobic? Irony is a beautiful thing. I guess people forgot about the top 50 games of the decade list from a while back that was comprised mostly of Japanese games (and for good reason too).

No one will deny that Japan is a culturally isolated nation in certain ways, but to go as far as to say they hate all Western culture when the iPod is one of the most popular products and Baseball is their favorite sport is pretty extreme.

Interesting list... and shows that there still is a huge cultural difference between east and west regarding the perception of "good games".

It will probably never be #1 unless the PS3 somehow overtakes japans Nintendo DS addictions.

Jesus, I expected FF and MH to be MUCH higher up on the list.

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