I knew Koei had more success inside Japan than outside, but I had no idea that the figures were quite so dramatic. Sony has revealed that 91.8% of Koei's sales are made within Japan, naming and shaming the publisher as the least internationally successful Japanese company. Its partner publisher, Tecmo, was a close second, with 89.6% of its sales coming from its home country.
Surprisingly, Square Enix's numbers don't look so hot either, relying on Japan for 86.6% of its sales. Sony believes this is bad news for the publishers, with Sony Japan Studios VP Yasuhide Kobayashi believing that the Japanese market is shrinking and that companies must appeal to the US and Europe.
Koei is working hard with attempts to improve its Western standing. Its newest installment in the Warriors series, Warriors: Legends of Troy is being designed from the ground up to appeal to Westerners, with a recognizable historical backdrop and a focus on M-rated blood n' guts. You can likely expect more Japanese studios to cram gore and sex into their games as they attempt to reach out to we bloody-minded American pigs.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
6:00 PM on 09.19.2009
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This surprises me though...I'm part of an 8% sales minority?
That's crazy.
God, I hope Koei offers Guitaroo Man as a digital download soon.
You mean to say that the Japanese didn't put sex appeal into their games to reach out to themselves?
God i don't know what's worse... THAT being the perception of japanese developers of american gamers, or that the comparatively poor sales numbers when judged against what does sell great here seem to confirm that perception...
I'm with that idea. Unfortunantely, Jim is right. Americans are bloddy-minded. They don't appreciate the nuances of japanese games. All they want is "GRRAAH, BLOOD! GUNS! HALO!"
"What about more blood and guts?!"
"Genius!"
"Also, what about motion sensing boobs!?"
"Genius!"
Second Gitaroo Man is fucking brilliant.
Glass half full and all that.
As for the sales part, what did you expect? Japan has a MUCH lower population than the Canada, Americans, Europeans, etc. combined.
PRIME TARADOX.
I've thought about this, and decided that I now get to call myself "English-American" and I'm allowed to be all offended and uppity if someone says I'm British.
With the exception of (us) RPG fans, I think the average Mustang-driving bacon-drinking homeboy will not even consider what the game could possibly be about.
It's perfectly possible for a game to completel ignore the west and be successful, just look at Yakuza 3, a big budget top tier game released only in japan and only on PS3
I'm pretty sure that most people only watch the gameplay videos and trailers of DOA:Extreme games and its Pole Dancing modes instead of actually buying or playing'em.
Maybe TECMO sales will increase when they release harassing games with NATAL support.
I'm not buying your game new if you're not selling it to me with the respect a customer deserves.