Japan and Multiplayer Gaming
Author: 
July 8, 2009 
One unusual thing about Japan I’ve noticed is the lack of hardcore multiplayer gaming. In a place where Otakudom roam, Gaming should be King (second to Anime, of course—and Eroge doesn’t count here). But it’s not like the way it is in South Korea—a place where even competitive Starcraft games are televised on countless TV stations dedicated solely to gaming (unlike G4 in the US). The Japanese gaming culture appears to be in a downward spiral when it comes to multiplayer experiences.
The best games that Japanese players enjoy seem to come out every 10 years. There was Pokemon in the 1990s. A decade later, the only game dominating the multiplayer gaming market at the moment is Monster Hunter, which in my opinion, is like Pokemon–but on steroids. Like Pokemon, there are annual events for players to meet and play. With the exception of Final Fantasy XI, no one seems to care about Online RPGs…
Photo Credit: Stéfan
This post was submitted for the Japan Blog Matsuri, hosted by Gakuranman (Arigato!). The theme for July’s issue is: Unusual, Crazy or Strange things about Japan.
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What about Maple Story and those more social RPGs? Also keitai game sites like Gree put a lot of emphasis on your profile and getting points to dress up your avatar even though the games are mostly, if not all, single player.
.-= David´s last blog ..07.15 Mukogawa-Mansion-1 =-.
What about fighting games. Fighting games are huge in Japan and with Street Fighter 4, King of Fighters XII, Blazblue, and Tekken 6 already out I wouldn’t imagine there being a lack of multiplayer games (unless you’re only talking about RPGs.)
Good post btw. I wish the American arcade scene was still around.
.-= Gweb´s last blog ..Prologue: 07 – Plane Tickets =-.
Maybe it’s just that Japanese appreciate more games like Dragon Quest or other “solo quest” kinds of stories where you can start off from scratch, play through and arrive at a final goal (navigating through a story like reading a book).
Most big multiplayer games I’ve seen seem like big competitive wank-off fests with little plot or final goals to arrive at. Maybe this is a false impression, but can you even really “beat” or “finish” any of those MMORPGS?
Playing a game without the satisfaction of arriving at the ending and putting it behind you… seems pointless.