日本游戏与美国游戏的对比clash of the cultures.docx

日本游戏与美国游戏的对比clash of the cultures.docx

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日本游戏与美国游戏的对比clashofthecultures

byKurtKalata,01.18.2007

heUnitedStatesofAmericaisthesourceofahugenumberofmoderninventions-thephonograph,thetelephone,thecomputer,andmany,manyothers.Andinmanycases,peoplefromothernationshaveaddedandimprovedupontheinitialconcept,vastlyexpandingthehorizonforeachofthesetechnologies.Thesameappliestovideogaming.ThoughelectronicgamingwasborninAmerica,today'sindustryissupportedbypublishersfromacrosstheglobe.Still,gamingislargelydominatedbyjusttwoforces:

America,thecreator,andJapan,thenationthatsavedconsolegaminginthemid'80s.

Creatingagamerequiresmorethanjustblood,sweatandtears.Everyareaofagameisheavilyinfluencedbytheculturethatproducedit,whetheritbethevisuals,themusicalscoring,orevenimportantaspectsofthegameplay.BothAmericanandJapaneseculturesareveryacceptingofforeignideas,buttheytendtotwistthemaroundtosuittheirowntastes.JapanesedesignerswatchedAmericanactionmovies,addedinsomeover-the-topcrazinessandcameupwithMetalGearSolid.Americanssaw3DplatformerslikeSuperMario64andcreatedsimilarbutdarkergameslikeJakandDaxter.

Newideasarealwaysbeingbouncedaround,warped,andremade,creatingconceptsthatarebothuniquelytailoredtothelocalculturewhilestillmaintainingafeelingoffamiliarity.Butwhydogamersineachofthesemarketslikethegamesthattheydo?

WhyareAmericansaleschartsdominatedbythelikesofbig,burlymenwithgunswhiletheJapaneseflocktowardsfancifulRPGs?

Throughexploration,researchanddiscussion,we'vestumbledontosomeintriguinganswers.Notalloftheseareproven,scientifictheories,buttheymayoffersomeinsightastowhy,forinstance,theXbox360lingersunsoldonJapaneseshelves.

FREEDOM

Americansareverybigonpersonalfreedom,whichgiveagreatersenseofindividuality.Americansallhavetheirownpoliticalorreligiousbeliefs,anddefendthemvigorously.Americanslovetheircars,becauseitaffordsusopportunitiesforindependencethatpublictransportationcan'tafford.Americanslovecommercialcompetition,becauseitfeedscapitalismandinnovation.Americaisacountrythatfoughtforitsindependenceprimarilytograntthesekindoffreedoms,anationfamousforitsfrontiermentality.

Naturally,Americanslovefreedomintheirgames,too.

MetalGearSolid3'sfixedcameraanglesdrewirefrommanygamers.

"IthinkthatmostWesterngamesaremadefortheaudience,whereasmanyJapanesegamesaremadetoinvitetheplayerintothedesigner'sworld,"saysJamesClarendonofRedFlyStudios,whopreviouslyworkedonIonStormtitleslikeDeusEx:

InvisibleWarandThief:

DeadlyShadows.Thisphilosophyshinesthroughinpracticallyeveryareaofgamedesign.

Forinstance,cameracontroltendstobehandledverydifferentlyinAmericanandJapanesegames."ManyJapanesetitlesfixthecameraforabettercinematicpresentation,whilegoodWesterntitlesallowtheplayertolookaroundtheenvironmentforbettergameplay,"saysClarendon.

PopulargameslikeGrandTheftAuto,SplinterCellandRatchetandClankofferfullcameracontrol.ComparethistovariousJapanesegames,whichtendtouseestablishedcameraangles.TheJapanesedevelopedDevilMayCrygamesneverletthegamerfiddlewiththeviewpoint.DynastyWarriors,oneofJapan'smostpopularactionseries,onlyletthegamerre-centerthecamera（althoughthischangedintherecentSamuraiWarriors2）.ManycriticscomplainedaboutthelackofafreecamerainMetalGearSolid3,promptingKonamitoadditintheSubstinencedirector'scut.

AlloftheDevilMayCrygamesusedfixedcameraangles.

Whythelimitations?

Motionsickness,forone--aprevalentafflictionamongsttheJapanese.Butequallysignificantisthefactthatalimitedcameraallowsthedevelopertomorecarefulcontroltheuser'sexperience.

"MostJapanesegameslimityourinteractionwiththeworld.Theycangetawaywithmorefixedcinematicstylecameraswherethegame'sinternaldirectorisincontrol,"saysKaneShin,alsoofRedFlyStudios."Thismaybearelicoftheretrogamingmentality--in2Dretrogamesyoutypicallyseetheentirerelevantplayingfieldonscreenatthesametime.Game-designwise,thissimplifiestheprocessofmakingafungamebyfixingwhattheuserwillhavetodealwith.Westerngameshavetypicallyfavoredbeingabletointeractwiththeworldatallangles."

HiroyukiKobayashi,producerofResidentEvil4,aswellastheoriginalDevilMayCry,agrees."Ingeneral,Japanesedevelopmentteamswanttomakesuretheuserexperiencesthegametheyhaveenvisioned.Tomakesuretheplayerseeswhatthedeveloperwantsthemtoexperience,thefixedcameraanglesaremorecommon.Ifthefixedcameraanglesaredoneright,theplayershouldn'tfeeltheneedtoconstantlymovethecameraaround,andthat'spartofthechallengeofdesigningthegame."

KeijiInafune'sactiontitleseemsaimedtowardstheWesternaudience.

KeijiInafune,producerofDeadRisingandLostPlanet,andlongtimeemployeeatCapcom,elaboratesfurther."TheJapanesedon'treallyfeeltheneedtocontrolthecamera.Forinstance,JapanesegamersplayingLostPlanetatTokyoGameShowsometimeshadtroublecontrollingthecamera,anditwascleartomethattheyaresimplynotacclimatedtothissortofcontrol.IntraditionalJapanesegames,suchasa2Dside-scrolleroranRPG,thereisabsolutelynoneedtomovethecamerawhatsoever.Japanesepeople,whoprefertohaveaveryfocusedideaofwhatmustdone,preferthiswayofdoingthingsbecausetheycanfocusontheactualgameplay.Westernaudiences,Ifeel,aremuchbetteratmultitasking,andadapttothefreedomandrequirementsofausercontrolledcameramuchbetterthanJapanesegamers."

Thedifferenceinculturealsomanifestsinthehandlingofgamessaves.ManyWesterngamesimplementa"saveanytime"mechanic,allowinggamerstocreatetheirowncheckpoints.Ontheotherhand,manyJapanesegamestendtousesavepointsatpredeterminedspots.

Thisparticularissueis,inpart,aholdoverfromthesetbacksofoldertechnology.ManyJapanesegameswereoncartridges,whichdidn'thavenearlyenoughmemorytosaveallrelevantdataatonce.ManyWesterndesignersbegandesigningonpersonalcomputers,whichofferedmuchmorememory.It'sonlybeenwithinthepastgenerationofvideogamingthatconsoleshavehadenoughtospacetoallowprecisegamesaving,yettheJapanesetraditionofsavepointscontinues.

"IthinkWesterndevelopers,whoareusedtoPCdevelopmentwithmuchlargeramountsofRAMandpersistentstorage,aimtoarchitecttheirgamessuchthattheycansavethemanywhereandreloadthem,"saysClarendon."Primarilythisfeatureisfortheplayers,andweseeWesterndeveloperswritingtitlestoaccommodatetheaudience."

Shinoffersasimilarexplanation."Beingabletosaveanytime,anywhereisapaininthebutttoimplement,andifyouraudiencedoesn'texpectit,thenyoureallydon'twanttosupportit,somaybetheWesternersdoitasathrowbacktotheexpectationsofevolvingPCgamers."

DeadRisingisanothergamefromKeijiInafunethatdrawsfromelementsofWesterngamedesign,whileimplementingsomeJapanesephilosophies.

InafuneexplainstheJapanesepersepctive."Americandesignersdonotviewthesavesystemaspartofthegameplayexperience.InJapan,thesavesystemisviewedaspartofthegame.Inpreviousgenerations,designerstookwhatshouldhavebeenanegativeforthegameduetotechnicallimitationsandturneditintoagameplaypositive.Forinstance,inResidentEvil,partofwhatmakesthegamefunisknowingtheremightbeazombiebetweenyouandthesaveroom.Itaddstensiontotheencounters.IfyoucouldsaveanywhereinResidentEvil,itwouldnotbethesamegame.

"ManipulatingthesavesystemisoneofthemanydetailsthatJapanesedesignerstakeveryseriously,"headds."Forinstance,withDeadRising,Japanesegamerswouldbeturnedoffbythesaveanywhereapproach.Theywouldfeelthatthegameisnotchallenging,thatitisn'treallyagame.Knowingyourstatus,whatkindofweaponyouhaveorhowfarawaytherestroomsavepointisintegraltothetensionandfunofDeadRising.Somepeopleunderstandthisandenjoyit,othersdonot."

HarvestMoonisessentiallyanRPG-lite,whereyougaingoldbyraisingcropsinsteadofbashingmonsters.

TheWesternfocusonpersonalfreedomhasgivenbirthtoentiregenres.Oneoftheearliestgenrestoputplayersinfullcontrolwasthe"Godgame",madepopularbythelikesofPopulousandSimCity.Bothofthesegamesallowplayerstotakeontheroleofanomnipotentbeingwhocouldmoldthelandtotheirwhim.Althoughthegameplaywascarefullybalancedtoensuretherewassomechallenge,thesegamesfocusontheplayerbuildingauniqueexperienceforhimorherself.SimCityinparticularwasquitepopularinJapan,whereitwasturnedintooneofthefirsttitlesforNintendo'sSuperFamicom（SuperNES）.CreatorWillWrighthasexpandedtheseriesintohugelysuccessfulspin-offslike"TheSims,"whiletheJapanesehavespunitintomorenichetitleslikeNatsume'sHarvestMoon.

It'seasytoseewhytheJapanesemightenjoyafarminggame--thenationhasastrongagrariantradition.ButHarvestMooninvolvesthesameconceptsofnurturingandcaringthatmadetheTamagotchisopopular.Likewise,thiscouldbeonereasonforthenationalobsessionwithroleplayinggameswheregamersputinhoursofhardworktoleveluptheircharacters.Ratherthanreapingabountifulharvestastheirreward,however,agamerwouldhaveamaxle