Sony's Yoshida admits Japan lagging in games technology
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Sep 24th 2008 at 2:47PM }
One of the main reasons why Japan has struggled in comparison with the rest of the world comes from the lack of manpower. Studios in other countries can top a hundred, but Japanese studios are still quite small. "That's not the case in Japan. Because they don't have a large base, like the movie industry; there aren't [a lot of people] in the high end of computer graphics. That's making the many great developers in Japan make slow progress."
That's not to say great games aren't coming from Japan, of course. Developers like Kojima Productions and Polyphony Digital have created some real graphics powerhouses on the PS3. Upcoming games from Capcom, like Resident Evil 5, and Square Enix look to push Japan's tech further.
[Thanks, nirolak!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kevin @ Sep 24th 2008 2:52PM
then move somewhere else...
francisco @ Sep 24th 2008 3:01PM
they can have their HQ somewhere else instead of Japan like Killzone 2 they have it in germany i belive.
Chris @ Sep 24th 2008 3:00PM
Does this explain the lack of JRPG's on ps3?
Fiddlesworth @ Sep 24th 2008 3:01PM
Funny that Capcom never got any flak for that early Resi 5 target render trailer and screenshots.
Metal_Gear @ Sep 24th 2008 3:04PM
Does this explain why it is taking them years to finish RE5 when it is just RE4 with better graphics?
bambino @ Sep 24th 2008 3:43PM
You say that like it's a bad thing. RE4 was nothing short of awesome!
dip @ Sep 24th 2008 4:38PM
Most ignorant statement ever.
(Okay, maybe not ever, but it's still pretty damn ignorant.)
ryan @ Sep 25th 2008 1:12AM
sirdrake's 'ignorant' comparison to mgs4 was spot on. he didn't say it shared the same engine as mgs2. all game sequels share a common similarity. your statement can really be said of any game, it's still an ignorant mindset.
btw, RE:5 won't even play like RE:4. different control scheme entirely.(see: Uncharted, Gears of War)
Fiddlesworth @ Sep 24th 2008 3:05PM
And wow at everybody above missing the point entirely.
ajiezer @ Sep 24th 2008 3:11PM
That's it! No more Japanese games for me. JK but I'll think about it
hey_big_dck psn:fuliano626 @ Sep 24th 2008 3:14PM
i just want my jrpgs!
saito ps3 @ Sep 24th 2008 3:23PM
if you want a jrpg, get disgaea 3, thats a good one, dont expect top notch omg graphics though. but im off to get brothers in arms hells highway for ps3, bye!
Ty @ Sep 24th 2008 3:36PM
Sony says this... inlight of Square Enix. I'm not even sure thats possible. To think of Japan, and to think of Square Enix. Or better yet, Kojima Productions. Like who the hell is Yoshida anyway?
kentuckyfried @ Sep 24th 2008 3:38PM
*shrugs*
I've talked with a manager over at Konami in San Mateo (not sure if the office is still there), inquiring about work back in '99.
I was told in oh so many terms that my chances for breaking into the market for doing animation and design would be supremely low b/c their Japanese counterparts were insular and inclined NOT to hire anybody who is not Japanese.
This might explain part of why they're having a staffing shortage. It's kind of like dating...you're not going to find anybody great if you limit your pool to only a certain ethnicity, religious affiliation, etc.
sirdrake @ Sep 24th 2008 3:39PM
Metal_Gear said...
Does this explain why it is taking them years to finish RE5 when it is just RE4 with better graphics?"
SHOOT. it is!??! The same story and everything! well way to ruin the new game that they are developing with a different story and a different character for me. I had no idea it was just RE4 with better graphics.
wait by that logic isnt mgs4 just mgs:sons of liberty with better graphics? i must know!
ryan @ Sep 24th 2008 3:56PM
lol
Metal_Gear @ Sep 24th 2008 6:30PM
Internet, Serious Buisness.
No joking on the internets, it will hurt the fanboys feelings?
Anyone who has seen any gameplay footage of RE5 will see it is a perfect 1:1 copy of RE4s gameplay, even down to the enemy animations when walking around and getting shot.
And yes, MGS4 has the exact same animations and game engine as MGS2, brilliant comparison you made there, you really should be an analyst.
Chris @ Sep 24th 2008 3:44PM
Doesn't stop them making PSN games? where are all them???
ryan @ Sep 24th 2008 3:51PM
well, when you put out a 3rd Disgaea game for PS3 that pretty much looks like it could have been done on the PS2 it does raise some questions.
Popfrogs @ Sep 24th 2008 6:59PM
Disgaea 3 is awful looking but alot of fun. It just looks like the Japanese quit trying. Disgaea has 3-frame animations that look shameful next to that flipbook stick figure ninja battle you made in your 9th grade notebook.
Square and Enix, separately, have always been slow. Look how long it took FFXII to get released after FFXI. I don't think it's about getting more people working on projects for them, it's about getting things *right*. And for some developers, that means more time. Lots more time.
2 years into the PS3's life and we're still waiting on a decent JRPG. I wouldn't have believed it if you would have told me that back in Nov 06 when I bought my launch PS3. At least I had full BC so I could beat FFXII while I waited for something else to play.
Thankfully, JRPGs and Metal Gear is really all Japan has to offer anymore. US and European devs have stepped up their games (no pun intended, honestly) and have even innovated a little bit. In a market this big and this potentially lucrative, each year you delay or don't release anything is a year with massive losses.
Jake @ Sep 24th 2008 3:57PM
http://haitoyou.myminicity.com
best game ever! GG
Ves @ Sep 24th 2008 3:56PM
Hire people from outside Japan on area's your lacking was my first thought.
ehisforadam @ Sep 24th 2008 4:18PM
One word....Xenophobia. That and the Japanese generally don't like hiring people who already have experience because they want you to work their way.
ehisforadam @ Sep 24th 2008 4:17PM
I think understaffing is just part of the Japanese way. I work for a Japanese company and the Japan side seems way understaffed, we get projects rejected because they keep saying they don't have enough staff to support us. They also have a really low birth rate in that country, so that's probably not helping.
zoltari @ Sep 24th 2008 6:30PM
This probably explains why the Japanese gameplay and general game mechanics / thought process are actually a lot better than Euro/US games: the teams are smaller, the projects more personal and teh end product more relevant to to the team working on it.
In Euro land it's just a case of getting this thing looking good, then banging it out the door for maximum profit and minimum dev time.
I think I'd rather have the lower tech graphics and more intuitive / better and more logical / creative gameplay than something that looks awesome and plays like a bag of crap.