Japanese R2 promo, 'The Grim Show,' is unsafe for eyes and ears
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Nov 12th 2008 at 11:15AM }
Uh ... maybe this is why Japanese people don't like playing FPS games.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DeathroW @ Nov 12th 2008 11:21AM
... What...
y3k.nik @ Nov 12th 2008 11:34AM
The chimera dude looks pregnant...
Victor @ Nov 12th 2008 11:23AM
this explains why sony isn't selling all rigth even in japan. they should put more interest in the marketing of there products.
DETH-DEFIANCE @ Nov 12th 2008 11:58AM
Yeh....that's the reason.
Lars @ Nov 12th 2008 12:48PM
That commercial was hilarious! It makes me want the game even more now. I was only mildly interested in the 60 player online aspect of the game.
Maybe Japan is just more refined than us. I mean, I used to play a ton of FPS's, now they just seem so dull to me. Same thing over and over, one-button combat, etc. Seems like we've evolved since those days, yet modern shooters haven't evolved since Wolfenstein 3D.
MakaiOokami @ Nov 12th 2008 1:41PM
PS3 is selling well. PS3 sales have been slowly starting to catch up to 360 sales. The 360 has had 1 year head start, much much more selection, price drops, high demand genres, yet the PS3 has remained about the same amount of 360s and has a 60-100k sale increase per month on average than the 360 if you actually crunch the numbers.
The reason why the PS3 isn't outselling more drastically is a few things.
1. America is behind. America has been behind in education, health care, auto industry, and so many other factors for years. It's no wonder that we're so far behind in HD as a standard. Not only that but we have such a screwed up economy. No not just since the credit crunch 40 percent of Americans at the lowest income make about as much as the top 1-2 percent. That's why they buy a 200-400 dollar device rather than a 400-600 dollar one.
2. THE PS2 IS STILL RELEVANT. WHY BUY AN EXPENSIVE UPGRADE WHEN YOU CAN SAVE A TON OF MONEY AND STILL HAVE FUN ON THE OLD STUFF! You gotta remembe the PS2 is STILL selling real well the PSP is STILL selling real well and the PS3 is going to need a few more months for these games to really sell some hardware.
3. The credit crunch. Japanese Yen is much stronger against the American dollar than it was before, that means importing as well as overall sales get altered due to the fact that Sony is a japanese company and Xbox is an American one. Topic 1 was not about the economy but more infrastructure and price differences. This one is about the actual economy.
Give us some dang facts if you're going to make statements like that. Give us some numbers, give us an explanation, give us something. Don't just dis the PS3's sales and blame it on marketing like that. You don't understand Japan, Japanese aren't like Americans, you don't really understand their culture do you? This may not have done well in Japan, but... I wouldn't discount it. Japanese don't like FPS because of the lack of coherent story and the humanization of the enemies. Japanese gamers don't want to see you put a rocket launcher in the mouth of the main villain, they want to know his story, they want to connect with him, they want to make that victory bitter sweet and go "Dang, that was a powerful experience"
This has been stated multiple times for years. Japanese like well told stories. i'm sorry but Gears and Gaylo and Resistance 2 just aren't the type of stories that would interest Japan. I'm curious to see how Bioshock does though.
Jacksons @ Nov 12th 2008 5:41PM
Holy generalizations, Batman. Speak for yourself.
playcrackthesky @ Nov 12th 2008 6:40PM
Nice post, but what the hell is a dang?
SolidOtacon @ Nov 12th 2008 11:26AM
This is why I love Japan ...
Saffie @ Nov 12th 2008 2:42PM
hahaha.... exactly my thoughts as well :)
spumco @ Nov 12th 2008 11:30AM
ABI?
Wow, what in the herdy gerdy hoo-haa was that all about?
I suppose that this was Sony's way of introducing Japan to America's version of protecting the earth with love and justice. All I do know for sure is that this is all a conspiracy and it is, in fact, N.H.K. who is spearheading it. I guess all that I could say is Welcome to the N.H.K.
Devin @ Nov 12th 2008 11:29AM
Seriously....WTF!!!...
doc j @ Nov 12th 2008 11:33AM
I don't care if it made so sense... that was awesome.
Itadakimasu!
Like the rest of you I really don't see how that is going to move a lot of units, but other than having a weak grasp on the language I am totally lost to Japanese culture. Maybe it'll work?
Daniel @ Nov 12th 2008 11:35AM
How can you guys hate that? It's the greatest commercial I've ever seen. I want to go buy the game again, simply for the fact that they don't take their game so seriously.
Geez, some people won't be happy until we have Nathan Hale all roided up with a bandana on running through the streets to the Donnie Darko soundtrack...
lakaihigh @ Nov 12th 2008 2:38PM
idk about you guys... but if i was a japanese PS3 owner and i saw that commercial i would buy R2 twice! hahahaha
peace,
Lh
jakoff @ Nov 12th 2008 11:47AM
best commercial ever
WalkingToFlorida @ Nov 12th 2008 11:49AM
This makes it official, we have found alien life forms on earth.
They are called Japanese people.
DETH-DEFIANCE @ Nov 12th 2008 11:58AM
If those a japanesse subtitles.....and they're speaking japanesse...that makes no sense.
Phizzy @ Nov 12th 2008 5:30PM
Karaoke.
bishop99999999 @ Nov 12th 2008 11:57AM
Honestly, Sony's advertising ranges from "adequate" to "couldn't advertise their way out of a paper bag." In-game footage helps. Or at least render something. Or put a Chimera on a bottle of Mountain Dew, or whatever they drink in Japan.
Teepanen @ Nov 12th 2008 12:13PM
Ummm, I'm gonna chalk this one up to culture difference. Maybe this is cool in Japan? Anybody Japanese wanna comment?
smoothsake @ Nov 12th 2008 12:13PM
Some of you guys need to fly to Japan or better yet goto YouTube and watch some Japanese commercials (CMs). Because marketing in Japan is very different. And yes, it is Japanese subtitled but they do that over there for those who may be hard of hearing.
Mr. Joe @ Nov 12th 2008 12:20PM
this has got to be one of the best videos ever. i wish i knew the language. if not for the rest of the entry, i would not have known what it was advertising.
leatherface @ Nov 12th 2008 12:21PM
blonde grays have more fun. R2 4 goty!!!!!!
dmd @ Nov 12th 2008 12:22PM
Uh... ok... that was... different.
Jerses @ Nov 12th 2008 12:23PM
This is in response for all the ugly english anime translations. Make fun of japan...japan make fun of you.
Tom @ Nov 12th 2008 12:43PM
Glad to see that Japan is still keeping up the trading up the tradition of Gratuitous English.
Check it HOYOYOHH!
Nick @ Nov 12th 2008 12:51PM
I guess Sony doesn't want this game to sell in Japan.
Figboy @ Nov 12th 2008 1:22PM
yes, because all countries have the EXACT same marketing standards as here in America!
in fact, there are NO CULTURAL differences in the world at all that would therefore require different marketing tactics than in the United States!
/sarcasm.
if anything, Resistance 2 wouldn't sell in Japan because it's an FPS, and most Japanese are highly averse to FPS titles (not all, but a large number get motion sickness from them), not this oddly hilarious marketing campaign.
chances are, since Sony IS Japanese, they understand more about how Japanese marketing should work than armchair analysts on PS3 Fanboy
Nick @ Nov 12th 2008 3:16PM
Nintendo did this rapping crap back in the 90s when rap was "cool" and even then it was ridiculous. It's just cheesy and Japan is incredibly western as it is, so I can't imagine bad rapping is going to sell video games better in Japan than normal advertising does in the states or Europe.
rgoff31 @ Nov 12th 2008 12:53PM
Threespeech has a TV Spot...
http://threespeech.com/blog/2008/11/resistance-2-japanese-alley-tv-spot/
OddyOh @ Nov 12th 2008 1:35PM
Ah, see that one makes more sense to me.
j.howlett @ Nov 12th 2008 1:34PM
the hell? it was okay but i'd love it if they added pixelazation
OddyOh @ Nov 12th 2008 1:34PM
Catchy tune...ABI, ABI ABI! Can't say it's a waste of money, since it couldn't have cost much to make that, other than the costume.
gillyy0 @ Nov 12th 2008 2:19PM
lol... now that was effed up.
kamiboy @ Nov 12th 2008 3:16PM
No, the Japanese don't like to play FPS's because basically they are all shit.
Darren @ Nov 12th 2008 2:28PM
way longer than it had to be
THE GUARDIAN @ Nov 12th 2008 3:09PM
THAT WAS A MIND JOB RIGHT THERE LOL, THAT WAS ONE OF THE STRANGEST THINGS I'VE EVER SEEN, BUT I LOVED IT, IT WAS HILARIOUS, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! :D
xnowandtheworldx @ Nov 12th 2008 3:49PM
Best commercial ever! Made me lol :)
Sancho @ Nov 12th 2008 4:03PM
i wish i could download that to my ps3!!!!
Aozora @ Nov 12th 2008 4:13PM
THE BEST CM EVER!!!
LatinoLA1 @ Nov 12th 2008 6:29PM
uh....lol i understood exactly nothing, but it gave me a good time, if only i understood what they where saying ....
Austin @ Nov 13th 2008 8:49PM
that... was disturbing. nuff said.
finalark @ Nov 12th 2008 10:32PM
.... I'm never going to take the chimera seriously again.
M\zR @ Nov 12th 2008 11:52PM
LMAO!!!!
LMAO!!!
dix ix hilarious!!!
seedaripper1973 @ Nov 13th 2008 6:18AM
that just made my day...absolutely f*$%ng fantastic!!! go ABI! ..ABI ABI...
MRB1G @ Nov 13th 2008 1:38PM
I'm getting Resistance 2 and I am going to enjoy it...
but WTF was that...
dargondarkfire @ Nov 29th 2008 4:54AM
you guys have seriously never watched Japanese tv other then anime have you?
that is pretty light compared to some other things, ive seen a commercial for god hand, the guy grabed a girl talking on a cell phone pulled down her pants and spanked her over and over at 80 spanks a second.
you tube is full of them
here a starter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR-Iz1fts5M&feature=related