The gaming industry has always enjoyed collaboration and cross-promotion between Eastern and Western markets. And ever since the 1980s, there has been a huge market for Japanese games in Europe and America. This kind of cross-cultural merger can’t be found in many other mainstream sectors, with various countries’ film industries famously remaining distinctly separate over the years. Few Japanese films have been major blockbusters in the West, but plenty of games have.
Japanese Developers Have Always Found Success in The West
Over the course of the gaming industry, Japanese developers have always had a strong influence on Western markets. This is thanks to most of the biggest console developers having been created by companies from the Asian country. Nintendo, Sega, and Sony are all Japanese creations, and all of these have been responsible for some of the most influential consoles ever made.
The beauty of the Japanese consoles is that they are designed to appeal to players in the West and the East. Developers from all countries have been able to create their own games for the devices, highlighting how there is much more inclusivity between global markets in the gaming industry.
Highlighted by The Online Casino Industry
The meeting of East and West is predominant in the console industry, but it is most obviously apparent in the online casino sector. Sites like Royal Panda are well aware that the online gambling market attracts a vast number of players from all over the world. For this reason, it is sure to vary its content to appeal to players from all markets.
This is shown by the incredible variety when it comes to roulette games at the site. In addition to traditional options, players can also choose Japanese Roulette and Macao Roulette. This underlines the fact that Western and Eastern players are enjoying games in the same online locations.
Asian Developers Have Been Incredibly Successful On Consoles
A vast number of Asian-developed games do much better solely in markets in the East. However, there are a few notable titles and developers that have had an incredible impact on the Western gaming industry as a whole.
The standout franchise has to be Final Fantasy, as it has endured and remained in the mainstream since the release of the first title in 1987. It is developed by a Japanese powerhouse studio, Square Enix, and was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi. There have been 16 games in the series so far, with a new offering expected to drop in the near future.
Resident Evil is another Japanese franchise that became highly influential in the West. The zombie offerings from Capcom began in 1996, and there have been six titles in the main series since then. In addition to those, there have been various expansions and spinoffs. There is even a Resident Evil film series, consisting of six movies so far and one set for release later in 2021.
The other massively popular Japanese series that springs to mind is Metal Gear from Konami. The stealth offering has served as an inspiration to many other games since the release of the first installment in 1987. There have been a further eight titles in the main series, along with numerous mobile versions.
Japanese developers and companies have had a major effect on the gaming industry and will continue to do so. With players in the West highly keen on a number of Japanese offerings, there is little need for developers to consider adapting titles towards different cultural tastes when making games. This should continue long into the future.