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Even the rear end of a chocobo knows by this point that Japan is pretty far behind the US, Europe, and the rest of Asia in adopting online games -- this despite the fact that they've got one of the fastest, cheapest, and most reliable networks in the entire world. What the 'ey?
Even Kaname Fujioka is a bit perplexed -- and he's the director on the Monster Hunter series, one of the few big success stories for online console games in Japan. "Online gaming in Japan is much more advanced than it used to be, but compared to elsewhere it isn't where it could be," he told Famitsu this week. "Why hasn't Japan jumped online the way other countries have? I think it's because gamers overseas treat online play as something quick, like playing a sport, rather than sitting down and playing for an extended period of time. A lot of online games overseas aren't about staying on all day and playing; they're about quick little games."
The way Fujioka sees it, for online gaming to hit it big on game platforms, connecting has to be easier -- a lot easier. "I think mobile phones are the perfect example of how advanced the technology has become," he said. "You turn one on, and just like that, you're connected to the network anywhere you are; what's more, everyone has one. Once consoles have a network environment that lets anyone connect just as freely and easily, I think we'll see a boom in online gaming."
Satoshi Sakai, producer on the Phantasy Star Portable series, agreed. "Eventually, mobile phones and mobile game systems will fuse into one," he said. "You still need a bit of knowledge to play games via wi-fi, but if we can make playing online games as simple as making a phone call, I think those games will be a daily routine for all gamers. We might see gamers devoting their main playtime to the console and then playing in little bits here and there on a portable device when they're out."
On the subject of the games themselves, though, Sakai was a little more pessimistic. "Online gaming has been around for a while, but I really don't think they've evolved much from their origins," he noted. "The graphics have improved, sure, but the games pursue this sense of realism which makes all of them look same-y. I don't think any game's given me the sheer amazement I felt when I played Ultima Online or Diablo. Online games are still pretty young, though, so I think there's still ample room to evolve."
Nobuaki Komoto, director on Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIV, isn't so sure about that. "The way MMOs attract players has dramatically evolved," he replied. "It's especially noticeable with American and European titles. Games used to favor hardcore players; there were a lot of games made with the philosophy that everything should be hidden and the players can work together to figure it out. It was very unkind. Games these days don't let their players ask 'What am I supposed to do?'. They guide the player along the way -- but there are several paths to take, and you're still free to do something else. They're free experiences."
What would Komoto like to see in online games? For the genre not to exist. "The ultimate ideal would be for them not to be called 'online games' any longer," he said. "I think that's the real goal for us. Lots of downloadable games, not to mention Gears of War and Fallout 3, are 'online games,' but nobody calls them that. I think we'll see that term go by the wayside even for games with lots of online features. Their presence will be considered a normal part of the package."
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Even Kaname Fujioka is a bit perplexed -- and he's the director on the Monster Hunter series, one of the few big success stories for online console games in Japan. "Online gaming in Japan is much more advanced than it used to be, but compared to elsewhere it isn't where it could be," he told Famitsu this week. "Why hasn't Japan jumped online the way other countries have? I think it's because gamers overseas treat online play as something quick, like playing a sport, rather than sitting down and playing for an extended period of time. A lot of online games overseas aren't about staying on all day and playing; they're about quick little games."
The way Fujioka sees it, for online gaming to hit it big on game platforms, connecting has to be easier -- a lot easier. "I think mobile phones are the perfect example of how advanced the technology has become," he said. "You turn one on, and just like that, you're connected to the network anywhere you are; what's more, everyone has one. Once consoles have a network environment that lets anyone connect just as freely and easily, I think we'll see a boom in online gaming."
Satoshi Sakai, producer on the Phantasy Star Portable series, agreed. "Eventually, mobile phones and mobile game systems will fuse into one," he said. "You still need a bit of knowledge to play games via wi-fi, but if we can make playing online games as simple as making a phone call, I think those games will be a daily routine for all gamers. We might see gamers devoting their main playtime to the console and then playing in little bits here and there on a portable device when they're out."
On the subject of the games themselves, though, Sakai was a little more pessimistic. "Online gaming has been around for a while, but I really don't think they've evolved much from their origins," he noted. "The graphics have improved, sure, but the games pursue this sense of realism which makes all of them look same-y. I don't think any game's given me the sheer amazement I felt when I played Ultima Online or Diablo. Online games are still pretty young, though, so I think there's still ample room to evolve."
Nobuaki Komoto, director on Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIV, isn't so sure about that. "The way MMOs attract players has dramatically evolved," he replied. "It's especially noticeable with American and European titles. Games used to favor hardcore players; there were a lot of games made with the philosophy that everything should be hidden and the players can work together to figure it out. It was very unkind. Games these days don't let their players ask 'What am I supposed to do?'. They guide the player along the way -- but there are several paths to take, and you're still free to do something else. They're free experiences."
What would Komoto like to see in online games? For the genre not to exist. "The ultimate ideal would be for them not to be called 'online games' any longer," he said. "I think that's the real goal for us. Lots of downloadable games, not to mention Gears of War and Fallout 3, are 'online games,' but nobody calls them that. I think we'll see that term go by the wayside even for games with lots of online features. Their presence will be considered a normal part of the package."
source