Japans Gaming Market: A World Apart - Game news at Chat Place

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Japans Gaming Market: A World Apart

Added: 26.09.2013 10:30 | 1 views | 0 comments

Fantasy sells while violent fare like 'Grand Theft Auto' languishes BY KYOKO HASEGAWA AFP-JIJI SEP 24, 2013 CHIBA The latest version of the blockbuster video game Grand Theft Auto may have stoked a worldwide buying frenzy, but the ultraviolent offering is likely to be a minnow in Japans vast gaming market. Shoot-em-up video games from abroad often struggle to gain traction here, where fantasy-style games reign supreme and sell in the millions even though many in the West have never heard of them. These include the hugely popular Monster Hunter franchise, which has sold 23 million copies and counting since its debut a decade ago. Most of them were sold in Japan even though we made an English version, said a spokeswoman for game creator Capcom Co. Problems in translating the language and cultural differences are among the reasons cited for the struggles of foreign game operators in Japan, a rift that was apparent as gamers flocked to the Tokyo Game Show l...