Indie Developer Phil Fish Says Japanese Games Suck

Does this guy even know where most video games like Mario, Zelda, Silent Hill, and Resident Evil come from??

Originally posted by Crunchyroll

 

I think his answer is just rude and unprofessional, this is disregarding the fact that a lot of popular games come from Japan. Someone took their time to hear what you had to say, and you come up with that answer?

I don't really think his opinion can be changed or anything but regardless of that, his answer was just shameful and uncalled for.

 

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Sure he can have his opinions, but he doesn't have to say that they "suck." That may just be taking it too far and like Chev said, "unprofessional."​

 

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Honestly, most games just suck in general nowadays. I think that more Western games than Japanese suck though. Just look at all the terrible shooters on the market, for example.

A western Indie Developer says Japanese games suck, eh? I think Journey disproves this in his line of work. It is very unlikely that Phil Fish will ever work on something that is as critically acclaimed as Journey is. Does that mean that his games suck? Eh, who knows, I've yet to play any of them.

 

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This is hilarious as a game designer..doesn't know what he himself, is up against and doesn't think before making statements like that. Majority of games are made by japan, and majority are really popular with the public. what did he expect to happen when he made a statement like that, It's just so funny to be totally honest.

 

Japanese gaming isn't the big market it use to be, it's not at the top of charts, or recognition as it once did. The 90s and 00s were the most popular years for Japan, mainly because they're consoles and therefore their games were what were being pumped out at the time. Since a western console developer, like Microsoft, stepped into the market of gaming it has taken over most of its assigned market, which are western players, away from the Japanese market.

I would say Japan is faltering, I mean in general. Their time to get out quality games is bad, the quality of the gameplay is generally not modern, it's still relying on old combat styles that have not be improved upon more then maybe giving one extra thing to do, the graphics have not jumped forward thanks to Japanese developers, most still use their basic styling as was used on systems like the PS2.

I will be fair and say this isn't every Japanese developer, a number have pushed the graphics, such as Kojima Productions with Metal Gear Solid 4, which still has great quality after years from original release. Games like Ninja GaIden, Bayonetta and Demons Souls are the type of action games that also push a lot of how you are able to effectively use gameplay to tackle the obstacles in front of you. Not to mention in the past the number of JRPGs that have pushed the boundaries on linear plots, like the Persona series. Japan has so much potential to really kick ahead of the Western market but no one is willing to take chances anymore.

To be honest, I don't believe that a majority of Japanese players would necessarily call Western games **** but then again I don't really know. From what I've heard from a number of Japanese games developers such as Hideo Kojima, Keiji Inafune and others they have all said how much they like Western games that are different from what they play a lot of which would be Japanese games. For example, the Assassin's Creed series, the Uncharted series, L.A. Noire have all been well received by Japanese developers. They praise developers for doing things isn't mainstream like shooters or RPGs are.
Personally I thought games like Fallout and the such were doing quite well compared to other Western games, but maybe I'm wrong in thinking that. I've just seen a great deal of fan art that has to do with an anime style (then again, I've seen enough westerners doing Anime now anyway) but yeah...

Talking of Keiji Inafune here is a little evidence on his thoughts of the Japanese gaming market.
And a little bit on Hideo Kojima's thoughts as well here on the death of cretivity in gaming.

 

I think people would be a lot less upset if he'd been constructive about it. Saying something along the lines of "I think Japanese companies are in a bit of rut right now, because of _________, __________, and _________." Phrasing it in his manner just makes him look like a jerk.

Personally, I don't play many games from this generation, but I think Japanese games have a really unique quirkiness to them that isn't always present in Western games. Western games too have a general feeling to them, I find they tend to be more action/adventure oriented generally, which just isn't my preferred style all the time. But to each one's own.

 

Exactly. The issue isn't so much the opinion itself (He is welcome to think whatever he likes), its that his opinion was delivered rudely and he did not elaborate on why he thinks that, or offer any suggestions as to how the industry might be improved.

People take time out to hear what he has to say, and all he can come up with is 'they suck'? That's a school children's insult, not a constructive criticism.