The 3DO's Popularity in Japan. [Archive]

The 1 2 P

02-07-2009, 04:19 AM

I think it's a lot easier to find a market when most of the population live in a small handful of cities, and can get anywhere in the country by train. I think that explains a lot of "why is this so popular in japan" questions

So thats why they love tentacle porn with school girls so much?

The 3DO was popular in Japan????

It definitely wasn't popular.

Correct.

I can't think of any U.S. game/console that was popular in Japan.

Also correct. The Japanese hate us. Thats sarcasm of course but they really don't like to support American made consoles. The Xbox consoles are the perfect examples. They "supposedly/reportedly" didn't support the original Xbox because it was "too big" and "lacked games that appealed to Japanese taste"(see rpgs). So when the 360 launched with a sleeker design, they couldn't use the "it's too big" excuse(it isn't any bigger than a PS3 either). Because the 360 has had more(and better) rpgs during this console generation than both the Wii and PS3, they can't use that excuse no more either. So why aren't they supporting the 360? Cue the obligatory "it breaks down" response. That sure didn't stop the PS2 from selling so well over there. So again, they just refuse to support our consoles, even when they have all the best games on them.

As a nice little side note, the UK has recently surpassed Japan as the second largest video game market in the world. Japan is now in last(which just means that people spend more money on video games and systems in the US and UK) so it's also alittle less relavent than it was ten years ago.

Xander

02-07-2009, 10:38 AM

As a nice little side note, the UK has recently surpassed Japan as the second largest video game market in the world. Japan is now in last(which just means that people spend more money on video games and systems in the US and UK) so it's also alittle less relavent than it was ten years ago.

Source?

Wolfrider31

02-07-2009, 07:29 PM

Source?

Google?

The 1 2 P

02-07-2009, 08:33 PM

Source?

Absolutely: http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/mario-kart-leads-global-video-game-sales-in-2008-market-up-11/?biz=1

smork

02-08-2009, 12:03 PM

So when the 360 launched with a sleeker design, they couldn't use the "it's too big" excuse(it isn't any bigger than a PS3 either). Because the 360 has had more(and better) rpgs during this console generation than both the Wii and PS3, they can't use that excuse no more either. So why aren't they supporting the 360?

Who says Japan isn't supporting the 360? They sell the soft and console everywhere. It doesn't seem to be doing too terribly badly to me.

Tupin, I gotta agree with the others -- I don't think 3DO was popular here at all.

Zebbe

02-08-2009, 04:23 PM

So again, they just refuse to support our consoles, even when they have all the best games on them.

It's a common practice among many people all over the world to generally buy stuff from their own country to support it. I think it's pretty safe to say there are European car models fit perfectly for the American market, but still they don't sell as well as American brands. And vice versa ofcourse.

Bojay1997

02-08-2009, 04:51 PM

It's a common practice among many people all over the world to generally buy stuff from their own country to support it. I think it's pretty safe to say there are European car models fit perfectly for the American market, but still they don't sell as well as American brands. And vice versa ofcourse.

Not necessarily true. Toyota has been the number two selling auto brand in the US for a number of years and just jumped past GM to become number one this past quarter. Similarly, there are lots of countries where German and Japanese cars sell better than domestic models. Most importantly, Microsoft Windows is the #1 OS in Japan for computers and I believe Dell now controls the number five slot with about 10% of the total Japanese PC market. Yes, Japan is a tough market, but not impossible if you have the right product.

The 1 2 P

02-08-2009, 07:01 PM

Who says Japan isn't supporting the 360? They sell the soft and console everywhere. It doesn't seem to be doing too terribly badly to me.

Time for your daily reality check Steve. The 360 sells horribly in Japan compared to the Wii and even the PS3. Take a look: http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Famitsu_2008_video_game_sales
If you can't manage to sell atleast 300,000 units in a year while your competition sells over 3 million and 1 million respectively during that same year, then theres something seriously wrong. Like I stated above, Japanese people will NOT support US made consoles. And those are just the figures for last year. The previous six years are much worse. But as I also mentioned in an above post, Japan isn't very relavent anymore because they are now trailing both the US and UK as the top selling gaming markets in the world.

It's a common practice among many people all over the world to generally buy stuff from their own country to support it. I think it's pretty safe to say there are European car models fit perfectly for the American market, but still they don't sell as well as American brands. And vice versa ofcourse.

This is true in some cases for some things but look at the Wii. It's a Japanese made console but people in the US have no problem supporting it. As a matter of fact, the Wii has sold more units in the US than it has in Japan(where it should be supported the most based on your theory) and the UK. Here in America we don't have a problem(as a whole) in supporting other countries products while also supporting our own. But Japan? While they may support certain US made products, video game consoles is not and has never been one of them.

Mimi Nakamura

02-08-2009, 08:06 PM

You're getting sales figures and revenue mixed up.

Sales of video games are higher in Japan than in the UK, however because of the exchange rate at the time, revenue was higher in the UK. Of course things have completely changed now, due to the crash of Sterling, and the next set of revenue figures will reflect that.

As for the 360, the lack of sales is mostly down to marketing. It's hard to compete with Sony in that department. I don't think people are choosing the PS3 or Wii over the 360 because the 360 is not Japanese, people over here don't think about that when buying products. If that was the case, how could you explain the success of the ipod?

The 1 2 P

02-08-2009, 08:58 PM

You're getting sales figures and revenue mixed up.

According to my above link the UK has surpassed Japan in total sales figures. However, you are correct that it has not surpassed Japan in total revenue made.....yet.

As for the 360, the lack of sales is mostly down to marketing. It's hard to compete with Sony in that department.

I completely dissagree with you here. Nobody adveritises or markets better than the most wealthy company in the world and that would be Microsoft. Although they definitely got it wrong with the marketing(message sent) of the first Xbox, they certainly learned from their mistakes. Why else do you think they insisted on having so many Japanese style exclusive rpgs made by Japanese creators for the 360?

As for Sony, several Japanese companies have complained that the lagging sales of the PS3(compared to those of the Wii) are a direct result of Sony's poor marketing(is it a game machine? a movie player? a self guided missle launcher?) But don't take my word for it: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/square-enix-president-criticises-ps3-marketing

I don't think people are choosing the PS3 or Wii over the 360 because the 360 is not Japanese, people over here don't think about that when buying products.

I have to respectfully dissagree with you based on history alone. No American made console has ever been successful over in Japan. I could understand that with the 3DO and CD-I, but the Xbox and 360 are both great systems with tons of great games and exclusive features. Thats why the rest of the world loves them....except Japan. Having said that, Smork also lives in Japan and I'm really surprised that he didn't know how badly the 360 sells over there in comparison to the Wii and PS3.

If that was the case, how could you explain the success of the ipod?

The ipod isn't a video game console...it's a music player. I never said that ALL American made products sell poorly in Japan. Theres quite a few American made products and chains that do well in Japan. But like I said in my last post, video game consoles is not one of them.

Mimi Nakamura

02-08-2009, 10:08 PM

I completely dissagree with you here. Nobody adveritises or markets better than the most wealthy company in the world and that would be Microsoft. Although they definitely got it wrong with the marketing(message sent) of the first Xbox, they certainly learned from their mistakes. Why else do you think they insisted on having so many Japanese style exclusive rpgs made by Japanese creators for the 360?

I wish you could see the difference in the marketing of the 360 and PS3 over here in Japan. I don't see all that many PS3 TV adverts, but I cannot recall seeing a single 360 advert this year!

Also, the instore demo displays for the PS3 and 360 are very different. The 360 demo "pod" is encased in a small cheap looking plastic bubble, and the game demos are displayed on a pretty standard sized screen. Also the navigation through the demo menu is not that well-designed, it would definitely be confusing for casual gamers, plus there are very few playable demos, and the demo database is rarely updated.

The PS3 instore demo displays are shown on very big screens, twice the size of the 360 demo screens! The design is very nice, very sleek, a minimal, clean, black look. The speakers are loud too, which only draws more attention to the demo screen. The game demo selection screens are well designed, with great presentation, there is a huge selection of playable demos, and the demo selections updated every month or so. As well as all this, in the bigger stores, there is often a secondary, smaller PS3 playable demo display, for those who don't want to wait in queue to have a go on the big screen.

Marketing is what attracts the casual gamers, it's what pushes school children to bug their parents into buying things for them, and Sony know this, which is why they always put a lot of money into it.

As for the Japanese style exclusive RPGs for the 360, I don't think that was a good move. It's a pretty niche market, generally people don't buy consoles for those games unfortunately. They buy consoles for games like Metal Gear Solid, Biohazard, graphically beautiful beat em ups, visually perfect racing games etc. RPGs don't stir up the same amount of "I must have that" fever as graphically beautiful games do. People are, more often than not, suckers for eye candy.

The 1 2 P

02-09-2009, 01:45 AM

I wish you could see the difference in the marketing of the 360 and PS3 over here in Japan.

I don't need to see it because I believe you. My guess is that Microsoft probably decided to stop wasting so much advertising money on a country that hasn't supported them for two console generations over an eight year period. Thats simply business basics.

As for the Japanese style exclusive RPGs for the 360, I don't think that was a good move. It's a pretty niche market, generally people don't buy consoles for those games unfortunately.

Really? Then how come they stopped selling new Dragon Quest games on school daysLOL I actually find this comment very interesting coming from someone who lives in Japan. The way they make it seem here is that if a console doesn't have any rpgs on it--then it won't sell in Japan. You can read inumerable articles and blogs on that by going to google.

They buy consoles for games like Metal Gear Solid, Biohazard, graphically beautiful beat em ups, visually perfect racing games etc. RPGs don't stir up the same amount of "I must have that" fever as graphically beautiful games do. People are, more often than not, suckers for eye candy.

If that were absolutely true the 360 would be selling much better in Japan. It has every single thing you just named with the exception of Metal Gear. And to be quite frank, not having one game would not make a country not buy your system. Looks like we're back to square one: no love for American made consoles from the Japanese public.

smork

02-09-2009, 07:37 AM

As for the 360, the lack of sales is mostly down to marketing. It's hard to compete with Sony in that department. I don't think people are choosing the PS3 or Wii over the 360 because the 360 is not Japanese, people over here don't think about that when buying products. If that was the case, how could you explain the success of the ipod?

Excellent point! It's hard to think of a product that is dominating it's category more than the iPod in Japan -- unless its Windows.

smork

02-09-2009, 07:42 AM

Time for your daily reality check Steve. The 360 sells horribly in Japan compared to the Wii and even the PS3. Take a look: http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Famitsu_2008_video_game_sales
If you can't manage to sell atleast 300,000 units in a year while your competition sells over 3 million and 1 million respectively during that same year, then theres something seriously wrong. Like I stated above, Japanese people will NOT support US made consoles. And those are just the figures for last year.

Paul, I think you need to look at your link again. 360 sold 25% more in 2008 than 2007, while PS3 dropped almost 20%. I think most companies would be happy with a 25% increase in sales year-to-year, especially in a crashing economy!

Whether or not 360 is is successful in Japan is really up to MS's goals for the console. If sales are in line with budgets and expectations then it's a success, no matter the sales of the competition. Who's to say outside of Redmond?

The 1 2 P

02-09-2009, 06:58 PM

Paul, I think you need to look at your link again.

I was trying to do comparisons for the current gen. But heres another link for Japan's sell thru numbers for the PS3, Xbox and Xbox 360: http://vgchartz.com/hwlaunch.php?cons1=PS3&reg1=Japan&cons2=X360&reg2=Japan&cons3=XB&reg3=Japan&weeks=156
I'm not exactly sure when Xbox arrived in Japan but for the sake of argument I'm going to say it was 2002. So in seven years over two console generations the Japanese have only managed to purchase a total of slightly more than 1.2 million American made consoles. And yes, thats adding both systems up. You don't see anything wrong with that? If the Xbox systems sold that poorly in the US or UK there would be no third iteration. Likewise, if the PS3, Wii, PS2 or Gamecube sold that poorly in the US and UK they would have certainly been considered a failure in those markets.

My point all along is to prove that the Japanese public as a whole does NOT support American made consoles. Theres really no denying that. The PS3(in the opinion of many millions of people around the world) is thought to be over priced, not properly marketed as a gaming machine and lacks the total amount of games as well as the amount of third party exclusive games that the 360 has. So why has it already sold more than both the Xbox and Xbox 360 combined? At this point in time the original Xbox still has more(and better) games than the PS3. That should change one day but for now it's just more fuel to the fire. You know I respect you Steve but you two keep dancing around my point. I'm not saying Japanese people are evilLOL. All I'm saying is that they don't support US made systems and with these numbers you really can't dispute that in any way.

The only other way to make you see this is if you imagined the US treating Japanese consoles the way they treat ours. What if the PS, PS1 and PS3 only sold a combined 1.8 million units in the US since 1995? Or if the PS2 and PS3 sold a combined 800,000 units in the US since 2000? I can assure you that Sony would consider those numbers an absolute failure and we wouldn't have a PS4 here in the US. How about one more scenario. If the Xbox and Xbox 360 both sold millions of units in the US and UK, how come neither one sold atleast one million units in Japan.....over four and three year periods? Do you see my point now?

PS--Again, the ipod is a music player, not a video game console. We are not discussing why Japanese people don't support any American made products(because thats not true). We are discussing why Japanese people don't support any American made consoles, namely the Xbox and Xbox 360.

Mimi Nakamura

02-09-2009, 08:14 PM

The Sega Saturn didn't do well outside of Japan, neither did the Dreamcast. This had nothing to do with people in the US/UK not wanting to support a Japanese console, it was mostly down to the superior marketing of the competition.

Likewise with the PS3 and 360 in Japan.

Apple and Sony are the masters of marketing, Microsoft seem to be someway behind, in Japan at least.

The vast majority of people don't choose to buy consoles for reasons of supporting the companies that produce them, they buy them because they simply want them! Consumers are pretty much the same all over the world in that respect.

Daltone

02-09-2009, 08:30 PM

It sounds odd to suggest that an entire nation is boycotting a company simply because it is not of those shores.

If people there are like people here there will be some brand allegiance, but surely it comes down to Company X having a product that you want, rather than you not wanting a product because it is not home-grown.

The 1 2 P

02-09-2009, 08:47 PM

The Sega Saturn didn't do well outside of Japan, neither did the Dreamcast. This had nothing to do with people in the US/UK not wanting to support a Japanese console

Of course not. US and UK residents don't have the same nationalism character quirk when it comes to buying video game consoles like the Japanese seemingly do. The reason why the Saturn and Dreamcast didn't do well here in the US(the Dreamcast did quite well here it's first 6 months) is because the majority of good games for both of those systems never made it out of Japan. I wouldn't support a system with only a handful of good games either.

Also, you can't even say "the Saturn and Dreamcast failed has nothing to do with people not wanting to support Japanese consoles". The fact that the US and UK have supported dozens of Japanese consoles makes that point completely irrelevant. The US and UK can both say they have supported many Japanese consoles over the last twenty years. The Japanese can never say they've supported a US made console---ever. And thats the whole point that you keep seeming to miss. And you can make every excuse in the world about marketing, graphics, games people want to play, etc. The numbers don't lie(plus I'm tied of using graphs and links). If the majority of Japanese gamers were as into video games as the rest of the world, they would stop refusing to support a foreign made console and take part in what I feel has the best overall gaming experience(graphics, games, online play, cohesive intergrated dashborad, hard drive, movie player, price point, the works) of this generation--the Xbox 360.

GaijinPunch

02-10-2009, 12:45 AM

So when the 360 launched with a sleeker design, they couldn't use the "it's too big" excuse(it isn't any bigger than a PS3 either).

It is far noisier, has terrible failure rate, and the power supply is tacky. It's not like they're buying the PS3 either though.

but I cannot recall seeing a single 360 advert this year!

I watch about 30 minutes of TV a day and I see plenty.

As a nice little side note, the UK has recently surpassed Japan as the second largest video game market in the world.

Japan has probably lost rank in a lot of "____ in the world" markets. Their currency is freakishly strong right now. Don't let it fool you... they are just as fucked economically as anyone else. Maybe worse.

No American made console has ever been successful over in Japan.

Take a step back. Japan is a country which has embraced foreign (ESPECIALLY American) culture out the ass. There is not one, but two, yes TWO Beatle's cover bars (all Beatles, all the time) in Roppongi, a stone's throw from each other. Disney sells like gang busters, and most Hollydwood movies make it over here in the theatre. Brad Pitt is the face for Softbank now, Tommy Lee Jones for Boss Coffee, etc. etc. etc. While it's true no US console has ever done well, it's definitely not b/c "it's American". Let's face it, most Japanese consoles have failed as well. There seems to only be room for one clear cut winner each generation. The closest example to the contrary would be the Saturn's success in Japan.

So why has it already sold more than both the Xbox and Xbox 360 combined?

BluRay... and everyone that wants a games console is buying a Wii.

The Japanese can never say they've supported a US made console---ever

The only *semi* question mark one is the 360 though. It's the first US console in history to even attempt to adapt to the Japanese market. However, it did not launch w/ a strong lineup, and is definitely going up against strong compeititon (Wii). Too little too late? Who knows. It is, however, becoming a very popular nitche machine with the smaller (Cave, Triangle Service, etc.) putting their shooters on it.

The 1 2 P

02-10-2009, 12:57 AM

You make interesting points GaijinPunch, except for this:

Take a step back. Japan is a country which has embraced foreign (ESPECIALLY American) culture out the ass.

What does Japan embracing American culture have to do with American made consoles never being successful there? Once again(third time) the discussion is about why the Japanese public(as a whole) don't support American made consoles the way they do Japanese ones. There doesn't seem to be any simple answers but I still like listening to other people's point of view.

GaijinPunch

02-10-2009, 01:07 AM

What does Japan embracing American culture have to do with American made consoles never being successful there?

It underscores the part about it not being because "it's American".

the discussion is about why the Japanese public(as a whole) don't support American made consoles the way they do Japanese ones

B/c they have all sucked massive ass in the past. The Xbox had a handful of games, at best, which catered to the Japanese, and none of them were huge franchises. DoA is/was somewhat popular (doesn't even compare to Tekken or VF though) and Jet Set Radio bombed on the DC. I can't think of anything else the Xbox's first year that would've made any casual gamer in Japan run out and buy one.

The rest shouldn't even need explaining. Famicom & Super Famicom dominated from 86 to the mid-90's, so even if there was a half decent western offering, it would've been smothered, no doubt. All the US systems prior to that had nothing catered to Japanese, therefore (surprise) they didn't sell.

I agree that the 360 has great support, but due to it's [the wests] poor showing in the past, I'm sure nobody is quick to go out and buy it. If it was the PS3 versus the 360, it would be a different story, but the Wii really is crushing both though, dragging in gamers and non-gamers alike.

Mimi Nakamura

02-10-2009, 06:55 AM

I watch about 30 minutes of TV a day and I see plenty.

For real? I'm actually currently working in/on TV, and I honestly cannot recall seeing a 360 TV advert this year. What channel are you watching?

Mimi Nakamura

02-10-2009, 07:00 AM

If the majority of Japanese gamers were as into video games as the rest of the world, they would stop refusing to support a foreign made console and take part in what I feel has the best overall gaming experience(graphics, games, online play, cohesive intergrated dashborad, hard drive, movie player, price point, the works) of this generation--the Xbox 360.

Have you ever considered that there might be quite a lot of people who disagree with you? Like, people who don't think the 360 is the best console of the current generation? As hard as it might be for an XBOX Fanboy to believe, it is a possibility (reality) that you might want to consider.

GaijinPunch

02-10-2009, 09:33 AM

What channel are you watching?

Whatever horse shit my wife has on. Last one I saw (a few times) is Ninja Whatever by From Software. Most uninspired title (obviously, I forgot it) I've heard in ages.

smork

02-10-2009, 11:53 AM

Whatever horse shit my wife has on. Last one I saw (a few times) is Ninja Whatever by From Software. Most uninspired title (obviously, I forgot it) I've heard in ages.

Yah, i've seen that one, too. I mostly watch super late night crap on some Sky Perfect channel or other.

The 1 2 P

02-10-2009, 05:52 PM

Have you ever considered that there might be quite a lot of people who disagree with you? Like, people who don't think the 360 is the best console of the current generation?

Thats why I said "what I feel is the best gaming experience" and NOT "what is the best gaming experience--PERIOD". Also, it's pretty obvious that there are many people that don't agree with me. Like, I don't know.....most of Japan:p

As hard as it might be for an XBOX Fanboy to believe

This is probably hard for you to belive, but despite the current avatar I'm rocking, I am not an Xbox fanboy. I have a 360 and Wii for this gens consoles(I would get a PS3 but it's still over priced and doesn't have enough games I'm interested in) and I have all four last gen consoles(PS2, GC, XB, DC). Fanboy's are known for two distinct qualities: 1) Always putting any system other than their favorite one down and 2) denying that their favorite system(and it's company) has any faults. Let's see, I'm still pissed that Microsoft stopped supporting the Xbox after four years, didn't make the 360 completely backwards compatible from the start, overcharges for some of their downloadable content and....wait for it....didn't do a better job at making their system(the 360) more reliable from the start. Show me a fanboy on this site who's as judgemental as that towards their favorite console and I'll give you a cookie....a really big valentine's day cookie.

Now I'm curious though. What's your favorite system to game on Mimi?

The 1 2 P

02-10-2009, 06:07 PM

B/c they have all sucked massive ass in the past.

So you don't think that the 3DO was the most awesome console ever releasedLOL

All the US systems prior to that had nothing catered to Japanese, therefore (surprise) they didn't sell.

I agree but the 360 is the first system that honestly tried to crack the Japanese market. Not only did it get several exclusive rpgs made by prominent Japanese creators, it also made sure to sign up 95% of ALL major third party games. While that mostly means that those games will now be multiplatform on both the PS3 and 360--it's definitely better than being "that system that doesn't play Tekken, Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, Virtual Fighter, GTA and so on".

I just find it weird that all three systems sell in all three major gaming markets(US, UK, Japan) except the 360. The PS3 may be in last place but it atleast has sold over a million units(much more actually) in all three major markets. The Wii, well, we know how well they are doing. And the 360 continues to sell well too.....everywhere except for Japan. And thats why I've been wondering "why not there". I understand needing games for each specific market and making gamers aware that your system is out there, but then theres also brand loyalty. Both Sony and Nintendo have very strong brand loyalty, not just in Japan but in the entire world. Microsoft is working toward that but it seems like a lost cause.

Daltone

02-10-2009, 06:37 PM

I just find it weird that all three systems sell in all three major gaming markets(US, UK, Japan) except the 360. The PS3 may be in last place but it atleast has sold over a million units(much more actually) in all three major markets. The Wii, well, we know how well they are doing. And the 360 continues to sell well too.....everywhere except for Japan. And thats why I've been wondering "why not there". I understand needing games for each specific market and making gamers aware that your system is out there, but then theres also brand loyalty. Both Sony and Nintendo have very strong brand loyalty, not just in Japan but in the entire world. Microsoft is working toward that but it seems like a lost cause.

Let's say that I released a new, expensive console that had mostly dating games, virtual pachinko, an entire range of Gundam / Naturo stuff, train sims, written word adventures and maybe one or two games that look ok, but don't really set your world on fire, would you buy it?

The 1 2 P

02-10-2009, 06:41 PM

Let's say that I released a new, expensive console that had mostly dating games, virtual pachinko, an entire range of Gundam / Naturo stuff, train sims, written word adventures and maybe one or two games that look ok, but don't really set your world on fire, would you buy it?

How many do you have? PM sent.

Daltone

02-10-2009, 07:02 PM

How many do you have? PM sent.

Only two ever made, very rare.

The 1 2 P

02-10-2009, 07:12 PM

Daltone

02-10-2009, 08:46 PM

Getting back to your point, you seem to be under the thought process that none of those types of games will sell here in the US. Thats what Konami thought about their instrument games and look how much money they have lost to both Rock Band and Guitar Hero because of it. The most interesting thing about the future is that things change. Perhaps dating sims and pachinko games wouldn't sell here in the 90's but it's now a different time and era. After all, we have networks that show poker tournaments and even horse racing games. Surprisingly both of those things have big audiences but you would have never believe that could come true back in 1991.

I think that rather than asking 'would it sell?' the question would be 'Would these niche titles aimed a comparatively different culture, dropped into the US/UK market tomorrow, be enough to shift a system in a competitive environment?' I realise that it's a fairly extreme example that I'm using to illustrate my point here, but ultimately it's about launching a load of (potentially very good) titles into an arena where such genres aren't really the 'in' thing. The best version of DDR ever, a fine top down shooter or the absolute zenith of 'soccer' games could be released tomorrow but, because there isn't mass appeal for that type of game, you aren't going to rush out and buy the console.

Mimi Nakamura

02-11-2009, 02:30 AM

Now I'm curious though. What's your favorite system to game on Mimi?

Hmmm. Mega Drive. No wait, maybe the Dreamcast. Hmm, perhaps the Famicom. My DS is getting a lot of my time at the moment too....

It's too hard to choose just one. One of those mentioned, definitely not the 360 or PS3 though.

And yeah, you're COMPLETELY RIGHT - we hate US made consoles, you should've seen just how many US Flags were being burned in Akiba on the 360's release day. It was crazy. It took the police THREE MONTHS to stop the rioting. I even saw a man urinate on a 360 while shouting anti-America slogans. Naturally I joined in with the demonstrations, as it is my patriotic duty to fight against American-made consoles.

The 1 2 P

02-11-2009, 06:29 PM

And yeah, you're COMPLETELY RIGHT - we hate US made consoles, you should've seen just how many US Flags were being burned in Akiba on the 360's release day. It was crazy. It took the police THREE MONTHS to stop the rioting. I even saw a man urinate on a 360 while shouting anti-America slogans. Naturally I joined in with the demonstrations, as it is my patriotic duty to fight against American-made consoles.

I KNEW ITROFL

Mimi Nakamura

02-14-2009, 02:41 PM

I KNEW ITROFL

You do realise that I was mocking you, right? It's difficult to tell whether or not you would "get it" when reading the nonsense you posted in this thread.

The 1 2 P

02-14-2009, 09:47 PM

You do realise that I was mocking you, right? It's difficult to tell whether or not you would "get it" when reading the nonsense you posted in this thread.

If you were bright enough to read under my screen name you would have "gotten it" a long time ago. But apparently thats alittle too difficult for you. Don't worry, I'll go real slow for you next time:wink 2:

Mimi Nakamura

02-15-2009, 07:46 AM

If you were bright enough to read under my screen name you would have "gotten it" a long time ago. But apparently thats alittle too difficult for you. Don't worry, I'll go real slow for you next time:wink 2:

Oh dear. You really are slow. Try reading my previous post again.

The 1 2 P

02-15-2009, 07:01 PM

Oh dear. You really are slow. Try reading my previous post again.

Slow has been your MO thru out the thread. You actually thought I was being serious this entire time.

Thinking you made a good point: $2.50
Thinking you had the upper hand at any given time: $4.35
Getting pwned on the forum for all to see: Priceless

Mimi Nakamura

02-16-2009, 02:28 AM

Slow has been your MO thru out the thread. You actually thought I was being serious this entire time.

Thinking you made a good point: $2.50
Thinking you had the upper hand at any given time: $4.35
Getting pwned on the forum for all to see: Priceless

Yawn.

Nikademus1969

02-16-2009, 03:25 AM

Ummm...getting back on topic, I always thought the 3DO was rather unique in that while the platform was designed in America (Trip Hawkins et all) , the major (possibly only) 3DO consoles were made by Japanese/Korean companies (Panasonic & Goldstar)

The 1 2 P

02-16-2009, 06:29 PM

Yawn.

How unoriginal.

Ummm...getting back on topic, I always thought the 3DO was rather unique in that while the platform was designed in America (Trip Hawkins et all) , the major (possibly only) 3DO consoles were made by Japanese/Korean companies (Panasonic & Goldstar)

What I found most interesting about the 3DO is that it was the first console(to my knowledge and not counting portables) that was completely region free. So rather you have Japan ntsc or UK pal games, they all play the same on a US system and vice versa times three.

A Black Falcon

02-16-2009, 11:34 PM

The 3DO must have had at least some popularity in Japan. It had some Japanese-developed titles, including some exclusives, for instance, and the 3DO's memory unit expansion unit (for more backup save memory than the tiny internal memory in the console) was only released in Japan... it wasn't a great success clearly, the 3DO wasn't a great success anywhere. But it does seem to have done reasonably, considering that, in Japan.

What I found most interesting about the 3DO is that it was the first console(to my knowledge and not counting portables) that was completely region free. So rather you have Japan ntsc or UK pal games, they all play the same on a US system and vice versa times three.

What about the older systems, like the Atari 2600, Odyssey 2, Intellivision, etc? Did those have any region lockouts between regions? I'd guess not, though I'm not sure... some games are likely PAL-only or NTSC-only, but beyond that? I don't know enough about this to say this one way or the other for sure, though.

As for post-crash systems, though, that's not true. The Turbo CD has no region lockout at all -- all discs play on all systems. The TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine HuCards are region-locked, but the CDs have no lockout.

I'm not sure about the Atari 7800, but I'd be surprised if it had region coding. Like the older consoles, though, I'm not sure about that.

In addition, all Neo Geo games will run on all systems (AES games in any AES system, MVS games in any MVS system)... there is region coding in the systems, but it only tells the cart which version of the game to run. If it's a Japan-only release playing in a US system, it'll play fine; it'll just probably be in Japanese -- though some Japanese releases, like Twinkle Star Sprites, actually do have English-language game versions that will play if you play the game in a US or European system. But even for games without multiple languages, there's no lockout. The same is true for the later Neo Geo CD. As the system itself sets the game region, though, so some titles will appear different depending on the system region, this isn't quite what you are talking about, even if there is no lockout.

Atari Jaguar and Jaguar CD are also region-free (between the two regions the system came out in, the US and Europe), though that system came out a couple months after the 3DO.

US and European Sega Master System games are completely intercompatible as well -- all games for either region work on consoles from both. Because the Japanese version, the Mark III, is not, though, that can't count. This is very handy for US SMS owners, though, given how much more common European games are...

Handhelds are all region-free too, as you say, with the singular exception of the downloadable titles for the Nintendo DSi.

InsaneDavid

02-17-2009, 12:10 AM

What I found most interesting about the 3DO is that it was the first console(to my knowledge and not counting portables) that was completely region free. So rather you have Japan ntsc or UK pal games, they all play the same on a US system and vice versa times three.

Not entirely true. While there isn't a region lock, some JPN games will not play on USA consoles due to the USA console lacking the Japanese character set they require. For instance my copy of Sword & Sorcery (Japanese version of Lucienne's Quest) stops after the splash screen in a USA console, and an error message in Japanese comes up.

eugenek

02-17-2009, 12:14 AM

I wonder if Japanese people considered the 3DO to be American or Japanese...while the technology specs were developed by Americans, they might have thought it was actually developed by Matsushita. I know I did--for a long time I assumed the 3DO was developed by Panasonic and therefore a Japanese system. I didn't really know anything about the backstory at the time.

With that said, I am impressed that Policenauts came out on the system. But less so that it never made it across the ocean...

Mimi Nakamura

02-18-2009, 06:31 AM

Iron Draggon

02-19-2009, 12:05 PM

I wouldn't even worry about it... look at how many shit consoles that totally tanked here have been hugely successful in Japan... they're quirky people with quirky tastes, so quirky systems tend to do well there... meanwhile, with the exception of the Wii, quirky systems generally don't do very well in the US

also, when you drop nuclear bombs on people, they tend to not like you... or your products... and why should they? would we be buying so much of their stuff if they were the ones who nuked us? I don't think so... it's because of their resentment over our actions against them in the past, and rightfully so!

Mimi Nakamura

02-20-2009, 02:19 PM

also, when you drop nuclear bombs on people, they tend to not like you... or your products... and why should they? would we be buying so much of their stuff if they were the ones who nuked us? I don't think so... it's because of their resentment over our actions against them in the past, and rightfully so!

As sad as it is, most people under the age of 25 either have no knowledge of it ever happening, or have been taught that Japan deserved it! WWII education in Japanese schools is not covered as deeply or honestly as it should be. Not a bad word is said about America. As a result, people are very open to American culture and products over here!

Besides it was the American government who disgracefully decided to drop a nuclear bombs on innocent Japanese, not American people. They are the ones who should be hated, no one else.

Volcanon

02-21-2009, 02:07 PM

As sad as it is, most people under the age of 25 either have no knowledge of it ever happening, or have been taught that Japan deserved it! WWII education in Japanese schools is not covered as deeply or honestly as it should be. Not a bad word is said about America. As a result, people are very open to American culture and products over here!

Besides it was the American government who disgracefully decided to drop a nuclear bombs on innocent Japanese, not American people. They are the ones who should be hated, no one else.

Oh really? So I guess all those people I met going to Sophia-Dai for four years aren't really japanese? Generalizations are bad even i qualified with words like "most".

Oh and a case could be made Japan deserved it. I won't do it, but others have. And the firebombs killed way more Japanese than the nukes. Burning down a third of Tokyo killed a lot more people than blowing hiroshima up.

Mimi Nakamura

02-22-2009, 08:10 AM

Oh really? So I guess all those people I met going to Sophia-Dai for four years aren't really japanese? Generalizations are bad even i qualified with words like "most".

Oh and a case could be made Japan deserved it. I won't do it, but others have. And the firebombs killed way more Japanese than the nukes. Burning down a third of Tokyo killed a lot more people than blowing hiroshima up.

I don't know what Sophia-Dai is.

You honestly believe that there is a case for innocent people to have nuclear bombs dropped on them?

Your last point is plain stupid. I'm not even sure what you're trying to prove. It's like saying "99 million people died during the slave trade, so the holocaust that only killed 6 million is irrelevant".

Breetai

02-22-2009, 08:23 AM

I don't know what Sophia-Dai is.I'm 100% sure he means Sophia University (上智大学)

You honestly believe that there is a case for innocent people to have nuclear bombs dropped on them?Some have argued that without the bombs, even more people would've died. Either way, I've been to places like Hiroshima and Nanjing, China. Innocent people should never have to die in war... but that does this have to do with this thread, or even this entire bb?

As for the 3D0's popularity here... well, presently, I'm seeing a fair number of 3D0s for sale in used shops and in Akihabara. They're more common on the street, in my experience, then PC Engines and Mega CDs are. That's saying something. They must've been at least semi-popular for the console to be found so easily these days, no?

Tupin

02-22-2009, 01:18 PM

Wow, this degraded pretty quickly.

Maybe part of the fact that it is so easy to find is because there was no regional lockout/copy protection.

Jeez, more common to find than the PC Engine? I thought that was like the #1 system for like a decade.

The 1 2 P

02-22-2009, 06:10 PM

Maybe part of the fact that it is so easy to find is because there was no regional lockout/copy protection.

I found mine at a flea market years ago for a dollar. Definitely one of the best finds in the wild I've ever made. And the non-region lock out is my favorite feature of the system. When you collect as many imports as I do, no region lock out is always a nice feature to have.

Tupin

02-22-2009, 06:32 PM

I found mine at a flea market years ago for a dollar. Definitely one of the best finds in the wild I've ever made. And the non-region lock out is my favorite feature of the system. When you collect as many imports as I do, no region lock out is always a nice feature to have.
Yeah, but what games are worth importing?

Even that, what games are actually worth playing period? It seems like you have to go through so much crap to find a good game.

The 1 2 P

02-22-2009, 07:04 PM

Yeah, but what games are worth importing?

Royal Pro Wrestling was my number one game to get for the simple fact that it never released here and I collect all import wrestling games. Theres other more quicky stuff(mahjong games and such) and some more notable titles(Policenauts among others). It all depends on what you like playing. While the 3DO isn't known for having the greatest game library of all time, it definitely had a few gems thrown in there.

Tupin

02-22-2009, 08:47 PM

Royal Pro Wrestling was my number one game to get for the simple fact that it never released here and I collect all import wrestling games. Theres other more quicky stuff(mahjong games and such) and some more notable titles(Policenauts among others). It all depends on what you like playing. While the 3DO isn't known for having the greatest game library of all time, it definitely had a few gems thrown in there.
I'll play pretty much anything, but FMV games are usually crap, and that's what the 3DO has a lot of. Heck, they have a game that's basically a slideshow with audio.

They do have some shooters and Gex, though...

Nikademus1969

02-22-2009, 08:49 PM

Yeah, but what games are worth importing?

Even that, what games are actually worth playing period? It seems like you have to go through so much crap to find a good game.

The 3DO versions of Street Fighter and Road Rash are actually pretty good. Heck, if memory serves SF was damn near arcade perfect. Also, there was Wing Commander 3 which I liked a lot. Samurai Shodown has some issues with load times, but I played the hell out of it back in the day. And while it's no GTA by any means, the game Quarantine is worth checking out too.