Video games in Japan
In 1978, a single game called Space Invaders changed the course of Japanese entertainment history. Tomohiro Nishikado created this shooter for Taito Corporation, pitting players against alien invaders descending from the top of the screen. The game became so popular that an urban legend claimed it caused a national shortage of 100 yen coins in Japan. Arcade operators emptied their machines and took the money to banks, keeping coins in circulation despite production levels being lower than previous years. By 1981, the arcade video game industry was worth eight billion dollars. Games like Pac-Man and Galaxian followed, with hardware unit sales reaching tens of thousands of copies. Ms. Pac-Man alone sold over one hundred fifteen thousand units. These early successes established arcades as major cultural hubs across shopping malls, restaurants, and movie theaters throughout Japan.
Nintendo entered the home console market on the 15th of July 1983, releasing the Family Computer or Famicom alongside three ports of its successful arcade games. A bad chip set caused the initial release to crash, but a product recall and reissue with a new motherboard allowed the system to soar. By mid-1986, nineteen percent of Japanese households owned a Famicom, representing six point five million units. One third of households had one by mid-1988. In June 1989, Nintendo of America's vice president of marketing Peter Main stated that the Famicom was present in thirty-seven percent of Japan's households. By the end of its run, over sixty million NES units were sold worldwide. In 1990, Nintendo surpassed Toyota as Japan's most successful corporation. The company changed the relationship between console manufacturers and third-party software developers by restricting publishers from distributing software without licensed approval. This led to higher quality titles and helped change public attitudes toward electronic games after the video game crash of the early 1980s.
Enix published Dragon Quest in early 1986, creating a template for future console role-playing games. Designer Yuji Horii intended to create an RPG appealing to wider audiences unfamiliar with the genre or video games in general. The streamlined gameplay made the game more accessible than previous computer RPGs while placing greater emphasis on storytelling and emotional involvement. Local municipalities were forced to place restrictions on where and when the game could be sold due to its massive popularity. Final Fantasy VII followed decades later with a record-breaking production budget of around forty-five million dollars. Square used 3D characters on pre-rendered backgrounds and battles viewed from multiple angles rather than a single angle. Full-motion CGI video seamlessly blended into gameplay, effectively integrated throughout the experience. The game introduced the materia system allowing considerable customization through materia that can be combined in many different ways. Final Fantasy VII continues to be listed among the best games of all time for its highly polished gameplay and emotionally engaging narrative.
Japan's mobile phone market became the world's largest for mobile games by the 2010s. Mobile game publishers had more than twice the ordinary income rate as console game publishers in Japan during 2015. The main characteristic of mobile games is being freemium, with monetization models most commonly seen in gacha games. These games are named after toy vending machines in Japan because of their lottery system. After spending in-game currency which can be bought with real money, players get random characters or items. Most often, the characters that players want are rare and encourage them to spend enough money until they get their desired character. Notable Japanese gacha games include iDOLM@STER, Granblue Fantasy, Fate/Grand Order, and Umamusume: Pretty Derby. In 2013, mobile games generated five point one billion dollars, more than traditional console games in the country.
Akihabara Electric Town serves as a major nexus of so-called otaku culture in Japan, overlapping heavily with video gaming. Sega Akihabara Building 2, known as GiGO until 2017, was a former large six-floor Sega game center on Chuo Dori. Arcade culture remains a major influence among young Japanese people despite global trends shifting toward home consoles. The first Tokyo Game Show was held in 1996 and has been held annually since then without cancellation. The busiest show occurred in 2016 with two hundred seventy-one thousand two hundred twenty-four attendees and six hundred fourteen companies exhibiting. As of 2009, out of Japan's twenty billion dollar gaming market, six billion dollars came from arcades representing the largest sector. Despite global decline, Japanese companies hit record revenue for three consecutive years during this period. Former rivals Konami, Taito, Bandai Namco Entertainment, and Sega now work together to keep the arcade industry vibrant.
In 2002, the Japanese video game industry made up about fifty percent of the global market, shrinking to around ten percent by 2010. Yoichi Wada stated in 2009 that the Japanese game industry had become almost xenophobic. He noted the lag with the US was very clear while Western games attracted people from computer industries and Hollywood leading to strong growth. At the 2010 Tokyo Game Show, Keiji Inafune declared everyone was making awful games and Japan was at least five years behind. Games developed in Western countries did not perform well in Japan whereas Japanese games were readily played by Western consumers. However, a resurgence began in the 2010s on PC platforms. The 2010 release of doujin indie game Recettear sold over half a million units on Steam. This led to many Japanese doujin indie games releasing on Steam in subsequent years. By 2015, Japan became the world's fourth largest PC game market behind China, the United States, and South Korea.
Common questions
Who created the game Space Invaders in 1978?
Tomohiro Nishikado created the shooter game Space Invaders for Taito Corporation. The game became so popular that an urban legend claimed it caused a national shortage of 100 yen coins in Japan.
When did Nintendo release the Family Computer or Famicom?
Nintendo entered the home console market on the 15th of July 1983, releasing the Family Computer or Famicom alongside three ports of its successful arcade games. By mid-1986, nineteen percent of Japanese households owned a Famicom representing six point five million units.
What was the production budget for Final Fantasy VII?
Final Fantasy VII followed decades later with a record-breaking production budget of around forty-five million dollars. Square used 3D characters on pre-rendered backgrounds and battles viewed from multiple angles rather than a single angle.
How much revenue did mobile games generate in Japan in 2013?
In 2013, mobile games generated five point one billion dollars more than traditional console games in the country. Mobile game publishers had more than twice the ordinary income rate as console game publishers in Japan during 2015.
Where is Akihabara Electric Town located and what does it represent?
Akihabara Electric Town serves as a major nexus of so-called otaku culture in Japan overlapping heavily with video gaming. Sega Akihabara Building 2 known as GiGO until 2017 was a former large six-floor Sega game center on Chuo Dori.
When did the Japanese video game industry make up about fifty percent of the global market?
In 2002 the Japanese video game industry made up about fifty percent of the global market shrinking to around ten percent by 2010. By 2015 Japan became the world's fourth largest PC game market behind China the United States and South Korea.