Square Enix: Japanese games receiving less attention, tech not on par with Western games, devs losing passion

Curious about why Japanese RPGs are having a more difficult time finding an audience in the West recently, Nintendo Power asked Square Enix Executive Producer Akitoshi Kawazu why he thinks that this is happening and what developers can do to change the situation. Kawzu, however, doesn’t believe that RPGs is the only genre receiving less attention. Rather, he feels that Japanese games as a whole aren’t as popular overseas. Kawzu mainly pointed to the fact that “the technology isn’t on par with Western games” and that “developers are losing their passion to stick with their vision.”

“Aside from a few well-known titles, games from Japan are receiving less and less attention, regardless of if it’s an RPG or not. I feel that it has something to do with the marketing abilities of Japanese publishers, as well as the games themselves.

The technology is not on par with Western games, and it also seems like developers are losing their passion to stick with their vision because they are being overwhelmed by costs or market trends. It’s necessary for each individual developer to constantly be up-to-date with the latest computer and game technologies. It is also important for development teams and groups as a whole to support technological advancement. It is impossible for one person to keep up with all the skills necessary for game development on his own. On top of this, developers need to take on a project with the confidence and strength to stick with their vision. Everything I mentioned here applies to me personally, as well, and they are all things I would like to bring to fruition with my next project.”