Japanese Console Games - A Dying Breed?

In a typically chilly London evening in 1999, I was imprisoned in the other living room with my dad, with access to the main living space refused.

“Why?” I asked him.

“Your mum’s baking a cake,” he replied.

Even as a 7 year old, I questioned why my mother’s baking resulted in my exile from the television. Had I been punished? Were my grades not good enough? How on Earth was she baking a cake in the living room anyway? An indefinite amount of time passed until I regained access to the sacred television. My eyes scanned the room in search of this mystery cake, but nothing was to be found.

I turned my attention to the flickering light of the TV and there I saw a PlayStation, (I asked my parents for an N64 but whatever), with Tekken 3 ready to go. Part of me was disappointed not to find cake, but the break-dancing onslaught I dished out with Eddy Gordo more than made up for it.

The PlayStation was host to some of my favourite games of all time: Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Metal Gear Solid and more. Many gamers who are now in their 20’s and 30’s will undoubtedly share similar fond memories of games such as Ocarina of Time, Super Mario Bros., Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger to name but a few. Needless to say, a lot of those games are now among the most adored and well-known in the medium. 

They represent the first time you found out that the princess was in another castle, the heartbreak you suffered when you saw Sephiroth swoop down from above to impale Aeris, and the simultaneous delight and confusion at the convoluted yet enjoyable nonsense that is Metal Gear Solid.

They are truly unique, with a quirkiness that cannot be replicated, but are we in danger of losing them?

At face value it might seem an odd question. The home page of my PS4 houses my two favourite games of the generation so far, Bloodborne and Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, and with Persona 5, Disgaea 5, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Final Fantasy XV on the horizon, there’s a strong line-up of big Japanese titles coming to Sony’s platform alone. The Wii U is also home to the excellent Bayonetta 2, Mario Kart 8 and Mario 3D World. It’s a compelling list that indicates a continuing release of quality games from our friends in the East.

The Japanese market tells a slightly different story, however. It’s no secret that, in Japan, handheld gaming is king. In 2014, the combined sales of the Vita and 3DS exceeded those of the PS4, PS3, Wii U and Xbox One put together. Of the top 10 best-selling games, 8 were on the 3DS. 2014 also saw sales of consoles, handheld games and console games in Japan reach their lowest point for nearly two and a half decades. To add insult to injury, last week saw the lowest sales of Japanese games ever.

It makes for grim reading but it’s important not to misconstrue the figures at hand. What’s taking place isn’t a decline in interest in the medium, rather a titanic shift in popularity to a different platform: smartphones. But what does this mean in real terms? Japanese gamers predominantly gaming on handheld devices doesn’t necessarily correlate with a decrease in console titles for the masses in the West to enjoy.

Well, it might.

Although we enjoy the fruits of, say, Konami and Square Enix’s labour, they are Japanese companies whose primary focus is their home territory. Consequently, both have recently announced a shift in focus towards mobile gaming. From a business standpoint, it’s an understandable and potentially lucrative move; they’re simply responding to the needs of the market.

However, as someone who plays primarily on consoles, it’s not news that I’m welcoming with open arms. Although it’s highly improbable that Japanese console games will vanish entirely, there will always be a significant demand for them to justify their existence from a financial standpoint, it is perhaps the clearest indication yet that the sheer volume of these games will see a steady decline in the years to come.

What’s perhaps most terrifying interesting is whether we’ll see certain IPs shift focus entirely. Does the Final Fantasy series become an exclusively handheld and mobile affair after Final Fantasy XV? It’s certainly a possibility; Final Fantasy games both new and old already exist on mobile and Bravely Default is one in all but name. Not forgetting that Mevius Final Fantasy is an experience that can only be had on smartphones.

And what of Konami? The recent fallout with Hideo Kojima will see the Metal Gear franchise move in a different direction one way or another. Could we see a Cyborg Ninja endless runner anytime soon?

Undoubtedly, the biggest player here is Nintendo. They too have announced that we’ll be seeing some of our favourite characters on mobile in the not too distant future, but they’ve reiterated their commitment to supporting their hardware.

Ultimately, your gaming preferences will determine what side of the fence you sit on. I’ve admittedly spent many hours on Candy Crush Saga, and Monument Valley was a beautiful, ingenious game, but the little boy who grew up fighting True Ogre, stopping Sephiroth and saving Princess Peach, is overcome with worry and pessimism.