14 DAY TRIAL // Japan has been one of the central points on the world map in terms of technology for the last few decades. This has also been true in terms of video games, as a lot of consoles and titles have appeared from the Land of the Rising Sun and have gone on to gain critical acclaim across the whole wide world.
But, lately, we've heard quite a few reputed video game developers from Japan complain about the state in which the local development studios are, with the likes of Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima and Resident Evil 5 producer Jun Takeuchi sharing their thoughts.
Now, Square Enix President Yoichi Wada has tackled the subject while talking with GamesIndustry, revealing a very interesting and tough metaphor, as Japan is filled with old video game developers doing the same old job, as opposed to other territories.
“From the developer side, the Japanese games industry became so successful that we didn't recruit new people. So today, if you look at the main creators of games, they're already in their late thirties. When you look at the industry in the US, the industry has attracted some very talented people from, say, computer science and the film industries – so people from different sectors came into the industry and that kept the market vital, succeeding in creating new products. But in Japan the old people are doing the same old job – and even the so-called new people.”
While his own company is taking steps to employ fresh talent and expand its business on a global scale, with Square Enix recently acquiring Eidos Interactive, Wada demands that other companies follow his own example.
Hopefully, in the end, Japan will once again be respected in the video game industry and continue to supply us with high-quality experiences.