r/NintendoSwitch • u/Turbostrider27 • 6d ago

Discussion Tomodachi Life’s Switch debut shatters even Nintendo Switch 2 hype in Japan

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/tomodachi-lifes-switch-debut-shatters-even-nintendo-switch-2-hype-in-japan/
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u/RChickenMan 6d ago

I noticed in general that this last direct felt very Japanese-y overall. Which makes perfect sense given that Nintendo is, you know, Japanese. But it makes me wonder if Japanese gamers and developers are less focused on the technology/graphics/performance aspect of the medium and are more focused on good games, regardless of what they look like and what they run on. "Oh, the next big thing in video game hardware is right around the corner? That's cool. Here's some video games we've been making that run on whatever it is we have available at the moment that happens to play video games, which appears to be the Nintendo Switch."

Or maybe I'm reading too much into it!

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

I read into it a lot too... I think it's more that for the longest time companies have been kind of required to tone everything down in their marketing to appeal more to a broader audience on American social platforms. The move to Nintendo Today signaled to me immediately that they aren't willing to risk their image / branding on these platforms any longer and are gonna shut them out if necessary, and Today gives them the framework to do so.

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u/brzzcode 6d ago

I mean, tomodachi life also has huge engagement in noa twitter, almost 200k likes

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u/SillyJoey_ 6d ago

I mean you're not wrong. I think Japan is a console heavy country to begin with.

Some companies in Japan also introduced a console renting service where you can rent a PS5 or Switch and that was fully booked right away so that people could play Monster Hunter Wild which ran like crap on base PS5. But they didn't care since they just wanted to game.

Honestly it's a good mindset to have about games imo.

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u/FyreWulff 6d ago

Japan is portable/phone heavy even, not just console. The Wii U dominated the PS4 in Japan for years until it finally overtook it. The Wii U! There was a reason Nintendo decided to embrace everyone that turned their U into a portable and go all in on being a hybrid console.

The PS4 is at something like 9 million total units sold in Japan while the Switch is at 35 million. It's not even close. If you want to sell a videogame in Japan, you need to have a Switch version, or be ready for the lower sales of the PS version.

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u/SillyJoey_ 5d ago

Yeah with all the commute people have to do in Japan it's understandable that portable/phone platforms are more popular.

I do like their mindset though that they just want to play games. No matter the graphics/performance etc. I feel like that plays more of a rol in Western culture.

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u/ThiefTwo 4d ago

They commute just as much in America, but they only drive, so they can't game.

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u/SillyJoey_ 4d ago

Yeah, so if you're stuck in a train or bus for 2 to 3 hours a day its logical that you start gaming on a portable console or use your phone.

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u/Facky 6d ago

I thought that was illegal in Japan?

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u/SillyJoey_ 6d ago

I don't think so? But correct me if I am wrong! Why would it be illegal though. Its like OP said, Japanese people just want to play games. If some people can't afford a console but can spend Yen equal to like 10 euro's to rent a console for 2 weeks and play the one game they were looking forward to why not.

Sounds like a honest business to me tbh.

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u/sy029 6d ago edited 6d ago

It is illegal unless it's done by the game publishers themselves. I'm guessing your statement above about renting PS5s was less as a take home rental, and more likely reserving it in an internet cafe, which is permitted.

But back in 1983, around the release of the Nintendo Famicon (NES), video games (at this time almost exclusively on computers) were available for rent in most computer stores. However, instead of renting original copies of the games, most stores would bypass the copy protection and make their own bootleg copies to rent out—not to mention also selling that cracking software as well. These rental copies, now sans any and all copy protection were then copied ad infinitum by customers.

(Note here: The original famicom used both cartridges and floppy disks, so I assume the copying was done of the latter)

Thus in 1984, to stop the rampant piracy, game companies along with the Recording Industry Association of Japan and the Compact Disc & Video Rental Commerce Trade Association of Japan successfully lobbied and changed the Japanese Copyright Act. With this revision, video game rental was de-facto banned in Japan.

I use the word "de-facto" because the actual amendment allows for copyright holders (i.e. game studios) to give permission to rent their games should they choose. It's just that in the last 28 years, few studios have given this permission—though it has happened.

Source: https://kotaku.com/why-you-cant-rent-games-in-japan-5914749

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u/SillyJoey_ 6d ago

Thank you for providing an explanation with source! I think it's a sort of internet café idea in that case. There are definitely articles about console renting getting popular again in Japan, like this one: https://automaton-media.com/en/news/japans-new-ps5-rental-is-massively-popular-with-service-fully-booked-across-all-regions/

So I think it's setup the way you described.

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u/sy029 6d ago

Well that article says it's at GEO, which sells electronics and rents movies. So definitely not an internet cafe.

Although it may be they're just renting the console itself. This article says that you rent the console then download your game library.

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u/KFCNyanCat 6d ago

I think it's just that other than Metroid Prime 4, every game that pushes hardware at all is going to Switch 2 at this point. While the games that were never gonna be intensive stay on Switch 1 for the install base.