What video games have the most cross-cultural appeal?

[stm177]

I'm sure some people here are more in tune with what's popular in video game markets than I am. I believe the four major markets for video games are Europe, the USA, Japan, and China.

I've heard that World of Warcraft is popular in China, even though it is primarily developed in California. Starcraft has a niche in South Korea, too.

Still, is there a game that seems to transcend all cultural boundaries, and is popular in most countries?

[Cainen]

I think we can call on Tetris here.

[poleboy]

I think we can call on Tetris here.

Aye. Simple games in general. I think most people would figure out Pong eventually as well.

Nintendogs maybe. It's one of the best selling video games of this generation, and (almost) everyone can relate to dogs.

[Khanderas]

Aye. Simple games in general. I think most people would figure out Pong eventually as well.

Nintendogs maybe. It's one of the best selling video games of this generation, and (almost) everyone can relate to dogs.
Pigs are much cooler. Talking about the mini versions ofcourse, not the pale ones bread for meatfactories.
(on slow days I can daydream about attackpigs :smallbiggrin:)

[Fri]

Pigs are much cooler. Talking about the mini versions ofcourse, not the pale ones bread for meatfactories.
(on slow days I can daydream about attackpigs :smallbiggrin:)

This post is the most random thing I've read this week. And I can relate to it.

I don't have nitendogs. But I'd buy nitenpigs.

[Tengu]

Now that Okami is released on Wii, I'd imagine it gets popular all over the world. Seriously, you must lack soul or have such a bad taste that you deserve to be shot for it not to enjoy this game.

[DraPrime]

Really popular shooters can be popular everywhere. People round the world play Halo.

[Terraoblivion]

Unfortunately a lot of people have that bad taste, Tengu. And shooters are surprisingly unpopular overall in Japan, not completely so but much less than in the rest of the world. I would actually introduce the controversial theory that 2D platformers are the most widely appealing games around or at least were back in the day when they were made by major companies.

[Dihan]

There's a significant lack of Wii Sports in this thread. It's popular with kids to the elderly and popular throughout the world.

[Khanderas]

I would imagine the Zelda games would be, if not downright worshipped, then atleast accepted as among the greatest game series ever.
Moreso then Mario, since there have been some... notsogreat mario games and adaptations though it is a strong runnerup.

[poleboy]

And shooters are surprisingly unpopular overall in Japan, not completely so but much less than in the rest of the world.

That's really interesting. I've never seen any statistics to support it, but it certainly seems plausible, what with how well RPG's and quirky and/or casual games sell over there. i was starting to make some sort of connection between how guns are nearly impossible to obtain legally in Japan and their very low murder rate, but then I remembered how you could apply the same logic to many European countries. But shooters are wildly popular here.
Maybe the relation is simply backwards of what you would expect:
Non-violent culture = less interest in violent games instead of violent games = violent culture.

Completely unrelated: The posting system is brainwashing me into writing in American with all its red lines of disappointment. :smallfrown:

[Inhuman Bot]

I would imagine the Zelda games would be, if not downright worshipped, then atleast accepted as among the greatest game series ever.
Moreso then Mario, since there have been some... notsogreat mario games and adaptations though it is a strong runnerup.

two words: Zelda. Cd-i.

[Khanderas]

two words: Zelda. Cd-i.
We dont talk about those. They never existed and never will.
Any copies will be hypothetically (since they do not and never have existed) burned into ash and the ashes burned again.

[Terraoblivion]

Guns are easier to obtain in Japan than in most European countries, though.

Also it is an entirely well-known fact in the video game industry that PC games simply don't sell in Japan and that both the x-box and the 360 likewise cannot make a profit in Japan. These platforms represent most shooters by far and are the ones in which shooters make up the largest part of the games library and certainly the ones most known for shooters. I don't believe it has anything to do with the violence, though. After all Japanese games and other Japanese entertainment can be plenty violent as it is. It is more a seemingly arbitrary cultural difference in style and expectations of games it seems. Just like how Koreans refuse to touch console games and pretty much only play RTSes and MMOs.

[Tengu]

Unfortunately a lot of people have that bad taste, Tengu.

Are you sure? I know this game is not as popular as it deserves, it's because few people played it - have you heard of anyone who played Okami and disliked it?

Though probably some people did. They deserve to be blown up with a cherry bomb. And then run over by a limousine.

[Joran]

Somewhat on topic:

Cross-cultural hero: Jade from Beyond Good and Evil. Sequel coming soon...

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/11/jade-is-latina-asian-black-who-knows/2

Is she black? Latina? Asian? Just really tanned?

I agree wholeheartedly with Tetris. Anything simple, like puzzles or sudoku, won't come burdened with any cultural expectations.

[doliest]

Are you sure? I know this game is not as popular as it deserves, it's because few people played it - have you heard of anyone who played Okami and disliked it?

Though probably some people did. They deserve to be blown up with a cherry bomb. And then run over by a limousine.

I quiet frankly refuse to pick up that game on the grounds that it looks like a piece of dog-crap...not graphics I mean, it just looks stale & boring.

As for Zelda...no those games ain't that great, give me mario & metroid over zelda anyday.

[hylian chozo]

As for Zelda...no those games ain't that great, give me mario & metroid over zelda anyday.

Weird, because Tingle is wildly popular in Japan. Metroid does remain awesome also.

[Terraoblivion]

Metroid is very much not liked in Japan, though, ruining its cross-cultural appeal. And i have not met somebody who has played Okami and disliked it, no. But i have met several people who would hate it if i were to force some culture into them and make them play it, they are just the kind of people who has never heard about it. The vast segment of teenage boys who only plays sports games and FPSes for example would most likely hate Okami, if for no other reason than they were afraid of what others would think of them for enjoying it. That is if they knew it existed.

And do you have a limousine ready, i will handle the cherry bomb. I see someone who dislikes the game. :smalltongue:

[poleboy]

Hmm, how about Animal Crossing? I'm not sure how well it did in the west, but it certainly has a premise most people (capitalists) can understand: Work, buy stuff, work, buy stuff, work, visit friends, work, work, work... :smalltongue:

[Triaxx]

Likely things with giant robots. Who doesn't love giant robots? And they go with anything. Shooters. Action/Adventure. Sports. RPG's. Air Combat. Space Combat. Hentai games.

[Thervold]

Perhaps the Katamari games? Simple, silly, and a good amount of fun.

[Om]

I would imagine the Zelda games would be, if not downright worshipped, then atleast accepted as among the greatest game series everThe OP defined the four major regional markets as Europe, USA, China, & Japan. Note that "Fanboy-land" is not amongst them

[Innis Cabal]

Are you sure? I know this game is not as popular as it deserves, it's because few people played it - have you heard of anyone who played Okami and disliked it?

Though probably some people did. They deserve to be blown up with a cherry bomb. And then run over by a limousine.

I've met one person who has played it and hated everything about it. He was subsequently beaten, branded and thrown out of the apartment


In all seriousness, yes ive someone who hates Okami, for the simple and idiotic reason that its a game with a painting wolf. B-a-d t-a-s-t-e

[Tengu]

Well, it's not a game for people who don't consider a game good if it doesn't have flying gore and/or tuned cars. That's why the treatment I suggest for them involves both.

[Bryn]

Hmm, how about Animal Crossing? I'm not sure how well it did in the west, but it certainly has a premise most people (capitalists) can understand: Work, buy stuff, work, buy stuff, work, visit friends, work, work, work... :smalltongue:

...you mean it's not a horror title (http://fromearth.net/LetsPlay/Animal%20Crossing/index.html)? So much for that then :smalltongue:

[Terraoblivion]

Let's get to it then Tengu. They very much deserve fitting punishment. Though perhaps the limousine should be replaced with being trampled by the couriers. Just to make the speed part fit the game just like the violence one did.

[Grey Paladin]

The OP defined the four major regional markets as Europe, USA, China, & Japan. Note that "Fanboy-land" is not amongst them

Didn't you just contradict yourself?

[Poison_Fish]

DotA, the famous custom game of Warcraft III, has pretty big appeal in Europe, America, and Asia. While it's mostly restricted to more gamer types(IE, not normal people playing mario, which is also awesome), it's got quite a wide base.

[Eakin]

That's really interesting. I've never seen any statistics to support it, but it certainly seems plausible, what with how well RPG's and quirky and/or casual games sell over there. i was starting to make some sort of connection between how guns are nearly impossible to obtain legally in Japan and their very low murder rate, but then I remembered how you could apply the same logic to many European countries. But shooters are wildly popular here.
Maybe the relation is simply backwards of what you would expect:
Non-violent culture = less interest in violent games instead of violent games = violent culture.

Completely unrelated: The posting system is brainwashing me into writing in American with all its red lines of disappointment. :smallfrown:

Actually, I believe that the FPS genre tends to induce severe motion sickness in the Japanese population. I have no idea why they would be more susceptible to it than Americans and Europeans, but there you are.
http://gonintendo.com/?p=28637

Regardless of the motion sickness issue, I think that FPSs are too complex to really offer broad appeal the way a game like Tetris does. Hand a gaming newbie a controller in the middle of a deathmatch and see how long it takes them to adapt to the controls.