| An American gamer walking into a Japanese arcade | | | | scale were now possible, where previously the |
| would probably find themselves quite confused. At | | | | console hardware had been the limiting factor. |
| first glance, everything appears as it should be; | | | | The most notable gaming obsession to grow out of |
| Flashing screens, deafening sounds, and a token | | | | personal computing is the South Korean favorite, |
| machine in the corner, waiting for your cash. After | | | | Starcraft, developed by Blizzard Entertainment, based |
| one converts their bills into the ubiquitous golden | | | | in the United States, for Windows and MacOS-based |
| funny money, tokens, they may notice something | | | | personal computers. Starcraft is what's known as a |
| has gone awry: The games they're so used to are | | | | "real-time strategy" game, or "RTS," in which players |
| nowhere to be found. There isn't a single Centipede | | | | control large an entire army in a battle simulation. |
| machine! In its place, however, there is a game in | | | | These games became so popular that they became |
| which the player can take the place of a | | | | to South Korean cultural force in their own right, with |
| percussionist in a virtual band. In fact, not only are | | | | PC gaming centers springing up almost overnight, and |
| the games ifferent in theme, but many of them don't | | | | eventually the development of a national gaming |
| even have a joystick, the staple control scheme | | | | league. |
| Americans expect to find on just about every arcade | | | | "That snowball has now reached the bottom of the |
| game and are instead replaced by guitars, bongos, | | | | hill. Starcraft is not just a game in South Korea, it is a |
| and dance-pads. | | | | national sport, what football was in America in the |
| While I've never had the opportunity to travel to | | | | 1970s. Five million people - equivalent to 30 million in |
| Japan, I had the good fortune of experiencing an | | | | the US - play. And three cable stations broadcast |
| "authentic" Japanese arcade while living in Los | | | | competitive gaming full-time to a TV audience." |
| Angeles. I traveled from my West Los Angeles | | | | Of course, with the advent of the Internet, and |
| apartment to Rowland Heights, where inside a | | | | especially broadband access, new and unique avenues |
| shopping center called "Life Plaza" (aka: "Diamond | | | | of cross-cultural communication were been opened. |
| Plaza") there is deceptively small arcade by the name | | | | And with that communication, new gaming opponents |
| of "Arcade Infinity" that specializes in arcade games | | | | can now be found easier than ever, which lead to |
| imported directly from Japan. The importation is not | | | | the huge popularity of games like Starcraft. In nations |
| for novelty, as the Rowland Heights area has a large | | | | like the United States and South Korea, this meant |
| Pacific Rim population, to many of whom these | | | | that computer gaming had found a niche that |
| games aren't as rare or unique as many visitors may | | | | consoles can't match, at least for the moment: |
| assume. The space itself looks tiny, but it's packed as | | | | Multiplayer network gaming. Japan, however, with its |
| densely as possible with all manner of arcade | | | | limited broadband access and the ongoing popularity |
| cabinets. I had come on a mission to play the latest | | | | of arcades and consoles has been left out of the |
| version of the Super Nintendo classic "F-Zero," which | | | | race to create the most immersive online |
| had just been released, and would not officially be | | | | environments. And as a result of this ease of |
| released in the United States for months to come. | | | | communication, post-broadband boom South Korea |
| While I was there, however, I got a taste of just | | | | has seen a sharp increase in the number of |
| how different life must be for the average Japanese | | | | locally-produced "massively multiplayer online |
| arcade fan. For example, take this list of the current | | | | role-playing" games, or MMORPGs, like NCSoft's |
| lineup of games at Arcade Infinity (affectionately | | | | "Lineage, and "Lineage 2" built upon the infrastructure |
| known as "AI" by the regulars): | | | | provided by the Internet. In this case, South Korea's |
| "Crackin' DJ 2, Dance Maniax 2nd Mix JPARADISE, | | | | gaming culture was imported, in part, from the United |
| Guitar Freaks V, Keyboard mania 3rd Mix, Para Para | | | | States thanks to ubiquitous Internet connectivity. |
| Paradise 2nd Mix, Shakka to Tambourine, beatmania | | | | "Koreans spend an average of 16 hours a week on |
| IIDX 11 RED, beatmania III 7th Mix, drummania V, | | | | the Internet -- compared to 10 hours for Americans |
| pop'n music 12 Iroha"but they represent an entire | | | | and four hours for the British -- with housewives who |
| genre that flourished for years in Japan while being at | | | | shop, trade shares, take classes and get information |
| most under-represented in American arcades, and in | | | | online generating some 45 percent of all Internet |
| most cases totally absent: "Rhythm Action games," | | | | traffic, Son said. Korea also has over 20,000 Internet |
| also known as "Bemani," a shortened version of the | | | | cafes, which the Koreans call 'PC baangs' (literally, 'PC |
| title of one of the first and most famous Rhythm | | | | rooms')." |
| Action games, "Beatmania," created by Konami Japan. | | | | Taken as a whole, gaming culture, with its high level |
| There are cultural forces at play that drive the | | | | of technical sophistication in the form of personal |
| development of the games that we play and the | | | | computers, purpose-built home gaming machines, and |
| genres they reflect, where ever we happen to | | | | public arcades has become a part of many different |
| reside, no matter the culture to which we claim | | | | cultures across the globe, and in particular those that |
| affiliation. But games don't seem to directly mirror the | | | | are a part of the Pacific Rim. Gaming culture isn't |
| culture in which they are produced. If one were to | | | | homogeneous by any means. Specific games, and in |
| assume that the games that are unique to any | | | | fact entire genres that are popular in one area may |
| culture or nation are a reflection of its citizens, it | | | | be virtually unknown in another. And again, it must be |
| would follow then that Japan game players, and the | | | | noted that due to the popularity of the internet, |
| populace as a whole, find music more culturally | | | | especially as a distribution method for PC games, we |
| significant than other nations. This, however, is clearly | | | | can assume that a wide array gaming information is |
| quite impossible to prove, and I would find it highly | | | | available virtually everywhere that videogames are |
| dubious if it were claimed as fact. | | | | played. Of course this can be confounded by the |
| If we look a little deeper, though, it becomes | | | | fact that not all platforms are available in all areas (as |
| apparent that something else entirely is at work here. | | | | we've seen with South Koreas former ban of |
| It's not a love of music in particular that drives the | | | | Japanese games), however it's getting rarer every |
| market for music themed games in Japan. In fact, | | | | day, as established consoles push into new markets. |
| there are many other types of games that are | | | | And as new gaming markets are discovered, they |
| similar in their use of "non-standard" control methods | | | | essentially become new "markets" for memes as |
| like dancing, playing guitar, evenriding a race horse. | | | | well. Because gaming is now so closely linked with the |
| These games are an outgrowth of a Japanese | | | | Internet as a communication method, and gamers |
| tradition of using arcades as a destination for dates. | | | | themselves are closely linked by virtue of |
| In United States the arcades are slowly dying | | | | Internet-enabled multiplayer games. In fact, some |
| because there really isn't an incentive anymore to go | | | | one of the more famous Internet memes came not |
| to a dimly lit room and pay a dollar a play for a game | | | | only directly from game culture, but also from the |
| when it can be bought for a home console for fifty | | | | interplay between to markets. The once-funny "All |
| dollars. By contrast, the games in Japanese arcades | | | | your base is belong to us" was derived from bit of |
| are colorful, fun, and more importantly, they appeal | | | | text that had been mistranslated in the |
| to a much wider audience, that is gamers who play | | | | English-language Sega Megadrive console port of the |
| occasionally as opposed to obsessively. Over the | | | | Japanese arcade shooter "Zero Wing." Seemingly |
| past few years, Rhythm Action Games have made | | | | over night, the text appeared on countless |
| an appearance, most conspicuously in locations | | | | web-pages as form of nonsensical Photoshop-enabled |
| outside of traditional American arcades, like movie | | | | parody. And as memes tend to do, it spread far |
| theatres, or even the San Jose Student Union | | | | beyond the small number of fans the relatively |
| bowling alley. While I'm somewhat skeptical of the | | | | obscure game had, and proceeded to infiltrate the |
| ability of Rhythm. Actions Games to transform the | | | | mainstream of American culture, appearing in |
| arcade market in the United States, they have | | | | numerous mass media publications, including on |
| gained a foothold, because it wasn't only the games | | | | oft-cited article by Eric Umansky in the online |
| themselves that were imported, but and attitude | | | | magazine Slate, entitled "All Your Base Belong to U.S. |
| about gaming, and in this case, dating. Unfortunately | | | | Comedic memes and Starcraft competitions on South |
| one of the best indicators of which games are | | | | Korean television are clearly the lighter-side of |
| popular in global markets, quarterly sales reports, | | | | trans-national gaming culture, but evidence suggests |
| doesn't track sales of arcade games. Even with the | | | | that there's a more sinister side to the global trade in |
| lack of arcade revenues, these reports tell us not | | | | games. MMORPGs aren't just a hit in South Korea, |
| only what games are being bought for the home, but | | | | but games like NCSoft's lineage have been running, |
| also which genres are the most popular at any given | | | | uninterrupted for years. Widely considered a classic, |
| time. These reports are usually generated by the | | | | Sony Online Entertainment's "Everquest," has been |
| trade-groups representing the video game industry in | | | | providing a persistent, online world for over five |
| the specific country of origin. In the United States, | | | | years. Since the launch of Everquest, which brought |
| these numbers are compiled by NPD Funworld, which | | | | Massively Multiplayer Gaming to the ainstream, a |
| describes itself as "the premier source of market | | | | black market has developed sounding it and similar |
| information for the toys, PC games and video games | | | | games. In a persistent environment, one of the goals |
| industries, while Japan's figures are compiled and | | | | is the accumulation of wealth and valuable items that |
| published by the trade magazine, Famitsu. A quick | | | | remain with one's character (also known as an |
| glance at the sales figures in both countries for the | | | | "avatar" or "toon"), even after the player logs out. |
| first quarter, 2005, shows something fairly | | | | Some enterprising players took it upon themselves to |
| remarkable: The number one selling game in both the | | | | sell in-game currency for real dollars via services like |
| United States and Japan was Gran Tourismo 4 for | | | | eBay to gamers who either didn't have the skills or |
| Sony's Playstation 2 console. Gran Tourismo's | | | | the time to gather it themselves. As MMORPGs grew |
| appearance on both lists may be due to a few | | | | in popularity, the market for their associated virtual |
| different factors: It is a driving simulator, which is | | | | currencies did as well. Gradually what had once been |
| inherently cross cultural, especially since it represents | | | | a niche market turned into an extremely profitable |
| both cars from the United States, Japan, and much | | | | business venture, and larger and larger organizations |
| of the rest of the world. Also, due to the fact that | | | | moved in to fill the demand for virtual gold. One |
| it's a simulator, there is very little text to translate, | | | | player, in an interview with Mike Musgrove of the |
| meaning that a near-simultaneous release in both | | | | Washington Post explained one method of gathering |
| markets was achieved with relative ease (the delay | | | | massive amounts of virtual currency: |
| between the Japanese and U.S. releases was under | | | | "We call them 'gold farmers'. Some people call them |
| two months). | | | | Chinese gold farmers because often it is people in |
| The similarities end there, however, as we move | | | | China who play hours a day for very little pay to do |
| further down both charts. In fact, not only to the | | | | this. " |
| similarities end, but the most of the games listed on | | | | In effect, the result has been "virtual sweatshops," |
| either charts are not on the other at all. There is a | | | | though while the products aren't tangible, it's thought |
| long tradition of games being developed in a particular | | | | that the operations work very much like the |
| market (Japan, the US, etc) and not being released | | | | traditional sweatshop, in which as many people as |
| outside of that particular market. Historically this has | | | | possible work in a small space for long hours with |
| been related to issues of cost associated with | | | | very little pay in return. The market works, of |
| translation and distribution, but there have been more | | | | course, because the sales of the virtual gold are |
| than a few instances in which a game was not slated | | | | usually in USD and workers are paid very little in |
| to be released in other markets for fear the gamers | | | | Chinese Yuan. Exploiting the Chinese working poor |
| there wouldn't "get it" because the cultural themes | | | | works just as well for gold farming operations as it |
| may be too foreign to them. In fact, a recent | | | | does for making t-shirt for Old Navy. At the time of |
| example of this was Namco's release of Katamari | | | | writing, one site tracking the "virtual currency |
| Damacy in the United States, which took place after | | | | exchange" hasWoW Gold(World of Warcraft gold) |
| fans insisted that it be officially translated and | | | | trading at $0.09 per Gold. The realization that video |
| released outside of Japan. Only when Namco was | | | | games have created a highly organized capitalist |
| sure there was a market for the game did the start | | | | system within communist China is startling, and |
| the process of exporting it from Japan. In effect, | | | | reinforces the fact that not gaming is a force that is |
| what this means is that American gamers and | | | | difficult if not impossible to contain. The Gold Farmers |
| Japanese gamers are playing completely different | | | | also illustrate its power to bring with it extremely |
| games. And in fact, not only are the games | | | | complex cultural ideas and the ability to transform the |
| themselves different, but the most popular genres | | | | lives of thousands of people virtually overnight. |
| are also different. This is also true of not only Japan, | | | | I haven't returned to Arcade Infinity in some time, |
| but many other nations as well. South Korea, for | | | | now, but I'm confident that if I walked through the |
| instance, has a very different "game culture" than | | | | door tomorrow, there would be a fresh batch of |
| either the United States or Japan, regardless of the | | | | imported games waiting for me that are just as |
| fact that for many years South Korea's most popular | | | | mysterious as the ones that I played the first time. |
| games were developed and produced in the United | | | | While nay-sayers have predicted the doom of video |
| States. | | | | gaming for years, it's only grown stronger as a |
| After the videogame crash of the early | | | | market force and cultural phenomenon, and has since |
| nineteen-eighties, gaming's "second wave" took | | | | become a more unified global phenomenon. More than |
| different forms in different places: In the United | | | | that, though, it's become a cross-cultural force that |
| States is was primarily home computing, while Japan | | | | helps drive the Pacific Rim. |
| began producing home entertainment consoles (which | | | | But where will gaming take us as a global culture of |
| were later sold in the United States), but the | | | | players? Societies are becoming more sophisticated |
| post-crash gaming development in South Korean was | | | | every day with respect to their ability to |
| driven by cultural seclusion. It wasn't until the late | | | | communicate with the rest of the world quickly and |
| Nineties that South Koreans could purchase anything | | | | efficiently, especially through global networks like the |
| from Japan that was deemed a "cultural import," | | | | Internet. I would imagine that in the near future we'll |
| which of course included video games. | | | | see game developers releasing their games on a |
| "For decades, the South Korean Government | | | | wider variety of platforms (both home computer and |
| maintained bans on Japanese cultural imports - ranging | | | | consoles) as well as in multiple markets |
| from films to pop music. But soon after taking office | | | | simultaneously. Gamers know what they want to |
| in 1998, South Korean President Kim Dae Jung took | | | | play, and I can't imagine a company would continue |
| steps to improve ties with Tokyo." | | | | to refuse to oblige them. We're already starting to |
| Because of the complete absence of the wildly | | | | see a move toward this sort of unfettered |
| popular Japanese gaming consoles, South Koreans | | | | distribution. There have been quite a few rumors that |
| turned to another form of gaming entertainment: | | | | some or all of the next generation consoles will not |
| The personal computer. They had no problem playing | | | | have "region-locks" that prevent the direct |
| games from America that had been designed by | | | | importation of games from other markets, allowing |
| American developers for use on home computers. | | | | gamers to have the games they want, when they |
| But personal computers, as we've discussed, were | | | | want. Not only that, but we've seen lately, for |
| developed originally as business machines. While they | | | | example with Namco and Katamari Damacy, that |
| weren't much more powerful than the consoles in | | | | companies are much more responsive to |
| terms of raw computing power, they did compute in | | | | fan-pressures to translate and distribute a game |
| a different manner. These weren't purpose-built | | | | globally than they once were. The danger with this |
| machines for making flashy, colorful, fast-moving | | | | model of global distribution is that it may produce a |
| graphics. But because the same hobbyists were still | | | | situation in which games lose their cultural significance. |
| active, with more advanced hardware and software | | | | If we end up with truly a single, global market, |
| at their finger-tips, it wasn't long before the "strictly | | | | games may be made with as little cultural significance |
| business" home computers were able to create a | | | | as possible, in a homogenized effort to produce |
| new type of game that the consoles of the time | | | | games that are the least unfamiliar for as many |
| just couldn't match: the simulation. PC gaming | | | | people as possible. I hope this won't be the case, and |
| spawned the FPS genre with the release of id | | | | that gamers will continue to demand both the best |
| Software's "Catacombs 3d" (and the more popular | | | | games from home and abroad, without losing what |
| "Wolfenstein3d." Instead of guiding Mario along a | | | | makes each special, because I plan on discovering |
| horizontal plane from the 3rd person, Catacombs 3d | | | | places like Arcade Infinity for a long time to come.real |
| put you inside the game, looking through the eyes of | | | | world? |
| the main character. Games much more grandiose in | | | | |