The Japanese and 3D Just Don’t Mix
Back in 1996, Nintendo revolutionized the gaming industry by releasing Super Mario 64, a 3D platformer wherein players could explore open 3D environments like never before.
3D has since then emerged as a commonplace trait of any quality game, from World of Warcraft to Final Fantasy, Resident Evil and, of course, the wonderful world of Wii Sports. It appears, however, that the Japanese aren’t too keen on this new technology, although they are the ones responsible for its birth.
Super Mario Galaxy, a 3D platform game, dropped in 2007 to critical worldwide acclaim. According to research by the loons over at Siliconera, Nintendo had already sold over 8 million copies of it worldwide by March 31, 2009. Surprisingly, only 11% (or approximately 900,000+) units were purchased in Japan.
On the other hand, New Super Mario Bros., a 2D platform video game released in 2009, sold over 14.7 million copies, a whopping 24% (or approximately 3.6 million) of which were purchased in Japan. The Japanese barely noticed Super Mario Galaxy, yet flew in flocks to acquire New Super Mario Bros. Why is that?
Perhaps the Japanese “develop motion sickness from fast-moving games”? The problem with this theory is that many 2D platformers are just as fast paced, if not more so, than their 3D counterparts.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata added his two cents, claiming that his Japanese peers are “afraid to be lost in the 3D world,” in that the open environment and lack of restrictions scare them. With 2D Mario, however, “they feel they can play with no such issues,” he added.
The irony is that Nintendo specifically designed Super Mario Galaxy to better appeal to the Japanese. They adopted a “spherical shape” to ensure users are not easily lost. Plus they adjusted the camera angles to reduce the likelihood of a user suddenly experiencing motion sickness. Unfortunately, the tweaks weren’t enough to accommodate the high demands of the Japanese.
However, Siliconera reports that the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy 2 will come with a tutorial DVD designed to show users “how to enjoy playing with Mario in the 3D world.” Hopefully, it will fare much better in Japan than its predecessor.
By V Saxena on 24-05-2010
