Our Man in Japan -- Mythkiller 7
DeanRaker - Columns - Comments - 08/19/05
Myth #2: Blind Japanese men can win Gradius V by blowing on the controller strategically. And these are the guys considered weaksauce by the real Japanese power gamers.
Reality Check: This one, obviously, isn't true, because its doesn't make any goddamn sense that we're somehow more hardcore at gaming than other ethnicities. I could see a reason for a culture to cultivate standouts in certain sports by emphasizing them over others. But we're not talking sports. We're talking finger flashing and a certain amount of basic intelligence available to any human being. In fact, Japanese developers tend to make gamers harder for their international releases. Otherwise, they're all trying to make games easier or develop ways to snare less skilled gamers. They're especially interested in wooing adults who have less time to devote to practicing games.
However, I can understand the grain of truth from which this myth grew. Japan still values traditional tests of gaming aptitude whereas other gaming cultures like to think they've moved past self-generated "hardcore" challenges. We don't complain about high-score gaming, replay-based gaming, or having to repeat the same levels. This folds in neatly with our work ethic and our almost fanatical emphasis on the "do your best, never give up!" motif. You'll see it in a lot of a stories and art. And it's why we produce some stand-outs among people around the world who rise to some of gaming's most insanely psychotic challenges.
Status: Mostly false
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