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en.wikipedia.org
In 2006 70% of Japanese games on PC were VNs. No idea what the ratio is now, but I think it's safe to assume that most of what comes out of Japan are visual novels. So literal static images with text to read where the "gameplay" consists of press X to scroll.
Take this for example:
From the moment this side quest starts at 3 mins, in the nearly 30min clip, there are (I literally counted) 10m02 of actual gameplay (and I'm being overly generous and counting a long conversation with the shopkeep, read: more scrolling text, as "gameplay", and the guy pisses around quite a bit), the rest is fmv, scrolling text and some loading. Pretty much every Yakuza game is like this. You spend most of the game watching cutscenes and reading rather than playing, unless you just mess around but in that case you could do that in any game and say they all have hundreds of hours of gameplay, western included.
Now I don't mind this, I like the Yakuza games but don't come here and say that Japanese games are all gameplay focused and western games aren't. Japanese games are the king of "no gameplay", always have been, always will be.
I was waiting for someone to pedal this excuse my original point still stands lets get that out of the way also my observation of the fall of western games is completely unbiased since I have played Japanese games and western equal since I stared gaming.
"In 2006 70% of Japanese games on PC were VNs."
-Way to narrow your argument down by 90% the majority of Japaneses games since the dawn of time were released on either Consoles or Arcade cabinets. Its also absurd that you choose the Date 2006 and decided to go with Japanese games released only on pc really? MGS3, SF3 alpha max, Tokoy xtream racer, Grandia 3, Drakengard 2, FF12, Tales of phantasia, Kingdom hearts 2 the list is plentyful of games that came from japan that were not VNs. Are you insenuating that VN games arent games if so thats a loosing argument because then your pretty much saying Point and click games arent games or puzzle games dont count since your just messing around in menus.
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No idea what the ratio is now, but I think it's safe to assume that most of what comes out of Japan are visual novels."
-You pretty much just killed your entire opening argument you just stated something that was not true then carry on saying yea ill just assume it is. I dont know how this is going to help your argument even if japan makes alot of VN games they still make other games from different genres. Thats hugely better then the west just because for example a Fate VN game does well does not mean square or atlus is going to turn Final fantasy or shin megami or persona into a VN just because. Over in the west Fortnight and Pubg is popular every dev make a clone of either one of those games and have it on my desk in the morning no questions who cares if the game runs or is fun as long as it can handle MTX were good.
"So literal static images with text to read where the "gameplay" consists of press X to scroll."
-Well some of them have Dialog choices and decisions that greatly effect the gameplay Dokio Dokio, Fate, Steins gate, dangarompa. We also have games that have game play spliced up with VN sections like Super robot wars, zanki zero, omega labyrinth, Senran kagura, sakura wars 1 and 2 ect so your press X to scroll is very misleading.
"From the moment this side quest starts at 3 mins, in the nearly 30min clip, there are (I literally counted) 10m02 of actual gameplay (and I'm being overly generous and counting a long conversation with the shopkeep, read: more scrolling text, as "gameplay", and the guy pisses around quite a bit), the rest is fmv, scrolling text and some loading. Pretty much every Yakuza game is like this. You spend most of the game watching cutscenes and reading rather than playing, unless you just mess around but in that case you could do that in any game and say they all have hundreds of hours of gameplay, western included."
-You used yakuza 6 which is fine but there is alot of context missing yakuza 6 takes places literally right after yakuza 5 yakuza 5 literally ends on a cliffhanger. Almost every opening in yakuza 0-6 + judgment starts slow you never just start the game and boom action and explosions it even takes awhile for yakuza 0 to get going. But there is so much missing that what your pedaling is literally fake news the yakuza games are set up like action jrpgs there are mini games ranging from arcade games to you driving people around in a taxi, mini bosses, main bosses, combat, Business ventures like what you would see in GTA, survival arenas, and side quest that base there missions around different NPCS and use them to push different gameplay features like the bouncer missions or the hostess clubs nothing is there just for window dressing or just to push a boring narrative like what you see in western games. For exmaple the market section in TLOU1 cant talk to anyone cant buy anything all you do is walk in a straight line and leave nothing there at all tied into anything game play related.
"Now I don't mind this, I like the Yakuza games but don't come here and say that Japanese games are all gameplay focused and western games aren't. "
Well in my main argument I explain that the west traded gameplay, fun and creative designs color pallets and new ideas a respect for all genere of games like RTS,Arena shooters,Racing games,Point and click, platformers, stealth games, Hack n slash games for graphics and hollywood story telling. I never said that western games have 0 gameplay I said that what they bring to the table as a whole is severely lacking. Especially with how much money they make and how much money they sink into games your telling me that it took you from cod mw2 2009 till now to finally semi fix Cod Your telling me that no dev over here could atleats match up to DMC1 or KH2 on the ps2. Unless you want to explain how japan with devs and publishers than range from the indie or A to AA or even AAA are able to make some out of this world games with modest budgets and have absolutely killer gameplay and unique artstyles and the west cant with budgets that exceed some of these gameplays by 10. I know why 1 mill movie camera for slow up shots Xtream photo realistic graphcics, Hollywood actors that eat up 70% of the game budgets, Super bowl train and time magazine ads > Gameplay, Fun, Color pallet that are varied and rich, Animations, No MTX or lootboxes, Worth while DLC, Far price tag, Modest budget, Finished game.