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Since I’m making a brief stop in Japan, I wanted to ask you ladies and gents a question about the Land of the Rising Sun: If you could visit any Japanese game developer, which one would it be and why?
There are so many great ones to choose from! Would you stay in Tokyo and visit Kojima Productions? Maybe you’d go to Kyoto and pay homage to Nintendo? Perhaps you’d want to visit Capcom in Osaka?
So yeah! Let’s play this game. Which Japanese developer would you visit? What would you want to see? What kind of questions would you ask?
(Btw, the header image is of the Yokohama skyline from when I visited Yuke’s last September.)
@ Topic
Damn just one! Japan is the mecca of my childhood gaming experiences so this is a tough one. I would have to go with Square Enix because I am still playing their games 15 years later. Games on the SNES like Chrono Trigger and The Secret of Mana totally captivated me a child then I moved on to the FF series but quickly went back to the the others because my little brain could not handle. Then I remember Super Mario RPG came out and boy did me and my brothers eat it up like some Cadbury Creamed Eggs! Then the good old PS1 days came about FF7 and FF8 got played by me into the early 2000s as well as the other games. I would love to shadow at least one person in every department at Square Enix and then we would all go out and have some sake!
@Big Blak That's an outstanding choice! Sqaure Enix has a pretty rad office in Tokyo. Oddly enough, the thing I remember most is the rest room. The urinals had windows, so you could stare at Tokyo as you pee. The bathrooms at Square also gave me my first experience with high-powered hand-dryers; it felt like someone opened a window on an airplane (at least, in my head it did).
(Typing on the LAX airport shuttle!)
I can't just visit one of them Ray…but if you make me choose I'd say Capcom. I need to know what the hell is going on since they have released some subpar titles. They used to do no wrong. Now they let BIonic Commando go awry (publisher i know, but they should have used better oversight), Dark Void (bleh at best) and RE5. WTF were you thinking requiring damn co-op to get through the game? More so, I don't want to play with some random kid on xbox live who won't stop jumping or running around while I'm trying to enjoy the game. Ah..but your solution to the mess is to have an AI partner. FOCUS ON SINGLE PLAYER ONLY. You are the best in that department.
Let's go have a beer and watch some hot chicks do karaoke.
I'm with Thundercracker. I think Miyamoto is probably the craziest guy over there that I'd like to meet.
As for Swagger, i think it's cool that the young guy is getting the push, I just wonder why they got heels wearing suits now. What message are they trying to send with that?
In other news, i read this in my local news today and had to share it with you guys. The visual image I got as to what transpired made me laugh. On a scale of 1 to 10, How evil am I for laughing (10 being Satan)?:
http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/arrested-18430-h…
@N8R
As a dog lover I find that story horrible. I'm sorry, I don't see how you can laugh at that.
@ Smartguy and tokz
First off, the dog is totally a victim. Huskies are awesome dogs, no question about that. If it was a Chihuahua, I might not feel sorry for it because I see them as no better than rats… snake food.
The point where I laughed was my interpretation of how the scene played out. I didn't picture it as a cold and calculated move on the dude's part. I pictured the dog pissing the guy off in god knows how many hilarious ways and dude just picking it up and hurling it without even knowing there was a train coming. The sound I'm hearing in my head is hard to get across over the internet, but I'll try:
"GOD DAMN IT DOG!"
"(yipe)"
(train whistle blows)
Of course, the next scene in my head is the dog in a cast testifying at dudes trial with a scornful jury giving dude the stink eye. Also, maybe it's because the guy in my head closely resembles Chris Farley.
I would need two trips as my mind couldn't handle all of Japan at once. The first trip would be pretty much be me shopping and visiting cosplay cafes. (Yes, I'm a dork) The second trip could be to visit a dev, but I wouldn't know who to choose over how.
If I can give any more clues to how skewed my mental perception is, I've always pictured Smartguy to have a goatee and a ponytail… don't ask me why, and i bet he really looks nothing like that.
@ Smartguy
How'd the interview go by the way?
@N8R
Never had a pony tail. Have a beard now. Never had just the goatee, always the van dyke.
The interview took forever. It lasted close to 2.5 hours. I had to go over a multitude of subjects. I know there are only 4 people interviewing or chosen to interview for the job. The guy didn't like the accounting program I'm from for a few reasons. I agreed with some but disagreed with most. I feel that if one of the people interviewing is from his alma mater, then they will get the job by default. We'll see though. I didn't expect to hear back from them until the end of this week.
@N8R
It's a self appreciating measure. A program from a rival university is deemed substantially insufficient in relative comparison. Whenever you get into professions such as accounting, finance, and law firms/brokers tend to stick with where their partners or founders product matriculated. For example in NOLA there are firms who only hire Loyola Law students and firms who only hire Tulane law students. Then there are firms who will only hire accounting grads who went to such and such college or grads who have passed the CPA exam and are simply awaiting work hours experience. Kind of ridiculous.
Thanks. Honestly, I have a feeling I will be offered the job but will inevitability have to turn the offer down. I get the feeling he will try and pay next to nothing. Just the subtle hints I received from our long chat.
@tokz
That was the FCC's on damn fault for having guidelines with no substance. I wonder if this will open the gate for Comcast to charge overages on their cap now or if they will outlaw P2P clients on their network?
@ Topic;
Miyamoto, hands down.
@ Thundercracker (post #4);
Was that from Black Sheep or Tommy Boy?… or "Beverly Hills Ninja" maybe?
-M
@N8R I totally dig the heels-wear-suits thing. It reminds me of vintage Ric Flair. I still think Swagger should tag with Cody Rhodes and annihilate the opposition with their lisping promos.
Speaking of lisping, RIP Kanyon. He was an amazing worker that never got a break.
@RROD
Thank you for agreeing with my critiquing of wrestling. When are you going to get a new avatar? it seems weird to not see your falcon.
Platinum Games is my pick. I haven’t played any of their stuff yet, but it has all looked incredibly bodacious! And there have to be some hot guys who work there… you just know it @.@
mother of mercy i dont speak japanese!!
(chris farley reference that no one will get)
id just like to hang out with miyamoto san
Hey Raymond,
I suspect Miyamoto will be in Kyoto so you may not be able to reach him in the time you have there, if you're Tokyo-based. Have you considered visiting with Masaya Matsuura? He is really great.
@Topic
Since i have to pick one, it would be Nintendo. They have been part of my gaming history since i was 8. I’d want to see what’s the status of the 3DS and how the new Zelda is looking. oh and what else Miyamoto is working on, since they keep denying the Wii HD.
@Jack Swagger
I don’t like him at all. For a minute when John Cena was challenging him and putting his title on the line, i was like OMFG they’re going to make this guy the undisputed champ for a week! Please Vince don’t do this! Raw was very lackluster by Otunga did do a pretty good job as a guest host. I don’t know if anyone saw TNA, i saw it here and there. Two thoughts i found it amusing that TNA went to commercial in the middle of the Band beating up and spray painting the Dudleys and Motorcity Machine Guns. Lastly, Lacey Von Erich looked pretty hot at the end of TNA.
@n8r
it’s a sad story but i had to at least laugh a little bit at the idiot for not being able to cope with the puppy. It was like unbelievable how stupid people can act at times. if it was an lol moment then you get a 7 but if it was a LMAO then you get a 10.
@n8r
no that’s how i pictured it as well, maybe not the whole visuals like you described but i just imagined that guy being pissed off with the dog that he hurled it. I chuckled and that’s why i rated your laughing on two different scales because it’s funny in some way but not that funny.
ive always pictured nightshade to resemble jimmy “mouth of the south” hart
no idea why
@ Smartguy
I meant a van dyke, I’m glad I was at least half right.
Still, best of luck on the outcome. No matter where you go, most people in the position are sticklers for their own alma mater. rarely do people transcend that, why? I have no idea.
A setback in the quest for net neutrality
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/US-court-rules-against-FCC-on-apf-78990100.html?x=0&.v=4
@smartguy
It is I agree. The FCC sometimes always looks like geniuses but this one was a step back. I’m thinking that this will lead them to block P2P. The overage cap would be dumb and perfect way to alienate their clientele considering that they are offering a package of up to 50Mbps dl and 10mbps ul. The p2p block seems likely especially with their fancast allowing you to view some full tv show episodes and movies.
@Smartguy
Good luck with that potential job offer, hopefully they won’t pay next to nothing for the position though.
@topic
I would have to pay a quick visit to capcom to get the sound bite from mega man II’s opening scene on top of the building. Then it would be off to Nintendo to blame them and thank them for the (not really exaggerating here) thousands of hours I have spent on their game boy products.
@tokz
Do you have to have tv service to use fancast? They won’t care if their customers feel alienated since competition is pretty sparse.
@smartguy
I know as of this time you can view fancast movies and shows without having a comcast account. Maybe they will start locking this up if the FCC loses the appeal. In Chicago we have some competition but Comcast is the biggest cable provider here.
I’m turning Japanese I think I’m turning Japanese I really think so.
@topic
I’d have to go with Kojima productions. I always wondered how do you come up with the stories from the Metal Gear games.
@tokz
I totally agree with everything you said wrestling related. I hate Swagger as well. This whole winning the money in the bank match and going down to the ring and pinning an already battered and beating champion is pretty lame now and just stale. It was great and shocking when Edge did it first but now you’re just waiting for the money in the bank winner to come to the ring after the champion has been beaten badly. It just needs to stop. David Otunga is lacking on the mic and it showed last night. The NWO/Band gimmick on TNA is also stale and Nash and Hall can’t move anymore and they just look bad in the ring. The last few minutes of TNA need to be better than one of the women wearing lingerie if they want to compete with the WWE.
beating should be “beaten”
@tokz
I’ve been lazy. I only have to go to my gravatar account and set it up. I’ll do it today or tomorrow.
@RROD
or when the NFL season starts again.
@iceman
no dude, it was from a skit on snl where chris farley was on a japanese game show, where the punishment for missing a question was torture–and he was an american tourist who didnt speak japanese–pretty funny stuff, but again, no one gets it
@thundercracker
Sounds familiar. Going to have to dig up that skit tonight while I’m watching Reset.
@ Thundercracker;
I found it:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/18882/saturday-night-live-japanese-game-show
I saw it a long time ago but forgot about it… yeah, back when SNL was actually funny.
-M
@iceman/thundercracker
I remember this one, it was when SNL was funny. I miss Chris Farley. The only thing that would’ve made this skit even funnier is if they would’ve have made up subtitles for the “Japanese” they were speaking. It would’ve made Larry’s answers even funnier.
@Tokz, that is when SNL was funny. “Living in a van down by the river!” I don’t think SNL will every be quite as good as it was.
@shockwave
agreed! That skit was classic, too!
@markdeloura Hi Mark! Thank you for honoring my site with your august presence!!! Ladies and gents, Mark DeLoura is a great man — one of the sharpest guys in the business.
Matsuura-san would be killer! I’d have a hard time not following up every question with a Chop Chop Onion Master quote.
WELCOME MARK!
@ ALL
What would YOU do for a Klondike bar?