Comments on: Japanese FPS dev shares theory on why AAA developers in Japan fail at making FPS games. “They all try to copy CoD and set themselves up for failure” https://automaton-media.com/en/news/japanese-fps-dev-shares-theory-on-why-aaa-developers-in-japan-fail-at-making-fps-games-they-all-try-to-copy-cod-and-set-themselves-up-for-failure/ AUTOMATON is a website that covers the Japanese gaming world. We bring you the news on video games from Osaka and Tokyo. Tue, 15 Jul 2025 06:29:53 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Woof https://automaton-media.com/en/news/japanese-fps-dev-shares-theory-on-why-aaa-developers-in-japan-fail-at-making-fps-games-they-all-try-to-copy-cod-and-set-themselves-up-for-failure/#comment-6278 Tue, 15 Jul 2025 06:29:53 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=49831#comment-6278 Bandai tried with Gundam Evolution. The big problem is that it’s very obviously inspired by Overwatch. A bit too much, some might say, as it also copies the worst lessons learnt: lootboxes locked behind currency you can’t normally grind, a limited roster and map pool, and a very frustrating casual F2P experience. It ended up not gaining traction despite launching before OW2, being hailed as the OW killer, and eventually shut down within a year because Bandai didn’t want to unfuck what is ironically probably their best Gundam game in recent times.

Note that recently, Bandai has been terrible at making decent games, much less good ones. Compare with Namco (the other half of Bandai Namco), who’s been churning out banger after banger.

]]> By: mori https://automaton-media.com/en/news/japanese-fps-dev-shares-theory-on-why-aaa-developers-in-japan-fail-at-making-fps-games-they-all-try-to-copy-cod-and-set-themselves-up-for-failure/#comment-6242 Sat, 12 Jul 2025 07:31:42 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=49831#comment-6242 It’s a matter of experience.
R&D is often a trial by fire.

]]> By: Donuts https://automaton-media.com/en/news/japanese-fps-dev-shares-theory-on-why-aaa-developers-in-japan-fail-at-making-fps-games-they-all-try-to-copy-cod-and-set-themselves-up-for-failure/#comment-6233 Fri, 11 Jul 2025 17:53:32 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=49831#comment-6233 The only Japanese AAA FPS series I even know about is Metroid Prime and it’s awesome.

]]> By: Novostranger https://automaton-media.com/en/news/japanese-fps-dev-shares-theory-on-why-aaa-developers-in-japan-fail-at-making-fps-games-they-all-try-to-copy-cod-and-set-themselves-up-for-failure/#comment-6229 Thu, 10 Jul 2025 21:03:43 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=49831#comment-6229 One of the only first person games from Japan I know is LSD dream simulator

]]> By: mothman47 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/japanese-fps-dev-shares-theory-on-why-aaa-developers-in-japan-fail-at-making-fps-games-they-all-try-to-copy-cod-and-set-themselves-up-for-failure/#comment-6222 Wed, 09 Jul 2025 18:24:34 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=49831#comment-6222 I feel like the conversation gets muddled because, even in 2025, there are a fair number of people who still hold onto the logic that the Japanese game industry cannot make a good FPS; they should stick to storytelling and other rpg-adjacent elements. In truth, Japan has always had a fascination with FPS games, and it’s only now, when the tools and skills are readily available, do indie developers really start to cut their teeth on the genre. Triple A developers in Japan are generally not going to make a risk like they did in the late 90s and early 2000s because they possibly believe there’s no new ground to tread, or that the investment in a FPS genre won’t take off. I’m certain that it’s going to be developers like Doekuramori and games like Beyond Citadel that will make This outlier more mainstream in the future. People just have to accept that it won’t be a CoD clone. It’ll be something unique. It has to be.

]]> By: Zyolluax https://automaton-media.com/en/news/japanese-fps-dev-shares-theory-on-why-aaa-developers-in-japan-fail-at-making-fps-games-they-all-try-to-copy-cod-and-set-themselves-up-for-failure/#comment-6220 Wed, 09 Jul 2025 03:54:16 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=49831#comment-6220 “What comes to mind when you think of a “Japanese first-person shooting game?””
Probably House of the Dead or Time Crisis.

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