Ryu_Niiyama

Ryu_Niiyama

Astrophysics. Perfume. Taiko. =Life

Comments 16,295

Re: Gender Split & Average Ages Of Japanese Nintendo Players Revealed Via New Survey

Ryu_Niiyama

@AlonditeFE As I am not the intended audience of a male power fantasy that is fair. While one guy on the internet’s viewpoint isn’t going to outweigh what I have gleaned from dealing with male gamers in general I acknowledge your lived experience and personal draw to souls games. But as I said before that was my observation and not lived experience (well, beyond my own playing souls games) and I accounted for nuance already. I already stated why I am not drawn to souls games.

However that being said that wasn’t the point of my original post as I was speaking to what draws females to some games vs others as my viewpoint and concern is female centric.

Re: Gender Split & Average Ages Of Japanese Nintendo Players Revealed Via New Survey

Ryu_Niiyama

@NintendoWife I look at it as more Nintendo has timeless products that hold on to people longer. That is good because people with kids introduce their kids to Nintendo and people without kids toss their disposable income if they have it at Nintendo. Which also means that things like price increases are better endured as a family may not get a system but a single adult might. So it allows for multiple possible revenue streams. Also likely why nintendo doesn’t spend as much time chasing whales as they hook lifers instead.

Re: Gender Split & Average Ages Of Japanese Nintendo Players Revealed Via New Survey

Ryu_Niiyama

@AlonditeFE shrugs And the surrounding discourse of souls games the is hierarchical “get gud” or rather in plain terms grow stronger/more skilled.

Granted I am not a guy (though I have a brother, work in a male dominated field and play games which means often I was interacting with males more often than not. Pretty sure the majority of folks that @ me here are guys too. ) So I ‘m going by what I have observed. Obviously individual people are varied, but females and males do respond to many things differently (instinctively, socially and emotionally).

Granted while I have played a few of them, I don’t feel particularly drawn to play souls games (despite liking NIOH and Sekiro due to the imo more fluidic movement speed) but the guys that I know that enjoy those games like the challenge of throwing themselves against the wall until they overcome. Which is often a theme of many male focused movies and shows. The struggle (and eventual success) to obtain power to be the last one standing is still a power fantasy. That it is difficult (so long as it is obtainable) doesn’t detract from that (often enhances it imo). And such power fantasies are usually ones that draw men. As I said this is my observation. I don’t have a male lived experience to know exactly what gets the testosterone going. Granted that didn’t mean that as a female I don't enjoy skill based endeavors, but they are rather hollow when the game presents an imo artificially high difficulty just to see if you break or waste tons of time to it. Which is (aside from the team work/social aspect) likely in part why some women like MMOs (I am not in that camp because burned by male player interaction/distraction but I have a few friends who love them so long as it is mic off or trusted friends) due to learning the skill mastering their character and then applying that skill to an adventure (which I feel soulsgames are more learning the pattern/skill of the world and tailoring your playthrough which is far more restrictive).

I mean maybe I am interpreting it wrong. Maybe souls players are just gluttons for punishment and that’s where it ends.

Re: Gender Split & Average Ages Of Japanese Nintendo Players Revealed Via New Survey

Ryu_Niiyama

@axelhander I can only speak for myself but the platforming and collection genres don’t hold my attention. They are skill based sure but after learning that skill, essentially following a set navigation path (platforming) or looking for ultimately useless items (collectibles) is dull because it is simple task oriented (and can feel like a waste of time when you are older and becoming more responsibility focused). Adventure games (LOZ for instance) especially ones that don’t lean so hard into the male power fantasy (god of war, soulsgames) offer a tangible goal with characters to interact and invest in (which mimics a social aspect that females who tend to navigate the world via interpersonal relationships would be drawn to) which maintains my curiosity and and engagement longer. Plus those games allow for creativity or creation (much like sim games, decoration games and the like). Also the DID trope, depending on how inundated you were with it as a child is boring and borderline insulting. Mario (and Zelda) have attempted to give their female characters more agency, but Zelda has done a better job imo.

But I am a gamer about to turn 40 where I went through the whiplash of the more balanced arcade games (allowing for at least one female playable character) eroding to DID games or games that were male focused (sports games, some platformers) leaving JRPGs (many that had female characters but they weren’t the main character) and “girl games” (and for me fighting games) as a refuge for little girls that wanted to play as girls or to interact with the world in other ways than violence (which is likely part of the reason life sims, music and visual novels are popular with females). The 90’s also took a turn towards more visceral violence which would be off putting to some girls (Mortal Kombat, Doom and the rise of FPS shooters in general). There has also been a color palette leaning towards drab colors (shooters are grey, green, brown) that don’t draw the eye or inspire interest. Considering that for many girls solitary and group play was female focused (dolls, barbies, games with other girls) video games could feel barren at times. Speaking of my own experience and discussions with other women in my age group so it isn’t any type of concrete answer.

Re: UK Charts: Donkey Kong Bananza Is A Hit, But Sells Less Than Half Of Super Mario Odyssey

Ryu_Niiyama

it’s so weird instead of simply celebrating the success of the game, folks that don’t work at Nintendo and don’t know what sales metrics they are looking for are comparing it to odyssey. Unless Nintendo comes out complaining/disappointed I think folks should just play the game.

But if people must armchair analyze, I would say that what matters is this new game puts more eyes and relevancy to the DK franchise and sets a possible new path forward for the character. That is more important than snapshot sales.

Re: Review: Donkey Kong Bananza (Switch 2) - Absolutely Smashing, But Can It Beat Mario Odyssey?

Ryu_Niiyama

So far I am enjoying it. I am not really playing seriously since no tv but I am loving the exploration offered and the fun big brother/pixar feeling I get from DK and Odd Rock right now. I’ll be sticking with older games as I am finally at my memory limit with the switch 2 out of the box but I am quite pleased with the number of games I have on the system. This has been a really stellar launch window with both 3rd party and 1st party starting out strong and diverse.

Re: Donkey Kong Bananza, Like Mario Kart World, Was Initially Planned For Switch 1

Ryu_Niiyama

Game development has to be interesting; since it is reliant on hardware (Nintendo especially) but isn’t on the same cycle as hardware development. I see why Nintendo combined the hardware and software departments. Likely makes games that start development late in a console’s life (by late I mean like 2-3 years before new hw launch due to how long games take to make now) a pivot rather than a full overhaul.

Re: Miyamoto Views Games As 'Products', Not 'Works Of Art', Says Ex-Nintendo Dev

Ryu_Niiyama

@KingMike Ok? And I’m not sure what you want me to do with that. This is a UK based/English language (and I used hepburn romanization to convey what I wanted to address him as) comment section so I am not speaking to him directly. And I usually refer to him using the -sama honorific as a personal sign of respect (have done so since I was like 10 and you are the first person I can recall to say something about it). Since he has no idea who I am I haven’t offended him directly nor was my intent to be offensive to him I don’t understand the intent of your response. So are you asking me to edit my comment? And if that is the case why? Is 宮本様 more acceptable to you? Since it isn’t in english? Or are you trying to lob a veiled insult (which is what I am reading this as) to which I invite you to use the ignore button as needed if I offend you.

Re: Miyamoto Views Games As 'Products', Not 'Works Of Art', Says Ex-Nintendo Dev

Ryu_Niiyama

Thank you!!!!!! I have been saying this for years and as a product it lines up with how companies treat/view games vs how consumers/enthusiasts treat games. That being said that is why, imo of course, the games Miyamoto-sama (edit: I apologize if my using an honorific bothers some people.) managed tend to be more like a GUI than “I want to put my artistic vision into the world and you must see its brilliance!” sorta self aggrandizing that some devs do (Kojima is the poster child for this imo. Even though he lifts most of his ideas from movies.)

The GUI/lego brick thought process makes games easier for everyone to play (and focuses on fun) but also means that franchises are easier to churn out and maintain a quality standard (like any mass produced product). That doesn’t mean they aren’t well designed or fun or that they don’t draw from imagination (as that is simply how humans function), but they aren’t intended by design to be a cultural phenomenon. Consumers/fanatics make that happen. It is a more objective/neutral viewpoint which imo makes sense for something that has so many people contributing to it, has project management applied to it and has so many licensed parts. That is a commercial product. It just happens to be a product designed for fun and people take it from there.

Most people don't consider advertisements art but they are produced at a smaller scale similar to games. Yet almost everyone can tell you about some advert that moved them or reminds them of childhood at some point. And those are designed to be psychologically manipulative (using the word neutrally).

edit: Analogy time…I view games like a house (product) and devs, project managers, investors and everyone else involved as the construction crew. The primary goal is to build a house to sell. Full stop. A good, well made, but profitable house that people will tell others to buy its model type because it meets their needs so well. The house is likely beautiful but not because the construction crew wanted to make a sculpture, but instead they wanted to make a good house and they made their individual contributions work so well people see it as a work of art. But to them it is a good house and serves its primary purpose. For the occupants to enjoy it.

Re: Mini Review: Rune Factory: Guardians Of Azuma - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition - Now Near-Perfect On The New Console

Ryu_Niiyama

I played the entire game on a switch 2 in switch format (bought the CE and I am still trying to decide what to do with my physical game) and just beat the post game dungeon. This is probably my favorite rune factory but my main issue is the pacing. Your stats are dependent on the village building, and you are still getting recipes into the end game. Which would be ok if there was more than the one post game dungeon. Also you don’t get anything for “beating” the game and the end game exposition allowed for more to happen imo. That being said I will max out my bonds (already married) and do everyone’s bond quests (I haven’t done the men because I ignore them but I realized that locks me out of some cooking so I need to do that.) and max out my kid’s level. Also still fine tuning the villages now that I have all the decorations.

Re: "It Will Have A Chilling Effect On Game Design" - EU Group Responds To 'Stop Killing Games'

Ryu_Niiyama

@SilentHunter382 What happens if the product gets canned and isn’t sunset normally as many online games are? Anthem is a good example since its servers are going down and they certainly didn’t maintain their roadmap. Are the companies sued? the game instantly banned from sale and delisted once they make the road map has failed announcement? Are they forced to make an update to make the product never never intended to be from the start “offline”. I am trying to understand what the expectations are given how Online games are currently built.

Re: "It Will Have A Chilling Effect On Game Design" - EU Group Responds To 'Stop Killing Games'

Ryu_Niiyama

@kmtrain83 Yeah I was trying not to go there because I was afraid it would make folks spiral more as is. But I agree with you. Although from my American perspective I don’t see what that end result would gain consumers. Like you said it would end in a likely EULA update or fines and all that would do is either change nothing or make companies pivot output to avoid fines (similar to how they avoid the AO rating by simply not making games above M). Or perhaps going back to more severe region differences (which would kick off another petition or lawsuit). It’s cheaper, easier, and more able to project response and or profits if one pivots to output that is less controlled than not (again I am only this lax about luxuries like games not things like food or safety on items like cars).

Don’t get me wrong I like regulation on things that keep people alive and the environment somewhat sustained (humans are pretty much a plague on earth so the planet is screwed either way). But things like games? No (aside from ratings of course). The somewhat free for all nature allows for games to still break the mold. Fines and regulation will only push out indies due to risk (even if they have nothing to do with this) because they will be applied broadly and will make bigger companies contract and make their products more and more safe, simple and sterile. As a minority in a few groups I would pretty much exit gaming at that point. Getting there as is.

Re: "That's Some Real Coward S***" - Hideki Kamiya Discusses The Fallout From The Bayonetta 3 Voiceover Controversy

Ryu_Niiyama

That’s why I like Kamiya. I don’t agree with him (most of the time) and would likely find him abrasive in person, but he tries to speak from what he knows and stands by it. I have (or least vaguely remember) seen him apologize if proven wrong but he usually explains why he feels a certain way and tries to ground his response in what he is seeing at the time.

Court of public opinion is an absolute circus now. Too many people try to argue from a position of authority/knowledge they don’t have. I had hoped in this information age arguments would become more factual and people would assess based on facts, but I obviously don’t understand most people.

(That being said not even Jennifer Hale, who is an instabuy for most games for me, could save the wreck of a story for 3. I don’t often feel “cheated” by a series as I usually just let the game be a game but this one turned me right off the franchise even if they do a reboot.)

Re: "It Will Have A Chilling Effect On Game Design" - EU Group Responds To 'Stop Killing Games'

Ryu_Niiyama

General follow up to my comment: To me games are cake, yes I have a freezer that keeps those cake slices and yes they last a long time but if my favorite cake shop changes the recipe to something that doesn’t freeze well then it is what it is. Same as if they get covered in ice and I don’t have an icepick to chip them out (hardware locked and no longer have access to hardware is that analogy). I’ll eat what is in my freezer, maybe try the new cake and make a choice from all the available cake on sale. May mean I stop buying a certain type of cake but not that I can tell the bakery that they have to make the cake a certain way. (for one where does that end?) I am sorta glad I can’t do that because there are many people that are allergic to cake I like that would replace my cake for their own comfort while I am stuck with no cake or cake that tastes bad to me. But at the end of the day it is cake. I have other things to eat/worry about to survive.

Re: "It Will Have A Chilling Effect On Game Design" - EU Group Responds To 'Stop Killing Games'

Ryu_Niiyama

@nhSnork As I am not a dev but work in IT and am part of the devops pipeline, I feel comfortable saying that none of this is solved by “content check toggle”. I think that viewpoint is another form of “why don’t they just…” which simplifies the actual process involved for the ease of the asker and is disingenuous which is why I tend to argue a neutral/practical/realistic standpoint overall. So personally, I feel trying to argue from such an intentional simplification doesn’t make sense. But then it would still lead back to my “companies will pivot then and/or alter the format” (which will be more restrictive) assessment. If it is simply a toggle (which I maintain it isn’t) I am certain somebody would have mentioned it during the dev process…been on enough of those calls to feel comfortable saying that as well. That then turns into a project management and design call and goes from there.

As for fiction, the information age changes how it has been interacted with for the majority of human history, but I feel that is a different argument and don’t agree entirely with how you are using that argument. That being said I will try to respond to that point. I suppose the question I have becomes what version of said fiction is forever? The version the editors have, revised editions, the last known print edition, translated versions, the original version? Does that mean that it is automatically fair use and if true what incentive does the original creator have to add to it/edit/ create more if the thing they create is simply the world’s because it is “fiction?” Same with a body of code, does that include updates? or only the original go live version of code? Should games instead be released with the expectation that the community will “finish” or sustain the game? If so what is the incentive in producing more games (vs ROi cost) and where does that leave users that don’t want to involve themselves in the work or maintaining/updating access and functionality to this body of code? Does creating a body of fiction now mean that it must be designed with the intent to be accessed for eternity? Is the fact that it is preserved by the company and possibly other entities involved in its creation (code repositories) not enough to satisfy that access requirement? Why does the public owed that same access? Is the public only owed perpetual access to the specific version they bought originally?

That being said I suppose for me the biggest difference in thought process is that I view games as consumables purchases as is with a support and compatibility window and as such I don’t have the more materialistic/inherent ownership view point (no this doesn’t mean I think Nintendo is gonna come take my physical NES collection or make all my switch games stop working) that others seem to have. I don’t entirely agree with that viewpoint as is either. And no not in a you will own nothing and be happy stance either.

Re: "It Will Have A Chilling Effect On Game Design" - EU Group Responds To 'Stop Killing Games'

Ryu_Niiyama

No product lasts forever. If people force companies to make games “their way”, then eventually companies will abandon the problematic games for safer, non controversial routes. (or will be forced to by investors) Game design is already shrinking because ROI is in general low (in general so not including the blockbusters that often carry a company) to certain styles, character types and IPs only as is. The more people try to squeeze out of a company they are just going to pivot to something else. I feel like the lobby response is a fair one (and I am so mad that I said that.)

This is a product, paying the entry fee doesn’t mean you own the IP or the story or the functionality (especially not into perpetuity) or forever access. We are consumers (and some retail investors) the only thing we are owed is a functioning product as is at time of release and a reasonable timeline of support and access. Win or lose this is going to shrink the industry further. But hey this will be interesting to observe.

Re: Talking Point: One Month On, How Did Nintendo's Switch 2 Launch Go?

Ryu_Niiyama

Love it. Haven’t played any other system since launch.

The launch process was fairly smooth. Gamestop was an in store preorder and most amiibo were online. My only annoyances were the amiibo weren’t all for preorder and bestbuy was a little annoying, but that is scalper prevention so I blame people and not BB.

Size is lovely for my aging eye, screen is vibrant, speakers have good audio depth, joycon 2 feel good and sturdy. The control stick is a little more sensitive but I am working through that. Eshop is snappy and better organized (I only disliked the slowness before so that means I noticed the difference). MKW will keep me entertained for years and the launch line up and pipeline is diverse. I am becoming less and less enthused about gaming as a whole, but Nintendo and a few devs are keeping me from bailing wholesale.

That being said this is likely my last console gen. Gaming isn’t going to become what I had hoped and I have enough games to last the rest of my life. Will ride out the PS5/Series X (still under 20
games for each system which is very, very bad for me) finish off the Switch and Switch 2 libraries and Build a new PC, I can happily bail at that point.