![]() ![]() This has resulted in a market where the mass market audience plays on handhelds and the hardcore plays on consoles, which is quite different than most other markets in the world. That particular group overlaps to a large extent with those that are so fond of feeling moe. The 18-35 year old demographic that's hungry for HD experiences on their television doesn't exist outside a small group of dedicated gamers. In the past that meant the DS and to a lesser extent the PSP (the handheld's core market in Japan was always teenage boys, though Monster Hunter expanded the audience.) Today it means the iPhone and other smart phones. When Japanese adults do play games they do so more often than not on portable devices, and don't self-identify as "gamers." It's not a hobby, but rather something they do to kill time on a commute. While it's not unheard of to name gaming as one's hobby, to do so at a typical work place would make one stand out - something that is discouraged in group settings.Īdult gamers exist in Japan, but they're fewer in number for various reasons, including peer and work pressure. These activities tend to fall along strict gender lines and most people tend to name only a single hobby. When asked, Japanese men will often say that their hobby is golf, fishing, or gardening women will often respond with shopping, English, and, in more recent years, golf. However, it's societally expected that an individual will have one, and there are a limited number of socially acceptable options. This leaves precious little time for hobbies, including gaming. ![]() Younger employees are expected to work long hours. Since the bosses themselves have long since adjusted to such a schedule they stay late, forcing their subordinates to stay late with them and putting a stress on both their social and family life. A worker is expected to stay at work until his boss leaves for the day, putting a limit on family and leisure time. Traditional corporate culture allows very little free time for their employees. Japanese work habits encourage this trend. As such, many adults willingly give up games, keeping the market much younger overall than elsewhere. While people will often play games on their cell phones, and though the DS made major in-roads into the casual market, particularly with women, admitting to playing games still carries a stronger social stigma in Japan than in Europe or North America. The west is far more accepting of adults playing games. Because so many amazing games came from Japan in the past, many imagine Japan to be a place where being a "gamer" is accepted and considered "normal." In reality it's anything but. Japanese culture has developed a reputation for being more accepting of traditionally geeky pursuits than the west.
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