Japan has been known to produce the some of best video games and video game consoles around the world. Even some of the classical video games we know now are developed by Japanese companies. Some of the top game developers from Japan include Sega, Nintendo, Namco, Taito, Capcom, Konami, and Square Enix. The video game industry contributes a lot to the Japanese market thus considered as one of the top industries in the country. But how did this industry actually rise to a sudden boom?
1980s: The Arcade Games
The 1980s was a significant decade in the gaming industry of Japan. Games such as Pac-man, Super Mario Bros, Space Invaders, and Zelda were released within the decade in the form of arcade games. These are considered to be some of the most influential games of all time. Nintendo also initially released their first Gameboy in 1989 which continued to be one of the most powerful handheld consoles for two decades.
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1990s: The Graphic Transition
Games continued to be innovated from simple graphics to 3D graphics. Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid and Harvest Moon debuts in the video game scene while Nintendo continues to release consoles such as Nintendo 64, a home gaming console. The first version of Final Fantasy was also made available for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Sonic the Hedgehog was launched by Sega in 1998. Sony also reveals the very first PlayStation to the public in 1994.
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2000s: The Rise of Consoles
As the millennium kicks to a start, the Japanese gaming industry had a lot to offer than before. Sony releases PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Portable while Nintendo releases the GameCube, GameBoy Advanced, Gameboy Advanced SP, Nintendo DS, and the Nintendo Wii. Gaming companies continue to release different versions of their games while trying to make their new games a hit. Mobile games also became popular in Japan. Puzzle games and virtual pet games were made available in their cell phones, making them a huge success. Arcade games were also upgraded and made to be played on mobile phones.
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2010s: The Mobile Upgrade
Smartphones have dominated the technoworld thus forcing gaming companies to switch to developing games suited for phones. Consoles are still in but gamers prefer to play in their handheld devices.
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Japan continues to be the top producer of mobile games around the world. Now, aren’t you wondering what’s in store for the Japanese gaming community?
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