Square: Failure of Western Games Just Poor Marketing

Speaking to Ars, Square Enix headman Yoichi Wada has explained that contrary to the traditional consensus, Western games such as Modern Warfare 2, which his company is marketing in Japan, don't fail due to cultural difference.

Says Wada, "In the past, Japanese retailers have said that Japanese gamers have their own idiosyncrasies and tastes, and that that is the reason why the audience is not accepting of overseas titles. But I believe that is not the case, it was just a matter of poorly executed marketing."

Clever of Activision Blizzard to partner with a key marketing partner then.

In terms of his company's own expansion into the West, however, Wada is more cagey. On the Eidos acquisition he says, "they had a very pure and strong love of making games." Regarding Square's presence in LA, "there are a couple of developers that we had there, but whether those developers within the office are going to be developing and growing into a studio has yet to be determined."

And finally, don't be fooled into thinking that Sony and PlayStation are Japanese. Says Wada, "But now Nintendo is practically the only console manufacturer based in Japan...so the console manufacturer as a hub is now missing."

Full interview here.