Will Pop'n Music ever come to the US?

[crux]

I have no doubt, through interviews I've read and simple observation through the odd releases that, beyond all explanation, get ported to North America, that Japan developers and publishers are somewhat mystified on how to target American audiences. Regardless, Japanese publishers have surprised me before and continue to do so. Namco never expected Katamari Damacy to have an audience in America, but based on trade show receptions, released it and it soon passed nationwide sales in America alone. Ouendan is about a quirky and Japanese (are those synonymous?) as a game can possibly get, yet it eventually spawned a completely new title aimed directly at the North American market (in no doubt helped by DS's massive popularity, of course).

Yet, Beatmania eventually hit the home market in North America as well, about as horribly marketed as imaginable. Abysmal localized songs aimed at the wrong demographic (Brittany Spears? Did they expect teenage girls to be purchasing it?). compounded by the fact that arcades are seen less and less in America, it's hard to say where a market for a game like Pop'n even exists. It's quirky Japanese style could certainly work towards it rather than against it, as Katamari has proven, and DDR has shown that Japanese music doesn't necessarily deter players.

But at the same time, is DDR even the same market? From my own experience, I've primarily seen two types of players in a given DDR/ITG/PIU session. The ones who pump the most dollar bills into a machine are teenage boys doing 9 footers and higher. The casual players? Almost exclusively young, teenage girls. With the rise in popularity of SingStar and Karaoke Revolution, I'm not exactly sure WHAT the demographic of rhythm games is in America, and I am American.

Closing this long post, I think the only way a game like Pop'n Music could succeed in America is by somewhat blind chance or if Japan could really figure out a way to market it towards the people that would actually give it a chance. The likelihood of that happening? Not high.

[Arbel]

Originally Posted by Yuki Ijuin

A new machine is around 40k.

Wait..WHAT!? What machine are you talking about again? I could get you 4 Adventure cabinets for that price. Just let me know if interested.

[Yuki Ijuin]

Whoops sorry, I was talking about my own country's currency! >_< I'll edit it straight away. (So absent minded. XD)

A good post by crux. Another thing to note is that both ouendan have very visible recognition given to you by the game. Ouendan praises the player by giving the player positive endings on quirky stories, KAtamari Damacy's Katamaris grow bigger and better when the player is playing well. As annoying as DDR's announcer is, it actually helps players maintain a certain degree of interest in the game. Positive feedback from the game is very important, if not one of the most important aspects of game designs. Although I am a masochist when it comes to games with crazy difficulty, I'd still find it hard to continue playing if the game doesn't reward me for playing well.

[Arbel]

It's cool hehe, I just dropped my jaw when I saw that though.

[Yuki Ijuin]

It's one of the reasons it's so hard to get the arcade operators to even upgrade machines around here in Malaysia. We're close enough to get the stuff cheap, but not close enough to have a fanbase of all things Japanese. Our arcade operators would rather buy a 13k USD HOTD 4 machine and continuously fix it (The one in my arcade had to get a replacement Lindbergh Mobo and hooge LCD, expensive stuff.) rather than upgrade a Popn10 machine to 12 (Which doesn't require a different mobo and whatnot, just the HDD) for a thousand USD or so. Because everything sounds so much more expensive when it have to be multiplied by 3.2.

[travelsonic]

Originally Posted by error

I think he is refering to active members, which he's right.

Not to continue arguing too much, but until you actually do a polling of the active members, this is a baseless assertion that isn't right or wrong.

[Yuki Ijuin]

I'm sorry that I pulled the numbers out of my arse, but my general arguement there is just that there just aren't enough players to warrant porting the games over, unless the cost of it is very low, and even then Konami won't make much of a profit.

[「RiT」]

Look i'm from japan but to tell you the truth pop'n music is an awesome game but if bemani makes pop'n music into a rock theme for the USA mabey americans will find it appealing but until then pop'n music wont come to america as an a official game anytime soon...

[recessionatalus]

so basically you're saying the only way pop'n would work in the US is if it's nothing like pop'n

[crux]

A game nothing like Pop'n, you say? I've got it! I'll design a guitar based game (with a whammy bar!) and I'll put commercial rock music in it! It'll sell millions, I'm telling you!

[Yuki Ijuin]

He/She is saying that when it gets ported it's going to be nothing like the original Popn. And everyone will like it. WTF?

[recessionatalus]

Originally Posted by crux

A game nothing like Pop'n, you say? I've got it! I'll design a guitar based game (with a whammy bar!) and I'll put commercial rock music in it! It'll sell millions, I'm telling you!

o ho ho! i like your innovative and fresh ideas!

[Snapps]

@Land of the Rising Sun statement

Pop'n will do just as well as Taiko did.

Which wasn't well.

[「RiT」]

HEY I 'M A DUDE! anyways no a rock theme for pop'n you know rock music and a little bit less of the cuteness you know?

[Yuki Ijuin]

I don't know about everyone else. I play popn because it's cute. I don't really care about how cool it looks, I just like the songs they have that are relaxing and nice to listen to. People like Dormir or songs like French Merchen, 100 sec Kitcehn Battle are the reasons I play this game. Not because it's... Cool.