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Taito releases "Space Invaders"
Taito releases "Space Invaders" to arcades in Japan. Due to the resent release of the movie "Star Wars", the space-themed shooter becomes popular in Japanese video game arcades, with some dedicating entire arcades to this one game. Due to the mass success of "Space Invaders", it starts a golden age of video games in arcade.
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Arcades in Japan
With the release of "Space Invaders", the arcade business becomes more popular in Japan, and starts to include more popular video games. The Japanese arcades offer a gaming experience that the Japanese cannot get at home, with arcade cabinets becoming one-of-a-kind games that can only be played in an arcade. The development of these games contributes the arcade as a mainstay in Japanese gaming culture. -
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Computer Games in Japan
In the 1980's, computers become a huge platform for games in Japan (with the Famicom even being advertised as a computer). However, in more modern times, computer gaming becomes more niche in the Japanese gaming community, namely due to the lack of support and platform Japanese developers have on developing for the computer. -
Nintendo releases the Family Computer (Famicom)
The first popular and successful home console, the Family Computer (shortened to Famicom), releases in Japan. The Famicom (brought to the US as the Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES) becomes the most popular gaming console ever sold.
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Capcom releases "Street Fighter II"
"Street Fighter II" releases to arcades in Japan and becomes the pioneer of the fighting game genre. While it is not technically the first fighting game, it's popularity makes it important for the development of the FGC (Fighting Game Community).
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The Fighting Game Community
The Fighting Game Community (or FGC) starts to emerge in arcades around Japan. People inside the community share a love for fighting games and host their own tournaments where players from different teams would play against others to show their skill. While this may seem like a precursor to eSports (competitive/professional video games), the community tries to stay away from the label. -
Nintendo releases "Pocket Monsters"
"Pocket Monsters", or "Pokemon" as it's known outside of Japan, is released. Pokemon becomes increasing popular in Japanese pop culture as it's mascot, Pikachu, becoming famous in and outside of Japan.
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eSports in Japan
With the emergence of eSports around the world, Japan's gambling laws prevent or extremely limit teams (not so much individual players) from competing in tournaments for financial gain (the main reason eSports even exists). This makes Japan underdeveloped in the eSports scene, especially next to their neighbor South Korea. -
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Mobile Gaming in Japan
Mobile games becomes extremely popular in Japan as home consoles start to fall in popularity. As the mobile phone/smart phone becomes more and more necessary in society, and as modern Japanese culture develops, being able to play games on the go becomes very attractive as well as not having to buy the new current game console. These games tend to be free-to-play and offer a "gacha" or gambling system that allows the player to spend money to gamble for rare pieces of equipment or characters. -
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Decline of Console Gaming
With the popularity of arcades still strong and with the emergence of mobile gaming, gaming consoles and games see a large fall in sales in Japan specifically. At it's lowest, the industry falls to one-third of it's sales, heavily impacting the development of games in Japan, falling behind their western counterparts. Many developers start to rekindle their focus into mobile games. -
Release of the Nintendo Switch and Hope for Console Gaming
With the release of the Nintendo Switch, a handheld/home console hybrid, potential for the the return of console gaming rises in Japan. The console, which boasts it's mobility while also being able to be used as a home console, caters to the Japanese gaming culture, which has become increasingly mobile. With sales surpassing 3 million in Japan alone and increased developer support for the console, it could signal a return to console gaming.
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