Japanese games on PC were considered an impossibility just a decade ago. Prestigious Japan-developed games had no chance of being released on PC at that time. However, early history shows this was not always the case. Both Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII had PC retail releases, and even Metal Gear Solid was published by Microsoft on the PC platform.
When the 2000s began, Microsoft entered the console market with their own video game console. The PlayStation 2, one of the most successful electronic hardware ever, dominated living rooms and mindshare. None of the big titles from Japan made their way to PC. This might be due to the exoticism of the hardware in video game consoles or companies locking down software for their benefit, or both. One thing is for sure: the ever-present reason why Japanese games were not ported to PC was that the effort was not worth the limited install base.
Even now, the PC gaming community is often viewed as pirates, stealing games without paying for them. However, numbers do not lie: Steam is bigger than ever, and platforms like GoG, Humble Bundle, and third-party key sellers, such as Rottconn, are thriving. It is common to find the general gaming populace holding the view that “PC gamers are pirates.” However, in some cases, corporate decision-makers are simply not keen on porting their games to PC. If they do, the amount of DRM is often excessive.
SEGA was one of the first to embrace the PC platform, though their releases have been inconsistent, with obvious choices not being ported immediately. Square Enix was open to the idea of putting their titles on PC, as long as they were not their boutique Japanese franchises. For instance, The Last Remnant was offered to PC gamers. It is a great game, an underrated JRPG of its generation, but it has no branding pull compared to Dragon Quest, Breath of Fire or even Golden Sun. SEGA’s and even Capcom’s output has been revered, but what really changed the dynamics was Square Enix’s willingness to put Final Fantasy X/X-2 on PC.
It [The Last Remnant] is a great game, an underrated JRPG of its generation, but it has no branding pull[…]
It was long theorized that Final Fantasy X would never have a PC release due to its “exclusivity” to PlayStation and the use Sony tools in its development. Yet, a year later its release from PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, the game became available on PC, demonstrating that these concerns were unfounded.
As of this writing, several titles are coming to PC that no one would have thought possible. Disgaea, the Tales of series, and Gurumin, among others, would be a surprising sight on the platform if you time-traveled from 2007. While ported old games may not look impressive on paper, the day-and-date releases with consoles (or close to it) are truly impressive. Nier: Automata’s success significantly influenced corporate decision-makers. Even SEGA acknowledges the demand for their prized console IPs, Persona and Yakuza, on PC, publicly stating that nothing is off the table. And boy, did they release them.
It may take five years or ten, but if these Japanese games make their way to PC, they will find success, as the platform is known for eternal long-tail sales rather than the frontloading spectacle of the console space.
Leave a Reply