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[Paul Eres]

I think there may be a psychological effect going on, because I don't actually find the models created in Japanese games or Nintendo games any more interesting or pretty than the models created for western games. In general I don't like looking at 3D models at all, there are very few of them that I'd consider interesting to look at. 2D art always looks more artistic to me, whereas 3D models often appear doll-like and lack personality. But there are a lot of exceptions. And this too may be a psychological effect, since it could just be what I'm used to.

[duckotaco]

2D art always looks more artistic to me, whereas 3D models often appear doll-like and lack personality. But there are a lot of exceptions.

I agree, and that's the point: Super Mario Galaxy is in 3D, but doesn't lack personality. Also Metroid Prime environments have amazing architecture and texturing. Resident Evil 5 is very realistic, but has no personality. That's why I would find looking at Mario Galaxy's models interesting, because they have a lot of personality, in my opinion. Whereas a Resident Evil 5 model is just realistic, nothing I'm interested in studying. I study personality, art. This is what the topic is about, I declare (after all, it's my topic). Sorry if it wasn't too clear at the beginning.

I'm  not pro-2D nor 3D, I'm pro personality in both.

[duckotaco]

JayIsGames today says it all in a review:

Ah, Japan. Progenitor to the weirdest and most original games you've ever seen. Home of Mario, Katamari Damaci, and more web-based games than you can shake a stick at. Truly, we owe those crazy thinkers a lot.

Kinda makes you want to hire an army and invade them, doesn't it?

That's all I meant about Japan, only put better by that reviewer. If only we in the west were all less arrogant and accept that some people are better in us in some things.

"Made my heart cold" someone said...yeah right, because you will never confess that some people who look completely different from you are actually very good or better than you in some areas.

I confess, instead. No problem with that. I love people who act and look and think differently from me.
Japanese designers (in games) tend to be more creative, inventive and original than american ones. There are a lot of very good american designers, of course! But the cultural tendency is that. America doesn't promote originality. It promotes a false idea of success. Period. We all know that. So what? We're all free to do or think whatever we want.   

[Paul Eres]

I'm not sure you can blame the artists entirely, because often the games created reflect what the audience wants. The audience in the US tends to want realism, so the games follow suit.

Anyway, there's not much we can do about it by talking about it. Best just to try to make good games.

[Chris Pavia]

If only we in the west were all less arrogant and accept that some people are better in us in some things.

If you don't want to discuss the technical side of things as you stated in a previous post that's fine, it's your thread and I don't want to derail it.  But you make a lot of statements such as the one I quoted that are just gross generalizations and not correct at all, which makes it hard to take you seriously when you totally write off a whole hemisphere (not meant as an insult).  There are just as many 'arrogant' artist/designers/whatever in japan as there are in the west, and the same could be said for just about anything.  They just happen to make stylistic choices that suit their target audience (the japanese), and there are plenty of people over here to who like it as well (such as myself).  And the inverse is true as well.

Maybe I should stop beating a dead horse, but I think it's more informative to discuss why things are different, not why one is better or worse than the other, because that's entirely subjective.

[Kneecaps]

This thread makes me angry and I don't want to say something that I will regret.

Also, I just looked at your gallery, Chris.  Awesome stuff.

[Chris Pavia]

Thanks! 

[Gainsworthy]

EDITED: Because I got provoked. Sorry. Everyone else has the right idea.

[This post will be DELETED shortly]

[C]

this is more pissy than anything.  besides it's finished, see:

I think it's more informative to discuss why things are different, not why one is better or worse than the other, because that's entirely subjective.

I'm not sure you can blame the artists entirely, because often the games created reflect what the audience wants. The audience in the US tends to want realism, so the games follow suit.

Anyway, there's not much we can do about it by talking about it. Best just to try to make good games.

[Chris Z]

This thread makes me angry and I don't want to say something that I will regret.

Also, I just looked at your gallery, Chris.  Awesome stuff.

I was about to reply with this exact same thing.