If there’s one thing anyone who even knows me a little bit can tell you, it’s that I love games. I mean, I really love games. If I could pick one thing, videogames or a cure for AIDS, I’d pick a videogame about curing AIDS. Vidya one of the top passions in life for me, right after tacos and cheese. If there’s one debate that comes up on the forefront a lot in videogame discussion, it’s got to be the debate of Western videogames versus Eastern videogames.

Naturally, I prefer Eastern videogames, the Asian influence demands a well told, lengthy story, which I enjoy and is something which Western games just don’t invest in and therefore they don’t do it for me. But, with that said, I do prefer me some good Western multiplayer games. The new dawn of American developers are focusing on multiplayer shooting games that appeal to our lust for killing things. However, if there’s one place about everyone will get their panties in a bind over, it’s the design aesthetics for these two groups.

You’ve got the West camp proclaiming all Japanese games are about pretty boys with spikey hair, big swords, who cry in a corner lamenting over their dark souls, while the East camp likes to think the Eastern games are filled with no-name soldiers who are 150% muscle, eat bullets, and make wild animals their wives. Are either of these true? A little bit! That’s what inspired the comic, obviously. Basically, and regards to the divided camps, I say, get over it. If you ask me, the bigger concern at hand is the current state of the industry. A huge lack of genre diversity is the main culprit for discontent. Really, it’s the lack of any solid hardcore games, games meant for folks that are passionate about gaming, and not to mention dwindling console support from the East.

Whereas they used to be the leader in console support, they’ve started to focusing more and more on the DS and other handheld systems that are cheap to develop on and considered innovative. It is, in my mind, an awful time to be a gamer, in these regards. The market is so fragmented, and the choices are so limited. This trend is nothing at all like the past three generations. But if you love multiplayer, and if you love HD visuals! Hey, everything is fine and dandy! You’ll love what this generation has to offer!I mean, I’m not saying there’s no good games or anything. Not at all. There’s a lot of good games out there with a lot of advances in innovation. I just wish that the good games were DIVERSE.

With that said, I’d like to take this time to give a shout out to Resident Evil 5. An Eastern game in origins that has taken on some Western elements as the series has progressed. It’s a good example of how to marry the two philosophies. It’s fun a fun game that is worth your time. RE5 also not Gears of Resident Evil as has been said by gaming critics jaded by this generation. The game is pretty much plays exactly like Resident Evil 4, so if you loved that, you’ll at least like Resident Evil 5. Don’t let the African setting put you off either, it changes fairly quickly, but that’s about all I can tell you without spoiling. It’s far from perfect, of course. But I haven’t played a game this much this gen in a damned long time. Hell, the only recent game I’ve put this much time into was Persona 4 for the PS2. (Which I also whole heartedly recommend.) But overall, I surely can’t be alone in dissapointment for this generation.

So, hey, if you agree with me, you can give me a shout out, or you can find me on XBOX Live. The gamertag is Otimus. I taste like candy!