Ninja Theory on DMC reboot: "we're not pretending we're Japanese, or apologising for it"

[Chaos Raiden]

Some players have taken issue with Dante's perceived "camper" look, but this has more to do with different expectations surrounding Western games, Antoniades argued. "Somehow Japanese character styles get away with it," he said, when we asked whether players found camp leads from Japanese devs easier to swallow.

"We did a thought experiment suggested by [former Capcom exec Keiji Inafune] early on. It went like this: imagine this game as a contemporary movie. What would it look like? What would Dante look like? We went from there."

Capcom's Alex Jones expanded on the point. "Japanese style ethos does tend to involve make characters look cool for the sake of looking cool, adding odd accessories, crazy hairstyles and colour, cowboy boots and so on simply because they look cool.

"We in the West tend to be more functional adding things that have meaning and being able to explain that meaning. Why does Dante have white hair? I want to make a little story around that and explain it. And so on for the rest of his design choices."

"We've not so much done away with any of the Japanese aspects of the series," Antoniades resumed. "But are more building on the foundations of the franchise to develop a game that has a different flavour. We grew up on US and European movies, comics, music and general culture. That's what we're tapping into.

"We're not pretending we are Japanese nor making apologies for that."

Past Ninja Theory games have worked within lush fantasy fictions cobbled together from medieval European and Asiatic cultures. While pursuing a new art direction and story, Ninja Theory has been careful to respect Devil May Cry's combat system - read more on the subject over here, and pick up issue 82 itself for the Antoniades interview in full.

Source: http://www.oxm.co.uk/38190/ninja-th...etending-were-japanese-or-apologising-for-it/

 

[mrrandomlulz]

Gaflima already posted this, silly but we all make mistakes sometimes i guess
and can someone explain what they mean when they say camper look
I don't see any widdling badge on him nor do i see a 360 controller in his hand with a halo shirt on him
so what do they mean

 

[DeamonslayeR]

is he trying to say that the west is better than the east or something else?

 

[mrrandomlulz]

is he trying to say that the west is better than the east or something else?

It seems like it , I am aUS American (which is in the west) and I even find that quote to be stupid seeing that the Japanese had to pull gaming out of the ground after the West nearly destroyed it in 1983
really arrogant of Tameem if you ask me , Throughout this whole thing he to have been trying to send a message that western culture is better yet i have proof against that
Japan brought us Godzilla and NES , the West brought us Justin Bieber and the phillips CD-I
Heck most of our best movies did not even take place in USA ,Canada,or Europe Star wars took place in Iraq (Tattoine) and Predator took place in South america

 

[heatlancer]

lol what's he talkin about, the westerners and their characters all wearing tights and abusing steroids or the japs and their exaggerated features(eyes, hair) and somewhat feminine protaganists, as far as im concerned they are both in the same boat with 90% of their characters design sucking

and i wanna see who dante is trying to look pretty for with his hairstyle management in DmC since everything has a reason

 

[wallenb]

It seems like their saying, they're doing what they learned. It would be an interesting game to see NT try japanese humor although I think it would fail. I mean Capcom came to them to help the series. If they wanted to keep it the same, they would of just developed the game theirselves. And we would have OrigiDante fighting with balloons instead of roses.

 

[mrrandomlulz]

It seems like their saying, they're doing what they learned. It would be an interesting game to see NT try japanese humor although I think it would fail. I mean Capcom came to them to help the series. If they wanted to keep it the same, they would of just developed the game theirselves. And we would have OrigiDante fighting with balloons instead of roses.

]

and just slap dante's face on there

 

[wallenb]

]

and just slap dante's face on there

Lol at least you would know how useless the weapon is from the very start. Dante fighting with roses and reciting poetry was lower the DMC2. Thats why hes so quiet.

 

[mrrandomlulz]

Lol at least you would know how useless the weapon is from the very start. Dante fighting with roses and reciting poetry was lower the DMC2. Thats why hes so quiet.

when does Dante recite poetry or fight with roses , I never played 2 and i don't recall him doing it in the others

 

[Tiran]

O.K. This article is not controversial or really interesting. It is a very straight forward analysis of Japanese mentality v.s typical western mentality towards character design. Discussion, yes, but please this is not the war fuel most articles are made out to be. It's really not a big deal and certainly not worthy of it's own thread.

 

[CoolDemon]

Keiji Inafune - another jerk to blame for this stupid directions happening in Japanese games.

I wonder how many games must be ruined before they will realize it's not the art style that matters, but the gameplay, story, music and atmosphere.

If Blood Omen 3 is in a contemporary setting i swear i will go mad...

 

[mrrandomlulz]

O.K. This article is not controversial or really interesting. It is a very straight forward analysis of Japanese mentality v.s typical western mentality towards character design. Discussion, yes, but please this is not the war fuel most articles are made out to be. It's really not a big deal and certainly not worthy of it's own thread.

How is this not interesting ?
in only a few sentences Tameem just insulted Nintendo,Capcom (who are fine as long as they get money), parts of SEGA,and Konami. He insulted the very thing that saved what the west nearly destroyed in 1983
and while I love western games like halo , We would not even be discussing video games like devil may cry right now if it weren't for the very game kind he just insulted let me put it this way Japan fixed gaming after we turned

into

 

[wallenb]

I didnt read any insults. Its a comparison of two different sides of the world. Please stop saying NT thinks they're way is better. In reality noones direction is nbettet because people everywhere have different taste.

And dmc4 when dante fights the stuttering scientist, he gets an original new weapon and all the while reciting poetry. I was just joking about how dantes attitude changed so dramatically in dmc2

 

[mrrandomlulz]

I didnt read any insults. Its a comparison of two different sides of the world. Please stop saying NT thinks they're way is better. In reality noones direction is nbettet because people everywhere have different taste.

"We in the West tend to be more functional adding things that have meaning and being able to explain that meaning.
that sounded like they are saying they are better i guess they are just expressing opinion but i can't help but feel like it was just trying to start a flame war

 

[CoolDemon]

"We in the West tend to be more functional adding things that have meaning and being able to explain that meaning.
that sounded like they are saying they are better i guess they are just expressing opinion but i can't help but feel like it was just trying to start a flame war

You interpreted that correct. It's just Ninja theory or NT's Dante fanboys defending the same old douchebag company that is NT.

 

[wallenb]

But what he said was true. I mean why do so many japanese characters have belt buckles everywhere on their clothes?

 

[CoolDemon]

But what he said was true. I mean why do so many japanese characters have belt buckles everywhere on their clothes?

A japanese character may be like that. But western developers aren't putting more "functionality" or "meaning" to stuff in a game than japanese.

He just thinks he's better because they focus so much on story.

 

[Tony_Redgrave]

"We in the West tend to be more functional adding things that have meaning and being able to explain that meaning.
that sounded like they are saying they are better i guess they are just expressing opinion but i can't help but feel like it was just trying to start a flame war

Well, not necessarily. If you take this along with the previous paragraph, you get the meaning that his point is that "our Dante is less cool in terms of design/appearance, but at least we're going to explain why he is the way he is, while the first Dante is what he is just because he can"

Tbh, I still prefer the first Dante no matter what they sayXD

 

[Pale Rider]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who read some insults.

NT amazes me.

 

[CoolDemon]

Well, not necessarily. If you take this along with the previous paragraph, you get the meaning that his point is that "our Dante is less cool in terms of design/appearance, but at least we're going to explain why he is the way he is, while the first Dante is what he is just because he can"

Tbh, I still prefer the first Dante no matter what they sayXD

Or you can look at Capcom's history with DMC:

DMC 1 - gameplay and story presence existed. But mostly gameplay
DMC 2 - Gameplay and a poor and generic story
DMC 3 - Gameplay and a story based on DMC 1
DMC 4 - Great gameplay and just random cool scenes.


Dante as character has never been developed much by Capcom. They focused on gameplay all the time.
It's called lazyiness.


And the way Dante's character is:
1) Reference to Japanese folklore that white hair meant you were possesed by a demon.
2) in DMC story Dante has white hair because of his father - genetics.


Take those 1 and 2 with the fact that Capcom is lazy when it comes to story - what do you get? A not so developed character.


Tameem is basically saying DMC Dante is way he is because Japanese game designers don't put meaning into the hair cuts, the clothes etc.