Why so Many Cartoon Themed Games?

[Bilko44]

It seems a large number of pachislo and pachinko games have what appears to be cartoon character themes. Are the Japanese players totally engrossed with these characters?

It seems they are well below the interest level of the age group allowed into pachinko parlors. I would think there would be more adult themed games of adventure, racing, martial arts, pretty women and rugged spies.

Are there sites in Japan where the most popular games are ranked on a periodic basis? I would like to see both pachinko and pachislo lists if they exist.

I venture to guess more than half of the games have comic book characters, pretty sea creatures or silly things that bear no resemblance to anything in real life.

OK all you pros out there, Pachi Sloter, Azlew, Gaku and others, prove me right or prove me wrong but tell me why the cute cartoon games are so popular.

[minnesotabrad]

Anime is huge in Japan. Almost everyone is into it. It is big business over there. It is getting more popular over here. I think they can target a younger crowd with it.

[azlew]

.....Are the Japanese players totally engrossed with these characters? ......

I think you are right. Somewhere here there was a thread that had someones websight that talked about the Japanese and how even the adults like cute kid stuff(to us here it is young kid dolls etc)) etc. Anime is as you say getting big here but this Hello Kitty crud is something I hope never gets going too big here...yuck!

[j123vt_99]

I think you are right. Somewhere here there was a thread that had someones websight that talked about the Japanese and how even the adults like cute kid stuff(to us here it is young kid dolls etc)) etc. Anime is as you say getting big here but this Hello Kitty crud is something I hope never gets going too big here...yuck!

But who makes up 50% of the population? The same group that LOVES Hello Kitty... Women... From a marketing standpoint, it would be silly not to try and appeal to women...

Also think of it like a ladies night at a bar.. If you can attract women with money to gaming (via cute animals and cartoons), what follows... men with money.. now you have everyone gaming

[photos8484]

Anime is pretty big here also. Both my sons (& some of their friends, both male & female), have gone to OTAKON, the largest anime convention in the US, held in Baltimore. They have gone for the last 3 years (although they may not this year - 1 is working & the other is in school & the military), & they dress up like the various characters, attend presentations, meet various artists... I guess it could be compared to Trekkie conventions...
Maybe the attraction is:
it's graphic (can even be pornographic [although I wouldn't know- I don't even own a pornograph])
it's attractive
it's cool even if you can't understand Japanese (& perhaps maybe especially if we can't understand Japanese???}
and the characters tend to look very un-Japanese. We can subconsciously place these characters very easily into American life, into Vegas slots (& they wouldn't look out of place), into our daily lives & fantasies (???)
Just my input. I have gin gin maru & it has truck driver theme. It's a lot easier to relate to than, say, O Hanabi.

[Bilko44]

Yes, maybe Hello Kitty is not everyone's favorite and I don't recall ever seeing that character on a pachislo or pachinko game.

I thought I saw a Japanese site that listed the current top 10 pachinko and pachislo games. Anyone got a link to it?

[arbycoffee]

Anime and even the old cartoons are real big in Japan, Even adults read the comic books, I am sure it is a form of release to get away from their work-a-day world.
We got bowling nights, Darts, I think it the same with us here.
There is a hello Kitty Pachislo machine, ones come up on ebay every now and again. I was going to get one for the wife last Christmas, but the prices were sky high.
licensing is probably easier with cartoons, though I could be wrong. Lew would know more about licensing than me.

[johntofva]

Well, I am in my forties. But remember watching what is considered one of the first Japaniese Anime (Star Blazer) as a teenager. My wife and I have taken our neice to some on the conventions. I will even admit to owning a few on DVD. It is fare to say that this is something that has become a pop icon.

[Tulsa]

That must be why you own a Thunderbirds too.

[David Wile]

Hey folks,

I have graduated from high school and college, I have traveled rather extensively throughout 43 of the lower 48 states, I have done a moderate amount of reading about a lot of subjects, and I think of myself as being fairly well informed about many things. Having said that, it just makes me hang my head when I have to admit that I have no idea of what Anime is.

So, I'll bite. What is Anime?

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

[Tulsa]

Japanese Animation

[PachiAddict]

Anime,...... wasn't it invented by a Tokie Owen?

[Davis]

Anime pronounced AN -I-MAY is A style of animation developed in Japan, characterized by stylized colorful art, futuristic settings, violence, and sex. Its probably one of the most important aspects of art and televison in Japan. A good example pachislo machine is Gundam. The Japanese love their art and animation, i woudl only expect to see it more and more in Pachi games!

[luckydog]

most anime girls have big eyes like betty boop,

the bad guys have small evil eyes!!!!

[logicprobe]

Just for kicks...

Another animation's view of anime'.

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail57.html

[slotter]

Hey, LD... I can't even SEE your eyes in that avatar. :lmao:

[luckydog]

it's a good thing it's not an anime drawing!!!

you might think i'm a bad guy.

i'm just a puppydog at heart!!!!!

[Lddrizzt]

Anime has been around a very long time, it started invading the US in the early 60's with shows like Prince Planet, Tobor the 8th man, and Kimba (my personal favorite about a white lion).
Then it got fancier with a really cool show about race cars called Mach GO GO GO but it was translated to Speed Racer, another great show called Gatchamen translated to Battle of the Planets or G-Force.
Then you have all of your popular robotic themes Gundam, Robotech, Transformers, etc.
They even came up with the marrionette shows like Thunderbirds.

Anime is a HUGE market over there and is growing daily here.
Remember, anything can be drawn into a cartoon, hence the popularity. It's not just Hello Kitty, or Zippy the Pinhead.

[minnesotabrad]

logic, that was pretty good. When my daughter was younger she really enjoyed a video called Totoro. Even had a stuffed Totoro. It was a very strange large furry creature that lived in the forrest. She was also into Hello Kitty for a short while. But here animation is big, just done differently. Look at the popularity of comic books and all the comics or cartoons that have become live actor movies, Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Scooby Doo, X-Men, Flintstones, Incredible Hulk, etc.. I think they do so well because the bring us back to when we were younger and to the things we remember growong up with.

[Bilko44]

Great posts, everyone!

Now, are most of the anime characters we find popular with US readers the same ones as in Japan? Or is there now anime just for US readers?

I would think that there would be those groups of people here that would think some Japanese anime would be too riske' for younger readers.