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https://www.theverge.com/24055863/akihabara-japan-retro-video-games-physical-media>
"If you’re a video game collector, you’ve either dreamed of visiting Akihabara
or have already made your way there. Truth be told, Tokyo’s electric mecca
isn’t quite what it once was; it used to be the best place in the world to seek
out rare releases, but that was before the internet trivialized buying used
games. Akiba (as it’s commonly known) has shifted with trends over time, and it
doesn’t usually offer the same value or exclusivity that it once did. You’re
far less likely to successfully dig in the crates for your personal holy grail,
much less find it for a reasonable price.
But if you take a step back, Akiba’s place in the world feels more valuable
than ever. As brick-and-mortar game stores in the West are now mostly
associated with meme stocks and Funko Pops, Akiba holds firm as a sizable
district in the planet’s largest megalopolis where you can reliably go shopping
for video games both old and new.
In 2012, I wrote on
The Verge about how Japan was out of step with the rest
of the world when it came to media consumption. Back then, I was describing a
country that still had few options for digital media, other than the widespread
use of DVRs to record broadcast TV. Music and video streaming had yet to make a
serious mark; CD and DVD rental chain Tsutaya remained ubiquitous. All of that
has changed. Spotify and Netflix are as prevalent as anywhere else, while
Tsutaya has closed more than 500 stores in the past five years, according to
business magazine Toyo Keizai.
Video games, though, are a different story.
“When compared with other markets, it seems Japan still absolutely loves
physical games,” says Kantan Games’ Serkan Toto, a veteran watcher of the
Japanese industry, who points to the most recent survey from Japan’s Computer
Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA). CESA found that physical games
accounted for about 70 percent of total sales in Japan in 2022, including 65
percent of PlayStation 5 games and 77 percent of Switch releases. By
comparison, Sony says that 70 percent of full PS4 and PS5 game sales in 2022
were digital across the world."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
