Understanding Japanese video game industry

Interdisciplinary Elective Course

This course is a critical overview of the Japanese video game industry. Once a dominant force in video game industry, the Japanese video game developers are now facing stiff challenges from both the overseas developers and other emerging media of entertainment. The course starts with tracing the history and development of the industry, followed by an overview of the process of creation, development, marketing, circulation, and consumption locally in Japan. Then the focus will be shifted across the borders, examining how Japanese video game products adapt and compete in the overseas markets according to different local social, economic, and cultural circumstances.