Methods to Market Mario: An Analysis of American and Japanese Preference for Control in Video Games

Abstract

Video game developers and journalists on both sides of the Pacific agree that the preferences of Japanese and American video gamers are quite different. Their consensus is that Americans prefer a relatively higher level of control in most aspects of their video games, compared to the Japanese. This difference is largely attributed to differences in culture. This study compares American and Japanese on three factors: 1) their desire to control aspects of a video game, 2) their tendency to avoid ambiguous or uncertain situations in their everyday lives, and 3) their desire to have control over their everyday lives. The results show that Americans desire a relatively higher level of control in their everyday lives, but prefer a relatively lower level of control in their video games compared to their Japanese counterparts. This difference is most pronounced in low-usage video gamers and becomes weaker as users play games more frequently.