History of the Japanese Video Game Industry

Preface
Contents
Chapter 1: History of the Game Industry
	1.1 What Is the History of the Game Industry?
	1.2 Historical Classification of the Game Industry: Overview of Industry History
	1.3 Markets in the 2D Era
		1.3.1 Characteristics of the Three Markets
		1.3.2 Characteristics of Each Market by Platform Performance
	1.4 Behavioral Principles of Market Participants
	1.5 Summary
Chapter 2: Arcade Games (1): From Elemecha to Video Games
	2.1 The Dawn of Japan´s Entertainment Machine Industry: The Prehistory of Arcade Game Companies
	2.2 The Importation of PONG and the Emergence of Computer Games
	2.3 First Intellectual Property Infringement Issue: Namco F1
	2.4 Space Invaders and Its Social Impact
	2.5 Establishment of Intellectual Property Rights
	2.6 Post-Space Invaders: Galaxian and Beyond
	2.7 Summary: Two Technological Shifts
Chapter 3: PC Game (1): Establishing the 8-Bit Trinities
	3.1 Birth of the Personal Computer
	3.2 The Early Days of the PC Game Industry
		3.2.1 Shops and Magazines
		3.2.2 The Birth of Software Companies
	3.3 Convergence of the PC Market
		3.3.1 Market Convergence Through Competition and Selection
	3.4 Conclusion: Early Independence of Japan´s PC Game Industry
Chapter 4: Console Games (1-1): Beyond the Crash-The Birth of the Family Computer
	4.1 Early Days of Home Game Consoles in Japan
		4.1.1 The Era of Hardware-Based Home Game Consoles
		4.1.2 Success of Electronic Games and Game & Watch
		4.1.3 Early Days of Cartridge-Type Game Consoles in Japan
		4.1.4 Personal Computers for Gaming
	4.2 Rise of the Family Computer (Famicon)
		4.2.1 Development of Family Computer
		4.2.2 Sales of Family Computer
		4.2.3 Failure of the Disk System
	4.3 Massive Participations of Third-Party Vendors into Famicom
		4.3.1 Third-Party Participation and Its Impact
	4.4 Summary: Expanding the Diversity of Games and the Independence of Home Gaming Consoles
Chapter 5: Arcade Games (2): Shock of Act on Control and Improvement of Amusement Business, Etc. and Recovery from it
	5.1 Shakeout of Stores
	5.2 Problem of Gambling Machines and Juvenile Delinquency
	5.3 Decline in Sales Due to Application of Fuuzoku Eigyou Hou and the Introduction of Family Computer
	5.4 Recovering from a Bad Image and Turning it around with a New Approach
		5.4.1 Making Game Centers Safe
		5.4.2 Differentiation from Home Video Games
		5.4.3 Turning Game Centers into Leisure Lands
	5.5 The Advent of the Fighting Game Boom
	5.6 Summary: Out of the Crisis and Further Development
Chapter 6: PC Games (2) Establishment and Stagnation of the PC-9801 Long-Term Regime
	6.1 Replacement of the 8-Bit Trinity
	6.2 The Spread of the MSX2 and the Demise of the MSX
	6.3 The Appearance of the PC-9801VM and its de Facto Standardization
	6.4 AV-Enhanced Hobby PCs
	6.5 Convergence to the PC-9801
	6.6 Self-Production of PC Games
	6.7 Software Piracy Problem
	6.8 Adult Games and Regulations
	6.9 Maturity and Stagnation of the PC Game Market
Chapter 7: Console Games (1-2) Famicom and its Successors
	7.1 Disk System as a New Media Terminal
	7.2 Social Repercussions of the Famicom
		7.2.1 Establishment of the Game Magazine and Strategy Book Business
		7.2.2 The Famicom Boom and its Impact on Elementary School Students
		7.2.3 Copying Problem of Famicom Software
		7.2.4 Problems Faced by Game Distribution and the Home Video Game Business
	7.3 On the Post-Famicom Era
		7.3.1 PC Engine: Lost of the ``Core Concept´´ Strategy
			7.3.1.1 Stray Strategy of the PC Engine
			7.3.1.2 Success as the world´s First CD-ROM Game Console
			7.3.1.3 The PC Engine as Bishojo Game Console
			7.3.1.4 PC Engine Summary
		7.3.2 Mega Drive: Bright and Dark in Overseas and Japan
		7.3.3 NEO GEO: High-End and Unique Strategy of Arcade Game Compatibility
		7.3.4 Super Famicom: A New Model that Created New Fun
			7.3.4.1 Specifications of Super Famicom
			7.3.4.2 Market Domination
		7.3.5 Game Price Hike and Cancellation of CD-ROM Announcement: A Milestone for Next-Generation Consoles
Chapter 8: Drastic Changes in 1994: Technological and Business Revolutions
	8.1 Changes in Technology
		8.1.1 Hardware Abstraction and Development Advancement
		8.1.2 Continuous Improvement and Price Reduction of Game Consoles
		8.1.3 Graphics Shift to 3D
			8.1.3.1 Changes in the Spec Table
			8.1.3.2 Convergence of Hardware Performance
		8.1.4 Diffusion of Disk Media
			8.1.4.1 Characteristics of Disk Media
	8.2 Changes in the Economic Environment
		8.2.1 The Advent of the Multimedia Boom and the Focus on Games
		8.2.2 Pioneering the Video Standards Race
		8.2.3 Stock Market Listing Boom
		8.2.4 Changes in the Distribution Structure of Games
		8.2.5 The Emergence and Intensification of Price Discrimination Strategies
			8.2.5.1 Price Discrimination Strategy in Packaged Games
			8.2.5.2 Price Discrimination Strategy in Arcade and Online Games
	8.3 Summary: The Golden Age of Japanese Video Games
Chapter 9: Arcade Games (3) The Impact of Virtua Fighter and Ridge Racer: The Last Splendor of Arcade Games
	9.1 Birth of the Print Sticker Machine
	9.2 Popularity of 3D Games and Music Games
	9.3 The Spread of Compatible Boards and the Decline in the Status of Video Games
	9.4 Decline in the Status of Video Games and the Increase in the Size of Game Centers
	9.5 Summary: Stalling of Arcades and a Milestone for Online Games
	9.6 Appendix: Evolution of Arcade Game Systems
		9.6.1 Classic Arcade Game (Twentieth Century)
			9.6.1.1 Simple Remaining Characters System
			9.6.1.2 Remaining Characters + Ending System
			9.6.1.3 Player VS Player and Winner-Take-all System
			9.6.1.4 Time Extend System
			9.6.1.5 Continued Play with Password or Magnetic Card
		9.6.2 Modern Arcade Games (Twenty-First Century)
			9.6.2.1 Network Battle
			9.6.2.2 Trading Card Game
			9.6.2.3 Action Point (Stamina) System
Chapter 10: PC Games (3) Retreat of Domestic PC Game Manufacturers and Emergence of Online Games
	10.1 The Advent of Windows 95 and the Demise of PC-9801
	10.2 Failure of Platform Migration and Decline of PC Games
	10.3 Adultization of the Packaged Game Market for PCs
	10.4 Expansion of the Novel Game Market
		10.4.1 Characteristics of Novel Games
			10.4.1.1 Programmers Are Not Necessarily Required, and the Technical Barrier to Entry Is Low
			10.4.1.2 Small Number of Developers and Low Cost
		10.4.2 Establishment of the Novel Game Market
	10.5 The Emergence and Stagnation of PC Online Games
		10.5.1 Online Games in their Infancy
		10.5.2 Starting with PC Games: Diablo and Ultima Online
		10.5.3 Japanese Online Games
		10.5.4 Differences in Business Models between Packaged Games and Online Games
		10.5.5 The Rise of Browser Games and their Transformation into Charging Platforms
		10.5.6 Business Model Changes
		10.5.7 Severe Competition and Sluggish Market Growth
	10.6 PC Game Summary: Falling out of Three Major Markets
Chapter 11: Console Games (2) The Age of the Three Major Hardware Platforms
	11.1 Hardware that Disappeared with the Times
		11.1.1 Pitfall of PC Compatibility: Towns Marty and Pippin@
			11.1.1.1 Old Leather Bag:FM Towns Marty
			11.1.1.2 Unsuccessful STB: Pippin@
		11.1.2 Hardware that Made Mistakes in Predicting Market Trends: PC-FX and 3DO
			11.1.2.1 PC-FX that Misread the Performance Increase Curve
			11.1.2.2 Hardware that Came Too Early: 3DO
		11.1.3 Lack of Performance and the False Market Images
		11.1.4 Failed Hardware from Gaming Giants
			11.1.4.1 Sega: The Failure of the Super 32X
			11.1.4.2 Nintendo: Premature Hardware Virtual Boy
	11.2 Three Great Hardware Age
		11.2.1 Hardware Development
			11.2.1.1 Most Powerful 2D Graphics Hardware: Saturn
			11.2.1.2 3D Specialized Hardware: PlayStation
			11.2.1.3 Difficult Hardware: Nintendo 64
			11.2.1.4 Performance of Each Hardware
		11.2.2 Competition Among Three Major Hardware
	11.3 Summary: The Heyday of Home Video Games
Chapter 12: Console Games (3) Japan´s Declining Position
	12.1 About Post-PlayStation
		12.1.1 Dreamcast and Sega´s Exit from the Hardware Business
		12.1.2 Struggling Hardware: GameCube
		12.1.3 Xbox a Complete Failure in Japan
		12.1.4 Successor with Renewed Architecture: PlayStation 2
	12.2 PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii ... The Beginning of the End of the Era of Home Video Game Consoles
		12.2.1 Failure of PlayStation 3
		12.2.2 Xbox360 Failed to Consolidate its Position in Japan
		12.2.3 Innovation and Stagnation: Wii
		12.2.4 Hardware Summary
	12.3 Growing Market Size in the World and Stagnation in Japan
		12.3.1 Relative Decline of the Japanese Market
		12.3.2 The Increasing Scale of Game Development and Isolation from Global Markets
		12.3.3 Responding to Risks Associated with Large-Scale Game Development
	12.4 Summary: End of the Era of ``Game Consoles as a Technology Driver´´
Chapter 13: Console Games (4) Market Reversal by Handheld Game Consoles
	13.1 Prehistory of Handheld Game Consoles: Game Pocket Computer
	13.2 The First Generation of Handheld Video Game Consoles: Game Boy and Game Gear
	13.3 Second Generation of Handheld Video Game Consoles: Wonder Swan, Neo Geo Pocket, Game Boy Advance
	13.4 Portable Digital Pet Hits and Memory Cards
	13.5 Handheld Video Game Consoles Third Generation: PSP and DS
	13.6 Summary: Shift in the Leading Role... From a Complementary Role to the Center of the Market
Chapter 14: Mobile Phone Games: Prosperity of Social Games and Rapid Market Maturation
	14.1 Mobile Phone Games Before Social Games
	14.2 Market Expansion through Social Games
	14.3 Social Game System Characteristics and Business Models
	14.4 Market Structure of Social Games and the Problem of High Charges
	14.5 Drastic Changes in the Market Environment Due to the Spread of Smartphones
	14.6 Change in Game Design and Business Model: From ``Pay to Win´´ to ``Free to Play
		14.6.1 Impact of Puzzle & Dragons
		14.6.2 Generalization of Free to Play by Kancolle
	14.7 Changing Trends in Game Design
	14.8 Summary of Mobile Phone Games: From an Auxiliary to a Leading Role
Chapter 15: Present
	15.1 Inter-market Competition (1): Handheld Game Console Vs. Smartphone
		15.1.1 Struggles of Handheld Game Consoles
		15.1.2 Smartphone Breakthrough
	15.2 Market Competition (2): Home Consoles Versus PCs
		15.2.1 Home Consoles Are Becoming Inexpensive High-End PCs
		15.2.2 Nintendo Switch
		15.2.3 Expansion of Internet Services and Widespread Download Sales
		15.2.4 STEAM and the Expansion of Indie Games
		15.2.5 Resurgence and Expansion of Subscription Services
	15.3 Summary of the Current Situation: Drastic Changes in the Environment, Fierce Inter-Market Competition, Shift from Package...
	15.4 Looking Back on the History of the Japanese Game Industry
Bibliography
	(1) Japanese-language Document
	(2) English Document
	(3) Web