TV Tokyo recently released the results of a large-scale public survey of people’s favourite games, and perhaps surprisingly, the nation’s favourite game isn’t even Japanese (nice spot,Automaton).
The results were released on an episode of ‘Ariyoshiiieeeee! – Oh yeah! Wanna play games at your place now?’, a comedic variety show centered around gaming. The show is named for its host Hiroiki Ariyoshi, a comedian and devoted gamer.
In a special broadcast, the show released the results of the aforementioned survey. The sample size was around 6,000, and covered a wide range of age groups of both men and women. The survey’s participants were asked to rank five of their favourite games, and a weighted score was assigned to each game based on an individual’s ranking of that game.
The People Yearn For Blocks
The ultimate winner was none other than….Minecraft! Mojang’s sandbox, survival-crafting game is a huge hit among younger Japanese gamers. Apparently, around half of the survey’s participants included Minecraft in their favourite games list, a very impressive feat.
The show highlighted one respondent’s reason for choosing Minecraft, saying Minecraft is good for “escaping reality.” Japan is infamous for long working hours and high academic expectations (though the culture is changing slowly) which could be one of the reasons why escapism is prioritised in a video game.
The other top games among teenage respondents were Fortnite, Splatoon, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Splatoon 2. One of the hosts made a salient point about the multiplayer nature of live-service games and how they become a medium for interaction and community among young people, rather than just a game.
For respondents in their 20s, Pokémon Diamond & Pearl ranked the highest. For 30s, Pokémon Red and Green. For both 40s and 50s, their favourite game was a tie between the original Super Mario Bros. and Dragon Quest 3: The Seeds of Salvation.
