Gaming is just a regular part of life...
For a country renowned for a reclusive populace, it's really mindboggling to think that in-person social gaming is so big here. Monster Hunter on the PSP has sold a lot of hardware for Sony and software for Capcom. The loading times are rather cumbersome and 2nd G offers Media Install so I bet it's sold some high end memory sticks for Sony too.
For those unfamiliar with Monster Hunter, it's the most fun when you link up with 4 people over local WiFi and run around completing quests with really basic objectives; find a bunch of items in the environment, go kill X number of monsters or hunt a major monster. When you hunt, you can either kill the target or attempt to capture it alive which is easier said than done.
You have 2 "classes" gunner and blade master. Your "class" is determined by what weapon you equip. It's really really basic stuff. There's no storyline either. You are a hunter of monsters in Pokke Village. The rest is up to you.
Anyways, what really amazed me is the sheer variety of people that are playing this game and enjoying it. All my group members would be what your average American would call a "girly girl." Into make up, the occasional male pop idol and cute sparkling things. You can add Monster Hunter to that.
It's pretty remarkable how the conversations can switch between "which of these cute glittery stickers should I put on my PSP? Are the rhinestones too much?" to "so, what are we gonna kill next?" One girl wanted me to halt the quest departure since she had the wrong equipment set on. After she got her heat resistant armor and ice sword for the desert raid, we all noticed how she changed her hair color and accessories to match her new sword.
One girl, YK, makes these Monster Hunter gatherings feel like a pretty big deal at times, though the mood is quite relaxed and fun. She keeps things pretty small(4 or 6 people only, occasionally 8 to make sure that people can be divided into effective teams. Max per party is 4 players.) Everyone whose participated takes turns bringing some amazing treat. I brought some high end cream puffs, pictured above, along with our PSPs. That was 2 weeks ago, yesterday's gathering I made pasta and then we put all of your PSPs artfully into the pasta sauce pot after YK washed it and dried it. All the PSPs were visible in the photo and the one in front had the Monster Hunter 2nd G title screen.
These gatherings, while started with the purpose of playing Monster Hunter or Phantasy Star Portable, end up being something more. We also explore some new restaurants or foods, catch up on life, etc. I usually go shopping with YK and her sister before we sit down and play MH or to the ice skating center for some laps around the rink. I can't deny though, that I wouldn't have met some neat people or had these great experiences had I not ran out and grabbed Monster Hunter.
In contrast, back in the US, some female gamer friends of mine have said they get looked down upon or somehow "less hardcore" if they want to enjoy being a girl as opposed to a "grrl." We're not the Frag Dolls or PMS Clan, we're not interested in taking no prisoners then leaving no evidence in a shooter. We like hair accessories, we like putting inane bling on our PSPs, are fairly fashion conscious(budget permitting) and we also group up and take down giant frilly dragons that we all give really cute nicknames with matching long swords and gun lances. And deciding on what we're going to kill based on "I need a new pair of boots. It takes 2 pelts from Mr. Rumble-kins."
"Mr. Rumble-kins" is a big ape with pink skin and white fur whose gut rumbles before he farts out toxic clouds of gas at the party, only to perish from an explosive shell shot out of YK's heavy artillery.
For those unfamiliar with Monster Hunter, it's the most fun when you link up with 4 people over local WiFi and run around completing quests with really basic objectives; find a bunch of items in the environment, go kill X number of monsters or hunt a major monster. When you hunt, you can either kill the target or attempt to capture it alive which is easier said than done.
You have 2 "classes" gunner and blade master. Your "class" is determined by what weapon you equip. It's really really basic stuff. There's no storyline either. You are a hunter of monsters in Pokke Village. The rest is up to you.
Anyways, what really amazed me is the sheer variety of people that are playing this game and enjoying it. All my group members would be what your average American would call a "girly girl." Into make up, the occasional male pop idol and cute sparkling things. You can add Monster Hunter to that.
It's pretty remarkable how the conversations can switch between "which of these cute glittery stickers should I put on my PSP? Are the rhinestones too much?" to "so, what are we gonna kill next?" One girl wanted me to halt the quest departure since she had the wrong equipment set on. After she got her heat resistant armor and ice sword for the desert raid, we all noticed how she changed her hair color and accessories to match her new sword.
One girl, YK, makes these Monster Hunter gatherings feel like a pretty big deal at times, though the mood is quite relaxed and fun. She keeps things pretty small(4 or 6 people only, occasionally 8 to make sure that people can be divided into effective teams. Max per party is 4 players.) Everyone whose participated takes turns bringing some amazing treat. I brought some high end cream puffs, pictured above, along with our PSPs. That was 2 weeks ago, yesterday's gathering I made pasta and then we put all of your PSPs artfully into the pasta sauce pot after YK washed it and dried it. All the PSPs were visible in the photo and the one in front had the Monster Hunter 2nd G title screen.
These gatherings, while started with the purpose of playing Monster Hunter or Phantasy Star Portable, end up being something more. We also explore some new restaurants or foods, catch up on life, etc. I usually go shopping with YK and her sister before we sit down and play MH or to the ice skating center for some laps around the rink. I can't deny though, that I wouldn't have met some neat people or had these great experiences had I not ran out and grabbed Monster Hunter.
In contrast, back in the US, some female gamer friends of mine have said they get looked down upon or somehow "less hardcore" if they want to enjoy being a girl as opposed to a "grrl." We're not the Frag Dolls or PMS Clan, we're not interested in taking no prisoners then leaving no evidence in a shooter. We like hair accessories, we like putting inane bling on our PSPs, are fairly fashion conscious(budget permitting) and we also group up and take down giant frilly dragons that we all give really cute nicknames with matching long swords and gun lances. And deciding on what we're going to kill based on "I need a new pair of boots. It takes 2 pelts from Mr. Rumble-kins."
"Mr. Rumble-kins" is a big ape with pink skin and white fur whose gut rumbles before he farts out toxic clouds of gas at the party, only to perish from an explosive shell shot out of YK's heavy artillery.
