Study Shows 20% of Japanese Men Want to Date Game Characters - News
by VGChartz Staff , posted on 06 September 2009 / 5,590 Views
Original post at Popzara Blogs:
While some jab playfully at the notion of Japan creating an army of artifical 'female' companion robots, it appears that a growing number of Japanese men are becoming increasingly satisfied with their digital sweethearts.
A recent survey by Japanese game developer Konami has revealed a surprising number of younger Japanese males, all in their twenties, have become quite comfortable with the idea of artificial (i.e. virtual) relationships, particularly with videogame characters. Roughly 20% of those questioned openly admitted to wanting a personal relationship with their in-game character, while roughly 40% were open to the idea. But most surprising was a whopping 63% of responders (equal to the number who would consider a digital relationship) were comfortable defining themselves as 'herbivore men'.
The term 'herbivore men' has become somewhat controversial in Japan, as coined in 2006 by pop-culture journalist Maki Fukasawa refers to younger males that earn little, are interested in fashion and their personal appearance, and seem to be less interested in physical relationships. Fukasawa's logic behind the term came from the Japanese definition of sex (i.e. relationship in flesh), the opposite of course would be such 'herbivorous' boys. Fukasawa had recently estimated that up to 20% of Japanese men could be identified as 'herbivore', a figure the survey suggets may have been too low.
While the recent global recession has impacted much of the world, Japan's economy has been hit particularly hard, experiencing its largest-ever contraction and unemployment reaching record-setting numbers. Culturists theorize the downturn has had significant impact on the traditionally masculine, proactive society and particularly a generation of males expected to carry on the attitudes and societal expectations of their parents. The rise of Japanese males who have become comfortable with indentifying themselves as 'less than manly' may be the result of a generation complacent with their position in the world and Japanese society as a whole.
While sexual obsession can be found in any medium, videogames seem particularly well-suited to encouraging virtual relationships and extended 'sessons' with users. Direct interactions help guide the experience and allow users to feel as dominant or submissive as they wish, while engaging storylines and (as the Konami survey suggests) interesting characters can help reinforce the illusion that a real and substantial relationship is being forged with the fictional characters on-screen. These relationships haven't gone without criticism, particularly within the gaming and entertainment industries.
Ex-Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi once commented that role-playing users were "depressed gamers who like to sit alone in their dark rooms and play slow games", while Yoshiyuki Tomino, acclaimed creator of the popular Gundam franchise caused a stir when he said that videogames are not "a type of activity that provides any support to our daily lives," while challenging developers to "that does not negatively affect our daily lives and is something that is considered more productive."
While not mainstream, the country is tolerant of its sub-genre of erotic (i.e. eroge) gaming culture, with sexually-charged themes and characters that seem tailor-made for an increasingly disenchanted males who may feel isolated from physical relationships and seek solace from their undemanding, accepting digital avatars. How and where game developers handle and guide the experience is up to them, but one who's own destiny lay with themselves.
Thanks to J-Cast.com for the inspiration!
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There was a recent survey that said that Japanese women will not bother with poor men and expect to marry a wealthy man (somewhere in the hundred thousands a year).
I can't say I blame these dudes! Truth is, I think Japan's future is ...what's the word?
i am all for it, i will get the left overs the real girls :p
WTF? LOL!!!
Wow, no wonder the Japanese population is decreasing these days!
they should make Shin Baita Tensei : Digital Whore Saga.
not surprising.
jeeze what lame loozers
Its not surprising at all, its very sad.
what a freaking world !
well, at least those wastes of skin won't reproduce.
Wow...
I would just want to go in the Japaneses anime and shoot those dum girls....then what i do after is for myself...:p
But that's disturbing..20%??
It's kind of old news already, this "phenomenon".
There are few women and too many men in Japan. Women are working. Women only marry financially successful men. Most men aren't poor, neither they are rich.
Do the math.
"Do You Wanna Date My Avatar?" is the XXI century tune, baby. =P
I think this number will be the same or bigger in America. Hey when I see lets say Chun Li, I go "she's hot", many people do as well.
20%? That means atleast 60% lied :p
Btw, I want to date game characters too.
Oh jeez... thats disturbing.
"I hate cute anime characters. Bleh. Don't know why people like them so much."
Because they're cute?
Just twenty percent huh?
I'd say those japaneses are not emotionally mature to deal a real relationship. then anime characters come as a fantasy for a perfect woman with no feelings
Zucas : My thoughts exactly!
Looks like the days of Japanese male samarai chivalry are over.
We need more dating sims to be released outside of Japan
It's really not creepier than any man who sits and fantasizes over women they see over digital waves such as the internet. Sure we constitute them as real because technically the people are real, but the ideas, the actions, and even the thoughts are nothing but unrealistic fantasies. It's the same thing provided by some of these game characters, anime characters, or whatever it may be. Actually the only difference is artistic style to tell ya the truth.
I really can't say I condone thoughts like this. It's bound to happen in most males considering the drives most men have. It's just like men that stay on the internet too long looking at porn, there has to be some modesty in it. Can't have this control your life or anything. I think it's perfectly okay and even normal for things like this to happen but the difference is when it becomes an uncontrolled addiction to the thoughts and ideas just like some men get to internet porn.
So why the idea of this happening may come to people from other parts of the world as weird and even creepy, the reasons and the affects are something that happen in all cultures. Only difference is the visual representation which can be seen as a reflection. Destroy the reflection and the same thing is seen.
Hey, I'd marry Belldandy in a dead second if she were real
errrr...that's creepy!
just look at my profile picture
This is.... concerning.
This just in.....Hentai is popular in Japan....and in my mind.
Uh guys....Konami did this study. KONAMI. This is the same thing as the 'Pepsi conclusive' study back in the 80s where Pepsi did their own study to 'conclusively' prove that America loves Pepsi over Coke.
That said, its obvious that an entire sub culture has been built around both Anime and Gaming in Japan (and around the world tied to the same mediums). And obviously the facit of video game girls, which is largely tied to Anime character design, is a big part of that. It has gone largely unnoticed and sometimes flat ignored by Hollywood and even the Japanese government. But recently in the last 5-10, it has become a hot commodity, mostly because it has shown to be able to produce money (see more money than major Hollywood movies). But on the same side of the coin, its starting to get majorly regulated and criticized (ie: anything that makes money and popular is bad, etc).
Yes, some percentage of people take their fascination with games and Anime too far, but I don't think its 20%. And most importantly, they only focused on one age group. By the same token, we could take a similar study of people who fantasize over Hollywood stars or use food/cigarettes to cope with stress, etc. and I'm sure we'd get similar results. Especially if we used say 20th Century Fox or Camel Cigarettes as the people taking the survey.
Lol, i thought there was more people actually, id only marry Lucrezia Noin, most of anime characters are waaay too dumb
I still want to marry Naru Narusegawa. Ok, not really.
also, i didn't know that yoshiyuki tomino made "gundamn" ;o
Only 20%? I'd have guessed 40+ at least.
Well, there you have it.
Can anyone blame them?
ok that sounded bad...
LOL wow
Wow, sounds like a big chunk of Japan has gone Schizoid (emotionally independant from relationships, usually a defense mechanism). Schizoids are only ~1% of the population in most countries.
Lots of laugh.
LOL!
