Why is always the Brits? Or the Japanese?

After playing Goldeneye I suddenly realised that three of the best and my favourite Wii titles have something in common.

• Silent Hill Shattered Memories
• House of the Dead Overkill
• Goldeneye

All these games were made by passionate UK developers. But where they were made is only part of the story. I track games I am interested in and I read most, if not all of the interviews and previews concerning said games. When reading the interviews they all shared the desire to make a great game, regardless of platform. They all dismissed the mainstream notion that you can't make a great game on lesser hardware. They all said that if you put the work in you could make something that looks and plays great.

Being British studios and being a British someone - who feels the Wii is treated terribly in general, by the development community at large; I think that I might understand why these UK devs have pushed the boat out. Each of the games I mentioned above are without doubt the best game these developers have ever made.

So what British traits or ways of thinking, have defined the way they have approached making games of excellence on the Wii in particular?

Well firstly I would say that we root for the underdog. We would clap as hard for the loser of a race, as we would for the winner, if not more so. If someone is down, we would like to bring them back up.

There is a no nonsense, even cynical attitude towards things in general, so we remain skeptical at most times and are non-plussed by things an overseas audience might like. But also we might be pleasantly surprised, by things that we thought we might not enjoy.

We also have a sense of justice, or injustice. So when for instance a "lesser" console is unfairly branded as a lesser experience or incapable of doing something, we like to prove people wrong.

I'm very happy that UK developers have stepped up and made mature, proper and excellent games on a system so often ignored.

But then, David Cage is a Brit and said wii is like a boardgame. So what do I know? :P

And then onto the Japanese. They have never really struck me as having a developer culture based on visuals. Some studios buck that trend, like Capcom. On the whole though, they seem to be able to make great games within the limitations of any particular hardware, even for something so lowly as the DS.

Their games are about gameplay and are often unique. Games like Little Kings Story or No More Heroes are the result from some individual thinking by original auteurs.

And what about U.S culture? From the outside looking in, it can often appear like U.S culture is a boastful, bigger is better ideal. Where nothing but the most powerful have success in a battle for survival. There is also a sense that everything has to be instantly gratifying. Something that is a slow burn will likely be less successful or appreciated that something which grabs you within the first few seconds.

Films have to be blockbusters, with the biggest action and best special effects. Burgers have to be stacked several times over, cars have to be massive Jeeps.

And games, made by US developers, often have this bigger is better, action focused notion about them. They don't want to work within a system's requirements, they want to make the biggest popcorn tower they can possibly make and anything less is an insult to gaming.

This is all talking in generalisations though, so please don't be offended, there are obvious examples to the contrary of these general notions.

So back to the blog title, do you think that culture plays a part in Wii development?