Japan, the West, and Videogames

For roughly 5 years now, the Japanese gaming industry has been experiencing a decline in its overall share of the video games industry worldwide. Numerous developers, creators, and directors have weighed in on this trend, including Tomonobu Itagaki who laid the blame on Japan's 'humorlessness.'

Bear in mind that the most iconic stars of the video game universe are still predominantly Japanese: Mario, Link, Sonic to name a few. But the last decade has seen a seismic shift in the buying patterns of consumers all over the globe. At the turn of the century, the pattern of demand was inverted, with Japanese games being highly demanded in the west, while western efforts, or gaika, went largely ignored in Japan. But much is being made today of Japan's shrinking presence in western consumption habits, even as the video game industry as a whole grows exponentially. And, while Mr. Itagaki is entitled to his opinion, it seems to me Japan has always been a niche market in the west.

The Tyler Cowen

1. This is truly shocking. Despite fully supporting a rehabilitation-focused reset of the American prison system, my monocle almost fell out when I read this article. And yet, all statistics indicate that the system works, at least better than in America.
2. Radiation 'weather' in Germany. Via Infosthetics.
   
3. A surprisingly poignant obituary for Amy Winehouse by Russell Brand.
4. It's looking increasingly grim for the American economy.

The Tyler Cowen

1. Understanding Breivik, both as an individual as well as a member of a resurgent radical right that is growing in Europe.
2. Such beautiful presentation of such meaningless data. This one too.
3. Electron microscopic fine art of food. Via The Awesomer.

The Tyler Cowen

1. A conservative changes sides.
2. US debt visualized. Via Gawker.
3. Dense essay on how we under-expect our own extinction. Via Marginal Revolution.
4. Emotional x-ray specs.
5. I wish I had thought of this blog first. Up there with Kim Jong Il looking at things.

The Tyler Cowen

1. Great Bad Men. Via The Browser.
2. Kim Jong Il likes Big Macs.
3. Should US journalism take a page from our British counterparts?
4. Revolutionizing charities.
5. Cyber warfare is more widespread and terrifying than we previously thought.
6. Algorithms. Via The Awesomer.
   

The Tyler Cowen

1. Datadatadata
2. The Killing Fields, revisited.
3. An economist on the recovery. He's not very happy. Via The Browser.
4. Funny...and funny.
5. Clever stuff about energy. Via Marginal Revolution.
6. Extremely persuasive critique of geekdom. Via...uh...Facebook...I guess.

The Tyler Cowen

1. Our government is in shambles...but thankfully (?) we're not alone.
2. Panoramas from New York at the turn of the century. Via The Browser
3. Entertaining hatchet-job on Thomas Kinkade. Also via The Browser.
4. Unexploded bombs still litter Germany. Via Marginal Revolution.

The Tyler Cowen

1. NK defectors heading for the UK.
2. The American Conservative's obsession with Israel is pure fantasy. 
3. The American Conservative's obsession with gay marriage is un-American. Via The Browser.
4. Video games helping society by providing valuable services as 'tragedy simulators.'

The Tyler Cowen

1. Pink and Blue as gendered colors is more recent than you think.
2. We all know it's bad. Still, the graph manages to shock. Via The Browser.
3. Bill Maher not pulling any punches. 
4. Beautiful animation of one soccer player's recounting of New York's 1977 black out and attendant riots. Via Gizmodo.
   
   

The Tyler Cowen

1. The future of photography? They're going to need to be a little more intentioned I daresay.
2. Simple, beautiful post on the act of dying. Via The Browser.
3. Heaven help us. If we're continuing to kick this ball down the road, I'm afraid the end to the Recession is not even in sight. Via Marginal Revolution.
4. Nationalism as the most powerful force in the world.
5. Amazing, Goldsworthy-esque art. Via The Awesomer.

The Tyler Cowen

1. Philosophy prioritized by usefulness. Via The Browser.
2. Things are heating up. Via Marginal Revolution.
3. Gender imbalances in foreign policy.
4. Mostly German volunteers but beautiful nonetheless. Via Infosthetics.
   

The Tyler Cowen

1. Weird writing habits of famous authors.
2. The International Community is dragging its feet for food aid to North Korea.
3. Star Trek, here we come. Via Marginal Revolution.
   
4. Our innate cooperativeness. Via The Browser.

War

In Barbara Ehrenreich's new introduction to her book, Blood Rites, she hints at a comprehensive understanding of human social organization based on the technologies we use for war. This piqued our interest here at BofHam so we decided to dig a little deeper by applying this theory to some case studies. What did we find? A sexy framework for social organization but, as with anything relating to human society and development, a few too many variables that we can't control. But sexy! We love us some sexy.

The Tyler Cowen

1. Producer surplus case study.
2. Great infographic about the work we put in for taxes. 
3. Food shortages in North Korea and the politics played with aid.
4. Forestalling 'harrassment' with nuclear weapons.

The Tyler Cowen

1. I can't imagine it will do much but surprising nonetheless.
2. US-China relations taking a hit.
3. Great infographic about how to use which type of sunscreen depending on your skin tone.
4. Fantastic essay by Barbara Ehrenreich on the future of war with a subtle but convincing undercurrent of war, itself, as the catalyst for our evolving social structures. Via The Browser.
5. Our Earth continues to terrify and amaze. 
6. ...To say nothing of our universe...
   

The Tyler Cowen

1. Facebook privacy through the lens of health.
2. Spooks and John Le Carre. Via The Browser.
3. North Korean propaganda posters for the upcoming 'elections'.

The Tyler Cowen

1. Fantastic article about the history of secretive Korean diplomacy.
2. We are never safe on the internet. Via Infosthetics.
3. Insight on Murdoch's nightmare. Via The Browser.
4. Also from The Browser, a damning critique of America's economic situation.

The Tyler Cowen

1. NKEconWatch on North Korea's housing initiatives. The degree of attention this blog lavishes on the details is astounding.
2. More people voting with their feet. Times must be getting tough in the Hermit Kingdom.
3. North Korea's entrepreneurship abroad.
4. Beautiful, interactive infographic charting population movement around the world. (Although their data shows no movement from North to South Korea.) Via Infosthetics.
5. The Year of Wonders. Via The Browser.

Moving

Time to return from whence we came. There will be a short hiatus in your regularly scheduled programming. Please check back in around July 7th.

Love,
BofHam

The Tyler Cowen

1. Funny organizational charts. Makes me shudder at the memory of having to make these for my old employer. Nowhere is a company's self-deception more apparent than in their organizational charts.
2. Propaganda art is hilarious. (Am I the only one who thinks so?)
3. The circus of Russian politics.
4. Google famously subscribes to it's "Don't be evil" mantra of its founder. Where do our morals lie though, when it comes to a trade-off between privacy and evil? 
5. Painting with salt. Via The Awesomer.
   
6. An excellent article describing the inescapable corruption that accompanies even the most well-intentioned designs. Similar stuff to our previous link to over-counting graves. Whiiiiiiiich...I can't find. I think I should probably rethink my organization here. 

The Tyler Cowen

1. Falling RD in the pharma sector. Via Marginal Revolution.
2. Sexy revolutionary activity in North Korea. Via Gawker.
3. Scary portents of further famine in North Korea.
4. Here's hoping this never leaves the internet. It is too powerful, too right, too important to be consigned to a $12.95 book.
5. Here's one way to spice up baseball. Via The Awesomer.