After the heated moment that was the Cold War, the world has been more connected now more that ever. Much of the things we enjoy to day has to do in part with the the effects of globalization. We’re able to eat bananas that grow in the tropics and enjoy the spices of countries hundreds of miles away. The rise of the internet also made it easier to stay connected with friends and love ones and even make new ones half the world over. Along with this advancement came to the innovations undertook in the gaming world.

It’s common knowledge now that a lot of regions have localized versions of certain games to better fit the culture and demographics of that nation. For example the box cover art in Kirby games for the U.S markets are different that that of the Japanese ones. The U.S one have Kirby looking much more aggressive, as the marketers believed Kirby would be more appealing if he looked more mean and tough[1]. It goes to show that this interconnection web of connections does have an affect on the games we play. Just look at Nintendo, a gaming conglomerate that had a virtual gaming monopoly on home entertainment systems in the 80’s and still dominates a lot of the gaming world today. It was only through this idea of globalization that such a thing could even happen.

The rise of the online multiplayer can also be traced to this idea as well. Gamers are able to pay their favorite game with others in other countries due to the fact that A) the game is sold in that area as well as B) the computer or console to play it. Such a feet i s the result of companies using their power and influence to expand their market and get as many customers as possible.

There are a few people who believe that globalization is a bad idea, as we become more dependent on others for our wants and need. Such could be the case for our games as well. Imagine if cost for the next generation of games are delayed due to a labor strike at the cooperate headquarters in their home country. The reality of the situation is that globalization is only to get more and more connected as technology improves. It makes communication easier and faster, leading to more incentive to work with others more often. There may come a time where everything is so interconnected that there is little distinction of what was made where.

I cannot say whether globalization is good or bad for the gaming sphere. All I can say is that it will begin to have much more of a heavy toll on how games are made and how we play with them.

[1] Phillips,Tom,”Why so serious? Nintendo explains angry Western Kirby”,https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-04-29-why-so-serious-nintendo-explains-angry-western-kirby, Updated on 29 April 2014