Welcome to the Bitmobber Twitterview!
A Twitterview is an interview done over Twitter. Each Twitterview consists of various questions aimed at one of the Members of the Bitmob Community.
This time it is the American in Japan, Daniel Feit. Daniel has been posting on Bitmob since the beginning and has always offered unique insight and knowledge to the community.
Read on to hear his thoughts on Japanese Cuisine, HDTV gaming in Japan, and find out if he is trying to join the Yakuza, or at least play Yakuza 3.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
I'm a native New Yorker and lifelong gamer who now lives in Japan teaching English while freelance writing for Wired Game|Life. I've been working in Japan since 2007 via the JET Programme and writing for Wired since last year's Tokyo Game Show. Other than that I've been blogging on my own site, feitclub.com, since 2004. I started copying stuff over onto Bitmob last May, although these days I tend to post more on Bitmob than my own site for various reasons.
What is your earliest gaming memory?
It would have to be the Atari 2600. My father and I played many round of Combat and had unofficial Missile Command contests to see who could proceed the furthest into the game. With no high score lists, it was pretty much what we could manage to accomplish in front of the other person. I believe I ended up winning as his interest in the console waned over time while mine only increased. I moved on to competing with the teenage son of our next-door neighbor. He probably destroyed me, but it was always friendly so I have nothing but positive memories of that little wood-paneled beauty
What got you interested in writing about video games?
Good question. It surely must have stemmed from my blogging which I started six years ago, but I rarely touched upon gaming until 2008. The decision to write about games was tied to my rediscovery of the hobby which began in 2006 when I bought my DS. Things got really interesting in 2008 though, as I played Portal for the first time, bought a PS3, and slowly opened my eyes to the variety of experiences that were on the table. 2008 was also the year I started following the online video game discourse with great fervor, so the more I read about games, the more inclined I was to try writing about my experiences with them.
Who are some writers (video game or not) who inspired your writing?
I've got to lead off with Chris Kohler who, besides being a fine writer, is also a super nice guy and the reason I have a freelance writing position. I would also cite Brian Ashcraft as an inspiration as he too lives here in Japan with his family and writes about video games. There's also Jeremy Parish, host of Retronauts and curator of his own wonderful site, Gamespite.net. Michael Abbott, aka The Brainy Gamer, covers some really interesting topics on his site and via his Gamer Confab podcasts. Finally, while I haven't read much of their written work, I have great respect for Shawn Elliott and Shane Bettenhausen based on their opinionated personalities. All of these people were instrumental in my 2008 gaming resurgence. The list of people I admire has only grown since then, however.
Living in Japan, have you met many video game journalists face to face?
I got to meet a lot of people at last year's TGS, yes! I can't say if I made a great impression, for the most part, for I was a nervous wreck at the party that kicked off my career as a writer. I was OK with talking to Chris, as he hired me, but I remember stuttering in front of Jeremy and flat-out insulting Garnett Lee because the Giants had just beaten the Cowboys at the opening game in their new stadium.
Aside from that, I had brief conversations with Andrew Fitch, Kat Bailey and Shane at the party. Once the show actually began, I had a quick encounter with both Brian Ashcraft and Brian Crecente in the press room one day. I met Stephen Totilo at a Microsoft press event and had dinner with Christian Nutt at the Outback Steakhouse of all places. He, Chris and I later sang karaoke one night in Shibuya, a terrific finale to the trip for me.
How did you end up posting on Bitmob?
I had been following Dan Hsu and Crispin Boyer's Sore Thumbs blog, so I heard about the site from there. While I began by simply copying game-related stories from my own site onto Bitmob, I eventually worked up the courage to create new material starting with my thoughts on BioShock. That post got a lot of great responses and was featured in a Bitmob Spotlight, so I felt really happy to finally get feedback on my work. I like having my own blog but let's face it: more people visit Bitmob in a day than my site in a month.
Which of your posts is your favorite, and whose posts do you enjoy the most?
Surprisingly tough question, that first one! I'm tempted to go with my diatribe against the practice of region restrictions, for I feel like that issue is one that doesn't get enough attention. However, if I'm being honest it would have to be my "Inspirational Basterds" piece because I genuinely believe that games need to try harder to create conflict without constant violence. Cast a broader net and you're likely to catch more fish, in my opinion. Games are unique in their interactivity, let's put those controllers to use as something other than a trigger for a change.
As far as other Bitmobbers go, I'm obviously partial to my friends (and fellow ex-pats in Japan) Alex Beech and Richard Eisenbeis. Beyond those people who I have personally sang karaoke with, I must say than Gerren Fisher's response to my RPG article was a delightful surprise. I never expected writing on Bitmob could generate entire companion articles by other writers.
Community Questions
James DeRosa – How awesome is it to live in Japan?
The short answer is "pretty awesome," but it's not all sake and ninja schoolgirls around here. Some aspects of living in Japan are quite taxing for me as I am not Japanese, which is something that the locals just can't let go of. Obviously I like it here or I wouldn't stay, but coming from a country where civil rights and racial equality are taken seriously (even if we've still got work to do), the Japanese insistence on pigeon-holing people based on race and national origin is really irksome. Here's hoping great strides are made before my son is forced to choose a nationality based on the arcane Japanese policy of outlawing dual citizenship.
M.H. Mason – Can you beat my high score of three kids?
My son is only nine months old, so it's too soon to talk about adding another baby to our tiny apartment. A second child is likely as both my wife and I grew up with siblings, but a third would be impractical. Of course, I can think of worse surprises.
Alex R. Cronk-Young – Do you hope to be writing for Wired full time, or do you like your teaching job?
Teaching is the plan for the immediate future, because I simply don't have the credentials to support myself as a writer full-time. I would love to move away from the classroom someday, but with a family to consider it would be irresponsible of me to do anything rash at this stage. Hopefully, if I keep writing and people keep responding to it, I can find a way in eventually. For now, it's just a wonderful hobby.
Toby Davis – When will you buy Yakuza 4 and give it away to us U.S. people as a prize?
Right after I finish playing Yakuza 3, which I'll look into buying once my pile of shame is somewhat smaller. Let's say…2013?
Jon Shults– How many times have you visited a store dedicated entirely to condoms? What was the strangest store you saw?
I went to Condomania in Tokyo once, although it was entirely the idea of the ladies in our group. I don't recall if any goods or services were purchased that day though. The strangest store I've seen is this "adult toy store" I know of in Osaka. I've never dared enter it, for the goods on display in the window are just plain creepy. Looks like a one-stop serial killer depot.
Matt Giguere – If there is one restaurant to visit while in Japan, what is it?
Just one? Is planning a layover with just enough time for a meal? I live in the Kansai area and it's known for its culinary delights, so this is a really tough one. I'll give the nod to Torikizoku, a chain of yakitori restaurants where everything costs about $3. You can stuff your face and get plastered without emptying your wallet, no small feat in this or any country for that matter. Plus, I don't think I'll ever find a guiltier pleasure than their Cheese Camembert Croquettes. Fried breaded cheese topped w/butter: It's heart-stoppingly delicious.
What do you miss most about the States?
Aside from my friends and family? This may sound silly after the last question, but the variety of cuisine available in the US is unmatched. Most of the food in Japan is Japanese or at least tailored to Japanese tastes. Mexican food is rare here, for example. American Chinese is likewise scarce. As much as I enjoy the dining experience in Japan, I eat so many different things on each trip to the States that I lose track of it all. I'm a fat guy who loves to eat. Big surprise, I know.
A while ago you did a post about several gaming franchises such as Halo, Metal Gear Solid, etc. Have you ended up playing on of these?
Not exactly. I watched someone else play the opening of Gears of War last year and it tore my curiosity about the game to shreds. Nothing looked as good as I remembered it did when I first saw it new. Other than that, I notice I took a pot shot at Burnout Paradise but I did get my hands on that last year and found it rather enjoyable. Between that and the Blur beta going around, I may have to reconsider my opinion of racing games. For an old man like me, that's scary talk.
How do the Japanese view non-Japanese games? Are they not aware of games like Mass Effect or are non-Japanese games starting to break through?
Sales-wise, Japanese games still dominate Japan. All the gloom and doom talk about Japan's waning influence over the gaming sphere doesn't change the fact that each new Pokemon or Dragon Quest game sells millions of copies around here. A big reason is the strength of the handheld market here. Lots of people commute to work or school and I see plenty of my fellow passengers with a PSP or DS in their hands. Throw in the slow migration to HDTV sets in tiny Japanese homes and you've got a very small market of people willing to buy a PS3 or 360. However, Sony and Microsoft have kept the pressure on. Advertising for AAA games has only increased during my time here, and with the upcoming motion controllers coupled with the end of analog broadcasts in Japan, HD gaming could finally come around in 2010/11.
What is it that you like best about Bitmob?
The fact that almost anything goes. My friend Richard wrote a piece entirely in an "olde-timey" dialect and it was great fun. Anyone can offer up their opinion of a game, new or old, and it will probably strike a chord with the audience. The general level of discourse here might be the best thing about Bitmob, actually. Have you seen the comment fields on Kotaku? They promote their ability to ban people but I still see some ice-cold ignorance and spite over there. I don't know if Bitmob has magical moderators working overtime or if folks are simply nicer here, but it's a breath of fresh air.
I can assure you that it has nothing to do with the Moderators!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In ten years time, I hope my family and I are happily living in a house somewhere. I can't tell you where I want that house, because that's an issue with a great many variables to consider. Wherever we end up, I plan on continuing to be an active gamer and writer, but
I'd prefer not to be teaching English at that point.
Thank you for taking the time to do this, and do you have any last words, comments, or plugs?
First off, I would encourage every member of the site to read as well as write whenever possible. The two go hand in hand. I've found books are more interesting to me since I started writing and I'm certain that reading helps me to be a better writer.
Secondly, as cheesy as it sounds, don't talk yourself out of doing anything just because you think it might not work. I wrote that Gaming Decade piece not just as an overview of what I've been up over the last ten years but to reflect on how far I've come over that time. In 2000 I was a nobody. I had zero career ambition, no romantic prospects and I was miserable. Everything changed for the better because I set a goal for myself and went for it. Sure, plenty of people thought I was crazy to study Japanese at night. Or to give up a full-time job so I could enroll in college again. Or write about my life and broadcast my thoughts for strangers to read. But all of these decisions paid off. So if there's something out of your grasp right now, don't write it off because of anything other people say.
Lastly, I'd like to thank everyone who reads my work, especially those who offer feedback. I can't tell you how rewarding it is to see people responses after I've spent time writing and revising an article. If you want to keep up with me outside of Bitmob, there's my blog, Wired Game|Life and my Twitter feed. Thank you.
Thank you, Daniel!
Selected Blogography:
Gamer Book Report: Looking for Rapture in the Fountainhead
Other Twitterviews: