Two subcultures that are undeniably linked to each other are Gaming and Anime. If you have ever visited a Gaming convention chances are there was a lot of Anime merchandise available and Anime cosplayers around.
The Gaming culture
Gaming has grown over the years and the industry is one of the fastest growing industries at the moment eclipsing the Movie and Music Industry. In 2016 gaming was good for $91 billion in revenues. A lot of this is thanks to mobile gaming which has attracted a lot of non-gamers to partake in gaming on their mobile devices.
Gaming used to be something only for diehard PC gamers and Console enthusiast but the public has over time accepted gaming as an entertainment media.
Just look at the success of the Wii that had a lot of non-gamers buying a console because of the Wii sports and fitness games.
Most households (almost 60% in the US) own a device that can play games, this number would even be higher if we include smart phones.
)The Anime movement
You can read more about Anime in one of my previous posts. Originating from Japan the popularity of Anime has gradually been rising in Western countries. Now that Anime is more easily obtainable, the number of Anime fans has been growing at a steady pace. More and more Anime is shown on TV and available on sites like Netflix and Amazon.
In 1996 Disney closed a deal with Ghibli studios who are well-known for their anime movies Spirited away, Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo, this deal can be seen as recognition from Hollywood Studios for the success of Anime. A lot of american studios are also adopting the anime style, Avatar is perhaps the best example of a western anime-like show. But the "real" anime still comes from Japan with a total of 430 studios like Ghibli and Toei studios.
Another part of of the Japanese culture is Manga, these are the comics starring Anime characters
The crossover
With Japan being a big player in gaming it is no surprise that a lot of games have anime influences or are based on Anime shows. Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Dragon ball, all have their own games, but there are also a lot of RPG (role playing) games that are Anime-style drawn. Nier Automata is a prime example of a recent game that is Anime to its core. Even games like Street fighter have been using a more Anime art style. Just compare Ken from Street fighter II and his latest rendition in Street fighter HD remix.
But the opposite is also true. Anime studios have been using more gaming elements in their shows. The very popular show Sword Art Online is about a role playing VR game were the players get stuck in the Virtual Reality world of the game and have to complete the game to escape. To make things worse death in the Virtual world also means death in the real world. If you are a gamer you will love the show just based on how the gaming aspects are incorporated in the story. It is obvious that the show was made by real gaming fans and not by Hollywood producers who still to this day are not able to make a good show or Movie about gaming.
It is apparent that Anime Studios have a better understanding about gaming than Hollywood studios and maybe this is one of the reasons why gamers and Anime fans like to attend the same conventions.
Other examples of good Anime-Gaming shows I have seen recently are "Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon" and "Log Horizon".
The people
Gaming conventions are the best place to see some awesome cosplay of both games and anime. The merchandise stands sell both anime and game related items. Even if you are a gamer but not into anime or into anime but not into gaming, attending either a Anime or Gaming convention will be a fun experience.
I recently attended Animecon in The Hague (Netherlands) and to my surprise they had a whole section dedicated to gaming with retro consoles and arcade cabinets. At Gamescom in Germany (which I will be attending again this year), Anime fans and Gamers mix together and are often one and the same.
)The Future
The future for both Anime and Gaming looks bright. The gaming industry is growing and becoming more mainstream, because of this I think that Anime will also become more mainstream. Already a lot of Anime Art is being copied in the West and more people will discover Anime for the Art form that it is. The two are connected that much is certain, a lot of this has to do with Japan, the country that at the moment is the most influential on the gaming market and the origin of Anime.
I'll leave you with a scene of an American show that has some great Anime influenced scenes: Boondocks
Anime fan, Gamer or both? Let me know in the comment section
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