Welcome

Final Fantasy XIII (FFXIII) on Sunday January 17th didn't go all that well. Viewership never really went above 1 person at a time. It was FFXIII! I expected a bunch of people! I may have to rethink how I do streaming a bit in response to this. I'm thinking of doing a weekly or bi-weekly show that goes for maybe 3-4 hours in the afternoon/evening on a weekday. Let me know what YOU think I should do! Please follow Playongo.com on Facebook or my twitter account in order to stay up to date.

Welcome to Playongo.

This is not a Japanese RPG page, though I talk about those. It's not a quirky Japanese game page, although I talk about those too. It's not an examination of the Japanese gaming industry, although I do that sometimes. It's all about Japanese gaming; what makes it different, fun, unique, and how YOU can enjoy it!

Don't expect to find the usual here. I go out of my way to show you the best and most interesting games from Japan. Allow me to introduce you to games that you've never heard of before and more importantly, explain why you should care. I ask questions that deserve asking and consider what the answers are. I wonder how Japanese gamers differ from American gamers and why. I wonder why Japanese game companies make the games they do. I want to consider these issues and share my thoughts with you.

I do not give games a score. A number with no consistent measure is meaningless. Instead I talk about; what elements are good or bad about a game, what makes it interesting, and most of all, what makes it Japanese. I do not critisize a game for catering to a fan base, on the contrary I find it refreshing. After all I'm a fan of some things and I bet you are too! I do not discuss whether I think a game is worth purchasing but rather what is fun about the game and why YOU might be interested in a game so you can make an informed decision of your own. You know what you like and what you don't like. A lack of quality English language resourses about Japanese games should not prevent you from exploring fun games that are out of the ordinary.

If you are new to Japanese games there are resources here to help you get started. If you are wondering if there are any games aside from first-person shooters, action, racing, and sports titles, I can assure you there are and you will learn about them here. If you are looking for games that are not violent I can help you find them and help you determine if they are what you are looking for. If do not speak Japanese and want to have an easier time playing Japanese games, I can help you.

You'll find information here about Japanese games specifically geared toward YOU, the English speaking gamer. The topics of discussion include games on any game console, but I naturally tend to focus on the Playstation and some PC games. Take a look at the covereage of Japanese PS3, PSP, and PS2 games as well as other games that I think you will find interesting.

So read on, game on, and play on!