Wada: Japanese gaming is at crossroads

Square Enix president Yoichi Wada doesn't like the way the Japanese game industry operates, according to a report from Japanese business news outlet Nikkei BP. Nikkei BP reported on an informal discussion held by Japan's Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association trade group, in which Wada (who is also chairman of the organization) had some strong words for his peers.

"We are approaching a crossroads that will determine whether or not [gaming] can be established as an industry," Wada warned.

Games, along with manga and anime, comprise some of Japan's most important entertainment exports. However, despite the soaring popularity of handheld consoles and healthy first semester this business year, Wada believes the industry hangs in the balance, according to Nikkei BP. His concerns are based on the fact that the industry in Japan has little in the way of standards for dealing with various routine functions, including project management, team building, and human-resource management.

Wada also blasted Japan's game industry for not attracting the IT specialists it needs.

"In the US, the game industry is a very desirable employment destination that attracts the talented technical specialists," he is quoted as saying, noting the need for people well versed in fields like network infrastructure and operational administration. "Technology is indispensable to innovation in games. It isn't everything, but it's the means for producing new [games]. Innovation that isn't grounded in technology is inconceivable."