Why is anime synonymous with gaming?

[the7k]

They are two different creatures that happen to have many shared fans. Video game and Anime creators recognized this, and thus you see a lot of references in one medium to another. For instance, one of my favorite anime franchises is Slayers, which is a clear parody of the RPG genre.

In my opinion, it's not to dissimilar to Comic Books and Video Games, or Comic Books/Anime and Pen & Paper Role Playing Games, or Comics/Anime/Games/P&PRPGs and Collectible Card Games. Whoever makes these products recognizes the overlap, thus they create products meant to capitalize on this overlap, which then creates even more overlap.

[Ack]

I don't care much for anime anymore, though I used to be into it. There are still certain films and shows that I'll go back and watch, but at this point they're pretty much classics, works like Akira, Ghost in the Shell, or Record of Lodoss War.

Since the mid-80s, Japan has dominated the video game market, with western companies really only making headway again in the last decade. With Japanese video games came references to Japanese pop culture, especially the anime and manga fads that had been continuously growing in popularity. This style was exported along with the games, and was often used in cutscenes, still shots, or sprite work in many games. It's helped mold the two together in many Westerners' eyes. And in some cases, famous artists would be hired to do character design for games. Consider Chrono Trigger and Dragon Warrior, for instance.

Now, just because you enjoy an anime or like video games doesn't make you an Otaku, just like enjoying Star Trek doesn't automatically make you a Trekkie. Just because you like video games, you're not necessarily into anime.

[Jrecee]

I can't stand it for the most part.

[Upsidedown Fuji]

Anime needs good advertising and marketing and the same goes for games. So they both compliement each other. If the game is big enough, there most likely an anime that compliments it. This was especially true before 2000.

In my experience, games led me to the crack that is known as anime. For a good chunk of my teens and up till my mid 20s I collected a butt-ton of anime DVDs and video casettes.

But my nerd roots were always firmly grounded in games and that's what I've gone back to focusing on. My anime tastes have fallen a bit and I no longer feel the need to catch up or stay current. My tastes in games and anime art style will forever be stuck in the late 80s to 90s.

[aaron]

It seems like nearly every gamer is an anime fan. While many are everything Japanese fans as well. I don't have anything against it but I am just curious why they seem to go hand in hand.

japan.

[DCsegaDH]

Sometimes it goes together, but I don't really like anime. I use to watch a little bit of DragonballZ on Toonami, but I didn't get why these people are floating and yelling. The main reason I don't watch it because their is only one channel that shows it and its on Cartoonnetwork(Adultswim) really late.

[Luke]

It seems like nearly every gamer is an anime fan.

Put me in the "Not An Anime Fan" category.

[Octopod]

I've come to realize that I fucking hate most japanese shit. Maybe it is all just way played out on the internet to the point that it annoys me I guess.

[Octopod]

Actually, I would like to qualify that statement and say that I still love Japanese harcore punk.

[IcKy99]

Actually, I would like to qualify that statement and say that I still love Japanese harcore punk.

They do produce some of the noisiest and coolest hardcore bands