Into a New Era of Japanese Video Games. Overcoming the “Uncanny Valley” with Devil May Cry 5

Abstract

Since its beginning in the mid-seventies, the representation of the human figure has been a constant in video games, and a great deal of effort has been invested in developing systems that bring virtual characters as close to people as possible, a field in which the Japanese industry has been pioneer. Although the continuous improvement of technologies is desirable in an industry in constant evolution such as the video games one, since it theoretically allows a better experience to users, this trend towards a photorealistic representation of the human figure has given rise to a problem on a global scale: many of the characters in video games are disturbing to us because they fall into the “bukimi no tani genshō”, known as “uncanny valley phenomenon” in English, a term that alludes to the instinctive rejection provoked by an artificial being that imitates human appearance. This article aims to analyze the concept of the “uncanny valley” applied to Japanese video games, analyzing Devil May Cry 5 as a case study that has managed to overcome it, or is very close to doing so, thus demonstrating that, thanks to its work ethic and relentless improvement, Japan remains at the forefront of the video game industry.