barcode butler：Learning about Japanese gaming history from success and failure

1991spring of the year、A toy was introduced that sent Japanese children into a frenzy at the time.。That is "Barcode Butler"。An elementary school student yelled to his friends while holding snacks he had just bought at the supermarket.。

“The barcode of this candy、Looks like there will be some really strong characters! Let's compete!”

Generate characters by scanning the barcodes of sweets and daily necessities.、A novel system that allows them to fight、Captured the hearts of children in an instant。Its popularity is、So much so that there are national competitions and a dedicated manga is serialized.。at that time、Despite the heyday of video games、This simple game caused a huge boom.。

but、This explosive hit came to an end after just two years.。Barcode Butler successes and failures、その背後にはどのような教訓があったのでしょうか？

成功の理由：シンプルさと創造力を刺激するゲーム性

バーコードバトラーが成功した要因は、There are two major ones.。

1. 想像力を刺激する独自のゲーム性

バーコードバトラーの最大の魅力は、Generate characters and items by reading the barcodes of familiar products.、It's a simple mechanism to fight based on those numbers.。The LCD screen of the main unit shows the life force (HP).、Attack power (ST)、Only the defensive power (DF) number is displayed.、No flashy graphics。nevertheless、Based on the character design and story described in the manual、Children draw their own stories behind the numbers.、We expanded our play。

Also、The manga ``Barcode Fighter'', which was serialized in CoroCoro Comic and Shogakukan's school year magazine, also boosted its popularity.。This results in、Barcode Butler's worldview is further fleshed out.、Every time the children pick up a product, they become excited and wonder, ``What kind of character is hidden in this barcode?''。

2. お宝探しのような発掘性

もう一つの成功要因は、It's a treasure hunt-like element that says, "The strongest barcode may be hidden somewhere."。Food and magazines around the house、This mechanism turns the barcodes of everyday items into key items in the game.、Succeeded in bringing special experiences into everyday life。

Children are seen searching for ``strong-looking barcodes'' on product shelves at supermarkets and stores.、It was even reported as one of the social phenomena of the time.。

Reasons for decline：解析と競争の壁

わずか2年でバーコードバトラーが衰退した理由も明確です。It mainly boils down to the following two points.。

1. バーコード解析による魅力の喪失

初期のバーコードバトラーは、You won't know what character will be generated until you read the barcode. “feeling of excitement” was attractive。but、Over time, the mechanism of barcodes will be analyzed.、Strategy information such as ``If this number is included, a strong character will appear'' was spread in magazines and strategy books.。

the result、The fun and serendipity of reading barcodes has diminished.、The excavability that was the essence of the game has been lost.。moreover、Unscrupulous businesses selling strong barcodes have also appeared.、It had a negative impact on the image of the game.。

2. 類似品の登場と競争激化

1992Year、Bandai has released "Super Barcode Wars"。While following almost the basic system of Barcode Butler、Collaborating with popular content such as Dragon Ball and Gundam、Added more charm。Due to the emergence of this competition、Barcode Butler gradually lost market share。

Also、Epoch itself has released new versions of Barcode Butler one after another.、Improvements that lacked novelty were unable to regain user interest.。

ゲーム業界への影響とその後

バーコードバトラーの斬新なアイデアは、It had a huge impact on the later gaming industry.。A typical example is the PlayStation game "Monster Farm" released in 1997.。In this game、Adopts a system that generates monsters by reading music CDs.、barcode butler “Results vary depending on what you load” We are carrying on the idea of。

Others、"Vibli Ribbon" which converts music CDs into stages、``Absolute Pitch Otoda Master'', which generates characters by inputting sounds, etc.、A number of games have appeared that appear to be inspired by Barcode Battler。

2005In the year、A company licensed by Epoch has reprinted Barcode Butler 2 as a mobile app.、Only available on limited platforms、It didn't become a big topic。nevertheless、Barcode Butler's achievements in gaming history will never fade.。

lesson：ブランドの維持と独自性の重要性

バーコードバトラーの成功と失敗から学べる教訓は、The importance of brand maintenance and uniqueness。Even once a successful product、Clarify the difference from the competition、If we don't continue to evolve, we may lose market support.。

By using modern technology、It will be possible to provide a new experience that combines barcode scanning games using smartphones and AR technology.。The day may come when we can once again revive the sense of excitement that children felt back then.。

barcode butler、It ended after just two years of boom.、Its innovation and enthusiasm are still passed down to this day.。you too、in everyday life “treasure” を探してみませんか？

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