Introduction
I will be doing an analysis of the website Grasshopper
Manufacture a video game developer from Japan headed by the enigmatic Suda 51.
I chose to analyse their website as they are quite out there in terms of the
characters and ideas in their games, also the site is quite different from the
average devs websites you come across. I will discuss their style and decisions
they have made in terms of the visual and written content. I’ll also talk about
the differences between Grasshopper and their competitors.
Visuals
When you first go to the website you immediately see the
Grasshopper Manufacture logo which in itself is quite visually striking set over
the top of a jacquard design in the background . their logo is quite distinct and is well in
line with the eccentric and quirky nature of this boutique studio.
Just below there are two buttons, one for the English website
and one for the Japanese. The next thing you see is to the right of that which
is a video link for a trailer of their current game in development.
Below that are more buttons to their Japanese and English social
network accounts and under those are more links to past games they’ve made and
some other information they find important for quick access.
Upon clicking on the English button you’re taken to the real website. Immediately you are drawn
to the central graphic logo of their latest published title“killer is dead”(which
is a direct link to the official Killer Is Dead website loveandkill.com) white font
logo in front of a red moon in amongst a large splashing of what looks like black
ink or blood, then the striking yellow and black buttons that jut from the lower
left side catch your eye.
These give you direction or points of interest such as their
products, about the company, news and their store. These two striking points of colour are
framed with buttons and information such as the site map contact info and
social media links.
The site scrolls from left to right and has a urban street/graffiti
feel to it, Which will appeal to their main audience of males aged 16-35 years
old..
When moused over a picture of the boxart pops out bringing some colour to the
page. This can be clicked to take you to more information on the title. All this is set
out clearly and easy to read.
The site has a grungy feel to it which much like their games
are graphic in nature, dark, mature. As you scroll through the pages colour
photos make an appearance and are welcome sight. You can either click buttons
to move briskly to places of interest or use the scroll button on your mouse
either way works fine. They have roughly 11 screens of information and it is easy
to jump to or get where you want to quickly.
Text
There are more than 6 different types of fonts used
throughout the site.
A lot of headings litter the site with little arrows pointing
out things or directions and links to more information. On the main page the
main menu which follows you as you scroll on the bottom left has a large black
cargo font set against a yellow background, aiding navigation.
On the products page which spans two pages it features
stencil art logos of the all their developed games in black ink with titles
under each, laid out in case the game the logo represents is instantly apparent
.
Orange font is used in places throughout and on the sitemap
page which is a good choice as it stands out well against the off white stained
papery look of the backgrounds. Despite the overuse of fonts it all ties in
together and works for the site. Things are clear and you can get where you
need to.
The Other Guys
Its hard to come up with a competitor for Grasshopper
Manufacture because they are very different by Japanese standards and according
to their CEO/Game Director/Games Designer
Goichi Suda aka Suda 51 their philosophy is “ ..to create games that
reflect the spirit of punk music: games that inspire, games that challenge the
norms, and games that provide a truly unique experience..”
I ended up going with Capcom who are one of the other
developers who publish and develop a range or titles.
Right off the bat the Capcom website is vastly grey and
clinical and very clean compared to that of Grasshopper Manufacture and their
logo is Massive situated at the very top and to the left of the middle.
Just next to that on the right is world map. Below are
button in the Capcom colours of blue and yellow which take you to any one of
the many different Capcom branches worldwide. To the right is a blurb on who
they are and what they do. Here they point out their more than 25 year history
and you can tell they are very much “you know who we are” and “..we’re kind of
a big deal” worldwide not just in Japan. It’s a standard website homepage.
Once you click on the Capcom Japan page you see the Japanese
version again clean cut but with a lot more of their signature blue and yellow
that their logo is made up of. Lots of blue headings and some very colourful
imagery on the front cover highlighting new and popular games. The site scrolls
vertically compared to the Grasshopper Manufacture site and is very easy to get
around to clean cut. Between the two sites you can see their differences in
traditional Japanese developer with history and an image to uphold and smaller
boutique Japanese developer wanting to buck trends and let loose.
By the comparison the Capcom USA was much the same. Clean,
accessible, clutter free and clear.
Both Studios have their image where Grasshopper Manufacture
choose to more closely mirror their philosophy and games and Capcom going for
the more cleancut safer more universal appeal look. Even though their best
selling games are the ones aimed at the same Male 16-35 demographic.
In Conclusion
he’s on parade and Grasshopper Manufacture is his float.
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