Hudson On Where <cite>Bomberman</cite> Went Wrong

Game Developer's Brandon Sheffield presents this week a massive interview with key figures at the US division of Hudson. There's lots in there if you're interested in the past, present, and future of the company, but I was most interested to hear why, exactly, Bomberman Act Zero was such a mess:

The problem is, I think, when you look at the way the Japanese intended the game to be marketed, and how it was marketed, there is a disconnect. And I think it’s an unfortunate thing that happened, because Japanese Hudson and Konami U.S. don't speak to each other. So that needed to be properly explained, because the game is made as a multi?player battle game, which is what the Japanese Hudson people thought American people really wanted.
Mind you, the game is really made for the Japanese market, but they do look to see what American tastes are. So I think, basically, without knowing those key selling points, then the message was lost...

I'm not so sure the blame can be placed entirely on the US marketing for this one. The fact that the Japanese makers of the game were taking wild guesses on what would sell in America based on stereotypes and shaky logic is probably more of an issue. I thought this way of thinking went out with Pogs.

Hudson's Revenge [Gamasutra]