Nintendo
BioWare Speaks on The Decline of JRPGs
Japanese role-playing games don’t command the respect that they once had. But, why is that? BioWare, a leader in Western RPG development, believes that Japanese role-playing games don’t innovate, meaning that “lack of evolution” is the reason for the JRPG decline, in both sales and quality.
“The fall of the JRPG in large part is due to a lack of evolution, a lack of progression,” BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk told Destructoid last week. “They kept delivering the same thing over and over. They make the dressing better, they look prettier, but it’s still the same experience”.
“My favorite thing, it’s funny when you still see it, but the joke of some of the dialogue systems where it asks, ‘do you wanna do this or this,’ and you say no. ‘Do you wanna do this or this?’ No. ‘Do you wanna do this or this?’ No. Lemme think — you want me to say ‘yes.’ And that, unfortunately, really characterized the JRPG.”
“We have big debates on whether GTA is an RPG, for example”, he adds. “It’s got all the elements, it just doesn’t have the numbers. And what gamers here want is that higher depth, that higher integration of features…Mass Effect 2 is in some ways a continuation of that evolution.”
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_a.png?x-id=b82b063f-7389-4d34-976b-ceada48ce699 "BioWare Speaks on The Decline of JRPGs")
More News
Discussion
View Comments for “BioWare Speaks on The Decline of JRPGs”
Post a comment
Categories
Recent Comments
- Internet Marketing Services on Duke Nukem: D-Day Teased, New Duke Nukem Title?
- Matt on PAX 2010: Mortal Kombat’s Shadows Are Disturbed
- M.m on Nickelodeon Announces New Avatar Series, The Legend of Korra
- M.m. on Nickelodeon Announces New Avatar Series, The Legend of Korra
- Bathroom Sink Vanities on Activision Confirms Call of Duty 2010
I still enjoy JRPGs. The lack of innovation doesn't bother me at all.
I agree. It's just that, as Zeschuk said, there are somethings in JRPGs that haven't changed from last generation.
Dude the graphics totaly ROCK on that game.
RT
http://www.online-invisibility.net.tc
and yet you still have trouble telling if the character is male or female…
that game is Lost Odyssey, one of the better RPGs I've played of this generation.
I agree with Bioware, but I'll still play almost any JRPG you throw my way.
I scarcely remember when I last played a JRPG. Was it Tactics Ogre? Summon Sword? Does Super Robot Taisen count? What I liked about them back then was the effort taken to flesh out the characters involved. Character development, some will call it. Nowadays I just enjoy whatever Bioware magically produces.
i really think the problem isnt just on the jrpg's, if you look into the other genres, say even some big hitters like RE5, which is an action adventure game, they prettied up the game without really changing any base elements or control changes from the first PlayStation game……that and every jrpg has set character growth more or less…..Bethesda ftw
I felt a little ressent in this guy speech, cause bioware never make something as beautiful as Chrono Cross or as genius and innovative as Persona 3. All bioware has done till now is big huge ugly worlds with a lot of things to click on. (Except the great KOTOR.)
I'd have to say you're being a little opinionated with what you're saying there. I would hardly say persona 3 was “genius” or “innovative”. It was simply a dating sim patched into the persona 2 battle frame. In fact, I thought 3 was lackluster compared to others in the series, despite the amount of time I spent playing on it.
I'd have to disagree with you and say that BioWare has the right idea. With the amount of games out there nowadays you need to have something new or special, not just the same as 3000 other games from different developers.
:/
WRPG's will be stale one day as well, from what it looks like, but JRPG's haven't really advanced from last generation.
While I understand what the underlying message is, I don't really respect where it's coming from. Bioware has lousey User Interface Controls and just as rudimentary storytelling methods as any jrpg I've played. Having a sex scene in a game doesn't make it mature or suggest character development, it only cheapens and helps sell to sexually repressed individuals.
He's also stereotyping jrpgs, considering that the majority of games on the market fall under this criteria. Not to be unexpected considering this is also the same company to release an asian influenced game with a made up language to “sound asian” (Jade Empire). Yeah, Bioware continues to evolutionize games with bigotry, I look forward to seeing something less ignorant.
A good game will speak for itself, not with some cheap PR tactics.
I agree, this game didn't really get hyped and not many people know about it yet I find it amazing!
Zeschuk's comments just show his bias, in fact he's dead wrong. Bioware is at least equally guilty as any JRPG series of lack of innovation, if not MORE so. A lot of Bioware's games have very similar elements. Dragon Age has very little in the way of gameplay innovations over Baldur's Gate, the “new” system they came up with is very similar to the old DnD system, and the “new” fantasy world is very similar to generic Tolkien style fantasy. There's very little about Dragon Age that is innovative. Even Bio Ware's star wars game has a lot in common with Baldur's gate.
Bioware is basically just making the same couple of games over and over, just with prettier graphics. They are completely guilty of what they claim JRPGs do.
If anything, it's JRPGs that win in innovation. There are a ton of different battle systems spread out among the various JRPGs, some turn based, some action based, some interesting hybrids. Just the Final Fantasy series alone has evolved far more than any Bioware game, in terms of coming up with new battle systems and character development systems. Persona 3 is a lot different from Persona 2. JRPGs tend to have more creative character designs, world designs that aren't just based off of Tolkien stereotypes, more interesting stories, and MUCH better art design.
The strength of WRPGs is just a couple of things: more character customization, and less linearity. But these qualities are heavily overrated by American game designers. More character customization means you are turning over the character designs to the player, which is not always a good idea. If you want better quality character designs, you're better off leaving it in the hands of professionals. Less linearity in storytelling and branching story, which great for replay value, is functionally irrelevant the first playthrough, and the downside is diluting the storytelling elements. There more branching paths there are, the harder it is to make them all interesting. Of course, I think Bioware realizes this, which is why most of the myriad choices their games appear to give you actually change very little.
JRPGs have thier weaknesses, to be sure. But overall it's American RPGs which are more direly in need of evolution.
Bioware is a bunch of morons…: It's sad too.
To be honest, Lost Oddessy was a MUCH better story, and even game, than their precious Dragon Age. Despite it's faults, it was better.
Bioware hasn't innovated. They're just depserately trying to imitate BG2 – something they basically admitted to – because they can't actually make anything decent anymore. Innovation isn't the key. It's TALENT. :
They have BOTH declined in my mind, because of a general lack of talent. There's more talent int he modding community, most likely, than in Bioware, Bethesda, or any of the major JRPG companies.
Bioware is Canadian, bro.
couldn't agree more JRPG'S have been boring this gen…..
Thank's very good