One game, no matter how big, will never make an entire genre. Despite what crazed fans and the media say, even FFVII didn't make all JRPGs (or we should say console RPGS) popular in the west. It was a combination of FFVII with the rise of many other RPGs arriving from Japan. And people are putting too much importance on FFXIII in the same way, because people associate Final Fantasy as the 'first and last popular Japanese RPG in America'.
What will help JRPGs overall? The same thing that helps sell any game. Advertising, hype and a steady supply of units. And as of yet, only a few Japanese RPG series have attempted to do this in the west, with mixed results. But most don't ever attempt the most vital and core part of the strategy, marketing. And as a result, see their game/series sell lackluster overall.
Its a fitting example that SquareEnix itself is a prime example of how long-term marketing, hype and steady progression of units (games) can build a franchise, making Final Fantasy the most popular JRPG in the west. Whereas the lack of any of these for a given time will cause the sales and popularity of a series to slip (see Dragon Quest, Mana, Front Mission, etc). Its not hard to see why games like Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Pokemon and Tales are popular...its because they have massive advertising behind them. While other JRPGs don't.
twesterm said:
Ah, well, in that case the Final Fantasy series is what is killing the JRPG's then. It's not that they're bad, it's that they are setting the bar too high. SE can handle taking five years to make an insanely high budget game but when FFXIII is released, good or bad, a bar on the look of the game will be set. JRPG's are a funny breed because gameplay doesn't matter so that means the game relies on graphics, story, and characters. Since you cannot see story and characters (well, character design I guess, but whatever) that means people are left to look at graphics. Lets jump back for a second-- look at your general shooter game, a major genre these days. There are without a doubt some shooters that look better than others, but the major ones are all in the same league. The ones that aren't are instantly compared to those top tier ones and seen as inferior. If you don't keep up with the cutting edge game or beat it in some way, you get no attention and do not sell. Ok, so knowing that lets jump back to JRPG's. SE with their infinite budget and dev time are free to complete their graphical masterpiece. You see a commercial and see their quality in their graphics and instantly know that's going to be good. Looking at almost any other non SE RPG it's instantly apparent they do not meet that bar. Since those other non-SE JRPG's cannot meet that bar, they are instantly in the lower tier of an already low tier genre. That's the first major strike. The next major strike is to even make a modest JRPG it's a huge budget. It's hard to make a AAA game and it's hard to find someone to fund a AAA game. If they do fund that game, they want something that they know is going to sell. This doesn't really have anything to do with SE, but, JRG's don't traditionally sell well because, as you said, they are in need of a revival. So the fact that SE is setting the bar so unrealististly high and the fact the genre is already a high risk, RPG's are no longer on the forefront. They are doomed to sit in the background with the point and click adventures. |
I find your whole example hillarious. Seeing as how, like most people, you seem to consider Final Fantasy to be the pinnacle of Japanese RPGs. I guess because of its production values as that's your main point. As if everyone thinks this and all developers are just focused on either copying or toppling it.
I think you forget where nearly all Japanese RPGs are aimed at. Oh...the Japanese.
The #1 JRPG in Japan is: Dragon Quest (IX Currently). The complete opposite game compared to Final Fantasy. If anything, more JRPGs would be trying to copy that formula that Final Fantasy, simply because its more popular and less costly to do so. But second of all, if you actually looked around...like 90% of JRPGs are on DS or PSP. Why is 'the bar' set only by a game on the PS3 focused on graphics. Which seemingly is taking most of its ideas and source material from previous Final Fantasy games I may add?
If aything, FFXIII is going to be released and Japan is going to obsess over it for a few months, then go right back to playing DQIX, Monster Hunter 3 and Pokemon Gold/Silver. And America....it'll probably make an even weaker splash and get phased out by the next big FPS or action title.
I will agree with one thing though. Final Fantasy is killing the JRPG. But in America. Because 1) the avg 'JRPG' fan thinks its the end all of JRPGs and yet is growing tired of the series and 2) Because SquareEnix is running the series into the ground with endless sequels, prequels and spin-offs (there's been arounf 45+ 'Final Fantasy' games released in just this gen alone).
Six upcoming games you should look into:
