RolStoppable said:
It has been a theme for many years that it's hard to establish new IPs in Japan, so what sells are old IPs and games based on licenses like anime tie-ins. However, the specific problem with Xenoblade is that it targets people who are already fans of JRPGs, so its sales potential is inherently limited. Dragon Quest has been consistently successful over the generations because it is a solid baseline for the JRPG genre. If it is the first JRPG you ever play, it's no problem at all. The mechanics, rulesets and progression are straightforward and don't put any pressure on the player, so everyone can go at the pace that suits them best. On the other hand, Xenoblade can overwhelm even experienced players with its rules, the size of its world and the amount of choices. The developers of Xenoblade are also no strangers to doing too much; after all, their Xenosaga got reduced to three games instead of the originally planned six because of the lack of success. While a game like Xenoblade will be highly regarded among enthusiasts, it simply lacks the appeal to a broader base. That's why a port to the 3DS, a system with a strong JRPG fanbase, didn't make a notable difference to sales either. |
I completely agree. People jump at those bigger IPs because they're easier to get into and familiarity with it gives the consumer a bit of confidence that they'll be able to enjoy it. Games can be in the same genre, but appeal to a completely different base. Xenoblade is a good example of one of the low/mid level JRPGs.
