I've already defined it several times in this thread.  jRPG's are about linear storylines usually with predefined characters, wRPG's are about letting the player run wild with choices and dialogue.  jRPG's usually have a more Eastern cultural feel about them but they don't have to, while wRPG's have a Western cultural feel, but the main distinction is in the way they tell stories and the level of choice given to the player to change that story.

Oh, and no one has answered one of my first questions. If RPG are separated due to their location, why isn't the same done for other gaming genres?

Yes... yes it can! lol

I can say that WRPGs are defined by having a robotic/unemotional character in your party (HK-47, Shale, Legion), and by your definition that would be okay, because some games do, but obviously that's not an okay way to define the whole genre.

@ Kasz

Now you're just pulling stuff out of nothing. There's no evidence whatsoever that people who like SRPGs would prefer WRPGs to JRPGs. In fact that directly contradicts not only the evidence seen in the poll, but your own freaking argument, in which you stated JRPG fans on PS3 include it to boost lists. Well obviously they like the damn game or they wouldn't include it, and they certainly wouldn't be grouping it with JRPGs.

As far as WRPGs being tactical/strategic, the only one that's beein in the last 4 years that was remotely good is Dragon Age, which isn't even tactical on consoles cause they removed all of that for controller limitations. Of course there are western strategy RPGs... there are western Action RPGs too, and even western Turn-Based RPGs. JRPGs are RPGs with linear story, pre-defined characters, and Japanese-style content, which differs enormously from the style of content found in Western games. All Strategy JRPGs share this.

As far as "none of these games being mentioned on JRPG lists before Valkyria" I suggest searching back through the old forum lists from 2007 or so. I believe you'll find you're grossly mistaken. I remember stickball making a 360 JRPG list which included that awful Zoids SRPG game.

Also you never answered my question about Resonance of Fate. JRPG or not?

While some WRPGs might appear to offer choice, few actually do.

@lestatdark, hence my Jaction and Waction (haha they still sound funny) comment before. I think the whole J/W thing should be completely thrown out. No other genre attempts to classify itself based on things like story or characters, games are typically defined by gameplay. You can go into further detail with whatever other words you want, but in terms of genre, it's pretty damn straight-forward. I don't get why RPGs are different, and what the purpose is. It only serves to confuse people, especially the general populace.

I believe one of the main functions of classifying genre is for new consumers who haven't tried a product to have a general idea of what to expect. I said before "Oh, I like FPS games, so I'm going to check out other games classified as FPS". It won't tell you the quality of the game of course, but it will give you rough idea of what to expect out of the game. JRPG and WRPG are so nebulous that they fail to do this properly, especially with constant debates over what J and W actually/should mean; better off just saying RPG and leaving it at that.

I defined the commonalities, not various format-pushing deviations.

@Tor: You say that "jRPG's are about linear storylines usually with predefined characters" and yet you call my definitions stupid? That's two of my definitions worded in a different way!

So according to you, Ultima, Dragon Stomper, All of the early D&D RPGs like Pool of Radiance, Rogue and Bard's tale are JRPGs.

Many of which actually predated RPGs being made in Japan.

Additionally the Legend of Zelda 2 and MLB Power Pros and pretty much any game with stat progression that doesn't allow much input in the story.

Afterall the only difference between MLB Power Pros and an RPG is that the gameplay is baseball based.

predefined characters as in you can't customize them like at the beginning of ME, not like you're saying that every jRPG has the same characters.  and you idea that the story has little input from the player is fine, but that didn't differentiate your definition from Valkyria

@Kasz

you may giggle at the prospect but I find it a damn sight better then a definition that noone can actually define.  If you refuse to actually provide your own definition for what definingly makes up a jRPG then this is a pretty one sided argument where you'll just tear holes in my definition while staying safe behind a wall of not having a theory of your own besides "people call this a jRPG"

My definition of JRPG is "made up definition to keep apart people who like Final Fantasy linear type games and sandbox games after the explosion of sandbox games popularity due to GTA3 and people getting sick of argueing whether sandbox mechanics were good for giving you more freedom, or bad for making it harder to keep your interest all the way through the story."

I mean, for one more hole in your definition.  Chrono Trigger would be a WRPG. 

It's all irrelvent however.

My general arguement of JRPG is irrelvent though considering I don't consider SRPGs RPGs at all.  Much how I don't consider FPS and TPS the same Genre.

SRPGs can't be JRPGs because no matter what definition you use... they're more different from JRPGS and WRPGS then they are from each other.

SRPGs have pretty much always been their own genre well before this WRPG and JRPG bs started showing up.

JRPG= japanese role playing game

JSRPG= japanese strategy role playing game

it has tons of jrpg elements in it and the art is all jap anime cell shaded,
if you dont consider this some form of jrpg i dunno what is then

Blah! every defenition of JRPG i have ever read says a JRPG is a role playing game made in Japan, no more, no less.