Khuutra said:
There's two perspectives here... well, three. One of them is the one we currently hold.
1. "RPG" in video games as a genre is defined by being derived from the play mechanics of tabletop strategy games (which are also the roots of D&D). The genre here is mechanical, as genres in video games must be. They are not role-playing games in the Dungeons and Dragons sense because you can't make our own story or interact with the "dungeon master", and the fact that some of them try to approximate this experience doesn't change the fact that they invariably fall short. That said, "RPG" is still a valid genre label because it means somehting different in this context than it does in tabletop gaming.
2. "RPG" in video games are defined by taking on the role and making choices for your character, being able to define your own personality and act according to your whims. In this case he is right, JRPGs are not RPGs in this sense - most of th time. But WRPGs often aren't, either. Persona 4 is very much an RPG, as is something like Fallout, but KotOR and Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest don't qualify.
3. "RPG" in video games is determined by the act of takking a role in a game and making choices and progressing within that role - sort of an absolutely ltieral interpretation of the term "role playing game" rather than a genre moniker. Harvest Moon, Gears of War, Mother - lots and lots and lots of video games qualify under this. Almsot everything does. Tetris doesn't.
He's operating according to the second definition, here. There's nont anything wrong with that except where you could probably accuse him of hypocrisy |
what is this KotOR of which you speak? at first I thought you were talking about Knights of the old republic but that doesn't make sense because you use it as an example of a game that doesn't allow the player to make character choices and define their personality at a whim. Knights of the old republic did allow you to do all those things, you got to chose you characters gender, appearance, personality (light side/ dark side etc), what characters join your party, what combat style you use (force user, light sabers or even a blaster user).
OT: I kinda agree with him most JRPGs don't really fit in some definitions of an RPG (doesn't stop them being good games) and most of the definitions that they do fit would fit almost any modern game TBH.
