I said "qualify", which means you would need to explain why they had bad gameplay.

Final Fantasy V is really fun. For gameplay... Galuf is getting mad >:O

so is tactics ogre... though maybe that doesn't count as jrpg.

I don't see how JRPGs are dying at all.

JRPG as a genre has never been at the top of the gaming world, with perhaps the sole exception of FF7.  There are many reasons for that game's success, but they are of little importance here.  What is important is that series like Final Fantasy, Tales, and Dragon Quest, among others, are still going strong today.  But JRPGs have never sold as well as the more accessible action games, which, yes, have better stories these days.  However, they aren't taking anything from JRPGs, as the two genres appeal to a generally different consumer base.

With FF7, JRPGs had 15 minutes at the top, and a lot of people seem to think that, because newer games aren't as big, it means the genre is dying.  Like I said, the game had  a lot of things going for it (the Playstation, for one!), and it's timing and technical accomplishments pushed it to the top.  It's rare for any one game to hit the spotlight like that (like Halo did for the Xbox) so we need to look at the big picture: JRPGs are doing just fine.

There's another point I'd like to bring out, I see games like Final Fantasy VI (3 if you are old enough) and Chrono Trigger have gotten mentioned quite a lot, so maybe and just maybe the JRPG genre actually has remained the same. but It's us that have changed. Allow me to explain.

The JRPG genre was never a mainstream type of game, even when masterpieces like FFVI, Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana were coming out left and right It was games like Doom, Donkey Kong, Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter were all that kids were talking about. there were great games like FF5, Chrono, Secret of Mana, Xenogears, FF Tactics, Suikoden etc, but they weren't breaking records in sales, heck, they weren't even getting the best reviews so Its's not crazy to say that JRPG was more like a cult, very devoted fanbase but not in large amounts.

Secondly, if we're able to remember all these games mentioned above I'm going to assume that we are not 11-12 year old kids, most of us are near our 20s, my theory is perhaps we just dont have the patience, time and dedication an RPG game requires, I mean I put in over 130 hours into my FF6 characters, I did all of Chrono endings, I just dont have that much time anymore, as a matter of fact somedays I dont even get to play, therefore Its hard to stay tuned in the game's story. I have talked to my friends they feel the same way. thats why most people prefer short-story games, very linear, easy to remember firts person shooter types. I still play JRPGS but I just can't get too deep in them now a days. anyway thats just my opinion.

I agree with you for consoles.

I disagree with you for handhelds.

Where the JRPGs fail to match in the former their unique playstyle suits the latter to a T.

P.S. Ghostbusters didn't have a story.

P.P.S. This thread is an exploding barrel.

The turn-based gameplay is a relic and needs to go. This is the only reason, in my humble opinion, why JRPGs lag compared to WRPGs.

Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger, a couple of my faves along with Final Fantasy 6 and Earthbound, were real-time and super awesome. Final Fantasy 6 and Earthbound had such love put into the story and backstory, one was never concerned or fixated on the turn-based aspect.

As for the character stereotypes, each culture has them and they are enlightening and fun to poke fun of when they become overly redundant. For instance, in WRPGs how come every protagonist seems to be some muscle-bound reject anti-hero? How come the women are dressed in their lingerie for their day clothes? Seriously, it can go both ways.

Yep, once JRPGs transition into real-time gameplay, then you will see them back up again.

1) Only own 1 DS JRPG that isnt a port

2) Complain about lack of JRGs this generation

3) ???

4) Profit

This generation has a lot of incredible JRPGs. It compares well to any generation that doesn't include the SNES as one of its consoles.

and killiana, I enjoy turn based rpgs a lot more than real time ones - they allow for a much greater degree of strategy, require more thought and are generally more complicated, harder, and less similar to a beat em up. RPG makers will continue to make a variety, to cater to both me and you.

You could be on to something. Playing Fallout 3 without VATS can be a mighty hairy experience as I would know having put over 200 hours into Fallout 3.

The turn-based I get tired of is your trite "Attack>Magic>Item" formula. Turn-based can work and can be popular (Fallout series), but it needs to incorporate or at least acknowledge real-time gameplay in the battles. For example, allow freedom of movement on the battlefield, but make each decision to attack turn-based.

Placement on the battlefield historically has determined the outcomes of wars and entire tribes. Where one attacks should matter just as important as how many of your party members can cast Ultima. Games should punish you for taking the lowground, choosing to fight in bottlenecks and not "doing it from behind" as they say about rogues in the World of Warcraft.

I'm not gonna say anything about Twesterm's central thesis, but can people at least get past the point that jRPG's are in decline. Decline means they are no longer as popular as they once were, and sales are a metric of that. No matter which you look at, the biggest jRPG series like Final Fantasy XIII compared to X or VII, or the more middling series like Tales, they are almost all in decline. They are selling a lot less than they did in previous generations within Japan and outside of it.

There are notable exceptions like Dragon Quest but they are not enough to change the overall trend. And "I think the RPG's this gen are great" is completely irrelevant to whether or not they are in decline.

If we're talking on consoles than no they're not. What you've failed to take into account is that the costs of producing the games has greatly increased since the NES, SNES & PS1/PS2 days. Whilst sales are either level or lower than in previous gens, the cost to produce these games is much higher, resulting in a lot less profit.

Handhelds, are of course a different story.