As much i like open world game ( Skyrim,Fallout & GTA ) at other times i like game that are linear or game that give a bit of freedom ( Deus Ex,The Last Of Us,Metal Gear Solid ) cause mainly a lot of linear game offer better stroyline than open world game does.

FF13 was hugely bashed and suffered big due to its insane linearity.  If all JRPG's were like FF13, then it would not have gotten bashed for being so linear, thus horrible example.  FF13 is like the exeption to JRPG's.

And no open world is not the future.  This topic is degrading and just plain stupid.  Might as well go into any other medium and say that all books HAVE to be murder mystery.   Or all movies have to be chick flicks.  Or all sports must be tackle football, just cause you like that the best.

I do think non-linearity benefits certain games and genres, but I feel that if they focus on a "jack-of-all trades" type of game without any main genre feature that all of the features would be poorly done. That's the limitation of some open-world games. Nevertheless, more non-linear games are welcome.

Until procedural generation becomes the next big thing in game development, no. Big worlds are expensive to create otherwise, and so is adding different methods of gameplay. Everything needs to be designed, implemented, and balanced. It's not a small effort.

The fable series didn't define open world gaming at all. It had terrible open world elements.

I love open world games but i don' they are the next big thing.

something like batman AC or zelda would be perfect.

I just want my PS1 ;__;

Jack of all trades, Master of none: the videogame

They are going to be a big part of the future, yes. The only problem is that they take a lot of time and money to do well.

Fallout 3/NV are the pinnacle, for me. So many things to do, places to go, stuff to find. On the other hand, I'm playing Far Cry 3 right now and I'm sick to death of tigers and jungle. The story is good but it's lacking in variety. That's a big challenge for open-world games, especially realistic ones.

As far as JRPGs go, most are quite linear, though they often fool people into thinking they are not. It kind of amuses me when people bash FF XIII for that when many others JRPGs, like FF VII, were much the same.

Linear games definitely have their place. Open world games can be fantastic but they can also be boring. If a developer can't do an open world game justice then they should probably look into making it a more controlled experience.

Now, that being said, Fallout 4 is my most anticipated game. It should be glorious.

Am I the only one who prefers linear games?