By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Gaming - When did JRPGs start going into decline in the West?

JGarret on 25 March 2009

Despite the SNES having JRPG gems such as FFVI and Chrono Trigger, it seems the genre only got its real 'boost' in the West when FFVII was released... back then (in 1997, if I´m not mistaken) the floodgates were opened for this genre in the Western market, and titles like FFVIII, FFIX, and Square games in general got a lot of attention.

The years passed and nowadays anyone familiar with sales charts and apparent trends will say "JRPGs are dying in the West", "JRPGs are a niche market", "WRPGs is where it´s at nowadays"...things like that.

So, here´s the question...at what point in time do you think the West´s interest in JRPGs really started declining?...was it something that was becoming apparent even before this gen started?



Around the Network
Darc Requiem on 25 March 2009

JRPGs have always been a niche market in the West. Part of the reason is a lack of advertising. FFVII proved that with a strong ad campaign JRPGs can sell. The JRPG with the strongest ad campaign in the West this generation was Lost Odyssey. Considering the fact that Lost Odyssey has sold the most of any JRPG in the West thus far, you'd think that Publishers would see the connection and put forth more of an effort.



jlauro on 25 March 2009

As the developers started caring more about the graphics and less about the story, and not making them for the console of choice (the Wii).



Lurker on 25 March 2009

When WRPGs started coming to consoles



jkimball on 25 March 2009
jlauro said:
As the developers started being bought out by Microsoft, caring more about the graphics and less about the story, and not making them for the console of choice (the Wii).

Fixed that for you.  For JRPG to be a success in the west, it has to be a success in the east - that's where the 'advertising' comes from. A good rep in japan leads to sales in west.  Since Microsoft bought the JRPG dev's in Japan the JRPG is dead pretty much everywhere.  We lost a generation of JRPG's due to Microsoft fiddling.

 



Trying to convince me the Wii is a real adult game machine 'if you play it right' is like trying to convince me Tofu tastes great 'if you just cook it right'

Around the Network
Carl on 25 March 2009

When WRPGS started bringing guns + explosions to the table...

Lets face it, the majority of JRPGs this gen have appeared solely on the 360, and the 360s MAIN userbase wants either guns, explosions or both...

Lets see how FF13 does though before we start saying JRPGs are "dead" in the west.



                            

ManusJustus on 25 March 2009
Lurker said:
When WRPGs started coming to consoles

 

 I agree with that.  I use to be big into JRPGs until Morrowind came out for the XBox, ever since I've only played WRPGs.



V-r0cK on 25 March 2009
jkimball said:
jlauro said:
As the developers started being bought out by Microsoft, caring more about the graphics and less about the story, and not making them for the console of choice (the Wii).

Fixed that for you.  For JRPG to be a success in the west, it has to be a success in the east - that's where the 'advertising' comes from. A good rep in japan leads to sales in west.  Since Microsoft bought the JRPG dev's in Japan the JRPG is dead pretty much everywhere.  We lost a generation of JRPG's due to Microsoft fiddling.

 

I'd have to kinda agree with this.

 



student on 25 March 2009

I don't think JRPGs have EVER really been that big in the west outside of FF. So I don't think it's a huge change today.



Pyramid Head on 25 March 2009

i think the decline started after ff7, when they just started porting EVERYTHING regardless of quality



Last year's game of the year turned out to be Silent Hill : Shattered Memories (online GOTY was COD 6).  This year's GOTY leader to me is Heavy Rain.

Wii Friend Code: 4094-4604-1880-6889