@Riachu

However two of those games were developed by a very well known developer, and sequels of well established and known franchises. The first game was also released in the early stages of the gen too, without having to deal with the cluster fuck we have in Q4 and Q1 this time. Fallout 3 was also being sold to shooter fans who were dissapointed when they found out they weren't playing a standard FPS.

I don't think those two games selling well are an indication of the entire genre's growth. I mean, JRPGs have been doing crap, but I don't think looking at Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest's sales alone are a good indication of the genre's health.

I'm surprised you didn't mention Fable II though.

I thought that was why people liked it.  Because it wasn't a shooter they thought it was.

WRPGs have become increasingly popular because theyve also become increasingly simple.

Oblivion came out at the beginning of the gen and was one of the most impressive games out, then the fact that its very accessible, it was a huge hit.

Thats why games like ME, Fable 2 and Fallout 3 have done well. Like JRPGs, it took one game to make it a popular genre (FFVII).

No, they've been in decline. There's nowhere near as many recent WRPGs as there were 5 years ago. Fallout 3 and Oblivion had great sales, The Witcher too, but there are so little wrpg releases that I don't think it compensates.

The problem is that since wrpgs are usually bigger and much more fleshed than the average game, it kinda scares indie developers because many of them don't have the time or staff to work on such extensive works, so they choose less harsh genres for their games. Another reason might be that many RPG developers migrated to work on MMOs, where the real money is now. Even Bioware and Bethesda want to bank alot on MMOs.

And FYI, The Elder Scrolls already was mainstream before Oblivion.

How much drugs do you have to take for what amount of time to reach this point?  WRPGs have been setting the bar for over a three decades.  From the days of Bards Tales, Wizardry, and Might and Magic to the 90s Baldur's Gate and Dagger Fall... and I don't think I have to mention the steller line up of games that have come out this decade.  While Japan has kept the same base characters in their RPGs for years with few chances ever taken.

they did get a shooter... you don't have to use the vats system...and stats have been in many FPSes dating all the way back to the mid 90s.

See, I find this very funny. It's laughable to dimiss a new main Final Fantasy title.

i didnt like fallout 3 that much, oblivion was and is for me the best wrpg i have ever played. lost odyssey is the best jrpg. fable 2 going to play that sometime next month.

Soriku said: Undying said: Munkeh111 said: Yeah, but you are then making your Japanese install base tiny and damaging the strength of those franchises If the Japs want more JRPGs on the PS3 then they need to start buyiing the damn thing. The PS3 should be up to 8 million right now, but nope, the Wii is supported more in Japan, and the best RPG on it is Opoona.

Well Fire Emblem, but i was not talking about SRPGs.