To start off, no I don't consider Demon's Soul to a JRPG. It's more like an action adventure game with RPG elements but I feel it lacks every convention that makes a JRPG and only has a few elements of the actual genre. Despite that, its still a great game but I wouldn't call it a JRPG.

Also, Bolivar, how can you criticize Mass Effect and Fallout 3 for genre melding and then praise Valkyrie Chronicles in the same breath; when that title did the same damn thing of merging third person shooter elements into a SRPG? So onto the more important topic...

I think Flying Arrow said my sentiments about the real issue being more of JRPGs not being in vogue, there is nothing inherently wrong with them, it's just that WRPGs have gotten the spotlight and now people are concluding that JRPGs are failing when in reality they are doing pretty nice thank you.

I'll admit, I do side with VeloZer0 to a point, in which I feel the genre has stagnated but I also think a lot of it has to with being overwhelmed with new series. The Tales franchise was releasing games almost quarterly for awhile and when they all feel like variations of the other, I kinda feel the genre is stagnating a bit. I'm actually tired of the anime escapades (ironic since my favorite JRPGs of the last decade are heavily anime inspired) and its getting to the point where seeing a flashy dressed guy in a trenchcoat with a big sword; his big eyes, big breasted companion, whose suppose to be a sorceress but is wearing an outfit even hookers would say is too risque; and any number of other anime/RPG tropes such as annoying hyper girl, cat girl, angel swordsman etc... I'm just turned off, I overindulged in the buffet that was the PS1 era and early PS2 ear and now I want something a little more classy and a little more... different. This is not to say that anime inspired stuff is out, but if you are going to use it, you need to start making it different looking. If I grabbed a few Tales, Ar Tornelco, and Atelier titles and showed someone the covers but removed the names, only the Babes Society could probably name them all correctly.

Major franchises have either faltered or just quit (Wild ARMS, Suikoden, BoF) and even attempts to bring back series don't go over so well (how is that remake of Lufia II people?) It doesn't help that SE has been kinda batting zero on the console front. Infinite Undiscovery, Last Remnant, Star Ocean IV, and even FFXIII haven't been making the usual "OMG!!! GREATEST GAME EVAH!!! *dies from gaming orgasm* spiel you usually hear. Really, the handheld market is where the genre is thriving as of late, (KH:BBS, DQIX, GS3: DD, and all the ports and remakes) It's having issues with the consoles it seems, whereas WRPGs are thriving.

JRPGs are not dead, they are just in other mediums. Sure the old guards has either disappeared or seems like they are resting on their reputation more than their skills but at the same time, I usually feel the genre does better in the second half of a consoles life cycle. I don't really feel their were too many exceptional RPGs on the PS2 until 2005 with the exception of Suikoden III. So, I'm kinda hoping to start seeing more console titles that are peeking my interest such as The Last Story has been doing.

This topic is a lot larger than this simple explanation but really the issues with JRPGs are plentiful and I don't believe their is one "magic bullet" that's going to fix everything. The genre has several problems from identity, game structure, innovation, and even marketing. I only provided my main issue with the genre as of late.