Page 1 of 9 1234567 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 128

Thread: Why does SE believe that people don't like JPRGs?

  1. #1
    Recognized Member VeloZer0's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    3,984
    Contributions
    • Notable contributions to Final Fantasy forums

    Default Why does SE believe that people don't like JPRGs?

    We all know the story, SE at some point decided that outside Japan decided that people didn't like Japanese style games, and that it had to 'Western Up' it's titles. And with the success of Bravely Default they are re-evaluating, whatever the heck that may turn out to mean.

    My question is, what lead them to get to this point?
    >>Am willing to change opinions based on data<<

  2. #2
    Memento Mori Site Contributor Wolf Kanno's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Nowhere and Everywhere
    Posts
    19,544
    Articles
    60
    Blog Entries
    27
    Contributions
    • Former Cid's Knight

    Default

    I would point out the long list of complaints levied against FF and the genre with VII's success. Mainly stuff like how people hated the battle systems for being slow and static and not "actiony" enough. This wasn't helped by the fact that during the long development times of the PS2/PS3 era FFs we saw the unexpected rise of MMOs and the Western RPG Renaissance, as well as Japan falling head over heels in love with Monster Hunter which has more in common with Diablo than traditional JRPGs.

    SE kept trying to make their games more about action and then they simply watched how the genre was trending and tried to make money off it with various levels of success. Still, I would argue that people had been wishing for radical change and evolution within the JRPG genre since the PS1 generation and while we have had lots of experimentation in the decade that followed, we all kind of learned that the old formula was fine and just needed to be made more user friendly.

  3. #3
    Crazy Scot. Cid's Knight Shauna's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    In the land of Scots
    Posts
    21,486
    Articles
    55
    Blog Entries
    1

    FFXIV Character

    Sheetle Bug (Twintania)

    Default

    Probably for the same dumb reasons (whatever they may be) that the Games Industry says "X isn't popular".

    X has been known to be single player games, horror games, classic RPGs, whatever else you find.

  4. #4
    Local Florist Site Contributor
    Recognized Member
    Aulayna's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Sector 5 Slums
    Posts
    6,964
    Articles
    143
    Blog Entries
    28

    FFXIV Character

    Mayrissa Fablestay (Sargatanas)
    Contributions
    • Former Developer
    • Former Editor

    Default

    http://kotaku.com/the-final-fantasy-...lem-1631021969

    Actually an interesting read where Sakaguchi and Tabata touch on a few of these points.


  5. #5

    Default

    I think they have had many changes to make that take so long.

    Long ago I hear we are getting a worldmap (as in overworld map) again. I hope it is THAT world map for real and not just another form of a world map. When it was said, it was said like the overworld map. I hope that is true.

  6. #6

    Default

    All of this just reminds me of when they didn't break over some of their best SNES RPGs. They've never really thought the west liked good games. Its not a new phenomena



  7. #7
    Slothstronaut Recognized Member Slothy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    I'm in space
    Posts
    13,565
    Blog Entries
    27
    Contributions
    • Former Cid's Knight

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Vyk View Post
    All of this just reminds me of when they didn't break over some of their best SNES RPGs. They've never really thought the west liked good games. Its not a new phenomena
    Not only did they skip localizing a bunch of games for the west, they gave us Mystic Quest. Because they thought their other games were too complicated for us.

    I mean, I have a soft spot for it being my first RPG and all but if doing an LP of it reminded me of anything it's that it's an awful game. Square thought we'd prefer awful games. Thanks Square!

  8. #8
    Proudly Loathsome ;) DMKA's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    11,305

    FFXIV Character

    Efes Ephesus (Adamantoise)

    Default

    To be fair, since midway through the PS2 era, JRPGs really don't sell that well outside of Japan. That includes Bravely Default, as the vast majority of it's mere one million sales were in Japan.

    Although, I think that's mostly because every JRPG that comes out now that isn't Final Fantasy is done in that repulsive cel-shaded "AM I KAWAII MOE UGUU DESU NE!?!? ~=!**^o^**!=~" anime style.

    I like Kung-Fu.

  9. #9
    Formally Mr. Shauna Dat Matt's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    The Underworld
    Posts
    4,831
    Articles
    77

    Default

    I'm a big fan of both anime and cell shading. This sort of game is catered to my tastes so I buy them when they are localised.

    Maybe the reason there is is an influx of these games is because people like me buy them.

  10. #10
    tech spirit
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Virgo supercluster
    Posts
    17,950
    Articles
    2
    Blog Entries
    2

    FFXIV Character

    Mirage Askai (Sargatanas)

    Default

    I like both jrpgs and anime, but i hate moe kawaii desu nee trout like dmka posted.

    I think the most recent jrpg i played that didn't have cel shaded anime stuff was resonance of fate, and that's starting to be a while ago.

    Well, except the FF13 trilogy.
    everything is wrapped in gray
    i'm focusing on your image
    can you hear me in the void?

  11. #11
    Bolivar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Philadelphia
    Posts
    6,131
    Articles
    3
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default

    East or West, RPGs have always been a niche genre over here. Even when American journalists proclaimed WRPGs had "taken over" you could count on one hand the number of series that truly crossed over.

    FFVII just happened to be one of those mega hits that transcend genre because of its level of interaction, use of mini games, and unprecedented art direction. That's a hard achievement to replicate and Square need only look at its competitors to tell which way the wind blows.

  12. #12
    Newbie Administrator Loony BoB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Posts
    52,431
    Articles
    53
    Blog Entries
    19

    FFXIV Character

    Loony Bob (Twintania)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bolivar View Post
    FFVII just happened to be one of those mega hits that transcend genre because of its level of interaction, use of mini games, and unprecedented art direction.
    Try also the fact that it had...
    - Character deaths
    - Character plot twists
    - Constant villians from start to finish, and those villians actually disliking each other, meaning there were occasions that you would "team up with the enemy".
    - Effective comic relief
    - More than six playable characters
    - Unlockable characters
    - Non-humanoid characters

    etc.

    The plot and characters, while not perfect, were intriguing to people who wanted more than a Disney "all the good guys live" situation.

    If, in FFXIII...
    - Sahz actually killed himself
    - Hope actually succumbed and turned into a Cie'th, thus having to be killed
    - Jihl ended up joining the good guys at some point, after seeing the enemy for his true colours
    - The final boss was Barthy
    - Barthy was more prevelant and his reasoning for doing what he was doing was better explained, and his "co-conspirators" were better fleshed out
    - There were better minigames with good comic relief
    - You could unlock additional characters
    - A non-humanoid character of Pulse joined the party

    ...it might have been received a lot better. Especially the first parts. I mean, seriously, they would have blown some people's minds (excuse the pun).

    As for SE thinking people don't like JRPGs - I don't think that's the case. If you mean traditional JRPGs, 2D etc, then I think that's because the audience is actually quite low for them. While Bravely Default did well, it perhaps could have done a lot better. Maybe it will in time, but the general feeling from me is that it's still not numero uno for them. My feeling is that they feel JRPGs don't do well because no JRPG has done notably well this generation from any developer that isn't Square Enix. The closest is probably Ni no Kuni.
    Bow before the mighty Javoo!

  13. #13
    tech spirit
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Virgo supercluster
    Posts
    17,950
    Articles
    2
    Blog Entries
    2

    FFXIV Character

    Mirage Askai (Sargatanas)

    Default

    You can't have character deaths anymore because it's too expensive to model a character that will only be used for half of the game.
    everything is wrapped in gray
    i'm focusing on your image
    can you hear me in the void?

  14. #14
    Newbie Administrator Loony BoB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Posts
    52,431
    Articles
    53
    Blog Entries
    19

    FFXIV Character

    Loony Bob (Twintania)

    Default

    I know you're probably kidding around, but: It shouldn't matter if it improves the reception and reviews of the games to the point that more people buy it. I mean, they spent that much time with Jihl and then they killed her off.
    Bow before the mighty Javoo!

  15. #15
    Skyblade's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Earth, approximately
    Posts
    10,443

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Loony BoB View Post
    I know you're probably kidding around, but: It shouldn't matter if it improves the reception and reviews of the games to the point that more people buy it. I mean, they spent that much time with Jihl and then they killed her off.
    They didn't have to design a moveset for her, or animations for every attack, etcetera.

    A playable character is a lot of resources. It's the same reason we don't get hidden characters any more. They don't want to put in all that effort for characters some people might not see.




    I'm at the point where Square can pretty much do what they want. I think FFXV is going to be a massive disappointment, as with almost every other game stuck in development hell that long. On the plus side, at this rate I'll be able to play Bravely Second before FFXV releases and torpedoes the company.

    In the meantime, I'll be laughing at all the people who say "Square is the mainstay of JRPGs" and playing all the fantastic games that ATLUS and Nintendo have been rolling out lately. Square hasn't been the genre leader for JRPGs in a while. That doesn't mean the genre is dead, it just means other people have picked up the slack.
    My friend Delzethin is currently running a GoFundMe account to pay for some extended medical troubles he's had. He's had chronic issues and lifetime troubles that have really crippled his career opportunities, and he's trying to get enough funding to get back to a stable medical situation. If you like his content, please support his GoFundMe, or even just contribute to his Patreon.

    He can really use a hand with this, and any support you can offer is appreciated.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •