I´ve been a long time Escapist visitor but hey... today i decided to register and write stuff.
Let me tell you that my english is far from perfect so expect some grammar and/or spelling errors.

Just like the subject says, are JRPG´s dead (J stands for Japanese)?
Back in my console days (Mega Drive/Genesis and SNES) these we´re the kind of games i really loved to play alone for hours. Such titles as Phantasy Star, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Secret of Mana, Shinning Force, Final Fantasy, etc made me really anxious until i finished them all. Seems to me now that the new generation of gamers seem to prefer other type of RPG´s (the word MMORPG gives me chills!)with a less linear story and with tons of "quests". The only living JRPG saga is still Final Fantasy but it limits itself to console gamers, leaving me and i dare to say millions of others, drooling over some really nice screens on YouTube. I feel old.... ;)

Persona 4, Tales of Vesperia.

I imagine that you will be able to find new Japanese RPG's in Japan so no they are not dead.

JRPG's will never die until they make final fantasy..52?

No offense to any FF lover, considering I love the game too, but you have to agree..they've made a bit too long of a series of games. But sometimes it does shock me to hear "Final Fantasy 13"

Of course when I say this, I'm speaking for Americans. If JRPG's are dead in Japan, then I will be utterly surprised.

Disgaea, La Pucelle Tactics. Just a couple off the top of my head

There are still plenty around. Seek and you shall find.

Dead they are certainly not, but modern JPRGS's are often accused of being too old fashioned and recycling old formulas. That might be true for the majority of them, but you've got plenty of exceptions like The World Ends with You, newer Final Fantasies and Persona 4.

if people sheepishly shell out 80 bucks every year for the next madden/nba game with minimal updates that could easily have been taken care of by a simple download update, then JRPG's will never die.

Fingers crossed, fingers crossed.

I don't understand how people can play, basically an interactive cutscene. They look good visually but i don't understand the appeal of it at all. Except for pokemon, but pokemons just awesome, well atleast it use to be.

The only ones that I've ever been interested in are the Final Fantasy games. I've played every one of them since 7 and am pretty excited that 13 will be on the 360.

No, not really. Although the Western view of JRPGs has been waning for some time now. I hope FFXIII will bolster the JRPG genre a bit though.

I don't think I've ever played a JRPG, but with all the freaky hentai mods for Oblivion floating round, it pretty much is one.

aint mgs4 a jrpg?

Brokkr:
The only ones that I've ever been interested in are the Final Fantasy games. I've played every one of them since 7 and am pretty excited that 13 will be on the 360.

I thought it was confirmed that it wasn't? The game is going to have so many shoddy cutscenes that it's going to take up more than one blu-ray disc.

Not that I'd buy it if it did.

they are basically dying out because THEY DON'T RELASE A BLOODY (J)THING ON PC!

Bumcheek:
aint mgs4 a jrpg?

no, it's a stealth action game. not an RPG.

rossatdi:

Brokkr:
The only ones that I've ever been interested in are the Final Fantasy games. I've played every one of them since 7 and am pretty excited that 13 will be on the 360.

I thought it was confirmed that it wasn't? The game is going to have so many shoddy cutscenes that it's going to take up more than one blu-ray disc.

Not that I'd buy it if it did.

I haven't heard anything new about it since the announcement at E3. As far as I know it is still being released on only the PS3 in Japan and on the PS3 and 360 in North America and Europe.

Johny_X2:
they are basically dying out because THEY DON'T RELASE A BLOODY (J)THING ON PC!

Bumcheek:
aint mgs4 a jrpg?

no, it's a stealth action game. not an RPG.

Yes they do it just does not happen very often. There was one that came out in 2008 that got a PS3 port.

Johny_X2:
they are basically dying out because THEY DON'T RELASE A BLOODY (J)THING ON PC!

The only one i´ve could ever play we´re FF VII, FF VIII and Y´s Oath in Felghana, and this last one was only possible because of a fan translation patch. Perhaps i don´t have the real perception of the amount of these kind of games being released due to the fact that i don´t own any of the current consoles. Still the emulation scene keeps me happy from time to time.

The JRPG genre is almost dead in western culture due to our need for freedom and hatred for turn based combat... well that's what I'm told atleast. I personally believe it's because of western cultures impatients between cutscene and action and they don't feel like they're doing much in the game at all, just wheeling the characters around and the games just move way to slow for them. I love JRPG's myself, not for gameplay as much as the story. I find JRPG's have some of the best video game storyline but that's me.

Bumcheek:
aint mgs4 a jrpg?

No the Metal Gear Solid series is not a JRPG it's an action/shooter/steath game.

Aardvark Soup:
Dead they are certainly not, but modern JPRGS's are often accused of being too old fashioned and recycling old formulas. That might be true for the majority of them, but you've got plenty of exceptions like The World Ends with You, newer Final Fantasies and Persona 4.

JRPG's of old were the pinacle of the genre but each generation of gamer is affecting how each genre evolves. The players of JRPG's like Crono Trigger and Final Fantasy IV are pretty much parents now with no time to play and developers have been trying to appeal to each newer generation of gamer that comes by. That's why JRPG's have transitioned into more of a turn-based action RPG(MMORPG wannabes) like that god awful Final Fantasy XII(hate the story, not the gameplay style). I wish JRPG's would return to Crono Trigger quality with todays technology but only Mistwalker is like that and their games were crusified by western game reviewers.

I've never liked JRPGs, I think it's the outlandish and almost stupid look of the characters, and the story-telling, just my thoughts. My girlfriend loves JRPGs but i'm more of a Mass Effect/Elder Scrolls/KOTR type person (Western RPGs?).

I think it's possible that the interest in them outside Japan has subsided quite a bit, and the obvious mainstay is Final Fantasy, which never seems to go away.

I don't think it helps that any recent ones were a big pile of horse-manure compared to some of old.

One last thing, a more recent Final Fantasy where the battlefield was less turn-based and traditional, I liked a lot more, yet my girlfriend couldnt get into it, and i've heard from a lot of people who also didn't like it. Strange that.

The fan translation for Earthbound 3 / Mother 3 is quite good. Give it a spin if you can find a ROM for it.

richasr:

One last thing, a more recent Final Fantasy where the battlefield was less turn-based and traditional, I liked a lot more, yet my girlfriend couldnt get into it, and i've heard from a lot of people who also didn't like it. Strange that.

It's because the combat system in FF XII was basically a turn based combat system set in a 3D environment. No innovation there ha ha ha. Something like that can work (Parasite Eve is the proof) but FF XII did it wrong. I hope that Square throw this stupid bar away and include action points or something like that.

richasr:
I've never liked JRPGs, I think it's the outlandish and almost stupid look of the characters, and the story-telling, just my thoughts. My girlfriend loves JRPGs but i'm more of a Mass Effect/Elder Scrolls/KOTR type person (Western RPGs?).

I think it's possible that the interest in them outside Japan has subsided quite a bit, and the obvious mainstay is Final Fantasy, which never seems to go away.

I don't think it helps that any recent ones were a big pile of horse-manure compared to some of old.

One last thing, a more recent Final Fantasy where the battlefield was less turn-based and traditional, I liked a lot more, yet my girlfriend couldnt get into it, and i've heard from a lot of people who also didn't like it. Strange that.

I think JRPG's appeal mainly to anime nerds and FFXII didn't go too well with older JRPG fans from what I noticed. Western RPG's are more appealing to most because of the lack of dialogue breaking flow(Mass Effect not included)and the freedom to do almost anything you want. I hate western RPG's because the stories are boring to me and I gave Mass Effect a go and that drags out longer then a Stephen King book(love Stephen King books but he takes forever to make a point) but the gameplay when it's finished drowning you in speech isn't too bad(feel so dirty saying that).

ultimasupersaiyan:

richasr:
I've never liked JRPGs, I think it's the outlandish and almost stupid look of the characters, and the story-telling, just my thoughts. My girlfriend loves JRPGs but i'm more of a Mass Effect/Elder Scrolls/KOTR type person (Western RPGs?).

I think it's possible that the interest in them outside Japan has subsided quite a bit, and the obvious mainstay is Final Fantasy, which never seems to go away.

I don't think it helps that any recent ones were a big pile of horse-manure compared to some of old.

One last thing, a more recent Final Fantasy where the battlefield was less turn-based and traditional, I liked a lot more, yet my girlfriend couldnt get into it, and i've heard from a lot of people who also didn't like it. Strange that.

I think JRPG's appeal mainly to anime nerds and FFXII didn't go too well with older JRPG fans from what I noticed. Western RPG's are more appealing to most because of the lack of dialogue breaking flow(Mass Effect not included)and the freedom to do almost anything you want. I hate western RPG's because the stories are boring to me and I gave Mass Effect a go and that drags out longer then a Stephen King book(love Stephen King books but he takes forever to make a point) but the gameplay when it's finished drowning you in speech isn't too bad(feel so dirty saying that).

Haha, I understand what you're saying, I've just literally never enjoyed anything that's come out of Japan, that is in that style, yet I find it strange how I love the Metal Gear series (over the top and almost goofy looking characters and poor storytelling for the most part). It does seem to me that Japanese RPGs are more focused on impressive graphics and cut-scenes than the actual gameplay mechanics and even the story itself.

That's just me though, I of course don't have to play these games, so I won't. Oh and Mass Effect is a surprisingly short game if you just go through the main storyline, it's amazing how much a game's script can 'lengthen' the completion time.

I personally love the emphasis on storytelling and like turn based combat.

I love adventure games that emphasise story over gameplay, I'm just that kind of person (well, if gameplay is crap, that's a different story).
For example, Painkiller. What would I do with a gun that shoots shurrikens and lightning if I don't feel like shooting anything? besides, the story is terrible, and no shurriken/lightning/titties/fire/yahtzee/anything gun will make it up for me.

that's why I miss JRPG genre on PC. Japanese storytelling is unique, they mix believable characters and fantastic setting. their games are story-driven and the combat requires strategy and actual THINKING, which is probably why it's not suited for mainstream and western audience.

No, they just smell that way. I loved Shenmue 2 on the Dreamcast, I played through it in Japanese with subtitles. Great storyline can't be faulted. Recently, I've found that Final Fantasy has become impenetrable to anyone who hasn't played the first 200 or so. And turn based combat is DEAD. No more patiently waiting for the dragon to stop jumping up and down on my noggin, baby!

The JRPG's that are turned based, i hate them so much, I love JRPG's with the Tales combat system, except symphonia 2, that game was killed by other means

They are still around, there does seem to be a lot of strategic JRPGs around for the DS (tactics series, luminous arc series etc). I really hope that there are some more made for the PS3 or 360, but I feel that the demographic of the west is severely shifted towards run+gun games.

Guess all that is left is to learn how to read kanji and start playing imports!

seamusotorain:
No, they just smell that way. I loved Shenmue 2 on the Dreamcast, I played through it in Japanese with subtitles. Great storyline can't be faulted. Recently, I've found that Final Fantasy has become impenetrable to anyone who hasn't played the first 200 or so. And turn based combat is DEAD. No more patiently waiting for the dragon to stop jumping up and down on my noggin, baby!

If you are referring to Final Fantasy and the turn based combat system then I have to dissapoint you. All major FF titles have turn based combat (XI is a different story).

A whackload of (subpar) jRPGs have hit next-gen consoles in the last year or so: Eternal Sonata, Blue Dragon, Infinite Undiscovery, some PS3 stuff. They have all been pretty poor. People will for sure turn away from jRPGs if they take a chance on games like these and come to the reasonable conclusion that this is the best that Japan has to offer nowadays.

No they are not dead, it's just that certain companies have finally realized that they are dead. (SquareEnix) You have to go find smaller companies to find games that are actually good when it comes to RPGs. Square has not got off it' ass in so long that they are hyper ventillating like morons and can't seem to come out with a game that is not made of fail. Then they proclaim that the problem is Japanese development because they can't see how bugged Western games are. (I'm not talking your difficult to trigger crash, or exploit but blatant things that should never have got passed the QA team.)

It's funny how people talk about how Japanese games are dying yet the same type of unimaginative crap keeps coming out of the big western companies and no one here in the west bats an eyelash. If anything it's gaming in general that has declined rather than any specific region.

They ain't dead, nor are they are boring now - they just haven't released any for a while, but they have a few wound up, like Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and White Knight

The difference between Asian Games with Europeon or American games is that in Europe and America, they like to announce their games usually 3 months tops prior to releasing.

In Japan, regardless of if its a worldwide release or a Asia-first release = they like to announce their games like....5-10 years before actually releasing them...

Also, their is a tendency to recycle characters. Okay, sure, they do that in American games too, where the American is a Heroic badass who likes to help people (pretty much the opposite of a real american), but regardless, its still okay to play that character, even if its a sloppy remake with the character gone west.

In JRPG though, their recycled characters are emos...nuff said.

And the fact that Square is actually going to release FFXIII to Xbox360 BUT not put any of the old Final Fantasy games on Playstation Store.......very uncool.

For once I'd like to play a JRPG that's much more reliant on actual skills with command inputs/timing/whatever...

... But then it wouldn't be a JRPG anymore. God i love purists.

NEVER!!! As long as there is ONE Japanese Fanboy there will ALWAYS be a JRPG out. Now mind you I do not like them either (WoW takes my time).

JRPG + Grind = Win. Yeah I like grind and I hate RPGs that don't let me have a say on how much I can grind....Mass Effect you bastard game.