David

@Nateous

"Personally, yes I think JRPGs could use a redesign to a degree, but I doubt getting inspiration from a serialized cash cow is the way to do it. "

If anything, I think it's all the more reason why JRPGs need to pay attention. If a serialized cash cow can capture the mind of the gaming community year in, year out with minimal revamping, while JRPGs with 4-5 year development cycles fall flat on their face, JRPG developers and fans have little to lose by asking themselves what they can learn.

I think the key here is not to make this into a slippery slope/throw the baby out with the bath water thing. I'd be the last person to endorse turning JRPGs into rote, serialized ports like many sports games. But I don't think anyone loses anything when they ask themselves why something on the other side is finding success, as long as their committed to preserving what is unique to the JRPG genre in the process.

To play devil's advocate, here's how JRPG developers should NOT be going about this: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/21/kitase-square-learnt-a-lesson-with-ff-xiii-franchise-needs-m/

@TaengtheHero

Square Enix presents: Final Fantasy XV, directed by Michael Bay.

@That One Guy

I think you're taking this completely the wrong way. I think it's less about singling out JRPGs as proglematic and more trying to answer "Why are JRPGs suffering so badly in a Western market where they once thrived?" And along with that, "What can we do to bring them back?"

Sure, there's no dearth of generic platformers, generic FPS's, etc., but none of those genres as a whole are in the state that the JRPG is in this country. This article doesn't single them out........the gaming market has already done that. I see this column as an attempt to figure out why.

I'm currently playing Singularity, and I'm finding it quite fun so far. It's like if Bioshock met Resistance.......slightly old-school in its mechanics, but has a darker edge to its storyline. Unless this game turns into a massive pile of sucks, I'm at a loss for why it was so poorly received.....FPS syndrome?

I also just finished MW3 single player. Directed by Michael Bay anyone?

@Nateous

Your comparison is flawed because you're comparing the content (football as a game vs. JRPG story), when what really has changed is the gameplay. Yes, all football video games revolve around a game that hasn't changed. But, if you look at the progression of gameplay mechanics in major football games from Tecmo to today's Madden, there's been a tremendous overhaul of the gameplay mechanics in terms of how you pass, run, defend, select plays, maintain rosters, etc.

To say that JRPGs haven't progressed is a pretty unfair generalization.....but then you turn around make as equal a generalization about sports games. And to top it off, you do it in response to an article where the main point is that seemingly dissimilar games and audiences can all learn from each other.

Joystiq sees awkward. I see threesome.

I'm kinda for this. Bulletstorm was the better shooter, while GOW is the better storyline. If People Can Fly could bring the great mechanics of Bulletstorm into a solid GOW story, then they'd have a winner on their hands.

@The Aquacharger

I know, poor Microsoft. Whatever happened to those guys...


....oh, wait, they're still around......it's just harder to see them buried under all that money.........

@Wizardsofwaverly

Huh? All I see on the website is buy one get one 60% off. Where are you seeing buy 1 get one for $5?

Did every major retailer come up with a major conspiracy not to offer Skyrim at a discount? I mean I know it just came out, but even AC: Revelations is at $35. It's the only game I'm interested in buying this Black Friday, and yet nowhere to be found.