Square Enix's Wada On The 'First Tide' Of The Gaming Revolution

[Physic]

The thing is, that these action games could as well have large worlds to explore. But they don't, because the developers realize, that a large world adds nothing to their game. And the games are better off for it, almost universally.

There is not really much of a difference between an "RPG" and an action game at the end of the day. Everything can be switched and the games would retain their respective genres. Progression systems exist in every game. In action games you may get new weapons or skills to play with (button combos). In RPG's it's mostly numbers that increase.. but nothing states that number-based progression is a native trait of an RPG, while more button combinations means what you're playing is an "action game".

The only difference would be having actual choices, as in.... role-playing. You can play Dante or Cloud in any action game, but you can not affect your decisions. That's one of the few things that separates RPG's from action games, and Japanese RPG's don't have these traits. They are long action games with inferior action and more HD cutscenes. The line is even more blurred with games like Zelda.

JRPG's have really nothing to do with RPG's, and they're closer to Metal Gear Solid than Mass Effect or Dragon Age. When you realize the connection it becomes painfully apparent just how dated this turn-based PS1 era action gameplay is when compared to current-gen action gameplay. It could compete back then, but PS2 changed it all.

Only an old fart like Sakaguchi would be blind enough to miss the obvious and still make a NES game in 2006.

I see what your getting at, but i have to disagree, while i like action games, and generally like the new breed of action game that combines story and progression elements with its game mechanics, i dont think thats really the appeal of an rpg, and even though a jrpg is more on rails than some western, i think they used to tell big stories, and have a strong adventure element, as well as more focus on types of progression and even strategy, some of the 90s ffs did this really well imo. Fighting weapon in ffvii or fighting the special NMs in the monster ranch of ffx, or going toe to toe with hidden bosses in wild arms, its a different experience. That hits a different market. Im all for some new genre blurring rpg action games, heck id love to try a fighting/rpg game, but i dont think the main draw of rpgs was doing something that action games couldnt do, it was a totally different type of experience, heck even now it still is.


As far as hating on the remakes, you just hate those types of games, thats fine, but they hit a large market even now. They are still good games, you dont need 3d models and super textures to make a good game, you dont need 3 minute long animations or any of that, yeah thats cool, and you get used to it, but at the end of the day thats not really an evolution in gaming. chess is still chess even weather i use 1 million dollar hand crafted sculptures, plastic cylinders, or a highly complicated 3d physics engine with insane textures.

developers need to focus on game design and making good games, and not so much on how many polygons or disney like animations it has, that stuff is just the sauce on top. And really come to think of it, that was the original point of the rpg, it wasnt as fancy, didnt usually have great graphics or the best animations, it was about the adventure, exploration, story etc, i think this is what many people forgot.