Something that's making waves online is that Japanese developer's do not like their games labeled JRPGs. They never did it seems. Thoughts? Opinions on the subject?
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-IrR81mQwOs
We shouldn't be using the term JRPG?
- Thread starter Couchpotato
- Start date
Carnifex
SasqWatch
Talk about a niche issue, at best. I don't see anything derogatory in the term, quite the opposite in fact, though I'm aware that opinions might vary. It could simply be up to the creators themselves to begin labeling their own products.
J-RPG stands for an RPG with a certain originally Japanese style.
Nowadays they are made everywhere, even in Germany: Chained Echoes
Nowadays they are made everywhere, even in Germany: Chained Echoes
True but the producers of some of the best JRPGs are offended by the term. It seems more of the mainstream games from Japan are becoming more western as well.
The term had more meaning twenty years ago then it does now also.
The term had more meaning twenty years ago then it does now also.
Carnifex
SasqWatch
Heck, I'd take it as a compliment, myself. I know when I apply the term I'm always doing it with affection.
Most of those names are often used to classify a game when they only are attributes. There's a significant bit of JRPG, but also a significant part of souls-like, and so on.
Is this a JRPG or does it have JRPG elements? Isn't that the question?
As for the fact it's 'J' as in 'Japanese', why would it be a problem? It's only the origin of the genre, as 'eurojank'.
PS: Note his comment on CRPG. Can't agree more.
Is this a JRPG or does it have JRPG elements? Isn't that the question?
As for the fact it's 'J' as in 'Japanese', why would it be a problem? It's only the origin of the genre, as 'eurojank'.
PS: Note his comment on CRPG. Can't agree more.
Zloth
I smell a... wumpus!?
Well, I'm starting to hate the "RPG" bit, so obviously JRPG doesn't go over well for me, either.
Like the video said, back in the day the term made a ton of sense. You've got your western RPGs where you'll be having some degree of control over your characters' actions and looks, with a very heavy influence from Dungeons & Dragons, and you've got the games coming out of Japan, which tend to be far more linear with little choice but (hopefully) superb stories. You could save a lot of time and still be pretty accurate by rolling up games into "Japan" and "Western" games.
But then the developers did something terrible (for nomenclature, anyway): they played each others' games. They enjoyed each other's games! They borrowed ideas from each other's games!! And they did it with completely different genres, too - so now shooters and even 4X games might have skills and some form of levelling up. Oh, and just to make things even more of a mess, South Korea and China are getting into making games, too.
Like the video said, back in the day the term made a ton of sense. You've got your western RPGs where you'll be having some degree of control over your characters' actions and looks, with a very heavy influence from Dungeons & Dragons, and you've got the games coming out of Japan, which tend to be far more linear with little choice but (hopefully) superb stories. You could save a lot of time and still be pretty accurate by rolling up games into "Japan" and "Western" games.
But then the developers did something terrible (for nomenclature, anyway): they played each others' games. They enjoyed each other's games! They borrowed ideas from each other's games!! And they did it with completely different genres, too - so now shooters and even 4X games might have skills and some form of levelling up. Oh, and just to make things even more of a mess, South Korea and China are getting into making games, too.
- Pre-1985: games are so rare you can just call them by name, no need for genres.
- 1985-2000: the genres get established and work pretty well, but then Deus Ex came along as some sort of RPG/shooter hybrid (now called immersive sims) and the cracks are start getting serious.
- 2000-2010: the genres get violated more and more, to the point of being useless.
- 2010-present day: the genres make little sense but keep getting used anyway because that's how it's always been done. Even famed website RPGWatch barely bothers to argue whether a game is or isn't an RPG anymore.
If they don't like the term, maybe they shouldn't make them.
Seriously, anyone can look at a JRPG and see why it's considered a JRPG, even those that don't have Japanese origin (as per @HiddenX, above). It's not insulting, it's a useful categorisation of what you're likely to get.
I have no problem with people saying that games like Elden Ring, Dark Souls, etc, are not JRPGs, as they are very Western in look and feel, but the vast majority of games labelled as "JRPG" are inarguably just that.
I look at the popular JRPGs of today, like the Tales, Atelier, Legend series, and the raft of lesser knowns, and the idea that they are not at least fairly distinct from the Western approach, even now, is bullshit.
Seriously, anyone can look at a JRPG and see why it's considered a JRPG, even those that don't have Japanese origin (as per @HiddenX, above). It's not insulting, it's a useful categorisation of what you're likely to get.
I have no problem with people saying that games like Elden Ring, Dark Souls, etc, are not JRPGs, as they are very Western in look and feel, but the vast majority of games labelled as "JRPG" are inarguably just that.
I look at the popular JRPGs of today, like the Tales, Atelier, Legend series, and the raft of lesser knowns, and the idea that they are not at least fairly distinct from the Western approach, even now, is bullshit.
Oh you don't like bikini beach scences, and 15 year old kids saving the world.
I kid but your correct about certain types of games being JRPGs.
I kid but your correct about certain types of games being JRPGs.
True almost every game now has RPG elements. What's hilarious is developer's just using the tag to sell games nowadays. RPG has become just a marketing term.
Well, it'll stick as a term, whether they want it or not. Because the term "Action-RPG" got stuck, too. Almost every non-tactical RPG is labelled as "Action-RPG" these days, I fear; at least it's so in the Adventure ganes genre - apart from those non-action adventure games which are only known to the sworn adventure games fan community ...
In the end, it's all about labels. The label "made in Germany" was originally meant to be a sign of bad quality. If I recall that correctly. It backfired at one point.
In the end, it's all about labels. The label "made in Germany" was originally meant to be a sign of bad quality. If I recall that correctly. It backfired at one point.
This just makes me want to use JRPG more, to be honest. Trust me, there are plenty out here just like me, who when someone says let's change this word (word x, or word y, doesn't matter) for this silly reason (that doesn't make sense), it makes us just want to use the "forbidden" word even more...
Japan Should Be Proud Of The Term "JRPG" says Hideki Kamiya - PlayStation Universe
Read on to find out why the esteemed Japanese Creator feels Japan should embrace this term rather than be opposed to its usage.
www.psu.com