Obsidian Entertainment - Tim Cain Interview @ GameStar.ru

GameStar.ru continues their series of recent interviews, catching up with Tim Cain. I actually expected a different answer to this question:

What biggest failure in RPG genre could you recollect?
Failure could mean so many different things in this context, but I think the biggest failure in the genre is a lack of innovation. Most modern RPG's are simply refinements of systems that have come before them, and in many cases, they are simply repackaged versions with better graphics and new settings but no real innovation. I am hoping that the new wave of Kickstarter projects will breathe new life into the genre.

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Is innovation really all that important? RPGs are all about story and character development, which mainly requires good writing and creativity. I suppose a RPG could innovate in terms of their world setting, but, as with novels, that will just reduce the market size.

Modern RPGs often seem like dumbed down versions of their ancestors. There's better writing, but weaker character refinement. They've also moved away from the tactical details and multiple characters of older games to the single character point-and-shoot school. In essence, its changing from a game to a sport.