RPGs are becoming "less relevant" according to Bioware

Biowares co-founder Greg Zeschuk claims that RPGs are becoming less relevant.

BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk says RPGs are becoming "less relevant" as a genre to the current state of videogaming.

When you think about RPG studios, one of the first and foremost to spring to mind is very likely BioWare. This is the company that made its bones by bringing back the moribund RPG genre with the 1998 classic Baldur's Gate, after all, and then blew things wide open with follow-ups like Baldur's Gate 2, Neverwinter Nights and, more recently, Mass Effect and Dragon Age. But the times, they are a-changin', and according to Dr. Zeschuk, the nature of the RPG and its relevance to gamers is changing too.

"RPGs are and always have been our bread and butter, our heart is there, but at the same time I think - well, we had the RPG panel breakfast at GDC yesterday - and what was interesting about that was that we had the conversation about 'what is an RPG,' and it's a blend," he told VG247. "The genres are blending right now, you're getting lots and lots of progression and RPG elements in shooters - online persistence and so on."

"It's funny because the RPG in the context of the current world is - well, it's not specifically irrelevant, but it's becoming less relevant in and of itself," he continued. "It's more a function of, 'Hey, this game has a great story.' For us, [it's] having that emotion but also having other great features like combat and persistence of character progression and stuff."

It's not hard to see BioWare's changing attitude reflected in its more recent games, particularly Mass Effect, which is not so much an RPG as it is a conversational shooter. "We're just about great games," Zeschuk added, and RPG or not, the Mass Effect series has most definitely been hot stuff. Mass Effect 3 is currently scheduled for release on March 6 for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

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If you ask me Bioware decided to dumb down games in the future and are now just searching for an excuse to RPG fans.
I guess something becoming more relevant is their planetprobing crap minigame from ME2.
Yukk.

I don't think Bioware need to say this out loud, as their games have made their position very clear for a while.

That said, I can't say I agree with it as a general notion.

Obviously, if you want to sell as many copies as is humanly possible - you don't want irrelevant genre features to get in the way, so for EA/Bioware - I think the statement is in keeping with their goals.

But they should probably remember that those goals aren't necessarily the ultimate achievement for all other developers out there.

The problem is no one can really define what a rpg is. One persons view is different than others. The rpg doesn't have any defining rules so the genre is a mess. So were stuck with games adding character stats with story and calling itself an rpg.

Really this is nothing new just look at all there games starting with KOTOR and onward. Each release got simpler and more streamlined.

Well, he does have a point - the whole "merging" thing has been going on for quite a while now. Soon we'll probably see Call of Duty or Battlefield with lots of C&C, open space to explore and RPG stats.

The genres used to be a lot more distinct than they currently are. Only strategy games/elements still remain rather easy to identify - other elements seem to be appearing all over the place. We now have RPGs with action based combat systems, dialogue heavy action games with RPG stats and so on and so forth.

Originally Posted by Maylander
Well, he does have a point - the whole "merging" thing has been going on for quite a while now. Soon we'll probably see Call of Duty or Battlefield with lots of C&C, open space to explore and RPG stats.

My take:

I don't really think so. The reason these games sell so well is that they have gameplay that the majority can relate to.

If they start introducing C&C, intricate stats, and open world exploration - they'll inevitably lose players.

They could potentially pull it off by doing it ever so slowly - but they're doing the opposite. They're just stripping them away ever so slowly - which is a strange way to go about it.

They just want the biggest audience they can get, and that's fine. Trying to make it seem as if it's the result of "genre irrelevance" is bullshit. Well, that's my opinion anyway.

-10 of my respect for Bioware.

Forst that Blizzard man, and now him ? Are they all crazy ? Do they want to make this "RPGs are dead" to become a self-fulfillung prohecy - and rejoice later, because they "have been sooooo right" ?

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
-10 of my respect for Bioware.

Forst that Blizzard man, and now him ? Are they all crazy ? Do they want to make this "RPGs are dead" to become a self-fulfillung prohecy - and rejoice later, because they "have been sooooo right" ?

No they want there older fan-base to go and disappear as new fans move in with no older standards that all. The newer fan-base loves the new direction and the older fan-base is to vocal.

Yes, you could be right.

I already feel alienated.
And this interview pushes this feeling even further and further on.

I wonder what happens when they realized they have been focussing too much on a certain group of gamers ? They'll have a hard time getting the older gamnes back - if they want them back at all, that is …

They don't want gamers - they want numbers.

You're telling me !

Well, they've been working very hard to make their studio less relevant for the RPG public, so such a stance fits them well.

They have new costumers, they don't need our money anymore - they can sell cheaper products to more people now. No need for long development times; use nice graphics, simple gameplay and add simple romances. Who needs good game-mechanics ? The Players plow through the content and then have time to buy the next game.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
My take:

I don't really think so. The reason these games sell so well is that they have gameplay that the majority can relate to.

If they start introducing C&C, intricate stats, and open world exploration - they'll inevitably lose players.

They could potentially pull it off by doing it ever so slowly - but they're doing the opposite. They're just stripping them away ever so slowly - which is a strange way to go about it.

They just want the biggest audience they can get, and that's fine. Trying to make it seem as if it's the result of "genre irrelevance" is bullshit. Well, that's my opinion anyway.

I'm not referring to BioWare, I mean the trend in general that Zeschuk is talking about. Genre merging is much more common now - even shooters are using perks and what not. Go back 10-15 years and the genres were very clearly defined. A shooter was a shooter. Done deal.

Originally Posted by Maylander
I'm not referring to BioWare, I mean the trend in general that Zeschuk is talking about. Genre merging is much more common now - even shooters are using perks and what not. Go back 10-15 years and the genres were very clearly defined. A shooter was a shooter. Done deal.

I was responding to your suggestion that we'd see shooters with the features you mentioned. I mean we will, but we won't see many AAA shooters with intricate RPG features.

I don't disagree that genres have merged somewhat. I simply don't think it has much to do with what Bioware are doing.

I think BW have it right, after all deciding if you are a gay or a str8 hero is the quintessence of role playing.
They are creating games for profit and don't care at all about genres, if banging donkeys was in fashion they would have made a series of donkey raping "rpgs".

It's almost like these big name companies are going out of their way to drive away longtime gamers. I haven't had any respect for Bioware for a long, long time now, but this certainly hasn't done anything to help redeem them in my eyes.

It's quite insulting how many companies are now trying to explain to us that we don't like the things we've enjoyed for years.

Originally Posted by Maylander
I'm not referring to BioWare, I mean the trend in general that Zeschuk is talking about. Genre merging is much more common now - even shooters are using perks and what not. Go back 10-15 years and the genres were very clearly defined. A shooter was a shooter. Done deal.

You mean like how "Rainbow Six", "Dark Forces II", "Hexxen", "System Shock" and "Thief" were all shooters? Yeah I can see the massive innovation going from those games to military shooters with perks.

I'm glad he came out of the closet. It was getting rather embarrassing for everyone. At the same time they claimed to be making rpgs and yet the games were becoming simpler and less complex by each title. (Dragon age orgins being the odd abnormity to this current trend.)

Now isn't it great that Greg is honest about this. We, the old fans should step in to shadows and seek better hunting grounds elsewhere. I think we all know what to expect from Bioware after mass effect 3. I'd be amaized if dragon age 3 had any sort of tactical combat or it was even party based. Less thinking and more action. Soon only choises left to the player are few dialog choises (which don't have any long term consequences) and choise to have have a threesome. Mark my words.

Originally Posted by Maylander
Well, he does have a point - the whole "merging" thing has been going on for quite a while now. Soon we'll probably see Call of Duty or Battlefield with lots of C&C, open space to explore and RPG stats.

The genres used to be a lot more distinct than they currently are. Only strategy games/elements still remain rather easy to identify - other elements seem to be appearing all over the place. We now have RPGs with action based combat systems, dialogue heavy action games with RPG stats and so on and so forth.

I just played the Warhammer Space Marine demo. Now that series is supposed to be a strategy series but that game plays just like a shooter. It seems the strategy games are not immune from being action-ized and they've already pretty much have all been real time for years. It seems you have to have Sid Meier's name attached to get away with turn based these days.