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This is my first time contributing to RPGamer, although I have been a visitor for several years. I have been inspired to enter an editorial due to recent issues that have made me question the future of the RPG Industry. For many years now, mainstream mass media has served as a medium for lining the pockets of company executives. In Hollywood, the number of no-brain-required blockbuster movies far outweigh the output of quality films; filmmakers are judged on how large an audience a movie can attract, rather than on it’s artistic merit. Similarly, artists and bands that sell music on a lowest common denominator basis - many of whom are put together by record companies - dominate the music industry. Genuinely talented, creative bands can rarely achieve the success they deserve in such an environment.
I think that this process is slowly taking over the RPG industry. Whereas previously we have had complete faith in the good intentions of RPG companies, recent years have led some fans to question them. As Square(-Enix) are the figureheads of the RPG industry, I will direct most of my vehemence towards them. Perhaps the very beginning of this process was the global success of FFVII. Prior to this, RPG companies only had to create games for the Japanese market - and series like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy were free to change battle and plot systems knowing that fans of the series would buy the games anyway. The US and European markets are more fickle, and as much as hardened RPG gamers may protest, the games were able to sell more as a result of “dumbing-down” for these markets. FF7 could be found in the amongst the collections of gamers who also liked sports, fighting and action games, arguably the first time this had occurred outside of Japan.
While I enjoy plot and game mechanics innovations in games and have no preference over both old- and new-school RPGs, foresight seems to indicate that staple series like FF had their high concepts and gameplay systems diluted somewhat in order to appeal to a broader cross-section of gamers. Innovation is the way forward, but when changes are made to the genre’s foundations to help games appeal to a broader spectrum of gamers I feel that this is negative, rather than positive. FF8 continued the aforementioned process, and examined themes that were not too complicated for “regular” gamers to enjoy. It’s junction system was overcomplicated, true, but there were ways around it. While FF9 looked back to more traditional games for inspiration (and some would say suffered as a result), FFX was also bemoaned for it’s over simplification in some areas, and over reliance on beautiful graphics to sell it to mainsteam gamers. The games all sold well in comparison to other RPGs, like Star Ocean 2 that chose to complicate gameplay with a vast customisation system. Games with more traditional approachs like ToD had nowhere near such levels of success.
These are only lanterns along the roadside to the transformation of the genre into another moneymaking media format. The merger of Square and Enix was the first of it’s kind in the RPG world – the two giants of the industry joining together to create a juggernaut of gaming. Were times really so hard that they were forced to band together in order to survive? True, it was suffering from its ill-advised foray into film, FF:TSW, and needed to recover. But perhaps the truth is that Square had tasted the rewards of worldwide success with the FF series and was hungry for more. It is hard to see whether this was a genuine attempt to create something original or simply another idea for increasing profits.
Nevertheless, since this point new projects have seemed determined to capitalise on trends and popularity rather than trying to imaginatively regenerate the genre. A spate of sequels, starting with FFX-2 that sold due to titillation in it’s advertising, followed. FFX-2 also destroyed all of the hard work that had gone into the character development of FFX within a few lines of Yuna’s speech. If this wasn’t bad enough, Square-Enix now seems focussed on turning FF7, glorious back in 1997, into a franchise. In my opinion this can only do more harm than good to the legacy left by the game, and the special place it holds in many gamers hearts.
Square are not the only guilty party, Bandai’s clever use of advertising and hype has meant huge sales for the .hack series, despite said series offering little towards the future of RPGs. A few interesting concepts, but very little positive innovation. Kudos to Nippon Ichi for Disgaea and Capcom for BoF:DQ, two games that bode well for the new direction of RPGs. However, like in other media forms, these types of games are far outweighed by the generic ones.
Before concluding, I would like to make it clear that I understand how companies need to make money in order to survive and put food on the table of programmers, designers, etc. There obviously needs to be a balance between making quality, original games and generating profit. However, when the desire to make as much money as possible overshadows the desire to create great games that committed fans of the genres will enjoy, I feel that the industry has its priorities wrong. It is truly unfair for companies like Square to jettison the fans that made them what they are today in the quest to expand the markets and profits. I hope that Square will prove me wrong, and that FFXII will be an absolute gem of a game. Prove me wrong, Square.
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