Justin: One platform on which RPGs have definitely been making progress is the PC platform. Three RPGs have been released in the past month (Dungeon Siege, Morrowind, and Neverwinter Nights) that have begun to move from the gameplay-based, non-linear PC RPGs of old toward the slightly more linear RPGs (at least, if one follows the main storyline) with much more of a focus on story. Thus, PC gamers seem to be getting the best of both worlds (gameplay and storyline) at the moment. That said, do you see the PC becoming a viable market for console-style RPGs, or even pushing console-style RPGs to adopt a more non-linear structure?

Googleshng: Not really, no. I've always felt that console RPGamers and PC RPGamers are two completely unrelated markets, and people choosing to cater to one of them will have the best luck if they stick to the attached hardware. If nothing else, asking a console gamer to hop to the PC will cost them a small fortune, and PC gamers would miss their keyboards.

Justin: That's true. I know many PC RPGamers, at least, have major issues with the whole "save point" system found in just about every console RPG.

Andrew: There's a whole horde of little things like that. They're two different types of games. Asking one to become the other is like telling apples to turn orange and move to Florida. Both are fruit, so to speak, but...

Matt: I can see it going both ways. There are some things that PCs can do that consoles just can't without extra purchases, for example, the keyboard. The majority of console RPGs have to be restricted to not using these, which makes textual input very difficult. But the PC does offer a viable market for console-style RPGs, as we can see from games like the FF series being ported, or even if we look towards Korea--the PC RPGs there are very close to console RPGs here. As Seán pointed out with Project Ego, consoles are indeed adopting PC elements, and I believe it is to extend gameplay time via branched paths, etc. It's not a bad thing at all. Hybrids can be some of the best things around; look at mixing classical and modern music for a good example.

Andrew: That assumes, of course, that you ignore the fact that the FF PC ports looked and played like ass.

Michael: The PC has definitely shown in the past that it can receive ports of console RPGs. Since we're discussing original games though, I don't think the PC will ever become a viable platform for console-style RPGs. PCs and consoles are radically different platforms as is and attract their own kinds of gamers to them. Console RPGs are usually plot driven, that means a lot of time is spent soaking up dialogue. Since most people play consoles from the comforts of their couch, sitting through this is rather easy. However on a PC you're usually confined to an uncomfortable chair, and I can't see any PC gamer wanting to sit through the plot.

Matt: That's why the majority of PC RPGs are MMORPGs ;)

Seán: However, there is a large difference between console RPGs adopting multiple paths and becoming more or less pretty stat-building engines.

Matt: Good point. But at the same time, I don't see console RPGs giving up all their elements and qualities to look exactly like a PC RPG, and vice-versa. There are a few qualities that I think both sides could borrow from the other.

Michael: I think that dual platform gamers like myself are happy with the current situation. If we want action, we'll stick with our PCs. However, if we want a good story then we'll cozy up on our couches and play our consoles.

Justin: Well, what about Morrowind? Morrowind has made a simple leap from PC to Xbox, and has brought the completely open-ended world to a console system. That alone is a huge leap that really shows PC RPGs can succeed in a console environment, and perhaps bring innovation to console RPGs by competing companies.

Seán: Morrowind didn't quite make the jump intact, though, as one of the game's better and more unusual features, an extremely robust editor, was not included.

Matt: Due in part to limitations I mentioned earlier.

Michael: Yes, PCs have the advantage of hard drives and modders at the moment. Even the XBox's hard drive isn't too advantageous, and compared to PC hard drives is quite puny.