Googleshng: Moving things along to a not entirely unrelated subject. What does everyone think of the direction the RPG world is going at the moment? As we've discussed in recent roundtables, these days, RPGs are getting generally shorter, easier, and more plot heavy. That is when they aren't being replaced with Action/RPGs.

Matt: I think those points are reserved for a certain company, and maybe even just a certain series.

Googleshng: On the other hand, 90% of all RPGs in existence are, to be honest, the same exact game with different visual elements.

Alex: To me, the RPG world is expanding. Sure, there are always waves in some particular direction (online for example). But I don't think that the trend is set. You can find lots of teams working in lots of different directions. I fear the online move though.

Sean: As long as I can get RPGs that aren't in the style of Xenosaga, I'm not going to complain too much.

Googleshng: And I myself am happy with the occasional throwback, like the Wild ARMs series. Still, though, I've always found it rather upsetting to see any sort of challenge fading from the RPG market. From the videogame market in general really.

Andrew: Yes, things are branching out, but there is still a distinct lack of legitimate creativity. A lot of games just mix up existing elements, and though many stories are more advanced than the games of even two or three years ago, they're still far below the level of, say, a good movie, which makes me slightly frustrated with the genre. As a result I just end up playing action RPGs because that's where the most interesting gameplay can usually be found.

Sean: Along with tri-Ace's latest action-y battle system du jour.

Googleshng: For what it's worth, I still say FF6 has the most sophisticated story of any RPG out there.

Matt: Fair enough, there is definitely a movement in that direction. However, it is not universal. In the PC market especially there is still a big push for non-linearity, which lengthens the games and hurts their plot.

Googleshng: Ah, the PC market is a completely different animal really.

Sean: That really depends on what you mean by sophisticated. Final Fantasy VII is pretty obviously more complex, if you can get past the localization.

Googleshng: Speaking of unoriginality, PC games have really been striving forever to become more like Dungeons & Dragons.

Googleshng:Sean: Yeah, well, I can't.

Alex: Well, most of the game (RPG) designers are Japanese folks writing for a Japanese market. It seems to me that most people in Japan are looking for a portable RPG (a la Pokémon) or something quick they can plow through when they aren't working or studying. The attention span here in Tokyo seems very small. They've already stopped hyping Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles

Andrew: I suppose it's also true that the storytelling and themes are designed to be more attractive to that Japanese market, so perhaps I just don't appreciate what they're hawking because I can't relate to it as well as a movie produced in North America.

Googleshng: I've plugged over a hundred hours into Pokémon Silver alone, so I don't see where you get the short attention span.

Matt: I think that game makers have greater expectations of profitablilty for our beloved genre. As a result, more money invested, careful consideration with regards to changes, and more T&A.

Googleshng: True, although our genre is spared from that last bit... for the most part.

Matt: Not for long, I would imagine.

Sean: And to pre-emptively strike down Tifa comments, it's really not all that unrealistic. Or they, rather.

Googleshng: I was actually thinking of Sudeki.

Matt: The RPG genre seems to be taking more and more hints from the rest of the industry - attractive women and action elements included. I'd expect to see more borrowing in the future.

Googleshng: Some apologies to readers, as some technical difficulties cut things a tad short here.

Googleshng: Does anyone have any parting comments on this issue before we move on?

Alex: I'm good

Matt: I personally do see MMORPGs as being the thing of the future, but the breakthrough title will come after FFXI and World of Warcraft. That's the previewing mind at work.

Googleshng: Meanwhile, I think of it as a thing of the present that won't affect console games at all in the long run.

Andrew: And I just lavish hate upon it in the hopes that it will shrivel and vanish.