Sparky's Update kicks ass and chews bubblegum.

Who's that video game blogger that makes sweet, sweet love to the English language like it was a thousand dollar hooker?  Who makes every word his undulating biznatch, with flair and swagger like the original gangster that he is?  Oh, that's right, it's me, Sparky, here with another update for you to feast your eyes on. 
 
This week, I'm covering my thoughts on the traditional JRPG in today's market (or lack thereof), as well as my thoughts on season 2 of Breaking Bad and the soon-to-be traditional I'm-Not-Worthy award.  Dig in, Oh Trusty Readers, and enjoy. 
 
Traditional RPG's Are the New Adventure Genre 
 
There's a fascinating trend in today's gaming market.  Traditional turn-based JRPG's have all but disappeared, save for the rich releases found on the handhelds.  I've read a few thoughts on this throughout various forums in the last two years or so, and the general consensus is that the Japanese market is shrinking whereas the Western market is booming.  Therefore, simple economics teaches us that Japanese game developers and publishers will concentrate on the booming market.  Pretty simple cause and effect, and I can definitely see why they're not producing games in the genre with quite the vehemence that we found in the PS1-PS2 eras. 
 
But as a gamer, I think it's complete bullshit. 
 
I love the traditional JRPG nearly as much as I love adventure games.  As much as I bitch about the crazy Japanese storylines, the cookie-cutter anime-esque wacky Japanese characters, and the general trend towards shoddy English translations, I love the basic mechanics of the genre.  Nothing excites me more about a game than having a fleshed-out world to explore, with tons of NPC's to interact with and simple turn-based commands.  I love depth to the character-building, exemplified in games like the Final Fantasy series or Disgaea (yes, I'm lumping turn-based Japanese strategy games into this discussion as well).  Throw in some genuinely unique elements and characters, like Lost Odyssey, and I'm as happy as a pig dipped in shit. 

I think publishers are underestimating the attraction of this genre to a core amount of Western gamers.  True, we don't purchase games like Suikoden or Wild ARMs to the tune of the numbers sold of Modern Warfare or Mario Galaxy, but impressive numbers of copies of games like Final Fantasy XIII or (more importantly) Demon's Souls tell a story that a well-crafted RPG still has a vital role in the RPG market today. 
 
Personally, I think developers should push for a new market in traditional RPG gaming.  Keep the mechanics, the awesome world-building, and the core ideas of what goes into a quality JRPG, but drop the mentality that every game has to be The Next Big Thing.  Not every game needs flashy Final Fantasy XIII-esque graphics.  Focus efforts into building a great, solid foundation for a traditional JRPG, and you'll start to develop a fan base.  Keep up that level with quality with incremental adjustments, find out what works and what doesn't, and above all else, concentrate on making something that doesn't feel like it's just knocking off the latest gaming trend.  In a sense, look to the past to look to the future.  Don't be afraid to make games with graphics on par with the prior generation of consoles, because as we're learning from this generation of consoles, graphical design can take a backseat to awesome gaming mechanics. 
 
Danny Trejo and DJ Qualls Walk Into a Bar... 
 
...and the third guy ducks.  OK, OK, terrible joke, just awful.  There, I slapped myself on the wrist.  You happy?  Good. 
 
Over the past week, I've watched the generally excellent second season of Breaking Bad.  If I liked the first season, I'm loving the second.  The top-notch writing, the brilliant actors and actresses, and the unique understated cinematography all combine to create one of television's finest shows.  Danny Trejo's guest appearance is the obvious climactic moment of the season and makes for one of the best episodes of the show's run.  Jesse comes into his own this season, becoming more than just comic relief and becoming a truly sympathetic character.  The episode concentrating on his interactions with a meth-addicted couple and their small child is stunning, brutal, and touching, all at once. 
 
What You Should Be Reading Rather Than This 
 
Each week, I'm spotlighting what I consider to be some of the finest blogs here on Giant Bomb with the I'm-Not-Worthy Award, as well as any other notable blogs.  This week's I'm-Not-Worthy goes to ahoodedfigure for his excellent blog on finding collectibles and the illusion (or lack thereof) of impending doom within a game.  It's a hell of a good read, made obvious by the great conversations in the comments section.  Give it a go if you haven't caught it on the forums already. 

This week has seen a great many fantastic blogs, including Paperlink's thoughts on video games recreating genocide, and last week's I'm-Not-Worthy winner dankempster's latest entry in his examination of Final Fantasy VII.  Long-time reader Claude also brought to my attention DrRandle's interesting take on how Pokemon achievements could work.  You've read my crap, so now you owe it to yourself to read something by users with something intelligent to say.  Get a move on, little pardner! 
 
I don't usually like to post these to the main forums, but in order to get my blogs circulating a little bit through Giant Bomb, I'll be posting them occasionally to the forum sections.

Who's that video game blogger that makes sweet, sweet love to the English language like it was a thousand dollar hooker?  Who makes every word his undulating biznatch, with flair and swagger like the original gangster that he is?  Oh, that's right, it's me, Sparky, here with another update for you to feast your eyes on. 
 
This week, I'm covering my thoughts on the traditional JRPG in today's market (or lack thereof), as well as my thoughts on season 2 of Breaking Bad and the soon-to-be traditional I'm-Not-Worthy award.  Dig in, Oh Trusty Readers, and enjoy. 
 
Traditional RPG's Are the New Adventure Genre 
 
There's a fascinating trend in today's gaming market.  Traditional turn-based JRPG's have all but disappeared, save for the rich releases found on the handhelds.  I've read a few thoughts on this throughout various forums in the last two years or so, and the general consensus is that the Japanese market is shrinking whereas the Western market is booming.  Therefore, simple economics teaches us that Japanese game developers and publishers will concentrate on the booming market.  Pretty simple cause and effect, and I can definitely see why they're not producing games in the genre with quite the vehemence that we found in the PS1-PS2 eras. 
 
But as a gamer, I think it's complete bullshit. 
 
I love the traditional JRPG nearly as much as I love adventure games.  As much as I bitch about the crazy Japanese storylines, the cookie-cutter anime-esque wacky Japanese characters, and the general trend towards shoddy English translations, I love the basic mechanics of the genre.  Nothing excites me more about a game than having a fleshed-out world to explore, with tons of NPC's to interact with and simple turn-based commands.  I love depth to the character-building, exemplified in games like the Final Fantasy series or Disgaea (yes, I'm lumping turn-based Japanese strategy games into this discussion as well).  Throw in some genuinely unique elements and characters, like Lost Odyssey, and I'm as happy as a pig dipped in shit. 

I think publishers are underestimating the attraction of this genre to a core amount of Western gamers.  True, we don't purchase games like Suikoden or Wild ARMs to the tune of the numbers sold of Modern Warfare or Mario Galaxy, but impressive numbers of copies of games like Final Fantasy XIII or (more importantly) Demon's Souls tell a story that a well-crafted RPG still has a vital role in the RPG market today. 
 
Personally, I think developers should push for a new market in traditional RPG gaming.  Keep the mechanics, the awesome world-building, and the core ideas of what goes into a quality JRPG, but drop the mentality that every game has to be The Next Big Thing.  Not every game needs flashy Final Fantasy XIII-esque graphics.  Focus efforts into building a great, solid foundation for a traditional JRPG, and you'll start to develop a fan base.  Keep up that level with quality with incremental adjustments, find out what works and what doesn't, and above all else, concentrate on making something that doesn't feel like it's just knocking off the latest gaming trend.  In a sense, look to the past to look to the future.  Don't be afraid to make games with graphics on par with the prior generation of consoles, because as we're learning from this generation of consoles, graphical design can take a backseat to awesome gaming mechanics. 
 
Danny Trejo and DJ Qualls Walk Into a Bar... 
 
...and the third guy ducks.  OK, OK, terrible joke, just awful.  There, I slapped myself on the wrist.  You happy?  Good. 
 
Over the past week, I've watched the generally excellent second season of Breaking Bad.  If I liked the first season, I'm loving the second.  The top-notch writing, the brilliant actors and actresses, and the unique understated cinematography all combine to create one of television's finest shows.  Danny Trejo's guest appearance is the obvious climactic moment of the season and makes for one of the best episodes of the show's run.  Jesse comes into his own this season, becoming more than just comic relief and becoming a truly sympathetic character.  The episode concentrating on his interactions with a meth-addicted couple and their small child is stunning, brutal, and touching, all at once. 
 
What You Should Be Reading Rather Than This 
 
Each week, I'm spotlighting what I consider to be some of the finest blogs here on Giant Bomb with the I'm-Not-Worthy Award, as well as any other notable blogs.  This week's I'm-Not-Worthy goes to ahoodedfigure for his excellent blog on finding collectibles and the illusion (or lack thereof) of impending doom within a game.  It's a hell of a good read, made obvious by the great conversations in the comments section.  Give it a go if you haven't caught it on the forums already. 

This week has seen a great many fantastic blogs, including Paperlink's thoughts on video games recreating genocide, and last week's I'm-Not-Worthy winner dankempster's latest entry in his examination of Final Fantasy VII.  Long-time reader Claude also brought to my attention DrRandle's interesting take on how Pokemon achievements could work.  You've read my crap, so now you owe it to yourself to read something by users with something intelligent to say.  Get a move on, little pardner! 
 
I don't usually like to post these to the main forums, but in order to get my blogs circulating a little bit through Giant Bomb, I'll be posting them occasionally to the forum sections.

Great blog as always, Sparky. I agree whole-heartedly with your analysis of the perceived crisis affecting the JRPG genre this generation, so much so that I'm finding it incredibly difficult to add anything to it. I do think that in the race to modernise the JRPG gameplay formula, the very essence of what makes them so appealing to gamers like you and me - the world-building, exploration and character development - is being neglected. From what I've played so far, I think Final Fantasy XIII is a great example of this. Without wanting to spoil too much, the combat is exhilirating and is really clicking with me at the moment, but it seems to have come at the expense of good storytelling. the game has a brilliant setting with some very interesting lore, but most of it is optionally conveyed through datalogs rather than being revealed through the game itself. Reading your points has also reminded me that I really need to give Blue Dragon another chance. I don't think Hironobu Sakaguchi has failed to provide me with an interesting game experience yet, and Blue Dragon seems to do exactly what you outline in your blog - brush innovation aside in favour of refining the tried-and-tested JRPG formula.
 
Funnily enough, I read ahoodedfigure's blog just before reading this one. I honestly think it's one of the best blogs I've seen to date on Giant Bomb, dealing with a very interesting video game concept that doesn't seem to get much air time. The compromise that we as gamers have to make between our suspension of disbelief and our desire to get as much as possible out of the games we play is one that most of us have to face, particularly in RPGs and open-world action games. It's a balance that must be nigh-on impossible for developers to achieve, though. In offering us a plethora of side-quests, they distract us from the story they're trying to tell. But if they focus entirely on the story and remove the auxiliary portions of the game, the game as a whole would undoubtedly suffer as a result, being branded as short, shallow, or lacking the incentive for replayability. Ultimately, I think it's just a side-effect of the medium's interactivity that we as gamers have learned to tolerate, and that developers have seen no reason to try and remedy. Perhaps in the future we'll see an innovative solution to this problem.
 
Finally, thanks very much for the mention. I'm incredibly grateful for the exposure, and it's nice to see that people are enjoying the content I'm putting out there. 
 
Keep on truckin', duder.

I wish I would play a JRPG and just get over myself. I often wonder why I've never played one. If I enjoyed them, imagine all the games I could buy in trying to catch up. I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't hate, but maybe I do fear. All those gamers who wish they could play a game again for the first time, that could be me with a JRPG, having played none. One day... it's gotta happen. I guess I just need to grow a pair.

@dankempster:  
Hey, you keep writing excellent work and I'll keep mentioning your name, man.  Seriously, if people aren't reading your blogs, then they're on crack.  As far as hoodedfigure, I really liked that he was contemplating new advances in the genre, even if I'm perfectly okay with the status quo and lack of immersion in the "hanging comet" idea of RPG's and games in general.  Frankly, I don't much like having time limits forced on me by games unless it's a very specific part of that game and unnecessary to complete it (like time trial modes in racers).  I'm not a fan of the concept particularly in RPG's, simply because I do love to wander so much and interact with as much of the environment and the characters as I can.

@Claude:
It's an addictive genre, which works both to its favor and against it.  I find myself playing through games of the genre with mediocre stories just to get my fix of the excellent gameplay.  Blue Dragon is the biggest example of this - story and character wise, I despised the game, but the mechanics were so solid and the gameplay so basically fun that I stayed hooked until the very end.  I won't play most war turn-based sims like Panzer General because I know I'll get hooked for similar reasons.

Great blog Sparky. I'm personally not a big fan of the JRPG genre, well I guess at one point I was. I just kind of moved away from it. That is unless you classify Pokemon as a JRPG because I play the fuck out of them Pokeman games. 
 
You also need to come up with a theme song for that opening paragraph.

There are only a handful of games in the JRPG genre that I can stomach, but the few that I like are some of the best games I've played. For me, it really comes down to the story... and you might be able to tell what kind of a story I like based on my two favorite JRPGs (Earthbound and Persona 4.) 
 
I find most JRPGs to be samey and boring, just copying each other in order to become the next Dragon Quest. And it's a shame because I do like the general gameplay of JRPGs.

I agree, I think that set piece animations and a demand for :quick style, less thought and more action emphasis on gameplay has made these developers create gameworlds that couldn't possibly be open worlds. 
 
The level of detail and  engine that is used in FF13 makes it so it is not financially viable to have this amount of detail in an open world. It looks great but plays like an old style 2d platformer on a linear path and replaces fights with a brainless battlesystem which is a step down from great systems.
 
I would happily see a graphical downturn for more classical style JRPG elements and more production values drove into developing complicated mechanics and taking the series foward rather than simplifying it for pretty visuals.
I mean I would rather play Vandal Hearts, FF6, chrono than any of squaresoft's latest RPG's, I just wish that they would remember what was a winning formular back then, accept that to be successful you do not have to crack every target market. And get back to what made JRPG's so great in the first place.