What can bring JRPG's back into the spotlight?

I grew up pouring 100s of hours into borderline-nonsensical adventures straight from the shores of Japan. This generation has seen the Western RPG step into the limelight and Japanese RPGs fall into a niche market, more often then not, relegated to handheld releases. Ni No Kuni bodes good fortune for those holding out for JRPGs to both return consoles and get ported outside of Japan. However, a single event doesn't make a trend. So, what would it take for JRPGs to reemerge from their niche standing in the market? 

I pose this question to the Gamespot community, because quite frankly I can't think of anything and that saddens me.

Enjoy other genres...I love jrpg's but I don't let them not let me play other games. Get a Handheld for more jrpgs...the best can be found there.

To clarify, I hadn't meant it in a practical sense, but rather a theorhetical one. I have both a 3DS and a VITA and it is the main means of playing jrpgs, but I play many other genres, was just wondering what might cure this particular genre's ails.

To clarify, I hadn't meant it in a practical sense, but rather a theorhetical one. I have both a 3DS and a VITA and it is the main means of playing jrpgs, but I play many other genres, was just wondering what might cure this particular genre's ails.

10finalfantasy

They don't need to be brought back into the spotlight. They have a great market on handhelds.

Also, xenoblade pretty much proves that JRPG's won't ever be as mainstream as they once were on consoles. Amazing game, one of my all time favorites, but it didn't sell that well (relatively speaking) and it hasn't increased the poularity of the genre despite the glowing reviews, sadly. Oh well. As I said, JRPGs are alive and well on handhelds.

Who knows if they'll ever reclaim their former glory. The only way I could see them getting back into the limelight would be if several studios released quality games on the scale of Ni no Kuni, Xenoblade, the Last Story, and the Tales games with great graphics, gameplay, and stories that could go toe to toe with other heavy hitters of other genres. JRPGs are in dire need of some more innovation and fresh ideas. And perhaps a bigger budget. And just getting it from a few companies isn't enough to put them back on the map.

I firmly believe RPGs like Dragon Age and Skyrim are superior to JRPGs. I like a good JRPG from time to time just like a good side-scrolling platformer or western movie or grunge rock album. Some things just become less favored to their newer evolutions, there are still plenty of JRPGs however, so they are far from obsolete.

Tales of Graces f and Ni No Kuni should lead by example. We need more original games like those.

JRPGs outside of a few main series have generally been niche. They have found a comfortable and profitable home on handhelds, which serve them well. Seriously, check out profit margins for games like Suikoden, Breath of Fire, Wild Arms, Vagrant Story, Lufia, etc. Outside of Final Fantasy/Dragon Quest/Pokemon/Kingdom Hearts the genre hasn't been that popular.

So really the topic is more like, what can Final Fantasy/Dragon Quest/Kingdom Hearts do to get back in the spotlight?

A good rpg with a story that is wide reaching and dialogue that is unbiased could do wonders for the gaming industry like in the past. I patiently await the day that game comes to stores. 

To clarify, I do not want more of the same. I want new, fun gameplay mechanics that are interesting to see in action. Game makers should look to the past in order to make something original tomorrow.

I don't think they'll ever get back into the spotlight. They had easy before western-style role-playing games started landing on console because Japanese RPGs were all consoles had. Since that's no longer the case, it would be a constant uphill battle to regain the spotlight, which I just don't see happening. Tough to compete with juggernauts like The Elder Scrolls series and Bioware RPGs.

Tales of Graces f and Ni No Kuni should lead by example. We need more original games like those.GeoffZak

I wouldn't call Ni no Kuni original (it's Pokemon designed as a traditional JRPG with the Studio Ghibli art style; nothing new or original about it), but damn was it a great game.

That would be hard since JRPGs are given no slack.

If JRPGs have a over used main story like DAO then they will be attack for that.

If JRPGs have combat that does noithing new like Skyrim then it will be attack for that.

Worse is that many will force JRPG characters into premade molds they believe all JRPG characters fit into, and not look at the details. The sad thing many WRPG's characters use similar base characters like JRPG characters do, but WRPG character are praise for being new and different.

JRPGs have are coming up with rich new enemies to fight. You can find JRPG with new and fun system. The best hope I have for a WRPG system would not be going down.

I'm not a huge fan of Western RPGs. I find a lot of them extremely overrated. That being said, there are JRPGs we don't get over here because the market isn't as strong for them in the West. Out of the JRPGs we got this gen so far. (And that I've played and finished) The only ones I thought were MUST plays were:

Tales of Vesperia (360)

Tales of Graces f (PS3)

The World Ends With You (DS) I think it was just a bad gen for JRPGs. I really don't know why. I don't think they will be like they were back in the SNES/PSX days, but they will get better.

Edit: When I say "This gen" I mean. DS, PSP, 360, PS3, Wii

Simple answer: Ni No Kuni

more games like Ni no Kuni less games like Final Fantasy 13Shinobishyguy

me love some ni kuni games

just buy a 3ds and enjoy it there....

They might NOT be as popular as they used to on consoles but you can still find some good ones out there if you look,

Tales of Graces f

Tales of Vesperia

Eternal Sonata

Resonance of Fate

Ni No Kuni

Final Fantasy 13 series(I know alot of people didnt like this one but I found it enjoyable)

Blue Dragon(Another one people seemed not to like but thought it was decent)

And I know there are others, just cant think of them.

Well just about all the JRPG's have dumb stories, dumb characters, have over the top kiddish themes (Graces f).

Older JRPG's had the opposite of what I just listed. They need to grow up again. Look at The Witcher 2, Skyrim, Mass Effect, Dragon Age ect. They are adult games with great chracters and storylines. Then look at Eternal Sonata, Tales of Graces f, Star Ocean Last Hope. They all have serious issues ranging from kiddish themes, terrible characters and making moments seem A LOT more dramatic than it should be. Storylines blow too.

Bottom line, they need to grow up.

Well just about all the JRPG's have dumb stories, dumb characters, have over the top kiddish themes (Graces f).

Older JRPG's had the opposite of what I just listed. They need to grow up again. Look at The Witcher 2, Skyrim, Mass Effect, Dragon Age ect. They are adult games with great chracters and storylines. Then look at Eternal Sonata, Tales of Graces f, Star Ocean Last Hope. They all have serious issues ranging from kiddish themes, terrible characters and making moments seem A LOT more dramatic than it should be. Storylines blow too.

Bottom line, they need to grow up.

ristactionjakso

Play Radiant Historia. Even though it's E10, it's pretty damn dark/ mature.

There is a severe lack of Xenoblade love in this threa, which more or less illustrates my first post.

honestly, i think the revival of final fantasy is the way to bring them back. although i enjoyed ff13, it's getting pretty obvious that square is losing their quality. i mean theres a final fantasy 13-3 now? this milking is getting ridiculous. i mean ff13 was good, but no where near FF10 or FF12 even. the characters were just too weak and the story was meh as well.

they need to come out with a brand new final fantasy. not none of these ff13 sequels or ff14 online games. a new single player final fantasy with a better cast of characters and better story and just start fresh with next gen. i also think they need to change up the battle system. imo they need to do something like FF12 and build up on that. i think the whole breaking into another screen thing for battle is outdated.

final fantasy is the only really "mature" kind of JRPG ive seen. all the other ones are all anime'd out with characters that all look like kids that fight marshmallows and stuff. i think this stuff is what turns ppl off about JRPGs, in north america atleast.

honestly, i think the revival of final fantasy is the way to bring them back. although i enjoyed ff13, it's getting pretty obvious that square is losing their quality. i mean theres a final fantasy 13-3 now? this milking is getting ridiculous. i mean ff13 was good, but no where near FF10 or FF12 even. the characters were just too weak and the story was meh as well.

they need to come out with a brand new final fantasy. not none of these ff13 sequels or ff14 online games. a new single player final fantasy with a better cast of characters and better story and just start fresh with next gen. i also think they need to change up the battle system. imo they need to do something like FF12 and build up on that. i think the whole breaking into another screen thing for battle is outdated.

final fantasy is the only really "mature" kind of JRPG ive seen. all the other ones are all anime'd out with characters that all look like kids that fight marshmallows and stuff. i think this stuff is what turns ppl off about JRPGs, in north america atleast.

idunnodude

I enjoy the character in FF13 more than the characters in ME2.

FF12 is my most hated combat in JRPG but it works in WRPG look at DAO. For WRPG there is no combat that is near as good as the many JRPG. I grind so much in WRPG just so I have combat finish fast. I did not enjoy the combat in Last Story or Xenoblade that much. I find RPG with field base combat to be not as good as they breaking into another screen.

I agree there is a cultural different that many do not allow to happen and many does not allow that to be a factor. Worse is that it seems many have premade ideals and will force JRPGs to fit them those ideals.

The only way I can see many accepting JRPG is to have a Japan company make the combat system while having a western combat make the lore and story.

[QUOTE="idunnodude"]

honestly, i think the revival of final fantasy is the way to bring them back. although i enjoyed ff13, it's getting pretty obvious that square is losing their quality. i mean theres a final fantasy 13-3 now? this milking is getting ridiculous. i mean ff13 was good, but no where near FF10 or FF12 even. the characters were just too weak and the story was meh as well.

they need to come out with a brand new final fantasy. not none of these ff13 sequels or ff14 online games. a new single player final fantasy with a better cast of characters and better story and just start fresh with next gen. i also think they need to change up the battle system. imo they need to do something like FF12 and build up on that. i think the whole breaking into another screen thing for battle is outdated.

final fantasy is the only really "mature" kind of JRPG ive seen. all the other ones are all anime'd out with characters that all look like kids that fight marshmallows and stuff. i think this stuff is what turns ppl off about JRPGs, in north america atleast.

wiouds

I enjoy the character in FF13 more than the characters in ME2.

FF12 is my most hated combat in JRPG but it works in WRPG look at DAO. For WRPG there is no combat that is near as good as the many JRPG. I grind so much in WRPG just so I have combat finish fast. I did not enjoy the combat in Last Story or Xenoblade that much. I find RPG with field base combat to be not as good as they breaking into another screen.

I agree there is a cultural different that many do not allow to happen and many does not allow that to be a factor. Worse is that it seems many have premade ideals and will force JRPGs to fit them those ideals.

The only way I can see many accepting JRPG is to have a Japan company make the combat system while having a western combat make the lore and story.

[QUOTE="wiouds"]

well i guess we have completely different views on it then. FF12 was actually one of my favourite combat systems. you are entitled to your opinion of course, but you're also actually the only person i've ever heard that said the FF13 characters are better than ME2. ME2 is actually my favourite game this gen and probably in my top 3 games of all time. i think that game was just pure brilliance. the characters all were so distinct and memorable. the only character that i liked from ff13 was fang and maybe vanille. and i see what you're saying about mixing WRPG and JRPG aspects to appeal to NA audiences. capcom kinda did that with dragon's dogma. it was from a japanese company but it had western type of setting and lore and one of the best combat systems of all time. i honestly thought that game had potential to be one of the greatest rpg's of all time, it just lacked significantly in so many areas. overall i think it might just be time to move on for a lot of gamers. last gen i considered JRPG games to be my favourite because of FF10 and FF12. after playing more games i realized that it wasn't JRPGs i liked, but just final fantasy games cuz they seem to be the only JRPG games that aren't all anime'd out and corny. then after realizing that square is not going to come out with a new final fantasy this gen and just milking the 13 series, i shifted my interests to WRPGs and have really enjoyed them. games like mass effect, skyrim and dragon age have all been great. i think it's best for gamers to look into handheld stuff because i hear that is where a lot of the JRPGs that they like are at now. i don't really see JRPGs making a comeback on consoles anytime soon unless final fantasy comes back strong. honestly it is a shame but i don't really care as long as they keep putting out quality RPG games in general im satisfied with WRPGs.idunnodude

I play JRPG for the rich combat, but FF12 just did not bring that out rich combat.

ME2 and FF13 both deals with the theme of suffering and how people deal with it. The problem I have with ME2s characters is that they just brood about the problems. For FF13, Lighting became angry and wanting to attack something. Hope become confused and just follows the person that seems to have an answer. Snow used it to reinforce his ideals. Vanille try to run away from it. Fang for got. Sazh just accepted it. The main antagonists just want to recover what they lost.

I have said that Dragon's Dogma is the worse parts of WRPG and JRPG.

I do have a problem with the way WRPG are going. They just seem to be taken so much of the role playing and replacing it with dialog and moral pick. Both I do not care about in my WRPG.

I have said that Dragon's Dogma is the worse parts of WRPG and JRPG.

wiouds

Do care to elaborate on this? I found the game to be very enjoyable. 

[QUOTE="wiouds"]

I have said that Dragon's Dogma is the worse parts of WRPG and JRPG.

Pedro

Do care to elaborate on this? I found the game to be very enjoyable. 

I say that dreagon's Dogma is the worse of WRPG and JRPG is that it has the weakness from both type of game.

Outside of combat, JRPG have little to nothing to do and is very simple. In Dragon Dogma, if you are not fighting an enemy then you are just running around. In the better WRPG, you will have quests and skills not involved in combat.

Most combat in WRPG is bad. There is not much to them where it is an attack then spam attack until the plan enemies are died. Other than if the dragons dogmas enemy is large or  flying there was no real meaning different between them. IT become very much fighting the same enemies with different numbers and looks.

I say that dreagon's Dogma is the worse of WRPG and JRPG is that it has the weakness from both type of game.

Outside of combat, JRPG have little to nothing to do and is very simple. In Dragon Dogma, if you are not fighting an enemy then you are just running around. In the better WRPG, you will have quests and skills not involved in combat.

Most combat in WRPG is bad. There is not much to them where it is an attack then spam attack until the plan enemies are died. Other than if the dragons dogmas enemy is large or  flying there was no real meaning different between them. IT become very much fighting the same enemies with different numbers and looks.

wiouds

I see where you are coming from. There were some interesting quests however, non of them were outside the role of combat. Hopefully there second iteration (if there is one) would allow for more diversified questing. Inspite of the flaws I still manage to enjoy the game. Normally I would detest games with some of the mechanics in this game but for some reason I did not mind it. 

Marketing that at least equals the western games.
Being a bit faster with the western releases would also help.