Editing Role-playing video game (section)

==Popularity==
{{see also|List of best-selling Japanese role-playing game franchises|List of best-selling video game franchises|List of best-selling video games}}
{{Update|section|date=December 2015}}
The [[List of best-selling video game franchises|best-selling RPG series]] worldwide is ''[[Pokémon (video game series)|Pokémon]]'',<ref name="kotaku_rpgs"/> which has sold over 300&nbsp;million units,<ref name="pokemon-sales">{{cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/pokemon/2014/8/18/6030089/Pokemon-sales-numbers|title=How successful is Pokémon? Take a look at the numbers! |last=Lien |first=Tracey |date=August 18, 2014 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]] |access-date=August 18, 2014}}</ref><ref name="wii series">{{cite news |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2011/03/pokemon-titles-sell-1-million-on-launch-day/1 |title = 'Pokemon' titles sell 1 million on launch day |website=[[USA Today]] |date=March 9, 2011}}</ref><ref name="ign_pokerecords">{{cite web|title=Pokemon Report: World Records Edition |first=Jack |last=DeVries |date=January 16, 2009 |website=IGN |url=http://www.ds.ign.com/articles/946/946074p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228193548/http://ds.ign.com/articles/946/946074p1.html |archive-date=February 28, 2009 |access-date=January 24, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="nintendo_pokerecords">{{cite press release |url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2010/Pokemon-Black-Version-and-Pokemon-White-Version-for-Nintendo-DS-coming-to-Europe-in-Spring-2011-252381.html |title=Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version for Nintendo DS coming to Europe in Spring 2011 |access-date=December 19, 2015 |date=May 31, 2010 | publisher=Nintendo}}</ref> with over 30 million sales for [[Pokémon Red and Blue|''Pokémon Red'', ''Blue'', and ''Green'']] alone.<ref>{{Cite news |title=50 Most Popular Video Games of All Time |url=https://247wallst.com/special-report/2018/01/30/most-popular-video-games-of-all-time/10/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521191654/https://247wallst.com/special-report/2018/01/30/most-popular-video-games-of-all-time/10/ |archive-date=21 May 2018 |access-date=2018-05-21 |work=247wallst.com}}</ref> The second and third best-selling RPG franchises worldwide are [[Square Enix]]'s ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' and ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' series, with over 110&nbsp;million units and over 64&nbsp;million units sold as of March 31, 2014, respectively.<ref name="square-enix2">{{cite web |title=Businesses – Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. |url=http://www.hd.square-enix.com/eng/group/index.html |publisher=Square Enix |access-date=August 15, 2014}}</ref><ref name="finalfantasy_sales">{{cite web|url=http://gamasutra.com/view/news/35096/Final_Fantasy_Series_Hits_100M_Units_Shipped.php |title=Final Fantasy Series Hits 100M Units Shipped |publisher=UBM Tech |website=Gamasutra |date=June 7, 2011 |last=Rose |first=Mike |access-date=June 7, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819083134/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/35096/Final_Fantasy_Series_Hits_100M_Units_Shipped.php |archive-date=August 19, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="dragonquest_sales">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.famitsu.com/news/201103/16041486.html |publisher=KADOKAWA DWANGO CORPORATION |magazine=Famitsu |date=March 16, 2011 |access-date=March 16, 2011 |title=『ドラゴンクエストIX 星空の守り人』の全世界累計出荷本数が530万本を突破 |trans-title=Dragon Quest IX ships over 5.3 million worldwide}}</ref> Nearly all the games in the main ''Final Fantasy'' series and all the games in the main ''Dragon Quest'' series (as well as many of the spin-off games) have sold over a million copies each, with some games selling more than four million copies.<ref name="magicboxjapan">{{cite web |title=Japan Platinum Game Chart |url=http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-JPPlatinum.shtml |access-date=December 19, 2015 |website=The Magic Box}}</ref> Square Enix's best-selling title is ''Final Fantasy VII'', which has sold over 10&nbsp;million copies worldwide as of 2010.<ref name="arstechnica_ffvii"/>

Among the best-selling PC RPGs overall is the massively multiplayer online game ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' with 11.5&nbsp;million subscribers as of May 2010.<ref name=WoW>{{cite press release |url=http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/press/pressreleases.html?081121 |title=World of Warcraft® Subscriber Base Reaches 11.5 Million Worldwide |date=December 23, 2008 |publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |access-date=May 26, 2010}}</ref> Among single player PC RPGs, ''[[Diablo II]]'' has sold the largest amount,{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} with the most recently cited number being over 4&nbsp;million copies as of 2001.<ref name="gfirst_diablo">{{cite press release |url=http://www.gamesfirst.com/articles/diablo2_sales.htm |title=Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Shatters Sales Records Worldwide With Over 1 Million Copies Sold |publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |access-date=June 11, 2008 |date=August 29, 2001}}</ref> However, copies of the ''Diablo: Battle Chest'' continued to be sold in retail stores, with the compilation appearing on the [[NPD Group]]'s top 10 PC games sales, list as recently as 2010.<ref name="vg247_diablo2npd">{{cite web |first1=Stephany |last1=Nunneley |url=http://www.vg247.com/2010/08/05/activision-blizzard-q2-financials-net-revenue-comes-in-at-967-million/ |title=Activision Blizzard Q2 financials: Net revenue comes in at $967 million |website=VG247 |date=August 5, 2010 |access-date=September 15, 2010}}</ref> Further, ''Diablo: Battle Chest'' was the 19th best-selling PC game of 2008—a full seven years after the game's initial release;<ref name="ign_bestsell_2008">{{cite web |last=Thang |first=Jimmy  |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/01/15/best-selling-pc-games-of-2008 |title=Best-selling PC Games of 2008 |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=January 15, 2009 |access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> and 11&nbsp;million users still played ''Diablo II'' and ''[[StarCraft]]'' over Battle.net in 2010.<ref name="gspot_starcraft2">{{cite web |last=Magrino |first=Tom |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/starcraftiilegacyofthevoid/news.html?sid=6271382 |title=Analysts bullish on Starcraft II sales – PC News at GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive Inc. |website=GameSpot |date=July 28, 2010 |access-date=September 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910214303/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/starcraftiilegacyofthevoid/news.html?sid=6271382 |archive-date=September 10, 2011}}</ref> As a franchise, the ''Diablo'' series has sold over 20&nbsp;million copies,<ref>{{cite web |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |url=http://e3.gamespot.com/story/6210427/starcraft-ii-by-end-of-2009-call-of-duty-expanding-to-new-genres |title=E3 2010: Starcraft II by end of 2009, Call of Duty expanding to new genres – News |website=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive Inc. |date=May 31, 2009 |access-date=September 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602141340/http://e3.gamespot.com/story/6210427/starcraft-ii-by-end-of-2009-call-of-duty-expanding-to-new-genres |archive-date=June 2, 2009}}</ref> not including ''[[Diablo III]]'' which was released for Windows and OS X in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=DIABLO III LAUNCHING MAY 15 – DIGITAL PRE-SALES NOW OPEN |date=March 15, 2012 |publisher=Blizzard Entertainment |url=http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/4612389/Diablo_III_Launching_May_15_%E2%80%93_Digital_Pre-Sales_NOW_OPEN-3_15_2012#blog}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|''Diablo III'' was also released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 3, 2013,<ref name="PS3/360">{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2013/06/06/diablo-3-coming-to-360-as-well-dated-worldwide-sept-3/ |website=Engadget |publisher=AOL Inc. |title=Diablo 3 coming to Xbox 360 as well, dated worldwide Sept. 3 |last=Kubba |first=Sinan |date=June 6, 2013 |access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> as well as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on August 19, 2014.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition Lands PlayStation 4, Xbox One Release Date |magazine=Game Informer |first1=Andrew |last1=Reiner |date=May 12, 2014 |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/05/12/diablo-iii-ultimate-evil-edition-lands-playstation-4-xbox-one-release-date.aspx |access-date=2014-08-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824013135/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/05/12/diablo-iii-ultimate-evil-edition-lands-playstation-4-xbox-one-release-date.aspx |archive-date=2014-08-24 |url-status=live }}</ref>|group="Note"}}

The ''Dragon Quest'' series was awarded with six world records in the 2008 ''[[Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition|Gamer's Edition]]'' of the ''[[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of World Records]]'', including "Best Selling Role Playing Game on the Super Famicom", "Fastest Selling Game in Japan", and "First Video Game Series to Inspire a Ballet".<ref>{{cite web |year=2008 |title=Weird and Wonderful Records |url=http://gamers.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/weird_and_wonderful.aspx |publisher=[[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of World Records]] |access-date=September 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080329065414/http://gamers.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/weird_and_wonderful.aspx |archive-date=March 29, 2008}}</ref> Likewise, the ''Pokémon'' series received eight records, including "Most Successful RPG Series of All Time".<ref>{{cite news |title=Record Book Focused on the Gamers |first=Tim |last=Clodfelter |date=April 17, 2008 |newspaper=Winston-Salem Journal |page=1}}</ref> ''Diablo II'' was recognized in the 2000 standard edition of the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' for being the fastest selling computer game ever sold, with more than 1&nbsp;million units sold in the first two weeks of availability;<ref name="guinness">{{cite web |title=Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_zdoup/is_200505/ai_n13462894 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018074346/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_zdoup/is_200505/ai_n13462894 |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 October 2007 |work=Official U. S. Playstation Magazine |access-date=25 September 2016}}</ref> though this number has been surpassed several times since.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blizzard.com/us/inblizz/profile.html |title=Blizzard Entertainment – Company Profile |publisher=Blizzard Entertainment |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311073433/http://www.blizzard.com/us/inblizz/profile.html |archive-date=March 11, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blizzard.com/us/press/081120.html |title=Blizzard Entertainment – Media Alert |publisher=Blizzard Entertainment |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201013319/http://www.blizzard.com/us/press/081120.html |archive-date=2008-12-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A number of RPGs are also being exhibited in the [[Barbican Centre|Barbican Art Gallery]]'s "[[Game On (exhibition)|Game On]]" exhibition (starting in 2002) and the [[Smithsonian American Art Museum|Smithsonian]]'s "[[The Art of Video Games]]" exhibit (starting in 2012); and video game developers are now finally able to apply for grants from the US [[National Endowment for the Arts|National Endowment of the Arts]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Lasar |first=Matthew |title=US government now funds video games... if they're "art" |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/05/is-your-online-game-art-government-money-is-waiting/ |website=Ars Technica |publisher=Condé Nast |access-date=December 19, 2015 |date=May 17, 2001}}</ref>

[[File:Fallout 3 booth on Games Convention 2008.jpg|thumb|left|[[Bethesda Softworks]]' ''Fallout 3'' booth at the [[Games Convention]] 2008]]

According to ''[[Metacritic]]'', as of May 2011, the highest-rated video game by reviewers is the [[Xbox 360]] version of ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'', with an average metascore of 96 out of 100.<ref name=meta_topscore>{{cite web |title=Highest and Lowest Scoring Games at metacritic |url=http://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/score/metascore/all/all?view=condensed&sort=desc |publisher=CBS Interactive Inc. |website=Metacritic |access-date=May 11, 2011 |archive-date=4 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204122339/http://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/score/metascore/all/all?sort=desc&view=condensed |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Review aggregation sites like GameRankings and Metacritic omit reviews from many older print magazines.|group="Note"}} According to [[GameRankings]], the four top-rated video game RPGs, as of May 2010, are ''Mass Effect 2'' with an average rating of 95.70% for the Xbox 360 version and 94.24% for the PC version; ''[[Fallout 3|Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition]]'' with an average rating of 95.40% for the PlayStation 3 version; ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' with an average rating of 95.10%; and ''[[Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (video game)|Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic]]'' with an average rating of 94.18% for the [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] version.<ref name="kotaku_rpgs" /> Sales numbers for these six aforementioned titles are 10&nbsp;million units sold worldwide for ''Final Fantasy VII'' as of May 2010;<ref name="arstechnica_ffvii">{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2010/05/masterpiece-final-fantasy-vii/ |title=Masterpiece: Final Fantasy VII |last1=Webster |first1=Andrew |date=May 7, 2010 |website=Ars Technica |publisher=Condé Nast |access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> 161,161 units of ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' sold in Japan as of December 2010;<ref>{{cite web |title=Here's How Xenoblade And Metroid: Other M Did In Japan |url=http://www.siliconera.com/2011/01/23/heres-how-xenoblade-and-metroid-other-m-did-in-japan/ |website=Siliconera |access-date=September 2, 2011 |author=Ishaan |date=January 23, 2011}}</ref> 1.6&nbsp;million units sold worldwide for ''Mass Effect 2'' as of March 2010, just three months after release;<ref>{{Cite news |last=Iwatane Kane |first=Yukari |title=Videogame Maker Electronic Arts Swings to Profit |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704250104575238681063997848 |access-date=December 19, 2015 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=May 11, 2010}}</ref> 4.7&nbsp;million units for ''Fallout 3'' on all three platforms as of November 2008, also only a few months after publication;<ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/11/06/bethesda-softworks-announces-successful-launch-of-fallout-3 |title=Bethesda Softworks Announces Successful Launch of Fallout 3 |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=November 6, 2008 |access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> 3&nbsp;million units for both the Xbox and PC versions of ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' as of November 2004;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bioware.com/bioware_info/about/ |title=About |publisher=BioWare |date=November 10, 2004 |access-date=September 15, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100904232740/http://www.bioware.com/bioware_info/about/ |archive-date=September 4, 2010}}</ref> and more than 2.65&nbsp;million units for the SNES and PlayStation versions of ''Chrono Trigger'' as of March 2003,<ref name="square-sales">{{cite web |url=http://www.jp.square-enix.com/ir/e/explanatory/download/0404-200402090000-01.pdf#page=27 |title=February 2, 2004 – February 4, 2004 |date=February 9, 2004 |access-date=December 19, 2015 |publisher=Square Enix |page=27 |format=PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120084840/http://www.jp.square-enix.com/ir/e/explanatory/download/0404-200402090000-01.pdf |archive-date=January 20, 2013 |archive-format=PDF |url-status=dead }}</ref> along with 790,000 copies for the [[Nintendo DS]] version as of March 31, 2009.<ref name="square-sales-ds">{{cite web |url=http://www.hd.square-enix.com/eng/pdf/news/20090525_01en.pdf#page=7 |title=Results Briefing Session for the Fiscal Year ended March 31, 2009 |date=May 25, 2009 |access-date=December 19, 2015 |publisher=Square Enix |page=28 |format=PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108044757/http://www.hd.square-enix.com/eng/pdf/news/20090525_01en.pdf |archive-date=November 8, 2012 |archive-format=PDF |url-status=dead }}</ref> Among these titles, none were PC-exclusives, three were North American multi-platform titles released for consoles like the Xbox and Xbox 360, and three were Japanese titles released for consoles like the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]], [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] and [[Wii]].

''Final Fantasy VII'' topped ''[[GamePro]]'s'' "26 Best RPGs of All Time" list in 2008,<ref>{{cite magazine |author=GamePro Staff |title=The 26 Best RPGs of the All Time |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/218144/the-26-best-rpgs-page-4-of-4/ |magazine=GamePro |date=November 5, 2008 |access-date=February 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929014306/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/218144/the-26-best-rpgs-page-4-of-4/ |url-status=live |archive-date=September 29, 2011}}</ref> [[IGN]]'s 2000 "Reader's Choice Game of the Century" poll,<ref name="ign_choice">{{cite web |title=Reader's Choice Game of the Century |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/01/13/readers-choice-game-of-the-century |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=December 19, 2015 |date=January 12, 2000}}</ref> and the [[GameFAQs]] "Best Game Ever" audience polls in 2004 and 2005.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spring 2004: Best. Game. Ever. |url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/c04spr |website=GameFAQs |publisher=CBS Interactive Inc. |access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fall 2005: 10-Year Anniversary Contest—The 10 Best Games Ever |url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/10year |website=GameFAQs |publisher=CBS Interactive Inc. |access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> It was also selected in ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine's "100 Greatest Games of All Time" list as the highest-ranking RPG, at #2 on the list.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.empireonline.com/100greatestgames/default.asp?p=2 |title=2: Final FAntasy VII |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |publisher=Bauer Consumer Media |access-date=February 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706094744/http://www.empireonline.com/100greatestgames/default.asp?p=2 |archive-date=July 6, 2011}}</ref> On IGN's "Top 100 Games Of All Time" list in 2007, the highest ranking RPG is ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' at 9th place;<ref>{{cite web |title=IGN Top 100 Games 2007 – 9 Final Fantasy III (US) |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |year=2007 |url=http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_9.html |access-date=May 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512232355/http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_9.html |archive-date=May 12, 2014 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and in both the 2006 and 2008 IGN Readers' Choice polls, ''Chrono Trigger'' is the top ranked RPG, in 2nd place.<ref>{{cite web |title=Readers' Choice Top 100 Games of All Time – Chrono Trigger |website=IGN |year=2008 |url=http://top100.ign.com/2008/ign_top_game_2.html |access-date=May 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217225935/http://top100.ign.com/2008/ign_top_game_2.html |archive-date=February 17, 2009 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=IGN Readers' Choice 2006 – The Top 100 Games Ever |url=http://top100.ign.com/2006/001-010.html |publisher=Ziff Davis |website=IGN |access-date=May 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425073430/http://top100.ign.com/2006/001-010.html |archive-date=April 25, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> ''Final Fantasy VI'' is also the top ranked RPG in ''[[Game Informer]]'''s list of its 200 best games of all time list, in 8th place; and is also one of the eight games to get a cover for the magazine's 200th issue.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Game Informer's 200th Issue Revealed |first1=Jeff |last1=Cork |magazine=Game Informer |date=November 16, 2009 |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-200th-issue-revealed.aspx?PostPageIndex=4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711071951/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-200th-issue-revealed.aspx?PostPageIndex=4 |url-status=live |archive-date=11 July 2011 |access-date=May 7, 2011}}</ref> The 2006 ''[[Famitsu]]'' readers' poll is dominated by RPGs, with nearly a dozen titles appearing in the top twenty;<ref name="gamasutra_famitsu">{{cite web |last=Carless |first=Simon |title=Famitsu Reveals Top 100 Reader-Voted Games Of All-Time |publisher=UBM Tech |website=Gamasutra |date=March 3, 2006 |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/famitsu-reveals-top-100-reader-voted-games-of-all-time |access-date=May 12, 2011}}</ref> while most were Japanese, a few Western titles also made a showing.<ref name="joyq_fam2006">{{cite web |last=Choi |first=Dan |title=Japan chooses its all-time top 100 list of games; Western games feel left out |url=https://www.engadget.com/2006/03/03/japan-chooses-its-all-time-top-100-list-of-games-western-games/ |website=Engadget |publisher=AOL Inc. |access-date=December 19, 2015 |date=March 3, 2006}}</ref> The highest-ranking games on the list were ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'', followed by ''Final Fantasy VII'' and ''[[Dragon Warrior III]]''.<ref name="gamasutra_famitsu"/> For the past decade, the ''[[Megami Tensei]]'' series topped several "RPGs of the Decade" lists. RPGFan's "Top 20 RPGs of the Past Decade" list was topped by ''[[Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga]]'' & ''[[Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2|Digital Devil Saga 2]]'' followed by ''[[Persona 3]]'',<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 20 RPGs of the Past Decade |website=RPGFan |url=http://www.rpgfan.com/features/Top_20_RPGs_of_the_Last_Decade/2.html |access-date=February 5, 2011 |archive-date=October 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007220315/http://www.rpgfan.com/features/Top_20_RPGs_of_the_Last_Decade/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> while RPGamer's "Top RPGs of the Decade" list was topped by ''Persona 3'', followed by ''Final Fantasy X'' and ''[[World of Warcraft]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=RPGs of the Decade – 2000 to 2009 – #1 |website=RPGamer |url=http://www.rpgamer.com/features/decade/decade-1.html |access-date=February 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110111957/http://www.rpgamer.com/features/decade/decade-1.html |archive-date=November 10, 2014 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Lastly, while in recent years Western RPGs have consistently been released on consoles such as the Xbox and Xbox 360,<ref name="rpgsite_bestofxbox360">{{cite web |first=Alex |last=Donaldson |url=http://www.rpgsite.net/articles/0/172/the-best-xbox-360-rpgs-available-right-now.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325194534/http://www.rpgsite.net/articles/0/172/the-best-xbox-360-rpgs-available-right-now.html |archive-date=March 25, 2010 |title=The Best Xbox 360 RPGs Available Right Now |website=RPG Site |access-date=September 11, 2010}}</ref><ref name="scrawlfx_lowsalesculture">{{cite web |first=Sal |last=Romano |url=http://gematsu.com/2010/08/niitsuma-xbox-360s-low-japanese-sales-a-cultural-thing |title=Niitsuma: Xbox 360's low Japanese sales "a cultural thing" |website=Gematsu |date=August 16, 2010 |access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> these systems have not shown as much market dominance in Eastern markets such as Japan,<ref name="scrawlfx_lowsalesculture" /><ref name="csmon_xbox">{{cite news |last=Rusling |first=Matthew |title=No clamor for Xbox in Japan |newspaper=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |date=January 10, 2006 |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0110/p04s01-woap.html |access-date=October 2, 2010 |quote=Ever since its 2002 release, Microsoft's Xbox has been a colossal sales flop in Japan.}}</ref><ref name="playtm_xbox">{{cite web |last=Gasse |first=Nicholas |title=Xbox 360 dominance in Japan will come 'over time' |website=Play.tm |publisher=Ferrago Ltd |date=September 21, 2010 |url=http://play.tm/news/31902/xbox-360-dominance-in-japan-will-come-over-time/ |access-date=October 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100929192534/http://play.tm/news/31902/xbox-360-dominance-in-japan-will-come-over-time |archive-date=September 29, 2010 }}</ref> and only a few Western RPG titles have been localized to Japanese.<ref name="edge_oblivion_japan">{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/japan-oblivion-and-face-training |title=JAPAN: Oblivion and Face Training |website=Edge |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |date=July 27, 2007 |access-date=September 7, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925183447/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/japan-oblivion-and-face-training |archive-date=September 25, 2011}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|For instance, ''[[The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]]'', which is the only Western RPG to have been awarded a near-perfect score by Japanese gaming magazine ''[[Famitsu]]''.<ref name="edge_oblivion_japan" />|group="Note"}} Further, RPGs were not the dominant genre on the most popular of the [[History of video game consoles (seventh generation)|seventh generation]] video game consoles, the [[Wii]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/28473/Exclusive_PlatformSpecific_Q1_US_Sales_Reveal_Notable_Trends.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513014446/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/28473/Exclusive_PlatformSpecific_Q1_US_Sales_Reveal_Notable_Trends.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 May 2010 |title=Exclusive: Platform-Specific Q1 U.S. Sales Reveal Notable Trends |publisher=UBM Tech |website=Gamasutra |access-date=September 15, 2010}}</ref> although their presence among handheld systems such as the [[Nintendo DS]] is considerably greater.<ref>{{cite web |author=DakotaG |title=The RPGs of 2008: Handhelds leading |website=StrategyInformer |date=December 8, 2008 |url=http://www.strategyinformer.com/editorials/1908/the-rpgs-of-2008-handhelds-leading |access-date=January 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080814134916/http://www.strategyinformer.com/editorials/1908/the-rpgs-of-2008-handhelds-leading |archive-date=August 14, 2008}}</ref>

===Notable developers===
[[File:Hironobu Sakaguchi - Game Developers Conference 2007.jpg|thumb|Hironobu Sakaguchi at the [[Game Developers Conference]] in [[San Francisco, California]], in 2007]]
Notable early RPG developers include [[Don Daglow]] for creating the first role-playing video game, ''Dungeon'', in 1975;<ref name="kotaku_rpgs" /> [[Yuji Horii]] for creating the ''Dragon Quest'' series;<ref name="kotaku_rpgs" /> [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]] for creating the ''Final Fantasy'' series;<ref name="kotaku_rpgs" /> [[Richard Garriott]] for creating the ''Ultima'' series;<ref name="kotaku_rpgs" /> and [[Brenda Romero]] for writing and design work on the ''[[Wizardry (video game series)|Wizardry]]'' series.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} Other notable RPG developers include [[Bethesda Game Studios]], creators of ''[[Fallout 3]]'', ''[[Fallout 4]]'', and ''[[The Elder Scrolls]]'' series;{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} [[Ray Muzyka]] and [[Greg Zeschuk]] for founding [[BioWare]];<ref name="kotaku_rpgs" /> and [[CD Projekt]], creators of ''[[The Witcher (video game series)|The Witcher]]'' series and ''[[Cyberpunk 2077]]''.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} Finally, Ryozo Tsujimoto (''[[Monster Hunter]]'' series) and [[Katsura Hashino]] (''[[Shin Megami Tensei: Persona|Persona]]'' series) were cited as "Japanese Game Developers You Should Know" by ''[[1UP.com]]'' in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/5-japanese-game-developers |title=5 Japanese Game Developers You Should Know |website=1UP.com |publisher=IGN Entertainment Games |date=December 16, 2009 |access-date=December 19, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222122850/http://www.1up.com/features/5-japanese-game-developers |archive-date=December 22, 2015 }}</ref>

===Crowdfunding===
Since 2009<ref name=Purchese2016>{{cite web
 | title=Is Kickstarter for video games dead? | date=May 15, 2016
 | website=Eurogamer | first1=Robert | last1=Purchese
 | url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-05-11-is-kickstarter-for-video-games-dead
 | access-date=2017-07-06 }}</ref>
there has been a trend of [[crowdfunding]] video games using services such as [[Kickstarter]]. Role-playing games that have been successfully crowdfunded include ''[[Serpent in the Staglands]]'' (2015), ''[[The Banner Saga]]'' series (2015–2018), ''[[Dead State]]'' (2014), ''[[Wasteland 2]]'' (2014),'' [[Undertale]]'' (2015), ''[[Shadowrun Returns]]'' and its sequels (2012–2015), the ''[[Pillars of Eternity]]'' series (2015–2018), the ''[[Divinity: Original Sin]]'' series (2014–2017) and ''[[Torment: Tides of Numenera]]'' (2017).{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} Due to the release of ''Wasteland 2'', ''Divinity: Original Sin'', ''The Banner Saga'' and ''Dead State'' (as well as some more traditionally funded titles such as ''[[Might and Magic X]]'', ''[[Lords of Xulima]]'' and ''[[The Dark Eye: Blackguards]]'') 2014 was called "the first year of the CRPG renaissance" by [[PC Gamer]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Thorman|first1=Peter|title=2014: the first year of the CRPG renaissance|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/2014-the-first-year-of-the-crpg-renaissance/|magazine=PC Gamer|date=31 December 2014|access-date=5 December 2015}}</ref> However, it has been speculated that the spike in funded projects at around this time was the result of a "Kickstarter bubble", and that a subsequent slump in project funding was due to "Kickstarter fatigue".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-giants-hiding-a-growing-problem-video-games-on-kickstarter-on-the-first-half-of-2015 |title=The giants hiding a growing problem – Video games on Kickstarter on the first half of 2015 |last=Bidaux |first=Thomas |date=July 29, 2015 |website=Gamasutra |publisher=UBM |access-date=2017-05-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/5/19/8624665/big-indie-kickstarters-are-killing-actual-indies |title='Big indie' Kickstarters are killing actual indies |last=Chironis |first=Katie |date=May 19, 2015 |website=polygon.com |publisher=Vox Media |access-date=2017-05-22}}</ref>

The highest crowdfunded CRPG as of May 2017 is ''Torment: Tides of Numenera'' with $4,188,927 raised via Kickstarter.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.pcgamer.com/torment-tides-of-numenera-makes-final-stretch-goal-player-strongholds-now-secured/| title=Torment: Tides of Numenera makes final stretch goal, player strongholds now secured| author=Phil Savage| magazine=[[PC Gamer]]| date=2013-05-01| access-date=2016-04-22}}</ref> Kickstarted games have been released for the personal computer, video game console, and mobile platforms.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}