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==History and classification== {{further|History of Western role-playing video games|History of Eastern role-playing video games|List of role-playing video games}} The role-playing video game [[Video game genres|genre]] began in the mid-1970s on [[mainframe computer]]s, inspired by pen-and-paper [[role-playing game]]s such as ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''.<ref name="barton_3623_01">{{Harvnb|Barton|2007a|p=1|Ref=barton_3623}}</ref> Several other sources of inspiration for early role-playing video games also included tabletop [[Wargaming|wargames]], [[Sports game|sports simulation]] games, [[adventure game]]s such as ''[[Colossal Cave Adventure]]'', [[fantasy]] writings by authors such as [[J. R. R. Tolkien]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Barton|2008|p=13|Ref=barton_ddesktops}}</ref> traditional [[strategy game]]s such as [[chess]],<ref name="Justin Leeper">{{cite web|title=Pathway to Glory|author=Justin Leeper|date=December 17, 2004|work=[[GameSpy]]|url=http://uk.wireless.gamespy.com/n-gage/pathway-to-glory/574269p1.html|access-date=May 19, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Hendricks|first=Fayyaad|title=A complete history of role-playing videogames: Part 1|url=http://www.el33tonline.com/feature/2011/12/19/a_complete_history_of_roleplaying/|website=EL33TONLINE|access-date=December 23, 2011|date=December 19, 2011|archive-date=9 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190358/http://www.el33tonline.com/feature/2011/12/19/a_complete_history_of_roleplaying/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and ancient [[Epic poetry|epic literature]] dating back to ''[[Epic of Gilgamesh]]'' which followed the same basic structure of setting off in various [[Quest (video gaming)|quests]] in order to accomplish goals.<ref>{{citation|author=Johansen Quijano-Cruz|year=2009|title=Chopin's Dream as Reality: A Critical Reading of Eternal Sonata|journal=Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture|volume=3|issue=2|pages=209–218|doi=10.7557/23.6006|s2cid=145599245|doi-access=free}}</ref> Originally, role-playing video games were classified into three main styles: roguelikes (named after ''[[Rogue (video game)|Rogue]]'', 1980) that focused on exploration of procedurally created mazes; dungeon crawlers (popularized by ''[[Wizardry (video game series)|Wizardry]]'', 1981), that took place within one or few dungeons, with little or no interaction with an outer world; and open worlds (popularized by ''[[Ultima (series)|Ultima]]'', 1981), that include an explorable world surface with several dungeons, cities, continents, and more. After the success of role-playing video games such as ''[[Ultima (series)|Ultima]]'' and ''[[Wizardry (video game series)|Wizardry]]'', which in turn served as the blueprint for ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy]]'', the role-playing genre eventually diverged into two styles, ''Eastern role-playing games'' and ''Western role-playing games'', due to [[#Cultural differences|cultural differences]], though roughly mirroring the platform divide between [[Video game console|consoles]] and [[Personal computer|computers]], respectively.<ref name="barton_evw">{{cite web|first=Matt|last=Barton|url=http://armchairarcade.com/neo/node/733 |title=Kawaisa!: A Naive Glance at Western and Eastern RPGs |publisher=Armchair Arcade |date=June 21, 2010 |access-date=September 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105004233/http://armchairarcade.com/neo/node/733 |archive-date=2012-01-05}}</ref> Finally, while the first RPGs offered strictly a [[Single-player video game|single player]] experience, the popularity of [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] modes rose sharply during the early to mid-1990s with [[action role-playing game]]s such as ''[[Secret of Mana]]'' and ''[[Diablo (video game)|Diablo]]''. With the advent of the Internet, multiplayer games have grown to become [[massively multiplayer online role-playing game]]s (MMORPG), including ''[[Lineage (video game)|Lineage]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'', and ''[[World of Warcraft]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283281457|title = The Development of MMORPG Culture and The Guild|last = Jøn|first = A. Asbjørn|date = 2010|journal = Australian Folklore: A Yearly Journal of Folklore Studies|access-date = November 2, 2015|issue = 25|pages = 97–112|publisher = University of New England}}</ref> ===Mainframe computers=== The role-playing video game genre began in the mid-1970s, as an offshoot of early university [[Mainframe computer|mainframe]] text-based RPGs on [[PDP-10]] and [[Unix]]-based computers, such as ''[[Dungeon (video game)|Dungeon]]'', [[pedit5]] and [[dnd (video game)|dnd]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Martell|first=Carey|title=Interview with the creators of dnd (PLATO)|url=http://www.rpgfanatic.net/advanced_game_wiki_database.html?p=news&nrid=5049&game=dnd|website=www.rpgfanatic.net|access-date=May 5, 2012}}</ref> In [[1980 in video gaming|1980]], a very popular [[dungeon crawl]]er, ''[[Rogue (video game)|Rogue]]'', was released. Featuring [[ASCII]] graphics where the setting, monsters and items were represented by letters and a deep system of gameplay, it inspired a whole genre of similar clones on mainframe and home computers called "[[roguelike]]s". ===Personal computers=== {{see also|History of Western role-playing video games|History of Eastern role-playing video games#Japanese computer RPGs|l2=Japanese computer RPGs}} One of the earliest role-playing video games on a [[microcomputer]] was ''Dungeon n Dragons'', written by [[Peter Trefonas]] and published by [[CLOAD]] (1980). This early game, published for a [[TRS-80]] Model 1, is just 16K long and includes a limited word parser command line, character generation, a store to purchase equipment, combat, traps to solve, and a dungeon to explore.<ref name="Trefonas, Peter">{{cite web|last=Trefonas |first=Peter |title=Dungeons and Dragons |publisher=[[CLOAD]] |date=May 1980 |url=http://www.gametronik.com/site/rubriques/tandy/FAQs/CLOAD%20Magazine%201980-05%20(1980)(CLOAD%20Magazine%20Inc).pdf |access-date=October 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711072144/http://www.gametronik.com/site/rubriques/tandy/FAQs/CLOAD%20Magazine%201980-05%20%281980%29%28CLOAD%20Magazine%20Inc%29.pdf |archive-date=July 11, 2011 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Other contemporaneous CRPGs (Computer Role Playing Games) were ''[[Temple of Apshai]]'', ''[[Odyssey: The Compleat Apventure]]'' and ''[[Akalabeth: World of Doom]]'', the precursor to ''[[Ultima (series)|Ultima]]''. Some early microcomputer RPGs (such as ''[[Telengard]]'' (1982) or ''[[Sword of Fargoal]]'') were based on their mainframe counterparts, while others (such as ''Ultima'' or ''[[Wizardry (video game series)|Wizardry]]'', the most successful of the early CRPGs) were loose adaptations of ''D&D''.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} They also include both [[First-person (video games)|first-person]] displays and overhead views, sometimes in the same game (''Akalabeth'', for example, uses both perspectives). Most of the key features of RPGs were developed in this early period, prior to the release of ''[[Ultima III: Exodus]]'', one of the prime influences on both computer and console RPG development. For example, ''Wizardry'' features menu-driven combat, ''[[Tunnels of Doom]]'' features tactical combat on a special "combat screen", and ''[[Dungeons of Daggorath]]'' features real-time combat which takes place on the main dungeon map.<ref>{{Harvnb|Barton|2007a|Ref=barton_3623}}</ref> Starting in 1984 with ''[[Questron (video game)|Questron]]'' and ''[[50 Mission Crush]]'', [[Strategic Simulations, Inc.|SSI]] produced many series of CRPGs. Their 1985 game ''[[Phantasie (video game)|Phantasie]]'' is notable for introducing [[automap]]ping and in-game scrolls providing hints and background information. They also released ''[[Pool of Radiance]]'' in 1988, the first of several "[[Gold Box]]" CRPGs based on the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules''. These games feature a first-person display for movement, combined with an overhead tactical display for combat. One common feature of RPGs from this era, which Matt Barton calls the "[[Golden Age]]" of computer RPGs, is the use of numbered "paragraphs" printed in the manual or adjunct booklets, containing the game's lengthier texts; the player can be directed to read a certain paragraph, instead of being shown the text on screen. The ultimate exemplar of this approach is [[Sir-Tech]]'s ''[[Star Saga]]'' trilogy (of which only two games were released); the first game contains 888 "textlets" (usually much longer than a single paragraph) spread across 13 booklets, while the second contains 50,000 paragraphs spread across 14 booklets. Most of the games from this era are turn-based, although ''[[Dungeon Master (video game)|Dungeon Master]]'' and its imitators have real-time combat. Other classic titles from this era include ''[[The Bard's Tale (1985 video game)|The Bard's Tale]]'' (1985), ''[[Wasteland (video game)|Wasteland]]'' (1988), the start of the ''[[Might and Magic]]'' (1986–2014) series and the continuing ''Ultima'' (1981–1999) series.<ref name="bart2007b">{{Harvnb|Barton|2007b|Ref=barton_1706}}</ref> Later, in the middle to late 1990s, isometric, sprite-based RPGs became commonplace, with video game publishers [[Interplay Entertainment]] and [[Blizzard North]] playing a lead role with such titles as the ''[[Baldur's Gate (series)|Baldur's Gate]]'', ''[[Icewind Dale (series)|Icewind Dale]]'' and the action-RPG ''[[Diablo (series)|Diablo]]'' series, as well as the dialogue-heavy ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'' and cult classics ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'' and ''[[Fallout 2]]''. This era also saw a move toward 3D game engines with such games as ''[[Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven]]'' and ''[[The Elder Scrolls: Arena]]''. [[TSR (company)|TSR]], dissatisfied with SSI's later products, such as ''[[Dark Sun: Wake of the Ravager]]'' and ''[[Menzoberranzan (video game)|Menzoberranzan]]'', transferred the ''AD&D'' license to several different developers, and eventually gave it to [[BioWare]], who used it in ''[[Baldur's Gate (video game)|Baldur's Gate]]'' (1998) and several later games. By the 2000s, 3D engines had become dominant.<ref name="bart2007c">{{Harvnb|Barton|2007c|Ref=barton_1571}}</ref> ===Video game consoles=== {{see also|History of Eastern role-playing video games|History of Western role-playing video games#Early 21st century (2000s–present)|Video game console|l2=Early 21st century Western RPGs}} The earliest RPG on a console was ''[[Dragonstomper]]'' on the [[Atari 2600]] in 1982.<ref name="gspothistory">{{cite web| title =The History of Console RPGs | website =GameSpot | url =http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/first.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100329135843/http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/first.html | archive-date =March 29, 2010 | access-date =October 24, 2007 }}</ref> Another early RPG on a console was ''[[Bokosuka Wars]]'', originally released for the [[Sharp X1]] computer in 1983<ref name="gspot_bosk">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/bokosuka-wars/ |title=Bokosuka Wars |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive Inc. |access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> and later ported to the [[MSX]] in 1984, the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] in 1985 and the [[Sharp X68000]] {{Citation needed|reason=''Pleas cite your sources''|date=November 2021}} as ''New Bokosuka Wars''. The game laid the foundations for the [[tactical role-playing game]] genre, or "simulation RPG" genre as it is known in Japan.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} It was also an early example of a [[Real-time game|real-time]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3135870 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20050119105913/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3135870 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 19, 2005 |title=Dru Hill: The Chronicle of Druaga |last1=Barnholt |first1=Ray |date=October 25, 2004 |website=1UP.com |publisher=IGN Entertainment Games |access-date=December 20, 2015 }}</ref> [[action role-playing game]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14762|title=Bokosuka Wars|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101010101/https://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14762|archive-date=2014-01-01|url-status=dead|website=[[All Media Network#AllGame|AllGame]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6251/gems_in_the_rough_yesterdays_.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110106175431/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6251/gems_in_the_rough_yesterdays_.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 January 2011 |title=Gems In The Rough: Yesterday's Concepts Mined For Today |last1=Barnholt |first1=Ray |date=January 6, 2011 |website=Gamasutra |publisher=UBM Tech |access-date=December 20, 2015}}</ref> In 1986, [[Chunsoft]] created the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] title ''[[Dragon Quest (video game)|Dragon Quest]]'' (called ''[[Dragon Warrior]]'' in North America until the [[Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King|eighth game]]), which drew inspiration from computer RPGs ''Ultima'' and ''Wizardry'' and is regarded as the template for future Japanese role-playing video games released since then.<ref name="gspy_dwhof"/> Also in 1986 [[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]] was released for the [[NES]]. While not a role-playing game, it did inspire many aspects of future action-RPGs. {{update|date=April 2022}} In 1987, the genre came into its own with the release of several highly influential console RPGs distinguishing themselves from computer RPGs, including the genre-defining [[Phantasy Star (video game)|Phantasy Star]], released for the [[Master System]]. [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]'s ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]'' for the [[Family Computer Disk System|Famicom Disk System]] was one of the earliest [[action role-playing game]]s, combining the [[action-adventure game]] framework of its predecessor ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' with the statistical elements of [[#Combat|turn-based RPGs]].<ref>{{cite web|first1=Andrew |last1=Vestal |title=The History of Console RPGs – Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|website=[[GameSpot]]|date=November 2, 1998|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/nes6.html|access-date=December 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203110646/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/nes6.html |archive-date=February 3, 2013}}</ref> Most RPGs at this time were turn-based.<ref name="Iwata Asks: RPG">{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Iwata-Asks/Iwata-Asks-Dragon-Quest-IX/Iwata-Asks-Dragon-Quest-IX/Click-the-thumbnails-below-to-watch-the-Iwata-Asks-video-interview-for-Dragon-Quest-IX-/Iwata-Asks-video-interview-for-Dragon-Quest-IX-214762.html|title=Iwata Asks video interview for Dragon Quest IX|work=Iwata Asks|publisher=Nintendo|at=Iwata Asks Dragon Quest IX Video 4, As a Turn-based RPG|access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> ''[[Faxanadu]]'' was another early action RPG for the NES, released as a side-story to the computer action RPG ''[[Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu]]''.<ref name=GameSpot-Other-NES>{{cite web|first1=Andrew|last1=Vestal|title=The History of Console RPGs: Other NES RPGs|website=GameSpot|date=November 2, 1998|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/nes5.html|access-date=December 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203110656/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/nes5.html |archive-date=February 3, 2013}}</ref> [[Square (video game company)|Square]]'s ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' for the NES introduced side-view battles, with the player characters on the right and the enemies on the left, which soon became the norm for numerous console RPGs.<ref name="gsff1">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/finalfantasy_hs/sec1_1_2.html |title=The History of Final Fantasy – Final Fantasy (Part 2) |first= Andrew|last=Vestal |website=Gamespot |date=November 2, 1998 |access-date=December 31, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030502173909/http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/finalfantasy_hs/sec1_1_2.html |archive-date=May 2, 2003 }}</ref> In 1988, ''[[Dragon Warrior III]]'' introduced a character progression system allowing the player to change the party's character classes during the course of the game.{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} Another "major innovation was the introduction of day/night cycles; certain items, characters, and quests are only accessible at certain times of day."<ref>{{cite web|first1=Andrew|last1=Vestal|title=The History of Console RPGs: Dragon Quest III|website=GameSpot|date=November 2, 1998|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/nes7.html|access-date=December 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203110651/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/nes7.html|archive-date=February 3, 2013}}</ref> In 1989, ''[[Phantasy Star II]]'' for the [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]] established many conventions of the genre, including an [[Epic (genre)|epic]], dramatic, character-driven storyline dealing with serious themes and subject matter.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6129293/index.html |title=The Greatest Games of All Time: Phantasy Star II |last1=Kasavin |first1=Greg |website=GameSpot |publisher=CNET Networks, Inc. |access-date=December 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050718001919/http://www.gamespot.com/features/6129293/index.html |archive-date=July 18, 2005}}</ref> Console RPGs distinguished themselves from computer RPGs to a greater degree in the early 1990s. As console RPGs became more heavily story-based than their computer counterparts, one of the major differences that emerged during this time was in the portrayal of the characters. Console RPGs often featured intricately related characters who had distinctive personalities and traits, with players assuming the roles of people who cared about each other, fell in love or even had families. Romance in particular was a theme that was common in most console RPGs at the time but absent from most computer RPGs.<ref>Neal Hallford & Jana Hallford (2001), [https://books.google.com/books?id=GslPb621eXQC ''Swords & circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role-playing games''], p. xxiv, [[Cengage Learning]], {{ISBN|0-7615-3299-4}}</ref> During the 1990s, console RPGs had become increasingly dominant, exerting a greater influence on computer RPGs than the other way around.<ref name="barton_1571_12h"/> Console RPGs had eclipsed computer RPGs for some time, though computer RPGs began making a comeback towards the end of the decade with interactive choice-filled adventures.<ref>Neal Hallford & Jana Hallford (2001), [https://books.google.com/books?id=GslPb621eXQC ''Swords & circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role-playing games''], pp. xxiv & xxv, [[Cengage Learning]], {{ISBN|0-7615-3299-4}}</ref> The next major revolution came in the late 1990s, which saw the rise of [[Optical disc|optical disk]]s in [[History of video game consoles (fifth generation)|fifth generation]] consoles. The implications for RPGs were enormous—longer, more involved quests, better audio, and [[Full motion video|full-motion video]]. This was first clearly demonstrated in 1997 by the phenomenal success of ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', which is considered one of the most influential games of all time.<ref name="1UP-FFVII"/><ref name="vintage_b"/> With a record-breaking production budget of around $45 million,<ref name="1UP-FFVII">{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-final-fantasy-vii |title=Final Fantasy VII: The Old Order Passeth |website=1UP.com |publisher=IGN Entertainment Games |access-date=December 18, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721091308/http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-final-fantasy-vii |archive-date=July 21, 2012 }}</ref> the ambitious scope of ''Final Fantasy VII'' raised the possibilities for the genre, with its [[Gameplay of Final Fantasy#Minigames|dozens of minigames]] and much higher production values. The latter includes innovations such as the use of 3D characters on pre-rendered backgrounds,<ref name="vintage-78">{{Harvnb|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=78|Ref=vintage_log}}</ref> battles viewed from multiple different angles rather than a single angle, and for the first time full-motion [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] video seamlessly blended into the gameplay,<ref name="vintage_b">{{Harvnb|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=84|Ref=vintage_log}}</ref> effectively integrated throughout the game.<ref name="1UP-FFVII"/> The game was soon ported to the PC and gained much success there, as did several other originally console RPGs, blurring the line between the console and computer platforms.<ref name="barton_1571_12h"/> ===Cultural differences=== Computer-driven role-playing games had their start in Western markets, with games generally geared to be played on home computers. By 1985, series like ''[[Wizardry (video game series)|Wizardry]]'' and ''[[Ultima (series)|Ultima]]'' represented the state of the art in role-playing games. In Japan, home computers had yet to take as great a hold as they had in the West due to their cost; there was little market for Western-developed games and there were a few Japanese-developed games for personal computers during this time such as ''[[The Black Onyx]]'' (1984) which followed the ''Wizardry''/''Ultima'' format. With the release of the low-cost Famicom console (called the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] overseas), a new opportunity arose to bring role-playing games to Japan. ''[[Dragon Quest (video game)|Dragon Quest]]'' (1986) was the first such attempt to recreate a role-playing game for a console, and requires several simplifications to fit within the more limited memory and capabilities of the Famicom compared to computers; players in ''Dragon Quest'' controlled only a single character, the amount of control over this character limited due to the simplicity of the Famicom controller, and a less-realistic art style was chosen to better visualize the characters within a [[tile-based video game|tile-based graphics system]]. ''Dragon Quest'' was highly successful in Japan, leading to further entries in the series and other titles such as ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' that followed the same simplifications made in RPGs for ''Dragon Quest''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.usgamer.net/articles/dragon-quest-yuji-horii-liberated-rpgs-from-costly-computers-feature | title = Yuji Horii Remembers the Difficult Road to Liberating RPGs from Costly Computers With Dragon Quest | first = Jeremy | last = Parish | date = September 26, 2018 | access-date = September 26, 2018 | work = [[USGamer]] | archive-date = 26 September 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180926205656/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/dragon-quest-yuji-horii-liberated-rpgs-from-costly-computers-feature | url-status = dead }}</ref> Because of these differences, the role-playing genre began to be classified into two fairly distinct styles: ''computer RPG'' and ''console RPG''.<ref name="barton_evw"/><ref name="gspot_consolehist_j">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Final Fantasy"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref><ref name="gspot_consolehist_i">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Other Game Boy RPGs"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|The original ''Dragon Quest'' game is often cited as the first true role-playing video game for consoles. Further, despite being released later, Western audiences often consider ''Final Fantasy'' "more important" than ''Dragon Quest'' as it was more commercially successful in those markets.<ref name="gspy_dwhof">{{cite web| title=The GameSpy Hall of Fame: Dragon Warrior | website=GameSpy | url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/492/492001p1.html | access-date=May 29, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070606234019/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/492/492001p1.html |archive-date=June 6, 2007}}</ref>|group="Note"}} By the early 2000s, the distinction between platforms became less pronounced as the same games appeared on both console and computer, but stylistic differences between [[Western role-playing games]] (WRPGs) and [[Japanese role-playing games]] (JRPGs) remained, rooted in the earlier distinctions.<ref name="joyq_evw"/> Though sharing fundamental premises, WRPGs tend to feature darker graphics, older characters, and a greater focus on roaming freedom, realism, and the underlying game mechanics (e.g. "rules-based" or "system-based"<ref name="joyq_evw"/>); whereas JRPGs tend to feature brighter, [[anime]]-like or [[chibi (term)|chibi]] graphics, younger characters, turn-based or faster-paced action gameplay, and a greater focus on tightly orchestrated, linear storylines with intricate plots (e.g. "action-based" or "story-based"<ref name="joyq_evw"/>).<ref name="barton_evw" /><ref name="hallford_xxiv"/><ref name="kotaku_rpgs">{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Fahey|url=http://kotaku.com/5546807/a-visual-guide-to-the-role-playing-game |title=A Visual Guide To The Role-Playing Game |website=Kotaku |date=May 25, 2010 |access-date=September 12, 2010}}</ref><ref name="nzg_evw">{{cite web |url=http://nzgamer.com/features/552/japanese-and-western-rpgs-the-differences.html |last=English |first=Sherrin |title=Japanese and Western RPGs – The Differences |website=NZGamer |date=January 7, 2008 |access-date=September 10, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224232746/http://nzgamer.com/features/552/japanese-and-western-rpgs-the-differences.html |archive-date=February 24, 2014 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="1up_square_japan" /><ref name="1up_wrpgsdead">{{cite web|last=Joynt |first=Patrick |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3148996 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720161133/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3148996 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 20, 2012 |title=The Oblivion of Western RPGs: Is the PC RPG Dead? from |website=1UP.com |publisher=IGN Entertainment Games |date=March 29, 2006 |access-date=December 20, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="gama_suckage">{{cite web|last=Doucet|first=Lars|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/rpgs-and-suckage|website=Gamasutra|publisher=UBM Tech|date=April 12, 2011|title=RPGs and Suckage}}</ref> Further, WRPGs are more likely to allow players to create and customize characters from scratch,<ref name="vintage_d">{{Harvnb|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=79|Ref=vintage_log}}</ref> and since the late 1990s have had a stronger focus on extensive [[dialog tree]] systems (e.g. ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'').<ref name="gama129583"/> On the other hand, JRPGs tend to limit players to developing pre-defined [[player character]]s, and often do not allow the option to create or choose one's own playable characters or make decisions that alter the plot.<ref name="gama_suckage"/>{{#tag:ref|This often gives an impression that JRPGs are similar to [[adventure game]]s.<ref>{{cite news|first=Eric |last=Frederiksen |title=An RPG is not an RPG When it's a JRPG |date=August 8, 2010 |url=http://kombo.com/features/An_RPG_is_not_an_RPG_When_it\'s_a_JRPG/ |work=Kombo.com |access-date=September 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819233119/http://www.kombo.com/features/An_RPG_is_not_an_RPG_When_it%27s_a_JRPG/ |archive-date=August 19, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>|group="Note"}} In the early 1990s, JRPGs were seen as being much closer to [[fantasy]] [[novel]]s,<ref name="dragon_ffii"/> but by the late 1990s had become more cinematic in style (e.g. ''Final Fantasy'' series). At the same time, WRPGs started becoming more novelistic in style (e.g. ''Planescape: Torment''), but by the late 2000s had also adopted a more cinematic style (e.g. ''[[Mass Effect]]'').<ref name="gama129583"/> One reason given for these differences is that many early Japanese console RPGs can be seen as forms of interactive [[manga]] or anime wrapped around Western rule systems at the time,<ref name="gama_conund">{{cite web|last=English|first=Fox|title=The RPG Conundrum|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-rpg-conundrum|website=Gamasutra|publisher=UBM Tech|access-date=May 13, 2011|date=March 25, 2011}}</ref> in addition to the influence of [[visual novel]] [[adventure game]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Extra Credits: Western & Japanese RPGs (Part 1)|url=http://extra-credits.net/episodes/western-japanese-rpgs-part-1/|work=[[Extra Credits]]|publisher=[[Penny Arcade]]|access-date=April 5, 2012|date=March 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420162523/http://extra-credits.net/episodes/western-japanese-rpgs-part-1/|archive-date=April 20, 2012}}</ref> As a result, Japanese console RPGs differentiated themselves with a stronger focus on scripted narratives and character drama,<ref name="hallford_xxiv">{{citation|author1=Neal Hallford |author2=Jana Hallford |name-list-style=amp |year=2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GslPb621eXQC|title=Swords & circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role-playing games|page=xxiv|publisher=[[Cengage Learning]]|isbn=978-0-7615-3299-6|access-date=May 16, 2011}}</ref> alongside streamlined gameplay.<ref name="gama_conund"/> In recent years, these trends have in turn been adopted by WRPGs, which have begun moving more towards tightly structured narratives, in addition to moving away from "numbers and rules" in favor of streamlined combat systems similar to action games.<ref name="gama_conund"/><ref name="1up_singlefuture"/> In addition, a large number of Western [[indie games]] are modelled after JRPGs,<ref>{{cite web|date=April 5, 2011|title=GamersGate Holding Indie 'JRPG' Sale|website=GameSetWatch|publisher=UBM TechWeb|first1=Eric|last1=Caoili|url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2011/04/gamersgate_holding_indie_jrpg.php|access-date=2011-05-19|archive-date=7 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110407224538/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2011/04/gamersgate_holding_indie_jrpg.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> especially those of the [[History of video game consoles (fourth generation)|16-bit era]], partly due to the ''[[RPG Maker]]'' [[game development tool]]s.<ref name="gama_conund"/> Another oft-cited difference is the prominence or absence of ''[[Kawaii|kawaisa]]'', or "cuteness", in Japanese culture, and different approaches with respect to character aesthetics.<ref name="barton_evw"/> WRPGs tend to maintain a serious and gritty tone, whereas JRPG protagonists tend to be designed with an emphasis on aesthetic beauty, and even male characters are often young, [[androgynous]], shōnen or [[bishōnen]] in appearance. JRPGs often have cute characters, juxtaposed with more mature themes and situations; and many modern JRPGs feature characters designed in the same style as those in [[manga]] and [[anime]].<ref name="vintage_d"/> The stylistic differences are often due to differing target audiences: Western RPGs are usually geared primarily towards teenage to adult males, whereas Japanese RPGs are usually intended for a much larger demographic,<ref>{{Harvnb|Barton|2008|p=223|Ref=barton_ddesktops}}</ref> including [[Women and video games|female audiences]],<ref name="nzg_evw" /> who, for example, accounted for nearly a third of ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]''{{'s}} playerbase.<ref>{{cite web|title=A Closer Look At Final Fantasy XIII-2′s Performance In Japan|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2011/12/22/a-closer-look-at-final-fantasy-xiii-2s-performance-in-japan/|website=Siliconera|publisher=Curse Inc.|access-date=April 5, 2012|author=Ishaan|date=December 22, 2011}}</ref> In 2015, [[IGN]] noted in an interview with ''[[Xenoblade Chronicles X]]''{{'s}} development team that the label "JRPG" is most commonly used to refer to RPGs "whose presentation mimics the design sensibilities" of anime and manga, that it's "typically the presentation and character archetypes" that signal "this is a JRPG."<ref>{{cite web |first1=Peter |last1=Brown |title=What's in a name? |date=June 24, 2015 |website=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive Inc. |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xenoblade-chronicles-x-developers-weigh-in-on-the-/1100-6428409/}}</ref> Modern JRPGs are more likely to feature [[turn-based]] battles; while modern WRPGs are more likely to feature [[Real-time game|real-time]] combat.<ref name="nzg_evw" /><ref name="gama_suckage"/><ref name="gama_primer20"/> In the past, the reverse was often true: real-time [[action role-playing game]]s were far more common among Japanese console RPGs than Western computer RPGs up until the late 1990s, due to [[gamepad]]s usually being better suited to real-time action than the keyboard and mouse.<ref>{{Harvnb|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=43|Ref=vintage_log}}: "Action-oriented RPGs were far more plentiful on consoles than computers. [...] Brenesal’s comment brings us to an important point regarding computer and console games: modern computers are far more likely to have mice and keyboards than gamepads, a factor with serious implications for gameplay. Game pads are designed with arcade-like gameplay in mind; keyboards and mice are primarily intended for productivity."</ref> Some journalists and video game designers have questioned this cultural classification, arguing that the differences between Eastern and Western games have been exaggerated. In an interview held at the American [[Electronic Entertainment Expo]], Japanese video game developer [[Tetsuya Nomura]] (who worked on ''Final Fantasy'' and ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'') emphasized that RPGs should not be classified by country-of-origin, but rather described simply for what they are: role-playing games.<ref name="1up_ajcult">{{cite web|last=Glasser|first=AJ|title=Editorial: Where culture fits into games|url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/216689/editorial-where-culture-fits-into-games/|publisher=GamePro Media|website=GamePro.com|access-date=May 13, 2011|date=September 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100929093616/http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/216689/editorial-where-culture-fits-into-games/|archive-date=September 29, 2010}}</ref> [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]], creator of ''Final Fantasy'' and ''[[The Last Story]]'', noted that, while "users like to categorise" JRPGs as "turn-based, traditional styles" and WRPGs as "born from [[first-person shooter]]s," there "are titles that don't fit the category," pointing to ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' (which he also worked on) and the ''[[Mana (series)|Mana]]'' games. He further noted that there have been "other games similar to the style of ''Chrono Trigger''," but that "it's probably because the games weren't [[Game localization|localised]] and didn't reach the Western audience."<ref name="metro_sakaguchi">{{cite web|last=Jenkins|first=David|title=The Last Story Hironobu Sakaguchi interview – remaking the JRPG|url=http://metro.co.uk/2012/02/23/the-last-story-hironobu-sakaguchi-interview-remaking-the-rpg-327922/|website=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]|publisher=Associated Newspapers Limited|access-date=December 19, 2015|date=February 23, 2012}}</ref> ''[[:Template:Xenosaga|Xeno]]'' series director [[Tetsuya Takahashi]], in reference to ''[[Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)|Xenoblade Chronicles]]'', stated that "I don't know when exactly people started using the term 'JRPG,' but if this game makes people rethink the meaning of this term, I'll be satisfied." The writer Jeremy Parish of [[1UP.com]] states that "''Xenoblade'' throws into high relief the sheer artificiality of the gaming community's obsession over the differences between" Western and Japanese RPGs, pointing out that it "does things that don't really fit into either genre. Gamers do love their boundaries and barriers and neat little rules, I know, but just because you cram something into a little box doesn't mean it belongs there."<ref name="1up_parish">{{cite web|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|title=What Xenoblade Chronicles Gets Right|url=http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9098338|website=1UP.com|publisher=IGN Entertainment Games|access-date=April 16, 2012|date=April 5, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508202033/http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9098338|archive-date=May 8, 2012}}</ref> Nick Doerr of [[Joystiq]] criticizes the claim that JRPGs are "too linear", pointing out that non-linear JRPGs are not uncommon—for instance, the ''[[Romancing SaGa]]'' series.<ref name="joyq_doerr">{{cite web|last=Doerr|first=Nick|title=Bethesda is sticking to RPGs for now|url=https://www.engadget.com/2007/02/20/bethesda-is-sticking-to-rpgs-for-now/|website=Engadget|publisher=AOL Inc.|access-date=December 19, 2015|date=February 20, 2007}}</ref> Likewise, Rowan Kaiser of Joystiq points out that linear WRPGs were common in the 1990s, and argues that many of the often mentioned differences between Eastern and Western games are [[stereotype]]s that are generally "not true" and "never was", pointing to classic examples like ''[[Lands of Lore]]'' and ''[[Betrayal at Krondor]]'' that were more narrative-focused than the typical Western-style RPGs of the time.<ref name="joyq_evw"/> ====Criticisms==== Due to the cultural differences between Western and Japanese variations of role-playing games, both have often been compared and critiqued by those within the video games industry and the press. In the late 1980s, when traditional American computer RPGs such as ''[[Ultima (series)|Ultima]]'' and ''[[Defender of the Crown]]'' were ported to consoles, they received mixed reviews from console gamers, as they were "not perceived, by many of the players, to be as exciting as the Japanese imports", and lacked the [[Arcade game|arcade]] and [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure]] elements commonly found in Japanese console RPGs at the time.<ref>{{citation|first=Roe R.|last=Adams|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|date=November 1990|issue=76|pages=83–84 [84]|title=Westward Ho! (Toward Japan, That Is): An Overview of the Evolution of CRPGs on Dedicated Game Machines|quote=Last year also saw the coattail effect of traditional bestselling CRPGs being ported over onto dedicated game machines as the new market of machines blossomed into money trees. Games like Ultima, Shadowgate, and Defender of the Crown appeared to mixed reviews. These stalwarts of computer fame were not perceived, by many of the players, to be as exciting as the Japanese imports.}}</ref> In the early 1990s, American computer RPGs also began facing criticism for their plots, where "the party sticks together through thick and thin" and always "act together as a group" rather than as individuals, and where [[non-player character]]s are "one-dimensional characters", in comparison to the more [[fantasy]] [[novel]] approach of [[Square (video game company)|Squaresoft]] console RPGs such as ''[[Final Fantasy IV]]''.<ref name="dragon_ffii">{{cite journal|author=Sandy Petersen|title=Reviews: Final Fantasy II|journal=[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]| date=November 1993 |issue=199|pages=56 & 58|author-link=Sandy Petersen}}{{dead link|date=December 2015}}</ref> However, in 1994, game designer [[Sandy Petersen]] noted that, among computer gamers, there was criticism against cartridge-based console JRPGs being "not role-playing at all" due to popular examples such as ''[[Secret of Mana]]'' and especially ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' using "direct" arcade-style action [[Role-playing battle systems|combat systems]] instead of the more "abstract" [[turn-based]] battle systems associated with computer RPGs. In response, he pointed out that not all console RPGs are action-based, pointing to ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' and ''[[Lufia]]''.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Eye of the Monitor|author=Petersen, Sandy|journal=[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]|issue=208|date=August 1994|page=61|author-link=Sandy Petersen|quote=Not long ago, I received a letter from a Dragon Magazine reader. This particular woman attacked the whole concept of cartridge-based role-playing games very vigorously, claiming that games such as ''Zelda'' are not role-playing at all. Presumably, she thinks they are arcade games. ''Zelda'' has some features of the classic arcade game: combat is direct. Each push of the button results in one swing of the sword, which if it connects, harms or kills an enemy. In standard computer roleplaying games, at least until recently, combat is more abstract. [...] But all that is changing. [...] ''Ultima VIII'' requires you not only to control your character's every move in combat, but also his dodging of enemy blows, whether he kicks or stabs, etc. [...] The two forms of play: "arcade" and "role-playing" seem to be mixing more and more in computer and cartridge games. We'll see how far this trend goes, but I suspect there will always be a place for a game which is totally cerebral in combat, instead of relying on reflexes. For every ''Zelda'', or ''Secret of Mana'', there'll be a ''Final Fantasy II'' or ''Lufia''.}}</ref> Another early criticism, dating back to the ''[[Phantasy Star]]'' games in the late 1980s, was the frequent use of defined [[player character]]s, in contrast to the ''[[Wizardry (video game series)|Wizardry]]'' and [[Gold Box]] games where the player's [[Avatar (computing)|avatars]] (such as knights, clerics, or thieves) were blank slates.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Patterson|first=Eric L.|title=5 WAYS JAPANESE GAMING STILL RULES: ATELIER TOTORI|url=http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/egm-feature5-ways-japanese-gaming-still-rules-atelier-totori/|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|publisher=EGM Media LLC|access-date=December 31, 2011|date=December 27, 2011|archive-date=29 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929220550/http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/egm-feature5-ways-japanese-gaming-still-rules-atelier-totori/|url-status=dead}}</ref> As Japanese console RPGs became increasingly more dominant in the 1990s,<ref name="barton_1571_12h">{{Harvnb|Barton|2007c|p=12|Ref=barton_1571}}</ref> and became known for being more heavily story and character-based, American computer RPGs began to face criticism for having characters devoid of personality or background, due to representing avatars which the player uses to interact with the world, in contrast to Japanese console RPGs which depicted characters with distinctive personalities. American computer RPGs were thus criticized for lacking "more of the traditional [[role-playing]]" offered by Japanese console RPGs, which instead emphasized character interactions.<ref name="hallford_xxiv"/> In response, North American computer RPGs began making a comeback towards the end of the 1990s with interactive choice-filled adventures.<ref>{{citation|author1=Neal Hallford |author2=Jana Hallford |name-list-style=amp |year=2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GslPb621eXQC|title=Swords & circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role-playing games|pages=xxiv & xxv|publisher=[[Cengage Learning]]|isbn=978-0-7615-3299-6|access-date=May 16, 2011}}</ref> Several writers have criticized JRPGs as not being "true" RPGs, for heavy usage of scripted [[cutscene]]s and dialogue, and a frequent lack of [[Nonlinear gameplay#Branching storylines|branching]] outcomes.<ref name="GSpy_EastvWest">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/489/489047p1.html |title=Spy/Counterspy Case File 07: RPGs – East vs. West |last1=Turner |first1=Benjamin |last2=Nutt |first2=Christian |date=July 29, 2003 |website=GameSpy |access-date=August 14, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616050230/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/489/489047p1.html |archive-date=June 16, 2004}}</ref><sup>[Turner]</sup> Japanese RPGs are also sometimes criticized for having relatively simple battle systems in which players are able to win by repetitively mashing buttons.<ref name="GSpy_EastvWest"/><sup>[Turner]</sup><ref name="GSpy_EastvWest"/><ref name="gamasutra_boyd">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-zeboyd-games-approach-to-jrpg-design|title=The Zeboyd Games Approach to JRPG Design|website=Gamasutra|publisher=UBM Tech|author=Robert Boyd|date=January 13, 2011|access-date=May 13, 2011}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Though some argue this has not been the case outside of tactical RPGs,<ref name="gama_rpgreboot">{{cite web|last=Doucet|first=Lars|title=Rebooting the RPG|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/rebooting-the-rpg|publisher=UBM Tech|website=Gamasutra|access-date=May 12, 2011|date=March 9, 2011}}</ref> while others argue that combat systems in JRPGs are too complex or lack accessibility.<ref name="gamasutra_boyd"/>|group="Note"}} As a result, Japanese-style role-playing games are held in disdain by some Western gamers, leading to the term "JRPG" being held in the pejorative.<ref name="gama_primer20">{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=A Japanese RPG Primer: The Essential 20|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3581/a_japanese_rpg_primer_the_.php|publisher=UBM Tech|website=Gamasutra|access-date=May 14, 2011|date=March 19, 2008}}</ref> Some observers have also speculated that JRPGs are stagnating or declining in both quality and popularity, including remarks by BioWare co-founder [[Greg Zeschuk]] and writing director [[Daniel Erickson]] that JRPGs are stagnating—and that ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]'' is not even really an RPG;<ref name="gradar_jrpgs">{{cite web|author=PSM3 UK|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/are-jrpgs-dead/?page=2 |title=Are JRPGs dead? |website=GamesRadar |publisher=Future plc |date=March 16, 2010 |access-date=September 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.destructoid.com/bioware-co-founder-jrpgs-suffer-from-lack-of-evolution--155782.phtml |title=BioWare co-founder: JRPGs suffer from 'lack of evolution' |website=Destructoid |date=18 December 2009 |access-date=September 15, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nunneley-Jackson |first=Stephany |date=2010-05-13 |title=FFXIII is "not an RPG", but an "adventure game", says SWTOR writer |url=https://www.vg247.com/ffxiii-is-not-an-rpg-but-an-adventure-game-says-swtor-writer |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=[[VG247]]}}</ref> criticisms regarding seemingly nebulous justifications by some Japanese designers for newly changed (or, alternately, newly un-changed) features of recent titles;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.destructoid.com/final-fantasy-xiii-not-a-jrpg-despite-being-a-jrpg-131175.phtml |title=Final Fantasy XIII not a JRPG, despite being a JRPG |website=Destructoid |date=March 16, 2006 |access-date=September 15, 2010}}</ref> calls among some gaming journalists to "fix" JRPGs' problems;<ref name="ign_fixjrpgs">{{cite web|last1=Brudvig |first1=Erik |last2=Clements |first2=Ryan |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/12/top-10-ways-to-fix-jrpgs |title=Top 10 Ways to Fix JRPGs |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=January 11, 2010 |access-date=September 11, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Brudvig |first1=Erik |last2=Goldstein |first2=Hilary |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/11/25/the-gameplay-mechanic-fixing-squares-rpg-machine |title=The Gameplay Mechanic: Fixing Square's RPG Machine |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=November 25, 2008 |access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref><ref name="nextgen_fixjrpgs">{{cite web |url=http://www.next-gen.biz/blogs/whats-really-wrong-with-jrpgs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301064231/http://www.next-gen.biz/blogs/whats-really-wrong-with-jrpgs |archive-date=2010-03-01 |title=What's really wrong with JRPGs? |website=Next-gen.biz |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |date=January 24, 2010 |access-date=September 15, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Grenz |first=Brad |url=http://www.bitmob.com/articles/can-the-jrpg-be-fixed |title=Can the Japanese RPG Be Fixed? |website=Bitmob.com |publisher=Bitmob Media |access-date=September 15, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727035106/http://www.bitmob.com/articles/can-the-jrpg-be-fixed |archive-date=July 27, 2010}}</ref> as well as claims that some recent titles such as ''[[Front Mission Evolved]]'' are beginning to attempt—and failing to—imitate Western titles.<ref name="gzone_fmevo">{{cite web |title=Front Mission Evolved review |url=http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/front_mission_evolved_review |website=GameZone |access-date=May 12, 2011 |date=October 8, 2010 |quote=Japanese publishers have been singing the "I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)" song from The Jungle Book for the past few years and it's no longer flattering. Instead of borrowing elements and making them their own, the publishers have opted to assimilate and attempt to hide within the Western crowd. Herein lies the problem with Front Mission Evolved: It wants to be so much more than it has been in the past and ends up stalling at the starting line.}}</ref> In an article for ''[[PSM3]]'', Brittany Vincent of RPGFan.com felt that "developers have mired the modern JRPG in unoriginality", citing Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada who stated that "they're strictly catering to a particular audience", the article noting the difference in game sales between Japan and North America before going on to suggest JRPGs may need to "move forward".<ref name="gradarJRPGs">{{cite web |author=PSM3 UK |title=Are JRPGs dead? |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/are-jrpgs-dead/ |website=GamesRadar |publisher=Future Publishing |access-date=May 19, 2013 |date=March 16, 2010}}</ref> This criticism has also occurred in the wider media with an advertisement for ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'' ([[Obsidian Entertainment]]) in Japan openly mocked Japanese RPGs' traditional characteristics in favor of their own title.<ref name="escapist_fo3nvads">{{cite web |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102584-Japanese-Fallout-New-Vegas-Ads-Hate-On-JRPGs |first=Tom |last=Goldman |title=News : Japanese Fallout: New Vegas Ads Hate On JRPGs |website=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]] |publisher=Defy Media LLC |date=August 4, 2010 |access-date=September 11, 2010 |archive-date=2 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110302064536/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102584-Japanese-Fallout-New-Vegas-Ads-Hate-On-JRPGs |url-status=dead }}</ref> Nick Doerr of [[Joystiq]] noted that [[Bethesda Softworks|Bethesda]] felt that JRPGs "are all the same" and "too linear", to which he responded that "[f]or the most part, it's true" but noted there are also non-linear JRPGs such as the ''[[SaGa (series)|Romancing SaGa]]'' series.<ref name="joyq_doerr"/> Such criticisms have produced responses such as ones by Japanese [[video game developer]]s, [[Shinji Mikami]] and [[Yuji Horii]], to the effect that JRPGs were never as popular in the West to begin with, and that Western reviewers are biased against turn-based systems.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=250381?cid=OTC-RSS&attr=CVG-General-RSS |title=News: Japanese RPGs 'were never popular' – Mikami |last1=Robinson |first1=Andy |website=ComputerAndVideoGames.com |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |date=June 10, 2010 |access-date=September 15, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100814203455/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=250381%3Fcid%3DOTC-RSS&attr=CVG-General-RSS |archive-date=August 14, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.destructoid.com/mikami-japanese-rpgs-were-never-really-popular--175998.phtml |title=Mikami: Japanese RPGs were never really popular' |website=Destructoid |date=March 16, 2006 |access-date=September 15, 2010 |first=Jim |last=Sterling}}</ref><ref name="escp_dquest">{{cite web |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102039-Dragon-Quest-Creator-Western-Reviewers-Dislike-Turn-Based-Games |first1=John |last1=Funk |title=News : Dragon Quest Creator: Western Reviewers Dislike Turn-Based Games |website=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]] |publisher=Defy Media LLC |date=July 13, 2010 |access-date=September 15, 2010 |archive-date=11 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171111205607/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102039-Dragon-Quest-Creator-Western-Reviewers-Dislike-Turn-Based-Games |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ign_horii">{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/07/10/interview-yuji-horii-and-a-lifetime-of-dragon-questing |title=Interview: Yuji Horii and a Lifetime of Dragon Questing |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=July 10, 2010 |access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> Jeff Fleming of [[Gamasutra]] also states that Japanese RPGs on home consoles are generally showing signs of staleness, but notes that [[Handheld game console|handheld consoles]] such as the [[Nintendo DS]] have had more original and experimental Japanese RPGs released in recent years.<ref name="gsw_whither">{{cite web |last=Fleming|first=Jeff|title=Opinion: 2009 – The Last Days of the Japanese RPG?|website=GameSetWatch|publisher=UBM TechWeb |url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2009/12/opinion_2009_the_last_days_of.php|access-date=May 12, 2011|date=December 30, 2009|archive-date=9 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909045903/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2009/12/opinion_2009_the_last_days_of.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> Western RPGs have also received criticism in recent years. They remain less popular in Japan, where, until recently, Western games in general had a negative reputation.<ref name="1up_square_japan">{{cite web |first=Ryan |last=Winterhalter |url=http://www.1up.com/news/square-enix-devs-discuss-secret |title=Square Enix Devs Discuss Secret AAA Title and What They've Learned From the West |website=1UP.com |publisher=IGN Entertainment Games |date=September 6, 2010 |access-date=September 10, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629025244/http://www.1up.com/news/square-enix-devs-discuss-secret |archive-date=June 29, 2011 }}</ref> In Japan, where the vast majority of early console role-playing video games originate,<ref name="gspot_consolehist_h">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="The First Console RPG"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}} "A devoted gamer could make a decent case for either of these Atari titles founding the RPG genre; nevertheless, there's no denying that Dragon Quest was the primary catalyst for the Japanese console RPG industry. And Japan is where the vast majority of console RPGs come from, to this day. Influenced by the popular PC RPGs of the day (most notably Ultima), both Excalibur and Dragon Quest "stripped down" the statistics while keeping features that can be found even in today's most technologically advanced titles. An RPG just wouldn't be complete, in many gamers' eyes, without a medieval setting, hit points, random enemy encounters, and endless supplies of gold. (...) The rise of the Japanese RPG as a dominant gaming genre and Nintendo's NES as the dominant console platform were closely intertwined."</ref> Western RPGs remain largely unknown.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.destructoid.com/final-fantasy-xiv-director-is-not-worried-about-bethesda-181867.phtml |title=Final Fantasy XIV director is not worried about Bethesda |first1=Dale |last1=North |date=August 19, 2010 |website=Destructoid |access-date=September 15, 2010}}</ref> The developer [[Motomu Toriyama]] criticized Western RPGs, stating that they "dump you in a big [[open world]], and let you do whatever you like [which makes it] difficult to tell a compelling story."<ref>{{cite web |title=Final Fantasy XIII boss responds to review scores |date=February 16, 2010 |website=ComputerAndVideoGames.com |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/235030/news/final-fantasy-xiii-boss-responds-to-review-scores/ |first1=Tim |last1=Ingham |access-date=May 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110210113120/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/235030/news/final-fantasy-xiii-boss-responds-to-review-scores/ |archive-date=February 10, 2011}}</ref> [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]] noted that "users like to categorise" WRPGs as "a sort of different style, born from first person shooters."<ref name="metro_sakaguchi"/> In recent years, some have also criticized WRPGs for becoming less RPG-like, instead with further emphasis on action.<ref name="gama_conund"/> Christian Nutt of ''GameSpy'' states that, in contrast to JRPGs, WRPGs' greater control over the development and customization of playable characters has come at the expense of plot and gameplay, resulting in what he felt was generic dialogue, lack of character development within the narrative and weaker battle systems.<ref name="GSpy_EastvWest"/><sup>[Nutt]</sup> He also states that WRPGs tend to focus more on the underlying rules governing the battle system rather than on the experience itself.<ref name="GSpy_EastvWest"/><sup>[Nutt]</sup> Tom Battey of ''Edge Magazine'' noted that the problems often cited against JRPGs also often apply to many WRPGs as well as games outside of the RPG genre.<ref name="nextgen_fixjrpgs" /> [[BioWare]] games have been criticized for "lack of innovation, repetitive structure and lack of real choice."<ref>{{cite web |last=Snell |first=Dave |title=Why I'm bored with Bioware |url=http://www.gamezone.com/editorials/why_im_bored_with_bioware |website=GameZone |publisher=GameZone Next |access-date=April 19, 2012 |date=September 27, 2010}}</ref> WRPGs, such as [[Bethesda Softworks|Bethesda]] games, have also been criticized for lacking in "narrative strength" or "mechanical intricacy" due to the open-ended, sandbox structure of their games.<ref>{{cite web |last=St. Clair |first=Pride |title=Why I Hate Big-Name, Open Ended WRPGs |url=http://geek.pikimal.com/2012/04/18/why-i-hate-big-name-open-ended-wrpgs/ |website=Pikimal.com |access-date=April 19, 2012 |date=April 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423062810/http://geek.pikimal.com/2012/04/18/why-i-hate-big-name-open-ended-wrpgs |archive-date=April 23, 2012}}</ref> Despite the criticisms leveled at both variations, Rowan Kaiser of [[Joystiq]] argued that many of the often mentioned differences between Eastern and Western games are [[stereotype]]s that are generally not true, noting various similarities between several Western titles (such as ''[[Lands of Lore series|Lands of Lore]]'', ''[[Betrayal at Krondor]]'', and ''[[Dragon Age]]'') and several classic Eastern titles (such as ''Final Fantasy'' and ''[[Phantasy Star]]''), noting that both these Western and Japanese titles share a similar emphasis on linear storytelling, pre-defined characters and "bright-colored" graphics.<ref name="joyq_evw">{{cite web |last=Kaiser |first=Rowan |title=East Is West: How Two Classic RPGs Prove the Stereotypes False |url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/02/16/east-is-west-how-two-classic-rpgs-prove-the-stereotypes-false/ |website=Engadget |publisher=AOL Inc. |access-date=December 19, 2015 |date=February 16, 2012}}</ref> The developer Hironobu Sakaguchi also noted there are many games from both that don't fit such categorizations, such as his own ''Chrono Trigger'' as well as the ''Mana'' games, noting there have been many other such Japanese role-playing games that never released in Western markets.<ref name="metro_sakaguchi"/> ====Controversy==== [[Christianity]] is a minority religion in Japan and depictions of Christian symbolism and themes in Japanese media are fraught with potential controversy. This tends to be problematic when JRPGs are exported to Western countries such as the United States where the topics of religion and blasphemy remain sensitive.<ref>{{cite book |title=Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life |pages=206–207 |chapter=Lost in transration: This game are sick |last=Kohler | first=Chris |publisher= [[BradyGames]] |isbn=0744004241 |date=2005}}</ref> A JRPG can exhibit elements that would be controversial in the West, such as ''[[Xenogears]]'' or ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics]]'' featuring antagonists that bear similarities to the [[God in Abrahamic religions|Abrahamic God]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5794922/how-one-man-stopped-square-enix-from-letting-gamers-kill-yahweh|title=How One Man Stopped Square-Enix From Letting Gamers Kill Yahweh|author=Cohen, Drew|publisher=[[Kotaku]]|date=2011-04-22|access-date=2015-12-20|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222075924/http://kotaku.com/5794922/how-one-man-stopped-square-enix-from-letting-gamers-kill-yahweh|archive-date=2015-12-22}}</ref> and the [[Catholic Church]],<ref>{{cite web | title=Xenogears, FFT, and Religious Controversy | work=RPGamer |url=https://archive.rpgamer.com/editor/1998/q3/070998pb.html |date=July 9, 1998}}</ref> respectively; negative depictions of organized religions; and "characters banding together and killing God."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/clash-cultures?pager.offset=7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124041904/http://www.1up.com/features/clash-cultures?pager.offset=7 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 24, 2013 |author=Kalata, Kurt |title=Cultural Differences |website=1UP.com |publisher=IGN Entertainment Games |access-date=March 26, 2010 }}</ref> Nintendo has made efforts in the past to remove references such as these prior to introducing their games into the North American market.<ref name="barton_evw" />
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