I wanted to make this thread for a long time because i wanted somewhere i could essentially talk about it without getting sidetracked on other topics. What spurred it on was the apparent resurgence of a lot of Japanese made RPG titles on console recently.
We have plenty of conversations about "what makes a JRPG", "what counts as a JRPG" and the like, but for those games which are classified as JRPG, how are they perceived by the public in comparison to say a western RPG?
Based on my time on Japanese blogs and such, it seems like a lot of Japanese misunderstand and interpret "J" in the term as an inherent separation and a looking down on their domestic RPG's, as if they are inferior to western games
This particular website for example made an entire multi section manifesto essentially saying that the term "JRPGS" is a term to demean and demonize Japanese RPG's based on what they say is western supposed racial and cultural superiority. Even bringing back IGN's controversial article on "how to fix JRPGS"
http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2015/03/22/55732.html
http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/12/top-10-ways-to-fix-jrpgs
This mindset has even somehow been established into developers like Monolith, who were offended by questions asked by Gamepot reporters about Xenoblade being "a great JRPG" and their idea on Xenoblade X continuing that trend.
http://blog.esuteru.com/archives/8232889.html
I honestly felt like it was a mindset created in someone's head due to their own paranoia about their cultural identity. But then my mind shifted to the current industry and media which can sometimes make controversy or be somewhat biased in coverage about what comes out of Japan, either because it does not emulate western titles, or because its just 'so weird not of my culture' and it got me thinking.
Is there really an overt negative connotation to the term "JRPG" and what it brings out in people's minds at large?
What do you guys personally think?
We have plenty of conversations about "what makes a JRPG", "what counts as a JRPG" and the like, but for those games which are classified as JRPG, how are they perceived by the public in comparison to say a western RPG?
Based on my time on Japanese blogs and such, it seems like a lot of Japanese misunderstand and interpret "J" in the term as an inherent separation and a looking down on their domestic RPG's, as if they are inferior to western games
This particular website for example made an entire multi section manifesto essentially saying that the term "JRPGS" is a term to demean and demonize Japanese RPG's based on what they say is western supposed racial and cultural superiority. Even bringing back IGN's controversial article on "how to fix JRPGS"
http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2015/03/22/55732.html
http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/12/top-10-ways-to-fix-jrpgs
This mindset has even somehow been established into developers like Monolith, who were offended by questions asked by Gamepot reporters about Xenoblade being "a great JRPG" and their idea on Xenoblade X continuing that trend.
http://blog.esuteru.com/archives/8232889.html
I honestly felt like it was a mindset created in someone's head due to their own paranoia about their cultural identity. But then my mind shifted to the current industry and media which can sometimes make controversy or be somewhat biased in coverage about what comes out of Japan, either because it does not emulate western titles, or because its just 'so weird not of my culture' and it got me thinking.
Is there really an overt negative connotation to the term "JRPG" and what it brings out in people's minds at large?
What do you guys personally think?