RPGs are more labor-intensive than open-world games for the same duration of gameplay, by a fairly significant margin (that's why open-world games are so popular!), but there's a backlog a thousand games long of very good jRPGs.
Also very very hard to get traction. When it comes to small productions, there's a total glut of options. If maybe 20% of the people who hear about a new Final Fantasy actually wind up buying it, it's tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars. Even if 90% of the people who hear about a specific fun indie RPG buy it, it's maybe a hundred grand.
Very true, but good writing and good mechanics are tough to pull off for an engaging JRPG.
Open-world games just need the base Unreal asset store packs and they work most of the time. JRPGs need good character development and a solid combat system that you can grind but isn't frustrating. That requires creative ingenuity and a lot of people simply do not have it or -- in the case of working for a publisher -- are prevented from exploring it.
Spend less time on graphics, more on writing. I seriously don't need extremely detailed maps and textures in my RPGs. I prefer stories that sweep me away and memorable characters. Also, gameplay systems that aren't active combat based.
Also, gameplay systems that aren't active combat based
Or at the very least active turn based like Chrono Trigger or FFX-2 showed was plenty of fun while still keeping most of what people who liked turn based liked intact.
Palworld ate Pokemon's lunch for a fraction of production costs.
Is there an exceptional talent out there to eat Sqweenix's lunch with an epic, enjoyable fantasy RPG?
RPGs are more labor-intensive than open-world games for the same duration of gameplay, by a fairly significant margin (that's why open-world games are so popular!), but there's a backlog a thousand games long of very good jRPGs.
Plenty of classics that aged well to pick from.
I'm currently playing a translation patch of SNES Tales of Phantasia.
Also very very hard to get traction. When it comes to small productions, there's a total glut of options. If maybe 20% of the people who hear about a new Final Fantasy actually wind up buying it, it's tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars. Even if 90% of the people who hear about a specific fun indie RPG buy it, it's maybe a hundred grand.
Very true, but good writing and good mechanics are tough to pull off for an engaging JRPG.
Open-world games just need the base Unreal asset store packs and they work most of the time. JRPGs need good character development and a solid combat system that you can grind but isn't frustrating. That requires creative ingenuity and a lot of people simply do not have it or -- in the case of working for a publisher -- are prevented from exploring it.
Dragon Quest, but that's also Squeenix. Now that the founding devs are dying off, even that Japanese staple isn't safe.
Spend less time on graphics, more on writing. I seriously don't need extremely detailed maps and textures in my RPGs. I prefer stories that sweep me away and memorable characters. Also, gameplay systems that aren't active combat based.
Or at the very least active turn based like Chrono Trigger or FFX-2 showed was plenty of fun while still keeping most of what people who liked turn based liked intact.
There's Star Ocean: The Second Story R, which I absolutely adore...but while not developed by Square Enix, it was published by them.