Dear Reader:
You are viewing
a story from GN Version 4.0.
Time may not have been kind to formatting, integrity of links, images, information, etc.
Tales producer says JRPGs in decline, blames shrinking size of Japanese game industry
A portion of a Siliconera interview with Hideo Baba, producer...
S: With the 15th anniversary of the Tales of franchise, what do you think has been the biggest change in JRPGs in general in Japan? And how has the Tales of series changed during that time?
Hideo Baba, Producer: I’m afraid to say that it’s how the sheer numbers alone have gone down. Fifteen years ago, you saw a great variety of games coming out for the PSOne. But nowadays, you can count the number of games on one hand.
In regards to our franchise, not much has changed. Because it has been built upon the foundation of anime and manga culture, which all Japanese game players have grown up with. That’s always something we’ve tried hard to tap into and celebrate. To a certain extent, the Tales of games is a celebration of our identity.
S: Why do you believe is the reason for the decline?
HB: There are several reason, but a major one is how the game industry in Japan has gotten much smaller over the years. That and JRPGs themselves take so long to complete. Which has always been the case, but with the rise of casual games, mobile games… gaming as a whole has become so dispersed.
Full interview here
S: With the 15th anniversary of the Tales of franchise, what do you think has been the biggest change in JRPGs in general in Japan? And how has the Tales of series changed during that time?
Hideo Baba, Producer: I’m afraid to say that it’s how the sheer numbers alone have gone down. Fifteen years ago, you saw a great variety of games coming out for the PSOne. But nowadays, you can count the number of games on one hand.
In regards to our franchise, not much has changed. Because it has been built upon the foundation of anime and manga culture, which all Japanese game players have grown up with. That’s always something we’ve tried hard to tap into and celebrate. To a certain extent, the Tales of games is a celebration of our identity.
S: Why do you believe is the reason for the decline?
HB: There are several reason, but a major one is how the game industry in Japan has gotten much smaller over the years. That and JRPGs themselves take so long to complete. Which has always been the case, but with the rise of casual games, mobile games… gaming as a whole has become so dispersed.