Why Have RPGs Become The Dominant Force In Gaming?

With Mass Effect 3, Kingdoms Of Amalur and Skyrim continuing to dominate the current gaming agenda, Mark Butler asks how the once-marginalised RPG genre became such a powerful and popular force.

[5yN4MWQU]

I have a feeling that Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, Battlefield, Hawken, Red Orchestra, Deus Ex, Wargame, HotS, Fray, and just about every other game on the planet would argue with you.

Nothing has changed. If you look at the genre distribution over the last decade, you'll see that the amount of games per genre (precentage-based) has widely remained static. Just because -you- have noticed RPGs doesn't mean no one else did 10 years ago, like when Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Morrowind, Daggerfall, EverQuest, Planescape, and innumerable other RPGs were popular.

Welcome to the party.

Edit: Oh, and if you really want to go back, games like King's Quest were pretty damn popular as well. There's also a small title called Final Fantasy - oh, and Gauntlet... and Wizards & Warriors... and Legend of the Seven Stars... and, and, and.

[shodan74]

While there have always been some big-selling RPGs around, I do think that the last few years has seen a huge boom in the popularity of the genre in general. It's certainly more common now for a big RPG to top the game charts and enter the mainstream consciousness I think and - perhaps somewhat tellingly - RPG mechanics have been turning up in a lot of other genres much more regularly.

[ATi_Elite]

Whoa! Where have you been? RPG's have always been THE dominate force in Gaming.

Here's a few oldies but Classic's

Everquest, The Witcher, The Elder Scrolls, Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star, Fallout, Zelda, Deus EX, Neverwinter, Ultima, Might and Magic, System Shock 2, Diablo, KOTOR, Sword of Vermilion, Baldur's Gate, and the Grandaddy of video game RPG's........DnD (Dungeon and Dragon's) from 1975!

Each Gen has it's popular genre but RPG's have always been the best bet for gaming cause the genre is a combination of all other genres wrapped in one game with the most in depth game play and the most immersive worlds.

[Boody-Bandit]

RPG's may be "ONE" of the driving forces gaming but far from the dominant one. Shooters are "THE" dominant force in gaming not that RPG's. The driving force for me personally and ironically enough is "driving" (racing) games. ;)

[GraveLord]

They haven't.......lmfao.
The only one that has huge sales is Skyrim. That's it.

Anyway there have always been big selling RPGs. Ever hear of Final Fantasy?

[Son_Lee]

There's just a flux of them right now. They aren't winning the sales market, but they should. Dollar to hour of gameplay ratio is the best in RPGs. If you buy an RPG, you're pretty much guaranteed to get your money's worth length wise.

[joab777]

I think that rpgs give gamers more gaming for their money. If u think about it, it's the rpg elements of cod and battlefield that keep players playing, dangling levels, loot, and the proberbial carrot in front of them constantly. He is right about the addictive nature of rpgs as well as the immersion. Bioshock and mass effect were so popular because of their rpg elements, the ability to level up, to gain powers, the story and the environments. Look how popular borderlands was. And yes, sometimes it's fun to take an 8 hour jaunt on a prescripted linear adventure, but it's over quick and leaves me wanting much more. Also, it has alot to do with technology. We know what games are capable of and we want it all in our game. They cgive us an alternate universe to get lost in. We can create our own journey, our own story and it isn't over in 1 night.

They have always been popular to many but i believe that the west has helped to make them more mainstream from bioware, bethesda, blizzard, rockstar, and even the elements of so many fps Juggernaut like cod, battlefield and bioshock. I also believe that it's a trend that will continue. We as gamers and humans want more control not less and no other genre gives that to us more than rpgs and their hybrid genres and their impermeating elements.

[Hicken]

Like others have said, they really AREN'T the dominant force in gaming, nor have they been this entire generation. That honor goes to the FPS genre.

I WISH RPGs were ahead, but it's only been a recent thing that they've moved back into the limelight at all(many great titles like Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and Valkyria Chronicles languished in the darkness) and, sadly, none of them will sell like Call of Duty will each year.

[Lord_Sloth]

I see a Third Person Shooter and 2 Action/RPGs but no RPGs...

[ZBlacktt]

Because FPS are SO fricken boring now some 4,5 years in a row and later. It's like doing the same thing over and over when playing COD, MOH, BF, etc,etc. Every time I even try to get into those now. I just get bored within 30 mins and pull it out and go back to a 3rd person game or RPG that has depth.

[Mutant-Spud]

Shooters used to have depth as well, the original Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon games were incredibly involved, you had to plot waypoints, set actions and ROE, if you messed it up it was back to the mission planing screen and try again. My big gripe is that RPGs are now way too easy, honestly, I've now put 35 hours into Kingdoms Of Amalur without dying once and I'm almost to the end of the main storyline.

[madjedi]

Put it on hard/challenging mode, it's a good deal likely you'll die in some areas.

Although it could just be my melee/mage is very squishy, normal difficulty is a joke if i am fighting a boss/mini boss they should be able to severely damage or kill me.

If you want a hard/challenging rpg try demons souls or dark souls, kingdoms isn't really either.

Sorry rpgs are not the dominate force in gaming that's shooters.

And anyone wanting rpgs to sell cod numbers is dreaming, they can't be a invincible badass the second they start the game, in a rpg.

That takes time and effort and depending on the game either a pre battle plan or changing equipment or skills to exploit an enemies weakness/ boosting your strengths.

Your asking twitch shooters to slow down and not run full steam at a enemies spraying and praying with a smg. Might as well ask them to play brothers in arms or a rainbow 6 game, and watch the rage build.

I see dominate as most numerous. In regards to pushing the industry forwards or forcing other genres to improve character development, storylines ect, rpgs are the reasons to me.

Hell name me one game that doesn't have rpg elements of some type, if they even exist.

[Mutant-Spud]

Yeah I was playing Amalur on hard and last night I did die a few times in the final battle until I figured out what to do.

[Knight_Cid]

Sorry but rpgs have never been the dominant force, ever

And fyi, pokemon black white has sold more on a single system than any rpg has this gen

A good old sprite based turn based game

Japanese rpgs are stil the biggest force in rpgs. By far. It isnt even close

"The most hyped and substantial release of the year so far has been Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning,"

I think not

final fantasy 13-2 was. It received far more 7-10 reviews. Kingdom of A received far more 5-7 reviews

[DragonKnight]

Pokemon may be a good ol' sprite based game, but it's the CoD of RPG's. So little changes are made to each new game that it can be argued that each new Pokemon game is Pokemon Red/Blue just reskinned. I know that's overly simplifying it, there are some differences, but not enough. Just my opinion.

Kingdoms of Amalur is a game that had potential and didn't live up to it. Tries too hard to be an Elder Scrolls game with God of War elements but takes only the most basic aspects of both and becomes pretty bland early on. I mean, why is it that Skyrim has a far more simplistic combat system, and is yet funner? Well simply because in KoA you can button mash to victory. Can't do that in Skyrim or you'll die.

[Knight_Cid]

How is it the COD of rpgs? COD comes out once every year like clockwork.

Each main line pokemon takes a minimum of 2 years, most times longer.

Again if you dont know anything about pokemon dont post.

The changes between pokemon gen 1 and gen 5 are so radical, of course its a new game.

[trenso1]

I see what you mean, but it doesn't release as often as COD and they always add new items and 100+ Pokemon. Along with other mechanics in the game play and onlines. Even though they are small like secret bases and things like that, there are big ones like the side quests and exploration to be done. Yea to its core every game is catch all Pokemon and get all the badges, to be the elite 4. But then I could go around and say every FPS game is the same game to it's core. All you do is point shoot, kill said enemy, and capture said objective.

[MilkMan]

Things go in cycles.
Right now, rpgs are plentiful and for those that love them they are getting (for the most part) quality products.
For the vast majority of gamers, the fps is dominant and the for those that do not find pleasure in the chase and/or do not posses twitch reflexes or simply enjoy a more cerebral type gaming experience they have felt neglected.

So with such a bounty of games to choose from and MORE IMPORTANTLY, by demonstrating to publishers that rpgs can be PROFITABLE in the same vein as COD and Battlefield you have essentially secured that quality rps will continue to arrive at your doorstep.

Like I've said in so many blogs before.

The beast only understand ONE LANGUAGE ~ Currency.

When you buy or don't they get the message. Keep that in mind.

[Mad_Mack]

I think a combination of immersiveness, player investment, regular progression and game length really do put RPGs above the FPS in certain ways.

Also there have been rumblings that gamers are getting tired of the COD franchise, a franchise that has not really evolved since MW2

[dorron]

FPS is the predominating genre all the way...

[MysticStrummer]

Why Have RPGs Become The Dominant Force In Gaming?

They haven't, so there's no need to write an article about it. Shooting things has always been the dominant force in gaming, regardless of the perspective.

[NYC_Gamer]

Much as i enjoy rpgs they aren't the dominant force in the gaming market.