Square Enix: Japanese Gaming at a Crossroads

oh one other thing. you mention mistwalker being one of the shining lights of jrpgs, ad mention square enix, doing the same old thing.

weren't both of mistwalkers games, achingly "retro" in their game design. and weren't both disappointing?

im not lambasting (great word) anyone here. im actually asking.

whats wrong with the older battle systems? seriously all this innovation of JRPG`s is ruining them in my opinion, i loved taking turns to fight sure you would more often than not die and have to play through 30 hours again to get back but it was the strats that made it so awesome, Hence why Lost Oddessy on 360 is so good.

ok fair enough. horses for courses 'n' all.

though i dont know where this "will have to play through another 30 hours" comes from. just because you have a more fluid battle system doesnt mean when you die in a battle you'd have to play through a bunch of the same section of game.

surely thats the save system you mean to bash, thats nothing to do with a battle system.

and i find, also that i die just as much in old fashioned battle system as new. thats just the way the game is built. if there is a cheap boss that can kill you in one hit, will happen in a turn based game, or an active game, no matter which system is being used.

was refferring to FF7 how (ok wasnt 30 hours) but easily have to go back 2 hours on some parts as the save system wasnt brilliant.

got to admit, i thought FF12 was a large step in the right direction, or at very least a valiant effort at modernising the jprg genre. pity it was just star wars and still full of androgens, but the androgens thing i guess is a cultural difference that i wont see change in my life time at least so must accept. the star wars bit is unforgivable.

still if they can sort the story out and keep the forward thinking ill be all over FF13!

as for japan as the gaming hub of the world in general, could anyone say it was and keep a straight face? by my definition japan was always the gaming mecca because it made the best games, set the trends.. it still has all the history and makes some good games, not to mention 2 of the current consoles, but ill be a bitch if the west is not releasing a landslide more AAA titles than japan.

dont be so embarassed japan, youre not getting swamped just because youre stale, its also a whole bearing versus one country!

<edit> and MrAnthony, i thought that when Mistwalker were mentioned as being original.. werent they all but contracted by MS to produce traditional jrpgs for the xbox to improve xbox's standing in japan? i heard blue dragon was the biggest grind ever