Editorial Thoughts on Action RPGs

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Diablo

<a href="http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/870/870952p1.html">RPGVault have put up an article </a> about the Action RPG genre. It's byline is "Thoughts on the category from Flagship's Max Schaefer, co-creator of its definitive property, and Gas Powered Games". Here's randomly chosen sections designed to interest you:
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<blockquote>In its darkest hour, the PC RPG was resurrected by the success of Diablo and, to a lesser extent, by Baldur's Gate a year later...
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Needless to say, people noticed. So did publishers, who aren't entirely unlike people. They like that whole profit thing - as do developers - so they tend to greenlight games that are similar to other established hits. Another publisher goal is to reach "broad demographics" with every single title. The logic there was/is that the kids dig both action and RPGs, so the Reese's-like combination of the two will make both camps happy.
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So, while a few major RPGs took the Baldur's Gate classic route, the larger industry saw a gold rush in them there action RPGs, and the entire market shifted in that direction. It has mostly remained there.</blockquote>
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Thank you Diablo, for all that you've done for the RPG genre. Thank you for your Sacreds and your Titan Quests and your Hellgate: Londons and your... Hey, whatever happened to real RPGs?
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<blockquote>As more people get a taste of RPG-dom through these other kinds of games, the possibility that publishers will jump back on the large-scale classic RPG bandwagon - your Mass Effects and Oblivions notwithstanding - increases.</blockquote>
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If only he were right. It only he were right...
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<a href="http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/870/870952p1.html">Go on over and read the rest</a> to find out about World of Warcraft, the difficulty they had in actually categorising Diablo and other fun stuff. It's a gold mine of fun about RPG's darkest hours.
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Spotted @ <a href="http://bluesnews.com">Blues News</a>

 

[Section8]

In its darkest hour, the PC RPG was resurrected by the success of Diablo and, to a lesser extent, by Baldur's Gate a year later...

Apparently early January 1997 to late December 1998 consitutes a Fallout-less year.

 

[easychord]

These guys should just face up to the truth, action RPGs like Diablo are old hat and not very profitable any more. Quake won, it's time for them to grow up and move on.

 

[mondblut]

I wonder when they'll realize people don't need another diablow wannabe when they have an original to play. How many more diablow clone developers should bite the dust for them to understand?

 

[Micmu]

PC RPG was resurrected by the success of Diablo

Oh god it's like one of those necromancy rituals where a half-rotted body comes back to life, but infested with an evil spirit instead of a soul.

 

[slipgate_angel]

It's nice that both developers fail to acknowledge some of the Action RPG's that weren't on a PC. It's one thing to talk about PC games alone, that I can get, but blindly praise Diablo for being the Ultimate Action RPG is another. I'm sorry, but I find it rude to ignore any traces of the ARPG genre, even if you aren't talking about it.

 

[Norfleet]

It's nice that both developers fail to acknowledge some of the Action RPG's that weren't on a PC.

That's because those aren't REAL games. You can sell any kind of crap on consoles, but PC is where the REAL games are.

 

[tunguska]

I wonder when they'll realize people don't need another diablow wannabe when they have an original to play.

That is exactly what I thought about the future of action games after Doom. And all of the clones that endlessly followed. Doom was the very last action game that I was able to play for any length of time. After that I could only play a new action game for about 15 minutes. Then I was too bored to continue because it was like the same game. How many times was I supposed to be able to play the same game over and over again?

 

[MetalCraze]

that's because you're not EA fanboy.
they are waiting to buy their FIFA and NFS every year - when EA basically sells them the exactly same shit again and again - the only difference is graphics. so until such retards exist we won't see many innovations or at least something that wasn't cloned. and there are too many of such people - so why risk? people will buy the same thing again - just hype it like the next coming.

 

[easychord]

...but blindly praise Diablo for being the Ultimate Action RPG is another.

Nox on the PC and Record of Lodoss War on the Dreamcast were two of my favourite games in the genre. I found the Diablo and Dungeon Siege games to be a snooze from start to finish but those are the guys who get interviewed and their games are more popular.

 

[Chefe]

hello world

 

[The Brazilian Slaughter]

Diablo is a good hack'n slash fun. But goddamnit, STOP MAKING FUCKING DIABLO CLONES!!

I need something else to play... something diferent... something Fallout... TRULY Fallout.

Are CRPGs dead?

 

[roshan]

Blaming Diablo for the lack of true RPGs is a bit absurd. From what I know, RPGs were already dead before Diablo came about.

 

[hiver]

Thoughts?