In fact, most developers do not even attempt to be original; their concern is only to conjure enough distinction to avoid being sued by either the Tolkien estate, Blizzard, or WoTC.
In fact, then name them...
Obsidian, Larian, Bioware, and that's just the most recent cases.
And you class these three companies as being "most developers" do you? That's not at all hyperbolic myopia is it...
It is more appropriate to ask which fantasy CRPG
isn't in imitation of Tolkien, Dungeons and Dragons, or both.
What have you got against people who
are Tolkien or D&D fans having a product which appeals to them?
What have you got against me calling a duck, a duck?
I have the highest respect for Tolkien, as should be obvious. But assuming that you can take credit for what Tolkien achieved simply by lifting his setting, races, etc. and making minor modifications, is absurd. Tolkien inspired works only work because their audience can draw from the Tolkien legacy that which is lacking in the work itself. Thus, games that do not bother to explain elves, dwarves, etc. beyond a few paragraphs of generic crap can depend on the audience's familiarity with these archetypes from Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons. It's world building through reference, not craft.
To actually create a world worth referencing is a monumental task, and a different effort altogether.
Why are you attacking people for being ducks?
If you don't like Tolkien or D&D inspired fantasy games then don't play them, there's plenty of other choices around.
And, again, you don't mention any examples, just hyperbolic "games that do not bother to explain elves, dwarves, etc. beyond a few paragraphs of generic crap" is what fucking games exactly?
I
do like Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons inspired high fantasy. That doesn't justify pretending most CRPG developers are being original when they copy and rely on the same high fantasy cliches. Examples are plentiful - Pillars of Eternity's elves, Divine Divinity Original Sin's orcs, dwarves, goblins, etc.,
and that's Japan, a culture that has been thoroughly subject to Western influence since the end of World War II.
Japan has in some ways rejected Western influence more than other countries.
I don't think you realize just how Western Japan is when compared to other East Asian countries, and how actively and aggressively they attempted to emulate the West, to the extent of declaring that they were leaving Asia.
And yet, Japan is distinct in every practical way.
Define "western".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_culture
So basically everything in the world at some point except China. Cool, glad you cleared that one up. Nope, can't imagine why most games are influenced by most people in the world. Maybe when China rules the world we can all bitch about tired old generic Chinese stereotypes?
Even the link doesn't agree with your description:
I see you like pretty pictures but are crap at reading, no wonder you're just one long stream of bullshit. Here, READ the text which is RIGHT FUCKING NEXT TO that pretty picture:
The West as a
geographical area is unclear and undefined. More often a country's ideology is what will be used to categorize it as a Western society. There is some disagreement about what nations should or should not be included in the category, and at what times. Many parts of the Eastern Roman Empire are considered Western today but were Eastern in the past. Geographically, the "
West" of today would include Europe (especially the
European Union countries) together with extra-European territories belonging to the
English-speaking world, as well as the
Hispanidad, the
Lusosphere or the
Francophonie in the wider context. Since the context is highly biased and context-dependent, there is no agreed definition what the "West" is.
You should read what you quote.
Sure, I'll even spell it out for you:
THERE IS NO DEFINITION OF WHAT THE "WEST" IS.
Got it yet?
You posted your cherry picked example of what you personally think = "western" from a massive article that supposedly told you what "western" is, but the article states quite clearly and unequvocably that there is no agreement on what "western" is. Good god you're a agenda'd prick.
Oh, and what were your examples again? "Examples are plentiful - Pillars of Eternity's elves, Divine Divinity Original Sin", oh, right, a spiritual successor to a D&D game and a game that's a well known D&D bootleg. Wow, such elaboration, you're really nailing the whole spectrum of the genre with those two examples, you're a veritable expert on the exact state of the entire genre you are!