JRPGs are dead to me

JRPGs have been, on occasion, fun and enjoyable. But when it comes down to it, the modern Western RPG is almost always a better experience. We've argued about this before, and I'm right. Suck it, nerds!

Today, IGN posted an editorial by Erik Brudvig and (our brother-in-arms) Ryan Clements about the 10 major things that JRPGs need to change. Nobody (or at least not myself, Erik, or Ryan) are trying to change JRPGs and demanding that they conform to the Mass Effects and Elder Scrolls styles. However, there are plenty of pathetic conventions that JRPGs cling to as a crutch. It isn't charming anymore, but rather extremely lazy.

For every game that does it right, like White Knight Chronicles, there are games that do it wrong, such as Disgaea 3. Despite how much I love that game, the fact that there isn't a single full-motion cutscene at all in the game is insulting and disappointing for me.

So is there a point to what their article said? Am I just failing to see the brilliance of Final Fantasy VII's priceless and original storyline?

I just want to highlight one IGN poster's comments for everyone to take in:

I'm not saying that JRPG's should try to be WRPG's...by no means...I love the colorful cast of characters, the traditionally animesque inspired design..I love these things. Now pair the things that at the foundation make JRPG's great with some of the new innovative and fresh idea's like ME2's gameplay, or Oblivion. Tell me that would not be great! I can honestly say that all the points on this list with maybe the exception of number 4 ( I don't really care either way...kudo's for the extra layer of content) that IGN got this one right.

Sorry guys that the ugly truth to JRPG's...I feel much better now and will continue to laugh at your rants and hopefully the backlash this will invoke. So go pleasure yourself to your Yaoi Cloud and Sepiroth fan fiction. OH and one more thing...Final Fantasy VII is NOT and never will be the best! It's great, but there are and will be better.

As excited I am for FF13 and FF14 (the new online game), Mass Effect 2 and WoW will probably be better games at the end of the evening.