Replaying Japan 2018 Conference

1. The birth of JRPG
and its own evolution
Yuhsuke Koyama
Shibaura Institute of Technology
Aalto University (visiting)

2. A case of Dragon Quest IX
 Criticized for reviews
 Amazon.co.jp: 4.0
 DSmk2: 57 (rank D)
 Reason: not JRPG-like design
 Player Characters …
 No chatting, like a scarecrow
 Don’t influence the story
 Old gamers(including me)
confused these reviews
 DQ series was originally like those…
 Research Question:
 Even if DQ series are not JRPG,
what is JRPG?
 How JRPG was born and evolved?
Both websites were Checked in May 11, 2017

3. My results(1)
1. First trilogy of Dragon Quest (I, II, and III) are
difficult to say JRPG.
2. First trilogy of Dragon Quest is the milestone of
Japan's RPG acceptance history and the starting
point to the history of JRPG.
3. The dawn of the JRPG history is the history of
differentiation from Dragon Quest trilogy, and its
flow has returned to Dragon Quest IV and
sequels.

4. My results(2)
the early 1980's
Adaptation and Localization
the late 1980s
Searching for its own Identity
Since the 1990s
Unique evolution
Akalabeth
1979 1981
Wizardry I
Ultima I
1985
Ultima IV
1982 1986
DQ I
ZeldaFirst RPG?
1990
DQ IV
1991
FF IV
Adaptation & Localization
Evolution
WRPG
JRPG
Searching for Identity
1984
HYDLIDE
Black Onyx
1987
Ys I

5. My results(3)
JRPG
WRPG
Today’s Presentation
Legend of
Zelda
Ocarina of
Time
Long stagnation, or
Evolution in a narrow area
JRPGs are like animals in Australia such as koalas or kangaroos.
JRPGs separated from Pangea=WRPG at the early stage
and evolved uniquely.

6. My result(4)
Old-fashioned, mechanism-centered
CRPG in the West
“Easiness”
Revolution
Simplification
as a localization
Narrative
propertyDragon Quest
Trilogy
JRPG
Further localization
Identity Establishment
Yuji Horii

7. Agenda
 Definition of JRPG in this presentation
 RPG acceptance history in Japan
 Translation, Localization, and Enlightenment
 “Easiness” Revolution
 Dragon Quest and later
 Summary

8. Definition of JRPG

9. JRPG as a jargon
 Imported word for Japanese gamers(including me)
 Almost all RPGs around them are JRPGs.
 Symbol of stagnation in Japanese games
 Greg Zeschuk(co-founder of Bioware, 2009)
"The fall of the JRPG in large part is due to a lack of
evolution, a lack of progression.”
 Born between 2005 and 2008?
 “JRPG” and “JRPGs” occurrence
 Kohler(2005) :0+0, Barton(2008): 20+51
 After PS3(2006), Japanese games rapidly lose their
competitiveness in the West. Was the word “JRPG”
born at that time?
Are there anyone who knows the origin of the word “JRPG”?

10. Commonly Cited Difference
JRPG Traits WRPG Ttaits
Confinement to World Sandbox exploration
Defined Characters Character customization
Anime/cartoon style art “Realistic” art
Limited narrative choice
Singular story
Narrative plurality
Multiple story paths/endings
Fantasy world Medieval world
Source: Zagal and Deterding(2018), Role-playing Game Studies, Routledge, NY,
Chapter6: Schules, Peterson, and Picard
“Single-Player Computer Role-Playing Games”, p114
Difference on tastes of arts have not changed since 80s.
Its difference was originally from the culture itself.
Differences were made clear by improving graphics in 1990s.

11. Tastes of arts have not changed since 80s!!
Package arts: Dragon Warrior and Dragon Quest
Image source:DQ http://dqmuseum.jp/sp/history.html DW:Wikipedia(en)

12. Divergence point from WRPG
 Important issue to discuss JRPG
1. When did JRPG diverge from WRPG?
2. From what types of RPG did JRPG degenerate?
 From the history of RPG acceptance in Japan
1. JRPG began to diverge in early 1980s
2. JRPG degenerated from the WRPG in early 1980s
-> Need to discuss the nature of old-fashioned CRPGs
 Discussion referred(Only for Slideshare version)
 Barton(2008)‘s three influence before D&D
 Tama(1995)’s RPG Three Generation

13. When was JRPG diverging from WRPG?
the early 1980's
Adaptation and localization
the late 1980s
Searching for identity
Since the 1990s
Unique evolution
Akalabeth
1979 1981
Wizardry I
Ultima I
1985
Ultima IV
1982 1986
DQ I
ZeldaFirst RPG?
1990
DQ IV
1991
FF IV
Adaptation & Localization
Evolution
WRPG
JRPG
Searching for Identity
1984
HYDLIDE
Black Onyx
1987
Ys I

14. Barton(2008) and Tama(1995)

15. Barton(2008)‘s three influence before D&D
1. Sports simulation
2. Tabletop war-game
3. J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels and Colossal Cave
Adventure(1976)
 Very emphasis on game mechanics
 “Game of dice and data”
 Make full use of the resources at hand, overcome
difficulties

16. Tama(1995)’s RPG Three Generation
Emphasis on TRPG examples CRPG examples
1st Battle System D&D(74)
T&T(75)
Wizardry(81)
2nd Game World Traveller(77)
RuneQuest(78)
Ultima I,II, III
(81,82,83)
3rd Character
Narrative
James Bond 007(83)
Starwars RPG(87)
Ultima IV(85)
Wizardry IV(87)
 As 1st and 2nd generation did not exist in Japan, the RPG
image had become those of 3rd generation(p83).
 Ch2-5,” What Yuji Horii brought about”
 “In Japan, RPG was caught as "a story media with a
character growing system"”(P82)
 However, the presenter thinks DQ’s narrative-ness is
not enough as JRPG.

17. Definition of JRPG in this presentation
 RPGs which use
Anime/Manga style
artworks and command-
based battle systems.
 Subgenres in JRPG
 Field RPG
(or Narrative RPG)
 Typical JRPG
 Dungeon crawl: Wizardry
clone type RPG
 Huck and Slush
 Little Narrative
 EX: Etrian Odyssey

18. RPG acceptance history
in Japan

19. Features of Japan's RPG acceptance history
1. Translation and transplantation of foreign great
works were limited and not hit well except for game
books and Wizardry NES version.
2. Greatly localized to fit Japan.
3. Passionate evangelism activities.
4. Non-computer RPGs (TRPGs, game books) and
computer RPGs were introduced to Japan almost at
the same time.
 Barton(2008) ‘s three influences before D&D were not
influenced well.
 1:Sports simulation, 2:Tabletop war-game,
3:J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel and Colossal Cave Adventure(1976)
 Even D&D had limited influence.

20. Response to RPGs in Japan
 Late 1970s - early 1980s
 Some pioneering players played RPGs in English.
 Wizardry and Ultima for Apple ][, or original D&D
 Most Gamers: Curious but Difficult
 Do not know what to do during the game
 Most gamers know only action and shump!
 Overwhelming shortage of basic knowledge
 No one knows neither medieval Europe nor fantasy!!
 “Enlightenment“, “Translation“, and “Localization”
(ETL here after) are indispensable

21. ETL in Non-Computer RPG
 Gamebook translation
 The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (84)
 Sorcery! 1 The Shamutanti Hills (85)
 TRPG Replay and Novels
 D&D Translation(85)
 Replay article: Record of Lodoss War (86) in Comptiq
 Novel: Dragons of Autumn Twilight (87)
 Light Novel: beginning of localization
 Record of Lodoss War (88)
 Fortune Quest (88)

22. RPG enlightenment at the time
 Most game magazines had a series of
articles introducing Fantasy to readers.
 Main readers: teenagers
 Main contents:
 Items for Middle Earth (Lord of the King)
 Myths of various countries
 TRPG introductions
 After DQ released, these enlighten
activities had became more active.
 Enthusiastic young gamers wanted the
knowledge of origins
"RPG illusion Encyclopedia“ 1st article in the game magazine
Beep 1985 August issue and its monograph (1986)

23. ETL in CRPG
 Import RPG-like elements into action games
 Life system, Item equipment, (simple) narratives
 Simplified System easy to understand
 Reduce the number of parameters
 Graphical and interactive battle system
 Action game in arcade
 The Tower of Druaga (84), Dragon Buster (85)
 ARPG in PC and Console
 HYDLIDE I,II, III (84, 85, 87)
 Dragon Slayer (84), Xanadu (85), Romancia(86)
 The Legend of Zelda (86)

24. The Tower of Druaga and Dragon Buster

25. HYDLIDE I and III
Source: Project EGG web page
https://www.amusement-center.com/project/egg/

26. Dragon Slayer and Xanadu
Source: Project EGG web page
https://www.amusement-center.com/project/egg/

27. Simplified Dungeon crawl
 The Black Onyx(84)
 Very simplified wiz-clone
 All characters are “Warrior”
 No mage, no priest
 Riddle to go to the final floor is very
difficult
 Iroikkaizutu
 The first hit PC-RPG in Japan
 According to Schules et. al (2018),
no less than 12 RPGs were released
before the Black Onyx in Japan

28. Localization: 2D field + command battle
 Mugen no Shinzou(84)
 2D + command battle
 Two years earlier than Dragon
Quest
 However, UI was not
sophisticated
 Character move direction was
displayed
 Field was very small

29. “Easiness” Revolution

30. Playing Time Supremacy
 Early 1980s
 ADVs and RPGs were very difficult.
 Without difficulty, playtime would be
very short.
 the difficulty covered insufficient
game volume
 Word search in ADV
 unreasonable and unfair riddles in RPG
 No hint nor guidance in game
 Typical example in (A)RPG
 Romancia (Falcom, 86)
 Full of traps which become unable to
clear the game.

31. “Easiness” Revolution
 Everyone should go to the
ending scene!
 Disappear in Okhotsk(84)
 ADV game by Yuji Horii
 First command select ADV
 Search words -> command select
 “long play time” to “enjoy narratives”
 Ys I Omen(87)
 “RPG now to the era of kindness”
 kind and easy guidance
 No unreasonable riddles
Source: Project EGG (Okhotsk), Beep 1987 Sep (Ys)

32. Implicit single narrative
 “Free to go” and “Free to do”
are ambivalent for players.
 Implicit single narrative
 HYDLIDE(84)
 Key items to enter the closed field
and enemy distribution tell players
"where to go next" and "what to do“.
 Explicit single narrative
 Final Fantasy II (1988) and later
Source: Project EGG web page
https://www.amusement-center.com/project/egg/

33. Decline of ARPG
 ARPG is not for everyone
 Required the player skill.
 Not all gamers can go to the ending.
 Difficult riddles or puzzles without hints.
 Ex. “The Legend of Zelda” series
 Even Ys I, not all players can go to the ending
 Before entering the final dungeon, character level reaches
upper limit. Player skill is necessary.
 ARPG has become a halfway genre
 more complicated than ACT
 more difficult than RPG

34. Rf: Main market of Zelda is out of Japan
0.93
0.09
0.11
1.04
0.43
3.61
6.08
0.08
0.03
4.1
0.9
1.6
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
BotW(NS)
Ys8(PS4)
YS8(PSV)
FF15(PS4)
Persona5(PS4)
DQ8(PS2)
ARPGRPG
Overseas Japan million
Data source: vgchartz.com, accessed 13 May 2018
Overseas/JP
Ratio
0.44
2.09
3.94
0.27
0.89
6.54

35. Dragon Quest

36. Enlightenment and Easiness revolution by DQ
1. Yuji Horii write an article
in Weekly Shonen Jump
2. Sell the strategy book
on the release day
 For everyone to go to the
ending
3. Game mechanics had
become gradually
complex in the sequel
4. Japanese Games
learned RPGs through
playing DQs

37. Impact of Dragon Quest Trilogy
 Dragon Quest I
 Released in 27 May 1986
 First command-based RPG in game console
 First ARPG in console was “HYDLIDE Special”.
 First shipment: 700,000 -> 1 million by reputation
 “The best selling RPG in Japan” from the release day
 Up to then, XANADU 400,000 shipment was the best in Japan.
 DQ II (2.4 million) and DQ III (3.8 million)
-> DQ has become a standard of RPG in Japan

38. Classical elements and elements to be classic
 Features WRPG at that time remains in
 Schema: Hero = Player
 Hero doesn’t say words and is to be named.
 Order of action is free (compared to ordinary JRPGs)
 The "long tutorial" until obtaining the ship, from then players
can adventure in any order
 Thin narrative: Battle and adventure are primary
 Elements that became the standard of JRPG
 2D field map even in cave
 Command-based Battle
 “Easiness" that anyone can go to the ending scene
 Directing in an important scene using graphic effects

39. Identity Searching

40. Differentiation from Dragon Quest
 Approach for differentiation
 Keep Game Mechanics: 2D field + command battle
 Change the way of performance
 Including narrative system
 Various challenge
 Player-character: alter ego -> defined character
 Scenario: hero -> ensemble cast
 Visual scene: cut-in, movie,…
 Mainly tried in PC-RPGs and PC-Engine CD-ROM RPGs
 Love with bishoujo heroine(s)

41. Acceptation, Localization, and Identity seraching
~1985 1986~1989
PC
RPG
3D Dungeon Crawl
The Black Onyx（BPS,84）
JP Standard RPG Mechanics
Mugen no Shinzou (Crystal Soft, 84)
Visual Scene, Ensemble Cast, Bishoujo
Emerald Dragon (Bashou House, 89)
Chapter structure
Legend of Heroes (Nihon Falcom,89)
ACT
ARPG
Adoption in Arcade Games
The Tower of Druaga (Namco,84)
Dragon Buster (Namco,85)
Adoption in PC ARPG
HYDLIDE (T&E ,84)
Xanadu (Nihon Falcom, 85)
Anyone can go to the ending
Ys I Omen(Nihon Falcom, 87)
Visual Scene and Bishoujo
The Fantasm Soldier Valis (Wolfteam, 87)
Adoption in Console ARPG
The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo, 86)
Console Dragon Quest I,II,III(Enix, 86,87,88)
Final Fantasy 1,2 (Square, 87,88)
Wizardry （FC ported by ASCII, 87）
Non-
computer
GameBook(translated)
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain
(84)
Sorcery! 1 The Shamutanti Hills(85)
TRPG Replay (in Computer Game
Magazine)
Record of Lodoss War (86, D&D rule)
Novel (translated)
Dragons of Autumn Twilight (87)
(Light) Novel
Record of Lodoss War, Fortune Quest (88)

42. The birth of JRPG
 Tries and errors reflowed into great RPG series
 Dragon Quest IV(90)
 Final Fantasy IV(91)
 Other lines: dungeon crawl (DRPG)
 Beggining: Wizardry ported to FC (88)
 By Game Studio inc, (CEO: Masanobu Endo)
 DRPG titles have been continuously released
 Influenced by bishoujo characters like field JRPGs

43. Summary
Old-fashioned, mechanism-centered
CRPG in the West
“Easiness”
Revolution
Simplification
as a localization
Narrative
propertyDragon Quest
Trilogy
JRPG
Further localization
Identity Establishment
Yuji Horii

44. Extra: JRPGs and WRPGs after 1990s
 WRPGs: Influenced by the Legend of Zelda
 Two Great titles
 The Legend of Zelda (86, first titles)
 Ocarina of Time (1998, for Nintendo 64)
 The game mechanics of RPG was determined
 Action and sandbox exploration
 Border between RPG and ARPG is vanished?
 Narratives is of course took-in
 JRPGs: Segmentation in a narrow area
 Differentiation point: details around battle system
 Active time battle, linear motion battle, …
 Character growth system: skill tree, bonus point, …

45. Historical Trajectory of WRPG and JRPG
JRPG
WRPG
This Presentation
Legend of
Zelda
Ocarina of
Time
Long stagnation, or
Evolution in a narrow area