[Square Enix] Is Story Important for Japanese Role Playing Games?

[Abstract Debauchery]

Miwa Shoda joined Squaresoft, now Square Enix, in 1995 and went on to write Japanese Legend of Mana and Final Fantasy XII. Those are big games with big stories — something that they apparently do not need.

"I've worked all over the place and gained a great deal of valuable experience from all sorts of people," Shoda said via her Twitter account, "and learned approaches to writing games I would not have been able to do on my own, but the one approach I could never understand is the notion that 'games don't need storylines.'"


Shoda concedes that not all games need storylines. "But when I was told that RPGs don't need storylines, I was really shocked. They said players weren't after a storyline, so the bare minimum of events would suffice."


She does not explicitly say who told her that role-playing games don't need stories. Besides Square Enix, she has also recently worked as a freelance scenario writer for Marvelous Entertainment (2005's PSP title Valhalla Knights 2) and for Jaleco (2009's Wii title Kizuna).


"I've enjoyed RPG stories ever since I was a child," she added. "A thrilling adventure in a new world, with interesting companions. Events are how you enjoy that, together with a storyline, or so I thought. So I can't believe it when people say a storyline is unnecessary in an RPG."

Source: Kotaku

 

[Eight]

With RPGs, I'd say it's more necessary than that other of other genres. Thinking about it now, I think it's one of the main reasons I play JRPGs, and not sure much Western RPGs, I've tried multiple times to get into Borderlands, and Oblivion, and Fallout 3, but to no avail.

Even so mind, JRPGs are quite hard for me to get into, some of the stories they come up with are naff, hence why I've only gotten into FF and Tales of, and to an extent, Persona, which loses my attention due to how long it takes for it to get anywhere plot wise.

 

[Linnaete]

....what?

If someone from SE really did say that, someone please show that person to the door and preferably kick their asses out. Please say this comment is in no way representative of the company (I doubt it is anyway).

Of course story is an important factor in JRPGs. Otherwise, what do you have left? Good graphics and a good battle system? Even if you have them, the game would be empty and shallow without a deep, meaningful story.

I like the Final Fantasy games because they have good stories. I loved FFX and its story was a big reason why I loved it. Heck, I even quite liked FFXII's story (of which she wrote apparently). If FFX for example just has a "bare minimum of events", I wouldn't bother with it very much. Fine in other genres, not in JRPGs.

 

[Fusionist]

I think stories are important in RPGs in general - JRPGs just tend to stick to that idea, and thus why I usually shy away from most Western RPGs.

This isn't an issue of linearity. If you give me an RPG game with just stuff to do, I'm not gonna be very interested in it for long. I might as well play Mario or Pokemon, or whatever else then.

 

[Ewan]

What a load of shite. JRPGs, at least in my experience, tend to be repetitive games. Turn based combat where you can mash X or you need to grind. That can only be fun if there is some context to go with it. I mean think about, why do a lot of people hate FF12 and FF13? From what I've seen, their main concern is the crap story or it's elements i.e. crap main character, a plot that isn't compelling etc. You need a story unless the gameplay can stand on it's own, which I don't think JRPGs have. Games like CoD can stand on the gameplay because you can play with others and it has a lot of variety and excitement. Every game on CoD is different.

 

[Sultan]

An RPG without a story is useless. And Miwa Shoda was scenario writer for XII alongside Daisuke Watanabe. Yasumi Matsuno is credited for Story and Concept.

 

[Hatifnatten]

Story is the main thing in JRPG. Anyone who's saying that it "don't need storylines, players weren't after a storyline, so the bare minimum of events would suffice" fuck you in the ass, I hope your house will burn you stupid idiot.

 

[joeyfinalfantasygod]

I think all types of games specially a rpg has to have a great storyline that sells. The previews to the stories leaves you wanting more. I love all the stories of FF games they are great.

 

[Donald Trump]

With RPGs, I'd say it's more necessary than that other of other genres. Thinking about it now, I think it's one of the main reasons I play JRPGs, and not sure much Western RPGs, I've tried multiple times to get into Borderlands, and Oblivion, and Fallout 3, but to no avail.

I don't much like games like that either, I don't like completely linear games, but I think a strong plot is vital to get people to play. Even games like MW like Graye mentioned need a story to get you interested in the single player campaign, I've finished it twice and have no desire to do it again because it had no story at all. Multiplayer is different though. I think if there's no story there's no real reason to bother with the dull parts of a game.

 

[diego]

I thought X-2 did a very good job with a weak plot. How that particular game plays is extraordinary, my personal favorite battle system from the Final Fantasy series.

I've found as I get older, I do crave a good story but I also want a good game experience. This is in contrast as to when I was young, I just wanted a very good story. I agree that since JRPG's have a clichéd motif, that a strong story gives it some purpose.

Though as I am now, I don't think it's completely necessary to have the God of stories for a good game. Since I like to grind a lot, I rather the battles always keep me enthralled, since that's where I'm putting in most of my time. What happens next to my party is a plus.

In conclusion, a game is obviously different from a movie because we're allowed to control the leads. It is in this case that I rather play then watch when I have a controller in my hand.