Before I begin, I would like to preface. Now, I am not a confrontational person, and I don't like to stir up trouble. If someone tells me something out of line, I tend to smile and be silent. But, today it has reached the boiling point in my mind. To think I am actually writing up a rant on this shows how this topic that I am about to discuss has accumulated in mind the past few weeks. Now, let me tell you the story that pushed me over the top.

Today, I walked into a local Gamestop/EBGames to pick up my copy of Lost Odyssey. Then I proceed straight to the front desk and ask for a copy. Almost immediately the clerk working gets the copy and says:

"So you want a copy of Crap Odyssey?"

Being the nice person that I am, I smiled and said "Well, to each his own." Then he proceeded to irritate me even further.

"No, these games suck. They're boring, old and slow. I don't know how anyone plays them." Okay, so I begin thinking to myself that he must be some kind of Mass Effect or Halo 3 ultra-fanboy (that has aided in producing some of the most incredible whiners on Xbox Live) and is clearly extremely close-minded. So, his co-worker asks him:

"What turn-based RPGs have you played?" ...and here is the kicker. He goes and says: "None. I've never played one in my entire life."

Right. Not only are you giving your customer a bad impression of the company you work for (it is amazing how some of these people get these jobs), you also show your incredible ignorance regarding JRPGs and Japanese games in general. Generally, I would have shrugged this off as one ignorant mind, but in this past few weeks there has been increasing negativity towards this game, games like it and the Japanese industry as a whole. Do not get it confused. I am not someone who defends Japan for some arbitrary reason. I am just trying to call to attention the rut that some North American (and even European) gamers are in.

The week before Lost Odyssey's release G4TV's self-proclaimed "center" of the gaming universe, X-Play reviewed the game with less than favorable comments. "We've seen all this before, turn-based gaming is old, can we get some variety?" generally along those lines. It is called a "traditional RPG" for a reason. Sakaguchi was trying to bring RPGs back to its roots, back to the days of turn-based, that some people miss and wholeheartedly enjoy. Turn-based RPGs will always been turn-based no matter what extra spice you add to them and in the end, that is a fault? Please. I was getting sick of all these Action RPGs anyway. Adam Sessler continued to say:

"Maybe if a Lost Odyssey II comes out, it will be an action RPG." Just no. There seems to be the misconception out there that innovation equals fun. It does not. What exactly is the problem with going with a tried, tested and true system that is FUN? There seems to be this conceit of American gamers that if it does not follows the ways Mass Effect, Halo 3, Bioshock, Call of Duty 4 and Gears of War, it automatically is not a good game. Did anyone care to notice that these are all gun and shooting games? Goodness forbid that we get some variety on the Xbox360.

In that same episode of X-Play they continue to have a segment were they stated "Japanese developers falling behind." The American bias was seething through the pores of that segment. "Yeah, this stuff is nothing new. We've seen it all before." Essentially, this same reasoning ended up being one of their arguments to why Devil May Cry 4 was not that stunning of a game.

Seriously. Can they come up with any new arguments? Apparently not.

Even if they were looking for innovation, to say that Japanese developers are falling behind is shallow? Why? There are plethora of games that are released in Japan every week and only a fraction of them get released stateside. One example of this would be the Japanese Fighting Game market, which would be inconsequential to majority of the Western Audience. Dozens of new innovations are present in these games (BlazBlue, Arcana Heart 2, Melty Blood: Actress Again, Akatsuki Blitzkampf, Sengoku Basara X, Battle Fantasia, King of Fighters XII and Ono's Street Fighter IV) just a small fraction of the new games in development for a fighting game market that in North America is considered dead.

But, I digress, this is a different topic altogether. Nonetheless, all I ask is that people give these games a fighting chance. You don't have to like the games, but please don't spoil it for those who do. Simply view the comments on the reviews of the game on IGN, Gamespot or any gaming site. Put that elitist crap away and let people enjoy the games they like to play. If at all possible stay fair when you play games whether they be from Japan or North America, even if they're in genres you don't particularly enjoy. Most of all, try to keep your biased opinions to yourself, ESPECIALLY, if you have never played the game or know nothing about the genre. Take the games for what they are.

I may definitely return and have a revision of on this topic.

Thanks for reading,

AlterGenesis