I haven't done the math on this, but I suspect one big reason they're so much more popular is that most kids were limited to Japanese consoles (here and in Japan) and thus weren't aware of Western-made RPGs, which tended to be available only on computers. I guess the reverse is also true, since I never encountered Final Fantasy or other top JRPGs except on consoles.
Possibly, but it's arguable that at least from the NES to the Super NES (and the SMS and Genesis in-between), there was a strong representation of Western-style RPGs on consoles, from Pool of Radiance to Might and Magic to Dungeon Master and beyond. It's also even arguable that despite their decidedly Japanese quirks, games like Final Fantasy on the NES and Phantasy Star on the SMS, had more in common with the classic Western-style RPGs than the later JRPGs. So, really, the Western-style of RPG *did* have an opportunity to catch on on consoles, but for whatever reason - perhaps the "fall" of Western development houses at the time and the rise of Eastern development houses that began to refine the JRPG style - console gamers became increasingly used to the JRPG style through repetition. Also, let's face it, as you say, JRPG-style RPGs were designed with consoles in mind from the beginning, while Western-style RPGs were ported from the PC. With that in mind it's understandable why the made-for-it style of gaming caught on in such a big way on the console side. And indeed, there were a few ports of JRPG games from the console to the PC side, but they rarely had any type of an impact. I think a lot of that had to do with the lack of importance of the PC in Japan and therefore the lack of focus from developers there, in addition of course to there being again, made-for-the-PC-first (and at the time, its superior capabilities over any console) games it was competing against.
*************************** Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.
I haven't done the math on this, but I suspect one big reason they're so much more popular is that most kids were limited to Japanese consoles (here and in Japan) and thus weren't aware of Western-made RPGs, which tended to be available only on computers. I guess the reverse is also true, since I never encountered Final Fantasy or other top JRPGs except on consoles.
Possibly, but it's arguable that at least from the NES to the Super NES (and the SMS and Genesis in-between), there was a strong representation of Western-style RPGs on consoles, from Pool of Radiance to Might and Magic to Dungeon Master and beyond. It's also even arguable that despite their decidedly Japanese quirks, games like Final Fantasy on the NES and Phantasy Star on the SMS, had more in common with the classic Western-style RPGs than the later JRPGs. So, really, the Western-style of RPG *did* have an opportunity to catch on on consoles, but for whatever reason - perhaps the "fall" of Western development houses at the time and the rise of Eastern development houses that began to refine the JRPG style - console gamers became increasingly used to the JRPG style through repetition. Also, let's face it, as you say, JRPG-style RPGs were designed with consoles in mind from the beginning, while Western-style RPGs were ported from the PC. With that in mind it's understandable why the made-for-it style of gaming caught on in such a big way on the console side. And indeed, there were a few ports of JRPG games from the console to the PC side, but they rarely had any type of an impact. I think a lot of that had to do with the lack of importance of the PC in Japan and therefore the lack of focus from developers there, in addition of course to there being again, made-for-the-PC-first (and at the time, its superior capabilities over any console) games it was competing against.
***************************
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.