Summary
Amid a debate over the connotations and usage of the term “JRPG,“Bayonettaseries creator and PlatinumGames executive Hideki Kamiya gives his own opinions on the word. This debate has been a hot topic recently, especially with the release of Square Enix’s action RPG,Final Fantasy 16. In particular, the main issue stemmed from thecomments ofFinal Fantasy 16producer, Naoki Yoshida, where he had some discomfort when using the term and prefers using “RPG” when referring to the genre regardless of where it was developed. Yoshida also stated that there might be some developers who might feel discriminated against when Western media use the term. Now, fellow game developer at PlatinumGames Hideki Kamiya gave his thoughts on the term.
Kamiya is a rather notable figure in the gaming industry, not only for being the face of the company but also as an influential developer who kickstarted the action genre that led to games likeDevil May CryandBayonetta. He’s also a rather infamous and vocal developer on platforms like Twitter, which has gotten him in trouble on some occasions. Despite that, many people admire Kamiya for his work ethic and his unique views on gaming, with one of his latest perspectives being on the usage of the JRPG term.
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His perspective was shared in an interview with VGC, where he started off by stating he has a positive sentiment when it comes to the JRPG term and that they should feel proud of it. He notes that it highlights the unique differences in culture and how it influences the creative process. One example he gives iscomparingGod of War’s Kratos to Bayonetta, where both protagonists are considered action game stars but have vastly different appearances and personalities. He notes that Kratos was popular worldwide, and there was some discussion if the team could replicate Kratos' popularity if they designed their characters the same way. They however came to the conclusion it wouldn’t be as effective if they did, as it wasn’t as unique to Japanese creators. This led to Bayonetta taking influence from their culture’s sensibilities, resulting in the iconic character.
Kamiya then looped back around to his perspective on the JRPG term, where Japanese creators are able to make RPGs that, in a way, are only possible with the unique sensitivity and perspective in making them. He notes that it is a term that should be celebrated going forward and that a developer should try and make the “king of JRPGs” to express pride in theJRPG genre, concluding that Japanese game creators like him are proud of the term.
When Kamiya was asked if he would be offended ifgames likeBayonettacould be classified as “J-Action,” he stated that he’d be proud since it highlights the unique aspects that Japanese developers could bring to the genre. One term that theBayonettacreator did find offense to was referring to older games as “retro,” where the word from his perspective implies that it is a “fad” that is being revived for the modern world. Kamiya states he preferred the term “classic” games due to it showing more respect for the past.
