In recent years I feel like I’ve developed this weird love/hate relationship with the JRPG genre. I take huge delight in exploring the gorgeous, expansive worlds they provide, I revel in the charming melodrama, and I love the strategy found in their (usually) complex battle-systems. However, like many others, I’ve long since hit that point where it seems that too many high profile Japanese developers are sticking too readily to tried and tested conventions and not taking enough risks in furthering their art.

It appears to be a growing concern, which has seen Japanese development and its practices come under fire from several quarters in recent years. Indie developer Phil Fish famously upset pretty much everyone last year when he generalised that modern-day Japanese games ‘sucked’ and were ‘f***ing terrible’, but it’s not just Western industry figures that have been making these noises. Similar sentiments have been expressed by Japanese developers themselves; Keiji Inafune, as a quick example, has never been afraid to let rip at his home country’s games development. Meanwhile, major Japanese publishers such as Square Enix have found themselves going against what they know, acquiring Western talent and publishing studios in a bid to supplement their currently less-than-prolific JRPG-centred output.

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From: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/13/persona-4-is-the-jrpg-ive-always-wanted-but-never-knew-existed