JRPGs starting to become all about stripping?

[ZeronHitaro]

Just saying, despite my views on fanservice this really isn't a complaint or any sort of morality discussion; rather an observation that just now clicked with me that I wanted to discuss with people who know the market better than I do.

So, is it just me or are JRPGs starting to lean dangerously close into Hentai territory? I'm not talking Japan-only stuff that never reaches our shores either; I'm talking about stuff that has come over/will be coming over. With some of the most recent titles I've noticed an "odd" similarity between games from different developers.

Agarest (by Aksys): Goal of the game is basically to pick a girl with whom you will remove her clothing and breed with (not quite as direct as I make it sound but anyone who's played this knows this is the general idea). The game definitely wasn't shy about adding in certain provocative scenes (infamous obligatory sausage comment) and pretty much the only thing between you and full frontal nudity during the soul breed was a specifically placed sheet. XD Agarest Zero and Agarest 2 might come over as well so I'd include them into this grouping.

Ar Tonelico 3 (by Gust): From what I've read about the game one of the core gameplay elements involves removing your Reyvatiel's clothing til she's practically down to nothing but underwear in order to even use certain song magics. In addition I've also hear that this game's fanservice is the most prominent of all three games (a claim I'm not sure I want to see to believe since I hold Aurica's Life Extension scene as one of the most awkward scenes I have ever witnessed in a game).

The 3rd Birthday (by SE): Some love it, some hate it; but we all know by now the game's core mechanic involves having Aya's clothing slowly stripped away (although how far it goes I don't think has been specified) by taking damage.

Probably just an odd coincidence, but it strikes me as unusal that at least 3 JRPGs in less that a year base their core mechanic around how fast you can get your female lead naked. Are there any other titles coming out that also use this mechanic? Is this the new acceptable form of fanservice in JRPGs or...what? Honestly right now I'm kind of intrigued to see if this is some sort of culture shift or not.

[Dice]

I hated how awkward the Agarest "love making" scenes were.  The frame rate on the wedding gown was horrible, completely ruining a "touching" moment with sloppy animation.  Then it takes you to the bed scene where sometimes the blanket around the girls' bums flaps around like they farted.  The glitter feels like a creepy magical-girl-metaphor for an orgasm.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa_Qu9ztweU  <-- case in point

I don't know.... I think you're also just hitting a few prime B-RPG companies and Square Enix's occasional love to go T&A.  Then again, all games like to expose their girls to harmless, yet cheese-ridden, striptease.  I find it boring, then again, I don't think I'm the demogprahic.

[Danku]

I get upset whenever a game that looks interesting is ruined by fanservice.

[Alan_01987]

A lot of games do that nowadays not only JRPGs, but the entire game industry.

[CDFN]

A lot of games do that nowadays not only JRPGs, but the entire game industry.

Yup. Dead or alive, Ninja gaiden, Tomb Raider, Street fighter, it's actually hard to find a game where the female characters aren't either naked right from the start or can be dressed with very revealing alternate costumes.
Even with jrpgs it started in full force last gen when graphics started to become more realistic. In xenosaga you could unlock bikinis for the female characters. Same in Persona 3 FES (along with maid outfits and high cut armor). The female protagonist of shadow hearts covenant starts out in a military uniform and a few hours intot he game changes into a skirt that looks more like a belt.
It's here to stay, nothing we can do about it.

[Yggdrasil]

Fansevice can get very annoying and troublesome to handle within the context of the game at hand if developers put it in the gameplay mechanics. Like in The 3rd Birthday, Criminal Girls or Arc Tonelico. But is all about execution, If they can put that in the game in a clever way, you have a winner.

Cosmetic stuff like in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 or Super Street Fighter IV is no big deal really (and is optional).

[Cyril]

If the game is good, I can ignore the undressing.  I don't let it ruin my enjoyment.  I ignore it or laugh at it if it's ridiculous.

I, for one, am not fond of the recent obsession, by western developers, with sex and nudity.

[xXMelancholiaXx]

As I said in another thread I don't really have a problem with it.

[Ashtrot]

If the game is good, I can ignore the undressing.  I don't let it ruin my enjoyment.  I ignore it or laugh at it if it's ridiculous.

I, for one, am not fond of the recent obsession, by western developers, with sex and nudity.

Recent obsession? You've obviously missed the last 20 years of media influence.

Japanese games have even more of an obsession with sex and nudity, we've just been so insulated against it by years of breast bouncing simulators to notice.

[TiamatNM]

I hated how awkward the Agarest "love making" scenes were.  The frame rate on the wedding gown was horrible, completely ruining a "touching" moment with sloppy animation.  Then it takes you to the bed scene where sometimes the blanket around the girls' bums flaps around like they farted.  The glitter feels like a creepy magical-girl-metaphor for an orgasm.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa_Qu9ztweU  <-- case in point

That was pretty bad yeah...it does kinda look like she farted with the way the blanket is fluttering, lol.  Camera looked like it had ADD during the wedding dress part, I can't fathom why it focused on the flowers in her hand at one point.

[cj_iwakura]

Fanservice isn't really anything new, but it's getting more common to sell more games.

Sadly, it works. (Ar Tonelico really is a good game despite this.)


There's still exceptions. Strange Journey, Devil Survivor(though it has moments), Resonance of Fate, Nier(excluding Kaine's outfit), etc.

[Dincrest]

In this economy, fanservice is guaranteed to sell games.  Like it or not, sex sells.  Horny, lonely, geeky tween and teen boys who aren't quite ready for porn and would have no clue how to talk to a girl unless there were dialogue choices are likely to buy into anime girl fanservice because it leads them to believe that in that fantasy world, guys like them could attract insanely hot women out of their league.  That's some powerful propaganda.  And if fanservice gets us into a tizzy like this, all it means is more attention drawn to the games.  There's no such thing as bad publicity.  

I could high horse about stuff like this now, but when I was 12-13 I bought into anime fanservice, OMG PANTIII SHOT, awell-drawn women in "chain mail bikini" armor, and the notion that in some fantasy world women like that would go for a loser like me.  If I was 12-13 now, the 8th grade humor of the Agarest sausage bit would have sway over me.  I'll bet many of you could say the same.  Back when I was a lad, Leisure Suit Larry was a big deal and I remember going over to friends' houses and we'd always try to get their older brothers to let us catch a glimpse of Leisure Suit Larry.  We've come a long way since then, eh?  At least graphically, no?  

All that being said, there does come a point when even those aforementioned immature KiDdIeZ know it's blatant and stupid pandering.  BMX XXX anyone?  

[TiamatNM]

I don't think you should call it fanservice if it is a primary draw/selling point of the game like in the case of Agarest war.  The term doesn't really fit imo.  I think of fanservice as a panty shot/shower/bath scene in an otherwise non-ecchi game. 

[Dincrest]

And games like Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball and Agarest are built upon that notion of fanservice as their foundation.  Thus, I would undeniably call them fanservice games because that's all they have.  

It's like a cake that's 95% icing and only 5% cake.  

Oh yeah, I talk about fanservice a little bit here as well: http://www.rpgfan.com/boards/index.php?topic=8557.msg162788#msg162788

[TiamatNM]

I don't think it's fanservice anymore at that point, it's just ecchi.  It is like calling a violent death scene in God of War fanservice.  I'm really just complaining about the use of a term though, so it's not all that important.