The cost of developing titles for the PS3 is extraordinary, and no developer in Japan worth their salt will bother to even acknowledge the 360. Where does that leave the jRPG developer? With the appearance of games like Arc Rise Fantasia and confirmation that Swords of Legendia is an actual game; combined with all the Wii RPG games I talked about previously, signs are definitely pointing to jRPG development gradually shifting from the PS2 over to the Wii.
More and more, I’m starting to watch the developers and publishers to see where their support is moving. Marvelous Entertainment is one company that appears to be heavily favoring the Wii and the DS. There is a Rune Factory game in development for the Wii that looks interesting, in addition to the previously-mentioned Arc Rise Fantasia. They’re also responsible for publishing Vanillaware’s Oboro Muramasa Yōtōden, Cing’s Little King’s Story, and, one of my favorites, No More Heroes (admittedly, none of which are jRPGs). I’m also keeping a close eye on Namco Bandai, the developer/publisher of Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, Swords of Legendia, and Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon. Namco created a significant slew of titles for the PS2, including the entire Tales series and the excellent Xenosaga games. What else could they possibly have slated?
And, of course, you can’t discuss jRPGs without mentioning Square Enix. Rumors are casting doubt on whether or not our highly-anticipated Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: the Crystal Bearers will ever see the light of day. Beyond that, all the Wii has seen from them is an abysmal Dragon Quest game, Chocobo’s Dungeon, and the WiiWare My Life as a King. Hardly any reason to get excited. Plus, if any Japanese developer has the capital to get projects moving on the PS3, it’s Square Enix. And with their continued support of the 360 through Infinite Undiscovery and Star Ocean 4, they seem committed to bringing quality jRPGs to everyone BUT Wii owners. Could Kingdom Hearts move to the Wii? It would seem to have the right audience for such a series, though the DS appears to be getting a lot of Square Enix attention these days, so I have to lean towards “no”. The future appears bleak on that front, but maybe that reprieve will allow other, less notable developers to garner some much-needed attention.
Overall, I would say there’s definitely potential for the Wii to become much more than it is now as far as jRPGs are concerned. I’ll be watching this year’s E3 with anticipation, hoping to see more news squeak out that may hint at things to come.