USgamer's RPG Podcast Teams With 8-4 Play to Examine a Decade of JRPG Development
AXE OF THE BLOOD GOD: The cast of 8-4 Play join Kat to discuss the past decade of Japanese game development. Where have JRPGs come from, and where they are going? We share our thoughts from Tokyo.
This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.
Axe of the Blood God is our weekly RPG podcast hosted by Kat Bailey. You can find the previous episodes here.
In this week's episode of Axe of the Blood God (download link here), I head to Tokyo and look back on a decade of JRPG development with the team from 8-4 Play.
It was a little more than a decade ago that I moved to Japan, not knowing that gaming was about to undergo some truly seismic changes. The seeds had been sewn in the previous generation, but no one could imagine the fruit they would bear. My own perspective on that period was informed by my three years in Japan, which saw me blithely ignore the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in favor of my handhelds - particularly the Nintendo DS.
Sadly, there aren't a ton of great memories to pull from the mid-to-late 2000s, but we do manage to pull out some of the positives as we move from 2006 to the present day. As for where JRPGs are going, we'll just have to see, but we do have some ideas. A special thanks to 8-4 Play for once again allowing me to record in their studio, and for sharing their own unique perspective, which has been informed by more than a decade in Japan. I'll be on the next episode of 8-4 Play, so please rate and subscribe to their show. In the meantime, keep an eye on USgamer as I continue to blog about my trip through Japan!
Next week: We recap BitSummit and delve into other topics!
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Show Description
Kat once again teams up with the crew from 8-4 Play to discuss the progress JRPGs have made over the past 10 years. How has Japanese game development changed, and where is it going? We crack open a chuhai and delve into a tumultuous period in the genre's history.
Music from Axe of the Blood God is courtesy of Lena Chappelle, who has also contributed the themes to Active Time Babble and Roleplayers' Realm. I also use music from the RPG Music Pack over at rpgmaker.net. Check it out!