RPG Roundtable #4, Part Two

The second installment of RPGVault’s fourth RPG Roundtable feature is now available, which includes comments from three developers – Gas Powered Games’ Daniel Achterman, Spiderweb Software’s Jeff Vogel, and Tilted Mill Entertainment’s Jeff Fiske. A snippet from Daniel Achterman:

Personally, I find trends in game development fascinating, and one of the most interesting things I saw in 2003 was the success of RPGs with a traditionally PC RPG-type design being released on consoles. Examples like Knights of the Old Republic, Deus Ex: Invisible War, Final Fantasy XI, and last year’s Morrowind are blurring the line that separates console and PC RPGs.

There are a number of reasons why this is happening. For one thing, there is now a console audience for the more mature, complex elements that have typified PC RPGs. Second, PC technology has largely exceeded the needs that people have for it. As a result, consoles have largely caught up to most gamers’ PCs in terms of power, and at a lower price point. Finally, consoles are simply becoming more accepted as home entertainment machines. More people are creating comfortable console entertainment rooms, and will often choose to play in front of a TV, given a choice.