History of Western role-playing video games
Encyclopedia
Western role-playing video games are role-playing video game
s developed in the Western world
, specifically North America
and, in more recent years, Europe
. For role-playing games developed in East Asia
, see History of Eastern role-playing video games
.
text-based RPGs on PDP-10
, PLATO and Unix
-based systems, starting with Dungeon
(1975 or 1976), pedit5
(1975) and dnd
(1975). These early games were inspired by pen-and-paper role-playing games—particularly Dungeons & Dragons
, which was released shortly before in 1974, and J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Some of the first graphical CRPGs after pedit5 and dnd included orthanc (1978, named after Saruman's tower in Lord of the Rings), avathar (1979, later renamed avatar
), oubliette (1977, French for "dungeon"), dungeons of degorath, baradur, emprise, bnd, sorcery, moria
(1975), and dndworld (19??)—all of which were developed and became widely popular on the PLATO system during the latter 1970s, in large part due to PLATO's speed, fast graphics, nationwide network of terminals, and large number of players with access to those terminals. PLATO, being a mainframe system with multiple users, also allowed multiple, simultaneous players to play at the same time—a feature not commonly available to owners of home personal computer systems at the time. These were followed by—but did not always lead directly to—games on other platforms, such as Temple of Apshai
(1979, originally for the TRS-80
, and later followed by two add-ons), Akalabeth
(1980, which gave rise to the well-known Ultima series), Wizardry
(1981) and Sword of Fargoal
(1982). Additional influences during this time period would come in the form of text adventures
like Colossal Cave Adventure
(1976) & Zork
(1976), early MUD
s, tabletop wargames
like Chainmail
(beginning in 1971), and sports games like Strat-O-Matic
(beginning in 1961).
In 1980, a popular dungeon crawl
er called Rogue
was developed for Unix
-based systems by two students at Berkeley. Featuring ASCII
graphics, a deep system of gameplay, and lots of randomly generated items and locations, it was later distributed as free software
with the BSD operating system and followed by a whole genre of "roguelike
s" that were inspired by and emulated the original game's mechanics, as well as later titles such as Diablo. Of particular note is 1987's NetHack
, an update of Rogue that arguably surpassed the original in popularity, complexity and sense of humor—as well as through its continuous extensions and updates over nearly two decades. Other and later examples of roguelikes include Angband (1990), Ancient Domains of Mystery
(1993) and Linley's Dungeon Crawl
(1997).
All of these games featured simplistic, often monochrome graphics and/or keyboard-only input—and in the case of Rogue, representations of objects using text characters, such as '@' for the main character and 'Z' for zombies. However, they all more or less featured characteristics that are recognized today, such as exploring subterranean dungeons, equipping weapons and items, "leveling up
" and completing quests
, and in some cases—such as Dungeon—parties
composed of multiple characters that can be controlled and ordered individually.
eventually became standard among later RPGs in both the console (if somewhat simplified to fit the gamepad
) and personal computer markets. These included the use of tiled graphics
and party-based combat, its mix of fantasy and science-fiction elements, and the inclusion of time travel (borrowed from the movie Time Bandits
) as a plot device. The game was also revolutionary in its use of a written narrative to convey a larger story than was typically found in the minimal video game plots common at the time. Most games—including Garriott's own Akalabeth—tended to focus primarily on basic gameplay mechanics like combat without venturing much further into story and narrative.
In addition, Garriott would introduce in Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (1985) a theme that would persist throughout later Ultimas—a system of chivalry and code of conduct in which the player, or "Avatar", tackles such problems as fundamentalism, racism, and xenophobia, and is tested periodically in both obvious and unseen ways based on his or her actions. This code of conduct—partly in response to efforts among some Christian groups
to stem the tide of popularity behind Dungeons & Dragons, and covering a range of virtues including compassion, justice, humility and honor—would continue until Ultima IX
(1999), and would even be turned on its head in later titles as unintended and unforeseen consequences would start to become apparent in the surrounding world. This system of morals and ethics was unique at the time, in that in other video games players could for the most part act and do as they wished and still be lauded as "heroes" by the game worlds' denizens. In Ultima IV, on the other hand, players were forced by the designer to consider the moral consequences of their actions. According to Garriott, Ultima was now "more than a mere fantasy escape. It provided a world with a framework of deeper meaning?a level of detail [and] diversity of interaction that is rarely attempted." "I thought people might completely reject this game because some folks play just to kill, kill, kill. To succeed in this game, you had to radically change the way you'd ever played a game before."
Originally published for the Apple II
and considered by many to be the first modern CRPG, Ultima III would go on to be ported to many other platforms and influence the development of later titles, including such console RPGs as Excalibur (1983) and Dragon Quest
(1986). The series as a whole would go on to span over a dozen titles, including the spin-off series Worlds of Ultima (1990–1991) and Ultima Underworld (1992–1993), as well as the landmark multiplayer online series, Ultima Online
(1997). Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss
(1992) would offer players a full 360 degree view of the game world, and Ultima VII: The Black Gate (1992) would be the first real-time title in the series, and could be played entirely using the mouse. Richard would later leave Origin Systems
and Electronic Arts
to form Destination Games
under publisher NCsoft
, and either created or worked on a number of NCsoft's MMORPGs, including Lineage (1998) and Tabula Rasa (2007), before splitting with the publisher in 2009.
Beginning roughly around the same time in 1981 on the Apple II, the Wizardry
series would feature a 3D, first-person view, an intuitive interface, party-based combat, and pre-constructed levels that encouraged players to create their own maps. As with many other games of this time period, characters could be imported from previous games (in Wizardry' s case, with their experience levels reduced); and a novel feature was the introduction of moral alignment
to characters, which limited the areas players could visit. The series was also extremely difficult when compared to other RPGs of the time. Wizardry IV (1986) in particular is considered one of the most difficult CRPGs ever created. (It is also unique in that the player controls the evil wizard from the first game in an attempt to fight his way out of his prison dungeon and gain freedom in the world, above.) And, unlike Ultima which evolved and grew considerably with each installment, the Wizardry series retained and refined the same style and core mechanics over time, being updated only with improved graphics and level design as the years progressed. The series' most famous titles would also not come until years later (the series' latest installment would be published as recently as 2001).
By June 1982, Temple of Apshai
had sold 30,000 copies, Wizardry sold 24,000 copies, and Ultima sold 20,000 copies. Further innovations would be introduced by games such as the 1982 releases Dungeons of Daggorath
and Telengard
(re-written in BASIC
from an earlier version named DND for the PDP-10). In contrast to earlier dungeon crawl games that used turn-based movement
(where if the party didn't move, neither did the enemies), Dungeons of Daggorath and Telengard were instead played in real-time. The same year, Tunnels of Doom
introduced separate screens for exploration and combat.
for the Apple II in 1986, the Might and Magic
series would prove to be highly popular in the 1980s and onward. Featuring a mix of complex statistics, large numbers of weapons and spells, enormous worlds in which to play, the Might and Magic series would spawn a total of nine games—the most recent of which was released in 2002—as well as the popular turn-based strategy series Heroes of Might and Magic
, making it among the most long-lived series of CRPGs along side Ultima and Wizardry. The series is also notable for making race and gender an important aspect of gameplay.
Starting in 1988 with Pool of Radiance
for the Apple II and Commodore 64, Strategic Simulations, Inc.
produced a series of "Gold Box
" CRPGs, the first widely successful official video game adaptation of TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
license and rules. These games featured a first-person display for movement and exploration, combined with an overhead tactical display for combat that tried to model D&D' s turn-based mechanics. The Gold Box series is probably what SSI are best known for; and is considered one of the defining series of the "Golden Age" of CRPGs. The games spawned a series of novels, and titles continued to be published up until 1993, when the game engine was finally retired (though users were still able to create their own adventures that could be played using the Gold Box engine if they purchased Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures
). The latter titles were developed by Stormfront Studios
, who also produced Neverwinter Nights
, a multi-player implementation of the Gold Box engine for America Online which ran from 1991 to 1997. Just like the Wizardry series, characters could also be imported from one game into another.
In 1985, prior to the release of the Gold Box games, SSI also released Wizard's Crown
, a "hardcore" RPG featuring parties of eight characters, a skill-based experience system, highly detailed combat mechanics, dozens of commands, injuries and bleeding, and strengths and weaknesses versus individual weapon classes. The game did not, however, feature much in terms of role-playing or narrative beyond buying, selling and killing. Wizard's Crown was followed by The Eternal Dagger
in 1987, which was mostly the same except for the removal of a few of the more complicated elements.
Beginning in 1985, Interplay Productions would develop a string of hits in the form of The Bard's Tale and its sequels under publisher Electronic Arts
, originally for the Apple II. Combining colorful graphics, a clean interface and simple rules, the series was one of the first CRPG series to reach a mainstream audience—including a series of spin-off novels by authors such as Mercedes Lackey
—something that arguably did not occur again until the release of Diablo in 1997. The series was also remarkable at the time for allowing players to explore cities in detail instead of relegating them to simple menu screens with "buy"/"sell" options. Like the Gold Box series, a construction set was released in 1991 allowing players to create their own games, and the engine was re-used once again in Interplay's 1988 post-apocalyptic
CRPG, Wasteland
.
Starting in 1987, FTL Games
' Dungeon Master for the Atari ST
introduced several user-interface innovations, such as direct manipulation of objects and the environment using the mouse, to first-person CRPGs. It was also one of the first series to popularize the real-time, first-person viewpoint as seen in more recent games like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
and first-person shooter
s. The game featured a complex magic system whereby magical spells could be created by combining runes in specific sequences. Working sequences were not detailed beforehand in the game manual; instead players would have to discover them on their own or through trial and error. Two sequels would follow in 1989 and 1993, and the game's first-person, real-time mechanics would be copied in SSI's "Black Box" series, starting with Eye of the Beholder in 1990. (1993's Betrayal at Krondor would also feature a magic system highly reminiscent of Dungeon Masters.) The game would sell 40,000 copies in its first year of release alone, and would go on to become the ST's best selling product of all time, reaching a market penetration of more than 50% of all the Atari STs ever sold.
Times of Lore
, released by Origin Systems
in 1988, introduced the action-adventure
and action role-playing game
formula of console titles such as The Legend of Zelda
to the American computer RPG market. Times of Lore directly inspired several later titles by Origin Systems, such as the 1990 games Bad Blood, another action RPG based on the same engine, and Ultima VI: The False Prophet, based on the same interface.
Sierra Entertainment
, known for its point-and-click adventure games, would produce the Quest for Glory
series beginning in 1992, combining CRPG and adventure game mechanics together into a highly unique mix. Featuring involved stories, complex puzzles, as well as (lamentably, to some) arcade-like combat, the series would continue for a total of five titles, the most recent of which was released in 1998. Originally, the series was supposed to be a tetralogy
, consisting of four games and containing the following themes and cyles: the four cardinal direction
s, the four classical element
s, the four season
s and the four mythologies
. However, when Shadows of Darkness
was designed, it was thought that it would be too difficult for the hero to go straight from Shapeir to Mordavia and defeat the Dark One. To solve this problem, a new game, Wages of War
, was inserted into the canon, causing a renumbering of the series.
Beginning with Betrayal at Krondor
in 1993, Sierra would go on to publish the Krondor series, basing it upon the Midkemia
setting created by author Raymond E. Feist
. Featuring turn-based, tactical combat and a skill-based experience system, the game would unfortunately suffer due to outdated, polygonal graphics apparently unchanged from developer Dynamix
's earlier flight simulators. Feist was heavily consulted during the development of the game, and would later go on to create his own novelization
based upon the game. Two sequels would follow: Betrayal in Antara (1997), which would re-use the engine of the first game, but would be set in a different universe due to Sierra losing the license to the Krondor setting; and Return to Krondor
(1998), which used a brand new engine, but was set once again in Feist's fictional universe.
is a dark fantasy-themed RPG released by Blizzard Entertainment
on January 2, 1997 in the midst of a stagnant PC RPG market. Set in the fictional Kingdom of Khanduras in the world of Sanctuary, Diablo has the player take control of a lone hero battling to rid the world of Diablo, the Lord of Terror, in a fast action, point-and-click environment. While Diablo in some ways resembles a roguelike
game in its focus on dungeon crawling and its procedurally generated
levels (Diablo' s development was influenced by Moria
and Angband), major differences include the commercial quality of the game's graphics, its simplified character development, and the fact that it plays in real-time rather than being turn-based. Not least of all contributing to Diablo' s success was its support for online, collaborative play through its online service, Battle.net
(as well as over a local area network
using the IPX
protocol, a telephone line
with the use of a modem
, etc.), thus greatly extended its replay value, though cheating remained a major factor.
Diablo' s effect on the market was significant; it had many imitators and its style of combat went on to be used by many games that came after. For many years afterwards, games that closely mimicked the Diablo formula were referred to as "Diablo clones", and games of its type are still frequently referred to as "action RPGs". Typically action RPGs feature each player directly controlling a single character in real time, and feature a strong focus on combat and action with plot and character interaction kept to a minimum. For instance, the majority of commands in Diablo—such as moving and attacking—are executed using mouse clicks rather than via menus (though learned spells can also be assigned to hotkeys); and in many action RPGs, non-player characters serve only one purpose, be it to buy or sell items or upgrade the player's abilities, or issue them with combat-centric quests. Unlike many of the classic "Golden Age" RPGs, there are also few or no puzzles, with most problems instead having an action-based solution (such as breaking a wooden door open with an axe rather than finding the key needed to unlock it).
One common challenge in developing action RPGs is including content beyond that of killing enemies. With the sheer number of items, locations and monsters found in many such games, it can be difficult to create the needed depth to offer players a unique experience tailored to his or her beliefs, choices or actions. This is doubly true if a game makes use of randomization, as is common. One notable example of a game which went beyond this is Deus Ex
(2000) which offered multiple solutions to problems using intricately layered story options and individually constructed environments. Instead of simply bashing their way through levels, players were challenged to act in character by choosing dialog options appropriately, and by using the surrounding environment intelligently. This produced an experience that was unique and tailored to each situation as opposed to one that repeated itself endlessly.
An expansion pack to Diablo, titled Diablo: Hellfire
, was released in 1997; followed by a sequel, Diablo II
, in 2000. The sequel later received its own expansion, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction
, in 2001; and three of the four titles are commonly sold together in stores as part of the Diablo Battle Chest over a decade later. A third game, Diablo III
, was announced on June 28, 2008, and is currently in development. Other examples of action RPGs include Dungeon Siege
(2002), Sacred (2004), Torchlight
(2009), Din's Curse
(2011) and Hellgate: London
(2007)—the last of which was developed by a team headed by former Blizzard employees, some of whom had participated in the creation of the Diablo series. Further, there is debate over whether games like BioWare's Mass Effect (2007) constitute action RPGs as opposed to more traditional RPGs (though the game's sequel pushed more in that direction).
Like Diablo and Rogue before it, Torchlight, Din' s Curse, Hellgate: London and Fate (2005) all made use of procedural generation to generate game levels.
and BioWare
. In 1997
, Black Isle released the groundbreaking Fallout
, set in an alternate history
future America following a nuclear holocaust
. One of the few successful video game RPGs not set in the swords-and-sorcery setting, Fallout was notable for its open-ended, largely non-linear gameplay and quest system, tongue-in-cheek humor, and pervasive sense of style and imagery highly reminiscent of Interplay's earlier Wasteland. The game afforded players numerous moral choices to shape the world based on how NPCs reacted to the player, much like the original Ultimas. According to developer Chris Avellone
, "I think there are a few reasons for Fallout's success. It gave you tremendous freedom to let you wander wherever you chose. This freedom—to take whatever quests you want and solve them however you choose—is what an RPG was always supposed to be about." Black Isle soon followed up with a sequel
, and a tactical RPG
based on the franchise by third-party developer Micro Forté
would be published under Interplay's strategy division 14 Degrees East in 2001. Lastly, another critically acclaimed D&D title, Planescape: Torment
, would be developed by Black Isle and published by Interplay in 1999, and would become known for its moody, artistic air and extensive writing.
BioWare's Baldur's Gate series
, beginning in 1998, was no less important, being the most significant D&D series to be released since the Gold Box era. At the time—and despite being real-time instead of turn-based—the games created the most accurate and in-depth D&D simulation to date, and featured support for up to six-players in co-op
mode. Baldur' s Gate provided an epic story including NPC followers and written dialogue that continued through both titles and two expansion pack
s, solidifying BioWare's reputation as one of the premier designers of RPGs in the late '90s and into the next decade. An even more combat-oriented series, Icewind Dale
—this time developed by Black Isle instead of BioWare—quickly followed. Collectively, Interplay's Fallout, Planescape: Torment and Baldur's Gate (particularly the last) are considered examples of some of the finest RPGs ever made.
Black Isle's games during this time period often shared engines to cut down on development time and costs, and most feature an overhead axonometrically projected
third-person interface. Except for the two Fallout games, the rest of their titles used various versions of the Infinity Engine
developed for Baldur's Gate by BioWare. The collapse of Interplay resulted in the shutdown of Black Isle and the cancellation of the third games in both the Fallout and Baldur's Gate series, as well as of an original title, Torn
. Instead, they published a trio of console-only action RPGs based on the two franchises: Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
(2001), Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
(2004), and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
(2004). One of the last CRPGs released before Interplay seemingly went defunct was the poorly received Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader
(2003) by developer Reflexive Entertainment
, notable for using the SPECIAL system introduced in Fallout.
game engines; as well as an increasing number of multi-platform releases.
BioWare
went on to produce Neverwinter Nights
(2002
) for Atari
, which was the first CRPG to fuse the third-edition Dungeons & Dragons
rules with a 3D display in which the user could vary the viewing angle and distance. New game content could be generated using the Aurora toolset
supplied as part of the game release, and players could share their modules and play cooperatively with their friends online. Based in part on experiences while playing Ultima Online
, one of the goals during development was to reproduce the feel of a live pen-and-paper RPG experience, complete with human dungeon master
. NWN was very successful commercially, spawning three official expansion packs as well as a sequel developed by Obsidian Entertainment (described below). BioWare later went on to produce the highly acclaimed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
, which married the d20 system
with the very popular Star Wars
franchise; as well as the original titles Jade Empire
(2005), Mass Effect
(2007), Dragon Age: Origins
(2009), and Mass Effect 2
(2010)—all of which were released for multiple platforms. Dragon Age II
was released in 2011.
During the production of Fallout 2
, some of Black Isle's key members left the studio to form Troika Games
, which released Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
(2001), followed by the highly anticipated The Temple of Elemental Evil
(2003) based on the Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition rules and Greyhawk
setting. This was soon followed by Troika's last game, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
(2004), based on White Wolf
's Vampire: The Masquerade
setting. Although these games developed an enthusiastic fanbase, none of them were financially successful or sold particularly well. ToEE in particular was heavily criticized for shipping with numerous bugs, and caused an outcry when Atari dropped early support for the game. 2005 saw Troika Games in financial trouble, and most of the developers left for other studios, rendering the group dead.
When Black Isle closed down, several employees formed Obsidian Entertainment
, who in early 2005 released Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
, the sequel to BioWare's successful Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Obsidian later created another BioWare game sequel, Neverwinter Nights 2
, released on Halloween of 2006 and featuring the 3.5 Edition D&D ruleset. It was later followed by two expansions and an "adventure pack" in 2007 and 2008. Also beginning in 2006, Obsidian Entertainment was developing a role-playing game based on the Aliens
film franchise, but it was later canceled along with an original title with the working name of Seven Dwarves. Obsidian's most recent RPGs are Alpha Protocol
(2010), a modern day spy thriller released for multiple platforms; and Fallout: New Vegas
(2010), the latest installment in the Fallout franchise. The company is currently working on Dungeon Siege 3
as well as a second, un-named title.
The 2000s also saw the release of the Gothic series by German developer Piranha Bytes
, starting with the first title in 2001. Lauded for its complex interaction with other in-game characters and attractive graphics, it was nonetheless criticized for a difficult control scheme and high system requirements. The third game in particular was notable for its "ton of quests, rewards exploration[sic] and approachable combat", but also for its "system hogging, feeling unfinished[sic] and atrocious voice acting".
After disagreements, Piranha Bytes split from publisher JoWood Productions in 2007; and due to a contract between the two companies, JoWooD retained some rights to the Gothic name and to current and future games released under that trademark. Piranha Bytes have since gone on to develop a new series, Risen, under a different publisher; and a fourth, "casual" installment of the Gothic series—this time by developer Spellbound Entertainment
—was released by JoWood in 2010. And in a surprising turn of events, the rights to the Gothic series may revert back to Piranha Bytes in the near future following the release of Risen II.
Since 1994, Bethesda Softworks
has been dedicated to developing CRPGs in The Elder Scrolls
series, with 1996's Daggerfall
being a notable 3D first-person RPG with an expansive world. The series began a focus on sandbox gameplay, focusing on the player's wide choices of free-roaming activities unrelated to the game's main storyline. According to Todd Howard, "I think [Daggerfall is] one of those games that people can 'project' themselves on. It does so many things and allows [for] so many play styles that people can easily imagine what type of person they'd like to be in game."
The series' popularity exploded with the release of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
(2002), released for the Xbox and PC. This game became an award-winning and highly successful CRPG due to its open-ended play, a richly detailed game world, and flexibility in character creation and advancement. The title's sandbox gameplay often inspired comparisons to Grand Theft Auto III
. Two expansions were released: Tribunal
in 2002 and Bloodmoon
in 2003. The next installment, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
(2006), released for the Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
as well as the PC, was a much-enhanced sequel featuring scripted NPC
behaviors, significantly improved graphics, as well as the company's first foray into micro transactions—a recent trend among Western RPG makers. A total of two expansion packs, Shivering Isles
and Knights of the Nine
, were eventually released, as well as several, smaller downloadable packages costing each between $1–3.
The decision by Interplay to scrap plans for Fallout 3 (noted now as the Van Buren project), and Bethesda's subsequent acquisition of the Fallout
brand, left Fallouts significant fan community with mixed feelings towards Bethesda working on the project. However, Bethesda released Fallout 3
in North America on October 28, 2008 to favorable reviews and much fanfare; and the game was quickly followed by a total of five "content packs"
. Another installment, titled Fallout: New Vegas
, was created by Obsidian Entertainment using the same engine as Fallout 3 and released to generally favorable reviews in 2010.
Beginning in 2008, using money from its sale of the Fallout intellectual property
to Bethesda Softworks
, as well as from the sale of its controlling interests to a Luxembourg-based firm, Interplay announced that it was going to restart its in-basement game development studio and develop sequels and Wii
Virtual Console
versions to some of its classic console series, including Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Earthworm Jim. Interplay has also been developing a massively multiplayer online game
based on the Fallout franchise (which it retained the rights to create), though Bethesda has belatedly filed several injunctions against Interplay in an attempt to prevent it from doing so. As a result, both the game and possibly the future of Interplay are in legal limbo pending the outcome of the dispute.
, Commodore 64
and Atari ST
, as well as between early Japan
ese console systems and home computer systems like the MSX
and FM Towns
), there was a period during the 1990s when this was not generally the case. With the sixth generation of home gaming consoles
, however, many game developers once again began releasing for multiple platforms, sometimes even opting to develop primarily or exclusively for consoles. Further, the combination of the Xbox
and DirectX
technologies proved popular due to the two systems' architectural similarities as well as the availability of programming tools; and multimedia and art assets—which account for a greater proportion of the development budget than they did in the past—are easily transferable between multiple platforms.
As a result, several major PC RPG releases were affected by the system, mostly due to console-exclusivity publishing deals with Microsoft. Following Neverwinter Nights, BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was developed primarily for the Xbox and ported to the PC several months later. Their followup, Jade Empire
(2005) was also an Xbox exclusive, and did not receive a Windows version until Jade Empire - Special Edition (which included bonus content) was released on Feb 26, 2007. Obsidian's KOTOR sequel
similarly was released in December 2004 for the Xbox, and followed by a PC version in February 2005; and Fable
(2004) by Lionhead Studios
received a PC port at the same time it was being reprinted as a Platinum Hit
in 2005. Lastly, Bethesda's Oblivion, while released simultaneously for console and PC, was considered a major launch title for the Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
.
Sequels to many of the above titles were also developed for next-gen systems, including Lionhead's Fable II (2008) and Fable III
(2010); and BioWare continues to produce launch-exclusive RPG titles for the Xbox 360, such as Mass Effect
(2007) and Mass Effect 2
(2010). Finally, Piranha Bytes' Risen and CD Projekt' s The Witcher also saw console releases; and both the Fallout
and Baldur's Gate
series of PC RPGs produced more console-friendly, Diablo-style action titles for the PS2 and Xbox as their respective PC series ended.
Some have criticized the change of focus from the PC platform to console systems, citing the concessions needed to adapt games to the altered interfaces and control systems, as well as a need to appeal to a wider demographic. One notable developer, Josh Sawyer
, lamented the decline of high-profile computer-exclusive RPGs, claiming that there were "no pure CRPG developers left" anymore outside of small companies like Spiderweb Software
following the collapse of Troika Games
. Bethesda developers Ken Levine and Todd Howard also remarked that one of the difficulties in developing for consoles is that, "[console gamers just] don’t have the patience to wade through the introduction of [new] systems" when compared to PC gamers, but were careful to qualify the remark with, "[But] once they’re into the game, the console guys want just as deep of an experience as the PC guys." Other criticisms include the increasing emphasis on video quality and voice overs, and their effect on budgets and the amount and quality of dialogue offered.
Further, there have been more subtle shifts away from the core influences of Dungeons & Dragons in the 1980s and 1990s. Whereas games were originally closely tied to the system's basic mechanics such as dice rolls and turn-based tactical combat, games are increasingly diverging in the direction of real-time modes, simplified mechanics and skill-based interfaces. Examples include the lack of an inventory system in Mass Effect 2 and the Dialogue Effect System in Alpha Protocol. Even Dungeons & Dragons is diverging from its roots, with the 4th Edition rules being compared by some to role-playing video games, including MMORPGs (such as World of Warcraft) and tactical RPGs (such as Fire Emblem). And, while some non- role-playing games are incorporating more RPG elements, there is still a stigma associated with the term "RPG" that developers and publishers would like to avoid.
However, innovation and quality need not necessarily be stymied. Europe—in particular Germany—remains slightly more receptive to PC-exclusives, as well as to older, more "hardcore" design decisions in general. Further, independent developers can still be successful as long as they focus on delivering what "big" companies cannot; and developers for new platforms such as handheld
and mobile systems do not have to operate under the pressure of $20 million budgets and the scrutiny of publishers' marketing experts.
Lastly, while profitable, developing for multiple platforms remains difficult: Optimizations needed for one platform architecture do not necessarily translate to others. Individual platforms—for instance, the Sega Genesis and PlayStation 3—are seen as difficult to develop for compared to their competitors; and support for new technologies such as multi-core processors and hyperthreading are things developers are not yet fully accustomed to. Thus, while multi-platform releases are becoming increasingly common, not all differences between editions on multiple platforms can be fully explained by hardware alone; and there continue to remain as a result franchise stalwarts that exist solely on one system.
published RPGs for the PC, as well as a number of CRPGs developed in Europe and points farther east—leading some to call Eastern Europe
a hotbed of RPG development in recent years. Examples of independent, or "indie", RPGs include Spiderweb Software
's Geneforge (2001–2009) and Avernum (2000–2010) series; Pyrrhic Tales: Prelude to Darkness (2002) by Zero Sum Software; Eschalon: Book I
(2007) and Book II
(2010) by Basilisk Games
; Depths of Peril
(2007) and Din's Curse
(2010) by Soldak Entertainment
; and Knights of the Chalice (2009). Examples of Eastern and Central European RPGs include Belgian developer Larian Studios' Divinity, series starting with Divine Divinity
(2002); Russian developer Nival Interactive's series of tactical RPGs, starting with Silent Storm
(2003); German developer Ascaron Entertainment's Sacred series of action RPGs, starting with Sacred (2004); Polish developer CD Projekt
's The Witcher (2007); and Polish developer Reality Pump's Two Worlds (2007). Examples in hybrid genres include Russian developer Elemental Games' hybrid RPG/strategy game/space sims Space Rangers
(2002) and Space Rangers 2: Dominators
(2004); Ukrainian developer GSC Game World
's hybrid RPG/first-person shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
(2007); and Turkish
developer TaleWorlds
' hybrid RPG/medieval combat simulator, Mount&Blade
(2008).
Lastly, in 2009, a pair of Obsidian developers left to form their own company, DoubleBear Productions
, and begin development of an RPG utilizing Iron Tower Studios' The Age of Decadence game engine (also in development); and veteran game designer Cleve Blakemore's "Golden Era" retro-RPG, Grimoire, would become notorious for having been "close to release" for over a decade, leading many to label it as vaporware
and saying it would never be released. However, due to player expectations and the technical sophistication needed to make modern video games, it remains difficult for indie developers to wow audiences viscerally to the same degree that "big name" game makers with extensive budgets and development teams are able to.
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
s developed in the Western world
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
, specifically North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and, in more recent years, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. For role-playing games developed in East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
, see History of Eastern role-playing video games
History of Eastern role-playing video games
Eastern role-playing video games are role-playing video games developed in East Asia, specifically Japan, and, to a lesser extent, South Korea and China...
.
Mainframe computers (late 1970s–early 1980s)
The earliest computer role-playing games began in the mid to late 1970s as offshoots of early university mainframeMainframe computer
Mainframes are powerful computers used primarily by corporate and governmental organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.The term originally referred to the...
text-based RPGs on PDP-10
PDP-10
The PDP-10 was a mainframe computer family manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation from the late 1960s on; the name stands for "Programmed Data Processor model 10". The first model was delivered in 1966...
, PLATO and Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
-based systems, starting with Dungeon
Dungeon (computer game)
Dungeon was one of the earliest computer role-playing games, running on PDP-10 mainframe computers manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation.-History:...
(1975 or 1976), pedit5
Pedit5
pedit5 was perhaps the first dungeon crawl video game , written in 1975 by Rusty Rutherford for the PLATO system...
(1975) and dnd
Dnd (computer game)
dnd is a computer role-playing game. The name dnd is derived from the abbreviation "DND" from the original role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, which was first released in 1975....
(1975). These early games were inspired by pen-and-paper role-playing games—particularly Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
, which was released shortly before in 1974, and J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Some of the first graphical CRPGs after pedit5 and dnd included orthanc (1978, named after Saruman's tower in Lord of the Rings), avathar (1979, later renamed avatar
Avatar (computer game)
Avatar is an early graphics-based multi-user highly interactive role-playing computer game, created on the University of Illinois' Control Data Corporation PLATO system in the late 1970s. It has graphics for navigating through a dungeon, and chat style text for player status and communication with...
), oubliette (1977, French for "dungeon"), dungeons of degorath, baradur, emprise, bnd, sorcery, moria
Moria (PLATO)
Moria is a dungeon crawl style computer role-playing game first developed for the PLATO system around 1975, with copyright dates listed as 1978 and 1984...
(1975), and dndworld (19??)—all of which were developed and became widely popular on the PLATO system during the latter 1970s, in large part due to PLATO's speed, fast graphics, nationwide network of terminals, and large number of players with access to those terminals. PLATO, being a mainframe system with multiple users, also allowed multiple, simultaneous players to play at the same time—a feature not commonly available to owners of home personal computer systems at the time. These were followed by—but did not always lead directly to—games on other platforms, such as Temple of Apshai
Temple of Apshai
The Temple of Apshai is a computer role-playing game from Epyx. The game was first released for the TRS-80 in 1979, then the Apple II and Atari home computers in 1980. In 1983, it was released for the Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, and IBM PC compatibles. Even later it was made available with...
(1979, originally for the TRS-80
TRS-80
TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation's desktop microcomputer model line, sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first units, ordered unseen, were delivered in November 1977, and rolled out to the stores the third week of December. The line won popularity with...
, and later followed by two add-ons), Akalabeth
Akalabeth
Akalabeth: World of Doom is a computer role-playing game, first released in 1979, and then published by California Pacific Computer Company for the Apple II in 1980...
(1980, which gave rise to the well-known Ultima series), Wizardry
Wizardry
Wizardry is a series of computer role-playing games, developed by Sir-Tech, which were highly influential in the development of modern console and computer role playing games. The original Wizardry was a significant influence to early console RPGs, such as Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy. ...
(1981) and Sword of Fargoal
Sword of Fargoal
Sword of Fargoal was a computer game written in 1982 by Jeff McCord. The November 1996 anniversary issue of Computer Gaming World listed Sword of Fargoal as #147 on the "Top 150 Best Video Games of All Time."-History:...
(1982). Additional influences during this time period would come in the form of text adventures
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
like Colossal Cave Adventure
Colossal Cave Adventure
Colossal Cave Adventure gave its name to the computer adventure game genre . It was originally designed by Will Crowther, a programmer and caving enthusiast who based the layout on part of the Mammoth Cave system in Kentucky...
(1976) & Zork
Zork
Zork was one of the first interactive fiction computer games and an early descendant of Colossal Cave Adventure. The first version of Zork was written in 1977–1979 on a DEC PDP-10 computer by Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels, and Dave Lebling, and implemented in the MDL programming language...
(1976), early MUD
MUD
A MUD , pronounced , is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, with the term usually referring to text-based instances of these. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat...
s, tabletop wargames
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
like Chainmail
Chainmail (game)
Chainmail is a medieval miniatures wargame created by Gary Gygax and Jeff Perren. Gygax developed the game with fellow Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association member Perren, a hobby-shop owner with whom he had become friendly, and the game was first published in 1971...
(beginning in 1971), and sports games like Strat-O-Matic
Strat-o-Matic
Strat-O-Matic is a game company based in Glen Head, New York, that develops and publishes sports simulation games. It produces tabletop baseball, football, basketball, and ice hockey simulations, as well as personal computer adaptations of each, but it is primarily known for its baseball...
(beginning in 1961).
In 1980, a popular dungeon crawl
Dungeon crawl
A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games in which heroes navigate a labyrinthine environment, battling various monsters, and looting any treasure they may find...
er called Rogue
Rogue (computer game)
Rogue is a dungeon crawling video game first developed by Michael Toy and Glenn Wichman around 1980. It was a favorite on college Unix systems in the early to mid-1980s, in part due to the procedural generation of game content. Rogue popularized dungeon crawling as a video game trope, leading...
was developed for Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
-based systems by two students at Berkeley. Featuring ASCII
ASCII
The American Standard Code for Information Interchange is a character-encoding scheme based on the ordering of the English alphabet. ASCII codes represent text in computers, communications equipment, and other devices that use text...
graphics, a deep system of gameplay, and lots of randomly generated items and locations, it was later distributed as free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
with the BSD operating system and followed by a whole genre of "roguelike
Roguelike
The roguelike is a sub-genre of role-playing video games, characterized by randomization for replayability, permanent death, and turn-based movement. Most roguelikes feature ASCII graphics, with newer ones increasingly offering tile-based graphics. Games are typically dungeon crawls, with many...
s" that were inspired by and emulated the original game's mechanics, as well as later titles such as Diablo. Of particular note is 1987's NetHack
NetHack
NetHack is a single-player roguelike video game originally released in 1987. It is a descendant of an earlier game called Hack , which is a descendant of Rogue...
, an update of Rogue that arguably surpassed the original in popularity, complexity and sense of humor—as well as through its continuous extensions and updates over nearly two decades. Other and later examples of roguelikes include Angband (1990), Ancient Domains of Mystery
Ancient Domains of Mystery
Ancient Domains of Mystery, or ADOM, is a roguelike game by Thomas Biskup first released in . The player's aim is to stop the forces of Chaos that invade the world of Ancardia....
(1993) and Linley's Dungeon Crawl
Linley's Dungeon Crawl
Linley's Dungeon Crawl is a roguelike computer game originally programmed by Linley Henzell in 1995, and first released to the general public on October 1, 1997. Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, a branch of Dungeon Crawl currently in development, is one of the most popular roguelikes being played today...
(1997).
All of these games featured simplistic, often monochrome graphics and/or keyboard-only input—and in the case of Rogue, representations of objects using text characters, such as '@' for the main character and 'Z' for zombies. However, they all more or less featured characteristics that are recognized today, such as exploring subterranean dungeons, equipping weapons and items, "leveling up
Level Up
Level Up was a UK children's TV programme that was broadcast on CBBC. It was launched on the 3rd April 2006, replacing Xchange. The show was an hour long and during the school year broadcasting from 7:30am until 8:30am...
" and completing quests
Quest (gaming)
A quest in role-playing video games — including massively multiplayer online role-playing games and their predecessors, MUDs — is a task that a player-controlled character or group of characters may complete in order to gain a reward...
, and in some cases—such as Dungeon—parties
Party (role playing games)
A party is a group of characters adventuring together in a role-playing game. In tabletop role-playing, a party is composed of a group of players, occasionally with the addition of non-player character allies controlled by those players or by the gamemaster. In computer games, the relationship...
composed of multiple characters that can be controlled and ordered individually.
Ultima and Wizardry (early–mid 1980s)
The early Ultima (originally Ultimatum) and Wizardry games had perhaps the largest influence on RPGs that came afterward. For instance, many innovations of the early Ultimas—in particular Ultima III: Exodus (1983)—by developer Richard GarriottRichard Garriott
Richard Allen Garriott is a British-American video game developer and entrepreneur.He is also known as his alter egos Lord British in Ultima and General British in Tabula Rasa...
eventually became standard among later RPGs in both the console (if somewhat simplified to fit the gamepad
Gamepad
A gamepad , is a type of game controller held in two hands, where the digits are used to provide input. Gamepads generally feature a set of action buttons handled with the right thumb and a direction controller handled with the left...
) and personal computer markets. These included the use of tiled graphics
Tile-based video game
A tile-based video game is a type of video or computer game where the playing area consists of small rectangular, square, or hexagonal graphic images, referred to as tiles. The complete set of tiles available for use in a playing area is called a tileset...
and party-based combat, its mix of fantasy and science-fiction elements, and the inclusion of time travel (borrowed from the movie Time Bandits
Time Bandits
Time Bandits is a 1981 British fantasy film produced and directed by Terry Gilliam.Terry Gilliam wrote the screenplay with fellow Monty Python alumnus Michael Palin, who appears with Shelley Duvall in the small, recurring roles of Vincent and Pansy. The film is one of the most famous of more than...
) as a plot device. The game was also revolutionary in its use of a written narrative to convey a larger story than was typically found in the minimal video game plots common at the time. Most games—including Garriott's own Akalabeth—tended to focus primarily on basic gameplay mechanics like combat without venturing much further into story and narrative.
In addition, Garriott would introduce in Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (1985) a theme that would persist throughout later Ultimas—a system of chivalry and code of conduct in which the player, or "Avatar", tackles such problems as fundamentalism, racism, and xenophobia, and is tested periodically in both obvious and unseen ways based on his or her actions. This code of conduct—partly in response to efforts among some Christian groups
Dungeons & Dragons controversies
Dungeons & Dragons controversies concern the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons , which has received significant attention in the media and in popular culture. The game has received some negative coverage, especially during the game's early years in the early 1980s...
to stem the tide of popularity behind Dungeons & Dragons, and covering a range of virtues including compassion, justice, humility and honor—would continue until Ultima IX
Ultima IX
Ultima IX: Ascension is the ninth and final part of the main series of the computer role-playing game series Ultima.Following the Avatar's escape from Pagan, he is transported back to Britannia for one final battle with the Guardian, who is increasingly ruining the physical and moral fabric of...
(1999), and would even be turned on its head in later titles as unintended and unforeseen consequences would start to become apparent in the surrounding world. This system of morals and ethics was unique at the time, in that in other video games players could for the most part act and do as they wished and still be lauded as "heroes" by the game worlds' denizens. In Ultima IV, on the other hand, players were forced by the designer to consider the moral consequences of their actions. According to Garriott, Ultima was now "more than a mere fantasy escape. It provided a world with a framework of deeper meaning?a level of detail [and] diversity of interaction that is rarely attempted." "I thought people might completely reject this game because some folks play just to kill, kill, kill. To succeed in this game, you had to radically change the way you'd ever played a game before."
Originally published for the Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
and considered by many to be the first modern CRPG, Ultima III would go on to be ported to many other platforms and influence the development of later titles, including such console RPGs as Excalibur (1983) and Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
(1986). The series as a whole would go on to span over a dozen titles, including the spin-off series Worlds of Ultima (1990–1991) and Ultima Underworld (1992–1993), as well as the landmark multiplayer online series, Ultima Online
Ultima Online
Ultima Online is a graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game , released on September 24, 1997, by Origin Systems. It was instrumental to the development of the genre, and is still running today...
(1997). Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss
Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss
Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss is a first-person role-playing video game developed by Blue Sky Productions and published by Origin Systems...
(1992) would offer players a full 360 degree view of the game world, and Ultima VII: The Black Gate (1992) would be the first real-time title in the series, and could be played entirely using the mouse. Richard would later leave Origin Systems
Origin Systems
Origin Systems, Inc. was a computer game developer based in Austin, Texas that was active from 1983 to 2004...
and Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
to form Destination Games
Destination Games
Destination Games was a computer game development company created in April 2000 by Richard Garriott, Robert Garriott and Starr Long, following their departure from Origin Systems. Destination was founded in Austin, Texas to develop massively multiplayer online role-playing games...
under publisher NCsoft
NCsoft
NCsoft is a South Korea-based online video game company, which has published massively multiplayer online role-playing games including Lineage, City of Heroes, Wildstar, Exteel, Guild Wars and Aion.-History:...
, and either created or worked on a number of NCsoft's MMORPGs, including Lineage (1998) and Tabula Rasa (2007), before splitting with the publisher in 2009.
Beginning roughly around the same time in 1981 on the Apple II, the Wizardry
Wizardry
Wizardry is a series of computer role-playing games, developed by Sir-Tech, which were highly influential in the development of modern console and computer role playing games. The original Wizardry was a significant influence to early console RPGs, such as Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy. ...
series would feature a 3D, first-person view, an intuitive interface, party-based combat, and pre-constructed levels that encouraged players to create their own maps. As with many other games of this time period, characters could be imported from previous games (in Wizardry
Alignment (role-playing games)
In some role-playing games, alignment is a categorisation of the moral and ethical perspective of the player characters, non-player characters, monsters, and societies in the game....
to characters, which limited the areas players could visit. The series was also extremely difficult when compared to other RPGs of the time. Wizardry IV (1986) in particular is considered one of the most difficult CRPGs ever created. (It is also unique in that the player controls the evil wizard from the first game in an attempt to fight his way out of his prison dungeon and gain freedom in the world, above.) And, unlike Ultima which evolved and grew considerably with each installment, the Wizardry series retained and refined the same style and core mechanics over time, being updated only with improved graphics and level design as the years progressed. The series' most famous titles would also not come until years later (the series' latest installment would be published as recently as 2001).
By June 1982, Temple of Apshai
Temple of Apshai
The Temple of Apshai is a computer role-playing game from Epyx. The game was first released for the TRS-80 in 1979, then the Apple II and Atari home computers in 1980. In 1983, it was released for the Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, and IBM PC compatibles. Even later it was made available with...
had sold 30,000 copies, Wizardry sold 24,000 copies, and Ultima sold 20,000 copies. Further innovations would be introduced by games such as the 1982 releases Dungeons of Daggorath
Dungeons of Daggorath
Dungeons of Daggorath is a 1982 computer game and one of the first computer titles to use a 3D wireframe first-person perspective. It was produced by DynaMicro for the Tandy TRS-80 Color Computer....
and Telengard
Telengard
Telengard is a computer-based video game that provides an early example of the dungeon crawl genre. The game, written in 1978 by Daniel Lawrence , was purchased by Avalon Hill in 1982 and made available on multiple computer platforms...
(re-written in BASIC
BASIC
BASIC is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages whose design philosophy emphasizes ease of use - the name is an acronym from Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code....
from an earlier version named DND for the PDP-10). In contrast to earlier dungeon crawl games that used turn-based movement
Roguelike
The roguelike is a sub-genre of role-playing video games, characterized by randomization for replayability, permanent death, and turn-based movement. Most roguelikes feature ASCII graphics, with newer ones increasingly offering tile-based graphics. Games are typically dungeon crawls, with many...
(where if the party didn't move, neither did the enemies), Dungeons of Daggorath and Telengard were instead played in real-time. The same year, Tunnels of Doom
Tunnels of Doom
Tunnels of Doom is a computer game programmed by Kevin Kenney in 1982 for the TI-99/4A computer system. Tunnels of Doom is consistently listed by TI-99/4A fans as one of the top games available for the system....
introduced separate screens for exploration and combat.
Golden Age (late 1980s–early 1990s)
Beginning with the release of Might and Magic: The Secret of the Inner SanctumMight and Magic: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum
Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum is an early computer role-playing game released for the Apple II, IBM PC, NES and a number of other platforms, and is the first game in the Might and Magic series...
for the Apple II in 1986, the Might and Magic
Might and Magic
Might and Magic is a series of role-playing video games from New World Computing, which in 1996 became a subsidiary of The 3DO Company...
series would prove to be highly popular in the 1980s and onward. Featuring a mix of complex statistics, large numbers of weapons and spells, enormous worlds in which to play, the Might and Magic series would spawn a total of nine games—the most recent of which was released in 2002—as well as the popular turn-based strategy series Heroes of Might and Magic
Heroes of Might and Magic
Heroes of Might and Magic is a series of video games originally created and developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing. As part of the Might and Magic franchise, the series changed ownership when NWC was acquired by 3DO and again when 3DO closed down and sold the rights to Ubisoft...
, making it among the most long-lived series of CRPGs along side Ultima and Wizardry. The series is also notable for making race and gender an important aspect of gameplay.
Starting in 1988 with Pool of Radiance
Pool of Radiance
Pool of Radiance is a computer role-playing game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc in 1988. It was the first adaptation of TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game for home computers. It is the first in a four-part series of D&D computer adventure games...
for the Apple II and Commodore 64, Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Strategic Simulations, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher with over 100 titles to its credit since its founding in 1979. It was especially noted for its numerous wargames, its official computer game adaptations of Dungeons & Dragons, and for the groundbreaking Panzer General...
produced a series of "Gold Box
Gold Box
Gold Box is the name for a series of computer role-playing games produced by SSI. The company won a license to produce games based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game from TSR, Inc...
" CRPGs, the first widely successful official video game adaptation of TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
license and rules. These games featured a first-person display for movement and exploration, combined with an overhead tactical display for combat that tried to model D&D
Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures
Forgotten Realms: Unlimited Adventures, also known as Unlimited Adventures, or by the acronyms FRUA or UA, is a computer game originally released on March 17, 1993, by Strategic Simulations, Inc...
). The latter titles were developed by Stormfront Studios
Stormfront Studios
Stormfront Studios was a video game developer based in San Rafael, California which had one of the longest creative histories in the industry. In 2007, the company had over 50 developers working on two teams, and owned all its proprietary engines, tools and technology. As of the end of 2007 over...
, who also produced Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights (AOL game)
Neverwinter Nights was the first multiplayer online role-playing game to display graphics, and ran from 1991 to 1997 on AOL.-Gameplay:Neverwinter Nights was developed to be played similarly to the Gold Box series of games...
, a multi-player implementation of the Gold Box engine for America Online which ran from 1991 to 1997. Just like the Wizardry series, characters could also be imported from one game into another.
In 1985, prior to the release of the Gold Box games, SSI also released Wizard's Crown
Wizard's Crown
Wizard's Crown is a 1985 top-down computer role-playing game published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. . It was released for the Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, IBM PC, Apple II and Commodore 64. Its sequel, The Eternal Dagger, was released in 1987....
, a "hardcore" RPG featuring parties of eight characters, a skill-based experience system, highly detailed combat mechanics, dozens of commands, injuries and bleeding, and strengths and weaknesses versus individual weapon classes. The game did not, however, feature much in terms of role-playing or narrative beyond buying, selling and killing. Wizard's Crown was followed by The Eternal Dagger
The Eternal Dagger
The Eternal Dagger is a 1987 top-down computer role-playing game published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. as a sequel to Wizard's Crown, which was released in 1985...
in 1987, which was mostly the same except for the removal of a few of the more complicated elements.
Beginning in 1985, Interplay Productions would develop a string of hits in the form of The Bard's Tale and its sequels under publisher Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
, originally for the Apple II. Combining colorful graphics, a clean interface and simple rules, the series was one of the first CRPG series to reach a mainstream audience—including a series of spin-off novels by authors such as Mercedes Lackey
Mercedes Lackey
Mercedes "Misty" Lackey is a best-selling American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...
—something that arguably did not occur again until the release of Diablo in 1997. The series was also remarkable at the time for allowing players to explore cities in detail instead of relegating them to simple menu screens with "buy"/"sell" options. Like the Gold Box series, a construction set was released in 1991 allowing players to create their own games, and the engine was re-used once again in Interplay's 1988 post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Apocalyptic fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of civilization due to a potentially existential catastrophe such as nuclear warfare, pandemic, extraterrestrial attack, impact event, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, supernatural...
CRPG, Wasteland
Wasteland (computer game)
Wasteland is a post-apocalyptic computer role-playing game first released in 1988. The game was designed by Alan Pavlish, Brian Fargo, Michael A. Stackpole and Ken St...
.
Starting in 1987, FTL Games
FTL Games
FTL Games was the video game development division of Software Heaven Inc. FTL created several popular video games in the 1980s and early 1990s. Despite the company's small size, FTL products were consistently number-one sellers and received the highest critical acclaim and industry awards.FTL was...
' Dungeon Master for the Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
introduced several user-interface innovations, such as direct manipulation of objects and the environment using the mouse, to first-person CRPGs. It was also one of the first series to popularize the real-time, first-person viewpoint as seen in more recent games like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a single-player action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks and the Take-Two Interactive subsidiary 2K Games...
and first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
s. The game featured a complex magic system whereby magical spells could be created by combining runes in specific sequences. Working sequences were not detailed beforehand in the game manual; instead players would have to discover them on their own or through trial and error. Two sequels would follow in 1989 and 1993, and the game's first-person, real-time mechanics would be copied in SSI's "Black Box" series, starting with Eye of the Beholder in 1990. (1993's Betrayal at Krondor would also feature a magic system highly reminiscent of Dungeon Masters.) The game would sell 40,000 copies in its first year of release alone, and would go on to become the ST's best selling product of all time, reaching a market penetration of more than 50% of all the Atari STs ever sold.
Times of Lore
Times of Lore
Times of Lore is an action role-playing game with a detailed world. It was released for several platforms, including PC, Commodore 64/128, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad, Atari ST, Apple II, NES, and Amiga.-Description:...
, released by Origin Systems
Origin Systems
Origin Systems, Inc. was a computer game developer based in Austin, Texas that was active from 1983 to 2004...
in 1988, introduced the action-adventure
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
and action role-playing game
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
formula of console titles such as The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...
to the American computer RPG market. Times of Lore directly inspired several later titles by Origin Systems, such as the 1990 games Bad Blood, another action RPG based on the same engine, and Ultima VI: The False Prophet, based on the same interface.
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
, known for its point-and-click adventure games, would produce the Quest for Glory
Quest for Glory
Quest for Glory is a series of hybrid role-playing/adventure computer games designed by Corey and Lori Ann Cole. The series combined humor, puzzle elements, themes and characters borrowed from various legends, puns, and memorable characters, creating a 5-part series of the Sierra stable.Although...
series beginning in 1992, combining CRPG and adventure game mechanics together into a highly unique mix. Featuring involved stories, complex puzzles, as well as (lamentably, to some) arcade-like combat, the series would continue for a total of five titles, the most recent of which was released in 1998. Originally, the series was supposed to be a tetralogy
Tetralogy
A tetralogy is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works, just as a trilogy is made up of three works....
, consisting of four games and containing the following themes and cyles: the four cardinal direction
Cardinal direction
The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are the directions of north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials: N, E, S, W. East and west are at right angles to north and south, with east being in the direction of rotation and west being directly opposite. Intermediate...
s, the four classical element
Classical element
Many philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
s, the four season
Season
A season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
s and the four mythologies
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
. However, when Shadows of Darkness
Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness
Quest for Glory: Shadows of Darkness is an adventure game/role-playing video game hybrid. It is the fourth installment of the Quest for Glory computer game series by Sierra Entertainment.- Release :...
was designed, it was thought that it would be too difficult for the hero to go straight from Shapeir to Mordavia and defeat the Dark One. To solve this problem, a new game, Wages of War
Quest for Glory III: Wages of War
Quest for Glory III: Wages of War is a hybrid adventure/role-playing video game released in 1992 for the MS-DOS PC and Apple Macintosh. It is the sequel to Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire....
, was inserted into the canon, causing a renumbering of the series.
Beginning with Betrayal at Krondor
Betrayal at Krondor
Betrayal at Krondor is a DOS-based computer role-playing game developed by Dynamix and published by Sierra On-Line in 1993. Betrayal at Krondor takes place largely in Midkemia, the fantasy world developed by Raymond E. Feist in his Riftwar novels...
in 1993, Sierra would go on to publish the Krondor series, basing it upon the Midkemia
Midkemia
Midkemia is a fictional world created by a fantasy role-playing group and popularized by Raymond E. Feist where most of the Riftwar books take place...
setting created by author Raymond E. Feist
Raymond E. Feist
Raymond Elias Feist is an American author who primarily writes fantasy fiction. He is best known for The Riftwar Cycle series of novels and short stories. His books have been translated into multiple languages and have sold over 15 million copies.- Biography :Raymond E...
. Featuring turn-based, tactical combat and a skill-based experience system, the game would unfortunately suffer due to outdated, polygonal graphics apparently unchanged from developer Dynamix
Dynamix
Dynamix, Inc. was an American developer of computer games from 1984 to 2001, best known for their flight simulator, Red Baron, the Front Page Sports series, Betrayal at Krondor, and their online multiplayer game, Tribes.-History:...
's earlier flight simulators. Feist was heavily consulted during the development of the game, and would later go on to create his own novelization
The Riftwar Legacy
The Riftwar Legacy is a series of fantasy novels by Raymond E. Feist, part of The Riftwar Cycle. The series occurs between the Riftwar Saga and Krondor's Sons series chronologically in the universe of the Riftwar Cycle, though it was published much later, and focuses on Squire James and other...
based upon the game. Two sequels would follow: Betrayal in Antara (1997), which would re-use the engine of the first game, but would be set in a different universe due to Sierra losing the license to the Krondor setting; and Return to Krondor
Return to Krondor
Return to Krondor is a computer role-playing game set in Raymond Feist's fictional fantasy setting of Midkemia. A sequel to 1993's Betrayal at Krondor, it was released for Windows 95 on the PC in time for the 1998 Christmas season...
(1998), which used a brand new engine, but was set once again in Feist's fictional universe.
Diablo and action RPGs (late 1990s)
DiabloDiablo (video game)
Diablo is a dark fantasy-themed action role-playing game developed by Blizzard North and released by Blizzard Entertainment on December 31, 1996....
is a dark fantasy-themed RPG released by Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded on February 8, 1991 under the name Silicon & Synapse by three graduates of UCLA, Michael Morhaime, Allen Adham and Frank Pearce and currently owned by French company Activision Blizzard...
on January 2, 1997 in the midst of a stagnant PC RPG market. Set in the fictional Kingdom of Khanduras in the world of Sanctuary, Diablo has the player take control of a lone hero battling to rid the world of Diablo, the Lord of Terror, in a fast action, point-and-click environment. While Diablo in some ways resembles a roguelike
Roguelike
The roguelike is a sub-genre of role-playing video games, characterized by randomization for replayability, permanent death, and turn-based movement. Most roguelikes feature ASCII graphics, with newer ones increasingly offering tile-based graphics. Games are typically dungeon crawls, with many...
game in its focus on dungeon crawling and its procedurally generated
Procedural generation
Procedural generation is a widely used term in the production of media; it refers to content generated algorithmically rather than manually. Often, this means creating content on the fly rather than prior to distribution...
levels (Diablo
Moria (computer game)
Moria is a roguelike computer game based heavily on J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings. The game's objective is to kill a Balrog, presumably Durin's Bane, deep within the Mines of Moria. A later port of Moria called Umoria inspired the Angband roguelike game...
and Angband), major differences include the commercial quality of the game's graphics, its simplified character development, and the fact that it plays in real-time rather than being turn-based. Not least of all contributing to Diablo
Battle.net
Battle.net is a gaming service provided by Blizzard Entertainment. Battle.net was launched in November 30, 1996 with the release of Blizzard's action-RPG Diablo. Battle.net was the first online gaming service incorporated directly into the games that make use of it, in contrast to the external...
(as well as over a local area network
Local area network
A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...
using the IPX
IPX
Internetwork Packet Exchange is the OSI-model Network layer protocol in the IPX/SPX protocol stack.The IPX/SPXM protocol stack is supported by Novell's NetWare network operating system. Because of Netware's popularity through the late 1980s into the mid 1990s, IPX became a popular internetworking...
protocol, a telephone line
Telephone line
A telephone line or telephone circuit is a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system...
with the use of a modem
Modem
A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
, etc.), thus greatly extended its replay value, though cheating remained a major factor.
Diablo
One common challenge in developing action RPGs is including content beyond that of killing enemies. With the sheer number of items, locations and monsters found in many such games, it can be difficult to create the needed depth to offer players a unique experience tailored to his or her beliefs, choices or actions. This is doubly true if a game makes use of randomization, as is common. One notable example of a game which went beyond this is Deus Ex
Deus Ex
Deus Ex is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive in 2000, which combines gameplay elements of first-person shooters with those of role-playing video games...
(2000) which offered multiple solutions to problems using intricately layered story options and individually constructed environments. Instead of simply bashing their way through levels, players were challenged to act in character by choosing dialog options appropriately, and by using the surrounding environment intelligently. This produced an experience that was unique and tailored to each situation as opposed to one that repeated itself endlessly.
An expansion pack to Diablo, titled Diablo: Hellfire
Diablo: Hellfire
Diablo: Hellfire is an expansion pack that Sierra On-Line produced for the video game Diablo. It was released in 1997 and developed by Synergistic Software, a Sierra division. Hellfire is the only authorized expansion pack released for Diablo. Blizzard Entertainment has never released a...
, was released in 1997; followed by a sequel, Diablo II
Diablo II
Diablo II is a dark fantasy/horror-themed hack and slash, with elements of the role playing game and dungeon crawl genres. It was released for Windows and Mac OS in 2000 by Blizzard Entertainment, and was developed by Blizzard North. It is a direct sequel to the 1996 hit PC game, Diablo.Diablo II...
, in 2000. The sequel later received its own expansion, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction is an expansion pack for the hack and slash action role-playing game Diablo II...
, in 2001; and three of the four titles are commonly sold together in stores as part of the Diablo Battle Chest over a decade later. A third game, Diablo III
Diablo III
Diablo III is an upcoming dark fantasy/horror-themed action role-playing game in development by Blizzard, making it the third installment in the Diablo franchise...
, was announced on June 28, 2008, and is currently in development. Other examples of action RPGs include Dungeon Siege
Dungeon Siege
Dungeon Siege is a computer role-playing game developed by Gas Powered Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Chris Taylor showed Dungeon Siege years in production for the first time at E3 2000...
(2002), Sacred (2004), Torchlight
Torchlight
Torchlight is an action role-playing game developed by Runic Games and published by Perfect World, released for Windows in October 2009. The fantasy-themed game is set in the fictional town of Torchlight and the expansive caverns and dungeons nearby, which adventurers explore to collect valuable...
(2009), Din's Curse
Din's Curse
Din's Curse is an action role-playing game by independent developer Soldak Entertainment. It was officially released March 31, 2010, for the Windows and Mac OS X platforms. The retail game was published October 3, 2010, by Masque Publishing...
(2011) and Hellgate: London
Hellgate: London
Hellgate: London is a dark fantasy themed action role-playing game originally developed by Flagship Studios, released on October 31, 2007. It was developed by a team headed by former Blizzard Entertainment employees, some of whom had overseen the creation of the Diablo series...
(2007)—the last of which was developed by a team headed by former Blizzard employees, some of whom had participated in the creation of the Diablo series. Further, there is debate over whether games like BioWare's Mass Effect (2007) constitute action RPGs as opposed to more traditional RPGs (though the game's sequel pushed more in that direction).
Like Diablo and Rogue before it, Torchlight, Din
Interplay, BioWare, and Black Isle (late 1990s)
In the late 1990s, Interplay (now known as Interplay Entertainment and a publisher in its own right) produced several RPG titles through two new developers: Black Isle StudiosBlack Isle Studios
Black Isle Studios was a division of the computer and video game developer and publisher Interplay Entertainment. Black Isle Studios was a division that developed computer role-playing games, and also published several games from other developers. It was based in Orange County, California, USA. The...
and BioWare
BioWare
BioWare is a Canadian video game developer founded in February 1995 by newly graduated medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip. BioWare is currently owned by American company Electronic Arts...
. In 1997
1997 in video gaming
-Events:*October 4 — Gunpei Yokoi dies after a double car accident.*November – Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association launched.*3rd annual E3...
, Black Isle released the groundbreaking Fallout
Fallout (computer game)
Fallout is a computer role-playing game produced by Tim Cain, developed and published by Interplay in 1997. The game has a post-apocalyptic and retro-futuristic setting in the mid-22nd century, featuring an alternate history which deviates some time after World War II, where technology, politics...
, set in an alternate history
Alternate history (fiction)
Alternate history or alternative history is a genre of fiction consisting of stories that are set in worlds in which history has diverged from the actual history of the world. It can be variously seen as a sub-genre of literary fiction, science fiction, and historical fiction; different alternate...
future America following a nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust refers to the possibility of the near complete annihilation of human civilization by nuclear warfare. Under such a scenario, all or most of the Earth is made uninhabitable by nuclear weapons in future world wars....
. One of the few successful video game RPGs not set in the swords-and-sorcery setting, Fallout was notable for its open-ended, largely non-linear gameplay and quest system, tongue-in-cheek humor, and pervasive sense of style and imagery highly reminiscent of Interplay's earlier Wasteland. The game afforded players numerous moral choices to shape the world based on how NPCs reacted to the player, much like the original Ultimas. According to developer Chris Avellone
Chris Avellone
Chris Avellone is an American video game designer and comic book writer who worked for Interplay and currently works in Obsidian Entertainment.-Early life and education:...
, "I think there are a few reasons for Fallout's success. It gave you tremendous freedom to let you wander wherever you chose. This freedom—to take whatever quests you want and solve them however you choose—is what an RPG was always supposed to be about." Black Isle soon followed up with a sequel
Fallout 2
Fallout 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in 1998. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout...
, and a tactical RPG
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, better known as simply Fallout Tactics, is a turn-based/real-time tactical role-playing game based in the post-apocalyptic Fallout universe. Developed by Micro Forté and published by 14 Degrees East, Fallout Tactics was released on 14 March 2001 for PC...
based on the franchise by third-party developer Micro Forté
Micro Forte
Micro Forté now known as Micro Forté Studios, is an Australian electronic entertainment company with development studios in Canberra, Australia and Sydney, Australia...
would be published under Interplay's strategy division 14 Degrees East in 2001. Lastly, another critically acclaimed D&D title, Planescape: Torment
Planescape: Torment
Planescape: Torment is a computer role-playing game developed for Windows by Black Isle Studios and released on December 12, 1999 by Interplay Entertainment. It takes place in Planescape, an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy campaign setting...
, would be developed by Black Isle and published by Interplay in 1999, and would become known for its moody, artistic air and extensive writing.
BioWare's Baldur's Gate series
Baldur's Gate series
Baldur's Gate is a franchise of action role-playing games released under the Dungeons & Dragons Video Game Licenses. It is set in the fictional campaign setting of Forgotten Realms and takes place in its fictional continent of Faerûn. It takes place mostly in the Western Heartlands, but has also...
, beginning in 1998, was no less important, being the most significant D&D series to be released since the Gold Box era. At the time—and despite being real-time instead of turn-based—the games created the most accurate and in-depth D&D simulation to date, and featured support for up to six-players in co-op
Cooperative gameplay
Cooperative gameplay is a feature in video games that allows players to work together as teammates. It is distinct from other multiplayer modes, such as competitive multiplayer modes like player versus player or deathmatch...
mode. Baldur
Expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
s, solidifying BioWare's reputation as one of the premier designers of RPGs in the late '90s and into the next decade. An even more combat-oriented series, Icewind Dale
Icewind Dale
Icewind Dale is a computer role-playing game developed for Windows by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay Entertainment. Released on June 30, 2000, it takes place in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms campaign setting, and is based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition...
—this time developed by Black Isle instead of BioWare—quickly followed. Collectively, Interplay's Fallout, Planescape: Torment and Baldur's Gate (particularly the last) are considered examples of some of the finest RPGs ever made.
Black Isle's games during this time period often shared engines to cut down on development time and costs, and most feature an overhead axonometrically projected
Axonometric projection
Axonometric projection is a type of parallel projection, more specifically a type of orthographic projection, used to create a pictorial drawing of an object, where the object is rotated along one or more of its axes relative to the plane of projection....
third-person interface. Except for the two Fallout games, the rest of their titles used various versions of the Infinity Engine
Infinity Engine
Infinity Engine is a game engine which allows the creation of isometric computer role-playing games. It was originally developed by BioWare for a prototype RTS game codenamed Battleground Infinity, which was ultimately re-engineered to become the first installment of the Baldur's Gate series...
developed for Baldur's Gate by BioWare. The collapse of Interplay resulted in the shutdown of Black Isle and the cancellation of the third games in both the Fallout and Baldur's Gate series, as well as of an original title, Torn
Black Isle's Torn
Black Isle's Torn was a role-playing video game developed for Windows by Black Isle Studios, announced on March 22, 2001 and cancelled in July of that year. The game was to use a modified version of the SPECIAL role-playing system, which had been implemented in the Fallout series...
. Instead, they published a trio of console-only action RPGs based on the two franchises: Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is an action role-playing game developed by Snowblind Studios for the PlayStation 2; later released for the Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance. It was re-released on the PlayStation 2 as a Greatest Hits title...
(2001), Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II is an action role-playing game released for the PlayStation 2 on December 2, 2003 and the Xbox on January 20, 2004...
(2004), and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel is an action role-playing game developed and produced by Interplay for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. Released on January 13, 2004, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel was the fourth video game to be set in the Fallout universe and the first to be made for consoles...
(2004). One of the last CRPGs released before Interplay seemingly went defunct was the poorly received Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader
Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader
Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader is an action role-playing game, developed for the PC by Reflexive Entertainment, and released on August 13, 2003. The game is viewed from a 3/4 isometric camera angle...
(2003) by developer Reflexive Entertainment
Reflexive Entertainment
Reflexive Entertainment is a computer game developer based in Lake Forest, California. The company was founded by Lars Brubaker in 1997...
, notable for using the SPECIAL system introduced in Fallout.
New millennium (2000s–present)
The new century saw a trend toward ever-improving graphical quality, combined with increasingly detailed and realistic game worlds, particularly in the move to 3D3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
game engines; as well as an increasing number of multi-platform releases.
BioWare
BioWare is a Canadian video game developer founded in February 1995 by newly graduated medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip. BioWare is currently owned by American company Electronic Arts...
went on to produce Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights , produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames , is a third-person perspective computer role-playing game that is based on third edition Dungeons & Dragons and Forgotten Realms rules. It was originally to be published by Interplay Entertainment, but the publisher's financial...
(2002
2002 in video gaming
The year 2002 in video gaming saw the release of many games to sixth-generation video game consoles, predominately, the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.-Events:...
) for Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
, which was the first CRPG to fuse the third-edition Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
rules with a 3D display in which the user could vary the viewing angle and distance. New game content could be generated using the Aurora toolset
Aurora toolset
The Aurora toolset is a set of software tools developed by BioWare for use with the Aurora Engine, the game engine first used in BioWare's 2002 computer role-playing game Neverwinter Nights...
supplied as part of the game release, and players could share their modules and play cooperatively with their friends online. Based in part on experiences while playing Ultima Online
Ultima Online
Ultima Online is a graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game , released on September 24, 1997, by Origin Systems. It was instrumental to the development of the genre, and is still running today...
, one of the goals during development was to reproduce the feel of a live pen-and-paper RPG experience, complete with human dungeon master
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
. NWN was very successful commercially, spawning three official expansion packs as well as a sequel developed by Obsidian Entertainment (described below). BioWare later went on to produce the highly acclaimed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. It was released for the Xbox on July 15, 2003, for Microsoft Windows on November 19, 2003, and on September 7, 2004 for Mac OS X. The Xbox version is playable on Xbox 360 with its...
, which married the d20 system
D20 System
The d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
with the very popular Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
franchise; as well as the original titles Jade Empire
Jade Empire
Jade Empire is an action role-playing game developed by Canadian developer BioWare and first published in 2005 by Microsoft Game Studios as a worldwide release for the Xbox. The later, two-disc Limited Edition contained extra content...
(2005), Mass Effect
Mass Effect
Mass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in November 2007 published by Microsoft Game Studios...
(2007), Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Origins is a single-player role-playing video game developed by BioWare's Edmonton studio and published by Electronic Arts. It is the first game in the Dragon Age franchise...
(2009), and Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on January 26, 2010 and for PlayStation 3 on January 18, 2011...
(2010)—all of which were released for multiple platforms. Dragon Age II
Dragon Age II
Dragon Age II is a role-playing video game developed by BioWare's Edmonton studios, and published by Electronic Arts. It is the second major game in BioWare's Dragon Age franchise...
was released in 2011.
During the production of Fallout 2
Fallout 2
Fallout 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in 1998. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout...
, some of Black Isle's key members left the studio to form Troika Games
Troika Games
Troika Games was a video game developer created by the key people behind the first of the critically acclaimed Fallout series of games. The company was focused on role-playing video games between 1998 and 2005, best known for Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura and Vampire: The Masquerade –...
, which released Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is a single player / multi-player computer role-playing game developed by Troika Games and published by Sierra Entertainment. It was released in North America and Europe in August 2001 for Microsoft Windows...
(2001), followed by the highly anticipated The Temple of Elemental Evil
The Temple of Elemental Evil (computer game)
The Temple of Elemental Evil is a computer role-playing game by now-defunct Troika Games. It is a re-creation of the classic Dungeons & Dragons adventure of the same name using the 3.5 edition rules. The game was published by Atari, who then held the interactive rights of the Dungeons & Dragons...
(2003) based on the Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition rules and Greyhawk
Greyhawk
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
setting. This was soon followed by Troika's last game, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, abbreviated as Bloodlines or VTMB, is a computer role-playing game for Windows developed by Troika Games in 2004...
(2004), based on White Wolf
White Wolf, Inc.
White Wolf Publishing is an American gaming and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant and White Wolf Magazine, and was initially led by Mark Rein·Hagen of the former and Steve and Stewart Wieck of the latter. Since White Wolf Publishing, Inc. merged with...
's Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
setting. Although these games developed an enthusiastic fanbase, none of them were financially successful or sold particularly well. ToEE in particular was heavily criticized for shipping with numerous bugs, and caused an outcry when Atari dropped early support for the game. 2005 saw Troika Games in financial trouble, and most of the developers left for other studios, rendering the group dead.
When Black Isle closed down, several employees formed Obsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment is an American video game developer founded in 2003 after the disestablishment of Interplay Productions' Black Isle Studios, for PC and console systems...
, who in early 2005 released Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is a role playing video game released for the Xbox and Microsoft Windows. The Xbox version of this sequel to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was released on December 6, 2004, while the Windows version was released on February 8, 2005...
, the sequel to BioWare's successful Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Obsidian later created another BioWare game sequel, Neverwinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Atari. It is the sequel to BioWare's Neverwinter Nights, based on the Dungeons & Dragons pencil and paper fantasy role-playing game...
, released on Halloween of 2006 and featuring the 3.5 Edition D&D ruleset. It was later followed by two expansions and an "adventure pack" in 2007 and 2008. Also beginning in 2006, Obsidian Entertainment was developing a role-playing game based on the Aliens
Alien (film series)
The Alien film series is a science fiction horror film franchise, focusing on Lieutenant Ellen Ripley and her battle with an extraterrestrial lifeform, commonly referred to as "the Alien"...
film franchise, but it was later canceled along with an original title with the working name of Seven Dwarves. Obsidian's most recent RPGs are Alpha Protocol
Alpha Protocol
Alpha Protocol is a third-person espionage role-playing video game, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, their first title for an original IP, and published by Sega. The game revolves around the adventures of field agent Michael Thorton...
(2010), a modern day spy thriller released for multiple platforms; and Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas is a first person action role-playing video game in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is based in a post-apocalyptic environment in and around Las Vegas, Nevada...
(2010), the latest installment in the Fallout franchise. The company is currently working on Dungeon Siege 3
Dungeon Siege III
Dungeon Siege III is an action role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Chris Taylor, the original creator of Dungeon Siege, served as an advisor during the development of the game...
as well as a second, un-named title.
The 2000s also saw the release of the Gothic series by German developer Piranha Bytes
Piranha Bytes
Piranha Bytes is a German computer game developer known for their Gothic computer role-playing game series.-History:On 12 October 1997, as part of the development of the computer game Gothic, the Piranha Bytes Software GmbH founded the company in Greenwood out by Alex Brueggemann, Mike Hoge, Stefan...
, starting with the first title in 2001. Lauded for its complex interaction with other in-game characters and attractive graphics, it was nonetheless criticized for a difficult control scheme and high system requirements. The third game in particular was notable for its "ton of quests, rewards exploration[sic] and approachable combat", but also for its "system hogging, feeling unfinished[sic] and atrocious voice acting".
After disagreements, Piranha Bytes split from publisher JoWood Productions in 2007; and due to a contract between the two companies, JoWooD retained some rights to the Gothic name and to current and future games released under that trademark. Piranha Bytes have since gone on to develop a new series, Risen, under a different publisher; and a fourth, "casual" installment of the Gothic series—this time by developer Spellbound Entertainment
Spellbound Entertainment
Spellbound is a German developer of computer games based in Kehl, Germany. The company was founded in 1994 by Armin Gessert. The company is best known for the Desperados Series....
—was released by JoWood in 2010. And in a surprising turn of events, the rights to the Gothic series may revert back to Piranha Bytes in the near future following the release of Risen II.
Bethesda
Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks, LLC, is an American video game company. A subsidiary of ZeniMax Media, the company was originally based in Bethesda, Maryland and eventually moved to their current location in Rockville, Maryland...
has been dedicated to developing CRPGs in The Elder Scrolls
The Elder Scrolls
The Elder Scrolls is a role-playing video game series developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks.-History:...
series, with 1996's Daggerfall
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is a first-person, traditional role-playing video game for MS-DOS developed by Bethesda Softworks and released in 1996. It is a sequel to the RPG The Elder Scrolls: Arena and the second installment in The Elder Scrolls series. On July 9, 2009, it was made available...
being a notable 3D first-person RPG with an expansive world. The series began a focus on sandbox gameplay, focusing on the player's wide choices of free-roaming activities unrelated to the game's main storyline. According to Todd Howard, "I think [Daggerfall is] one of those games that people can 'project' themselves on. It does so many things and allows [for] so many play styles that people can easily imagine what type of person they'd like to be in game."
The series' popularity exploded with the release of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, often simply referred to as Morrowind, is a single-player computer role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, and published by Bethesda Softworks and Ubisoft. It is the third installment in The Elder Scrolls series of games, following The Elder Scrolls...
(2002), released for the Xbox and PC. This game became an award-winning and highly successful CRPG due to its open-ended play, a richly detailed game world, and flexibility in character creation and advancement. The title's sandbox gameplay often inspired comparisons to Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto III is a 2001 open world action computer and video game developed by DMA Design in the United Kingdom, and published by Rockstar Games. It is the first 3D title in the Grand Theft Auto series. It was released in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2, May 2002 for Microsoft Windows,...
. Two expansions were released: Tribunal
The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal
The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal is the first expansion for Bethesda Softworks' The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. It takes place in the temple/city of Mournhold, the capital of Morrowind, located in the larger city of Almalexia...
in 2002 and Bloodmoon
The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon
The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon is the second expansion pack for Bethesda Softworks' The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. While it was originally released as an expansion set for Microsoft Windows, Bloodmoon is included within the Morrowind: Game of the Year edition for Xbox.Unlike the first...
in 2003. The next installment, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a single-player action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks and the Take-Two Interactive subsidiary 2K Games...
(2006), released for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
as well as the PC, was a much-enhanced sequel featuring scripted NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
behaviors, significantly improved graphics, as well as the company's first foray into micro transactions—a recent trend among Western RPG makers. A total of two expansion packs, Shivering Isles
The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles
The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles is the largest official expansion pack for the role-playing game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Announced on January 18, , the expansion was developed, published, and released over the Xbox Live Marketplace by Bethesda Softworks; its retail release was...
and Knights of the Nine
The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine
The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine is an official expansion pack for the computer role-playing game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Announced on October 17, 2006 for release on November 21, 2006, the expansion was developed, published, and released in North America by Bethesda Softworks; in...
, were eventually released, as well as several, smaller downloadable packages costing each between $1–3.
The decision by Interplay to scrap plans for Fallout 3 (noted now as the Van Buren project), and Bethesda's subsequent acquisition of the Fallout
Fallout
Fallout or nuclear fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a nuclear explosion.Fallout may also refer to:*Fallout , a 1997 post-apocalyptic computer role-playing game released by Interplay Entertainment...
brand, left Fallouts significant fan community with mixed feelings towards Bethesda working on the project. However, Bethesda released Fallout 3
Fallout 3
Fallout 3 is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and the third major installment in the Fallout series. The game was released in North America, Europe and Australia in October 2008, and in Japan in December 2008 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
in North America on October 28, 2008 to favorable reviews and much fanfare; and the game was quickly followed by a total of five "content packs"
Fallout 3 expansions
There are five expansion packs for the Bethesda action role-playing game Fallout 3. Each expansion adds new missions, new locales to visit, and new items for the player to make use of. Bethesda's Todd Howard first confirmed during E3 2008 that downloadable content would be prepared for the Xbox 360...
. Another installment, titled Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas is a first person action role-playing video game in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is based in a post-apocalyptic environment in and around Las Vegas, Nevada...
, was created by Obsidian Entertainment using the same engine as Fallout 3 and released to generally favorable reviews in 2010.
Beginning in 2008, using money from its sale of the Fallout intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
to Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks, LLC, is an American video game company. A subsidiary of ZeniMax Media, the company was originally based in Bethesda, Maryland and eventually moved to their current location in Rockville, Maryland...
, as well as from the sale of its controlling interests to a Luxembourg-based firm, Interplay announced that it was going to restart its in-basement game development studio and develop sequels and Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
versions to some of its classic console series, including Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Earthworm Jim. Interplay has also been developing a massively multiplayer online game
Massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
based on the Fallout franchise (which it retained the rights to create), though Bethesda has belatedly filed several injunctions against Interplay in an attempt to prevent it from doing so. As a result, both the game and possibly the future of Interplay are in legal limbo pending the outcome of the dispute.
Recent consoles and multi-platform titles
While in the very early days of RPGs multi-platform releases were common (especially between personal computer systems like the Apple IIApple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, as well as between early Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese console systems and home computer systems like the MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
and FM Towns
FM Towns
The FM Towns system is a Japanese PC variant, built by Fujitsu from February 1989 to the summer of 1997. It started as a proprietary PC variant intended for multimedia applications and PC games, but later became more compatible with regular PCs...
), there was a period during the 1990s when this was not generally the case. With the sixth generation of home gaming consoles
History of video game consoles (sixth generation)
The sixth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the turn of the 21st century. Platforms of the sixth generation include the Sega Dreamcast, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft Xbox...
, however, many game developers once again began releasing for multiple platforms, sometimes even opting to develop primarily or exclusively for consoles. Further, the combination of the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and DirectX
DirectX
Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay,...
technologies proved popular due to the two systems' architectural similarities as well as the availability of programming tools; and multimedia and art assets—which account for a greater proportion of the development budget than they did in the past—are easily transferable between multiple platforms.
As a result, several major PC RPG releases were affected by the system, mostly due to console-exclusivity publishing deals with Microsoft. Following Neverwinter Nights, BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was developed primarily for the Xbox and ported to the PC several months later. Their followup, Jade Empire
Jade Empire
Jade Empire is an action role-playing game developed by Canadian developer BioWare and first published in 2005 by Microsoft Game Studios as a worldwide release for the Xbox. The later, two-disc Limited Edition contained extra content...
(2005) was also an Xbox exclusive, and did not receive a Windows version until Jade Empire - Special Edition (which included bonus content) was released on Feb 26, 2007. Obsidian's KOTOR sequel
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is a role playing video game released for the Xbox and Microsoft Windows. The Xbox version of this sequel to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was released on December 6, 2004, while the Windows version was released on February 8, 2005...
similarly was released in December 2004 for the Xbox, and followed by a PC version in February 2005; and Fable
Fable (video game)
Fable is an action role-playing video game in the Fable series. It was developed for Xbox, Mac OS X, and Windows platforms, by Big Blue Box, a satellite developer of Lionhead Studios, and was published by Microsoft. The game shipped for Xbox on October 14, 2003...
(2004) by Lionhead Studios
Lionhead Studios
Lionhead Studios is a British computer game development company led by industry veteran Peter Molyneux, and acquired by Microsoft Game Studios in April 2006. Lionhead started as a breakaway from the developer Bullfrog, which was also founded by Molyneux. Lionhead's first game was Black & White, a...
received a PC port at the same time it was being reprinted as a Platinum Hit
Platinum Hits
Platinum Hits is a term used to refer to a line of select Xbox games that were considered by Microsoft to have sold considerable units on the platform in the nine months after release, and have dropped in price from their original MSRP to a newer, lower price, generally that of US$19.99, although...
in 2005. Lastly, Bethesda's Oblivion, while released simultaneously for console and PC, was considered a major launch title for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Sequels to many of the above titles were also developed for next-gen systems, including Lionhead's Fable II (2008) and Fable III
Fable III
Fable III is the third video game in the Fable series of action role-playing games . The game was developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. The story focuses on the player character's struggle to overthrow the King of Albion by...
(2010); and BioWare continues to produce launch-exclusive RPG titles for the Xbox 360, such as Mass Effect
Mass Effect
Mass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in November 2007 published by Microsoft Game Studios...
(2007) and Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on January 26, 2010 and for PlayStation 3 on January 18, 2011...
(2010). Finally, Piranha Bytes
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel is an action role-playing game developed and produced by Interplay for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. Released on January 13, 2004, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel was the fourth video game to be set in the Fallout universe and the first to be made for consoles...
and Baldur's Gate
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is an action role-playing game developed by Snowblind Studios for the PlayStation 2; later released for the Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance. It was re-released on the PlayStation 2 as a Greatest Hits title...
series of PC RPGs produced more console-friendly, Diablo-style action titles for the PS2 and Xbox as their respective PC series ended.
Some have criticized the change of focus from the PC platform to console systems, citing the concessions needed to adapt games to the altered interfaces and control systems, as well as a need to appeal to a wider demographic. One notable developer, Josh Sawyer
Josh Sawyer
Joshua Eric Sawyer is a video game designer active in the role playing game genre.-Early life and education:...
, lamented the decline of high-profile computer-exclusive RPGs, claiming that there were "no pure CRPG developers left" anymore outside of small companies like Spiderweb Software
Spiderweb Software
Spiderweb Software is a small indie video game developer founded in 1994 by Jeff Vogel in Seattle, Washington. Its primary focus is on creating demoware games for the Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems. The company is unusual in that it first develops games for Macintosh...
following the collapse of Troika Games
Troika Games
Troika Games was a video game developer created by the key people behind the first of the critically acclaimed Fallout series of games. The company was focused on role-playing video games between 1998 and 2005, best known for Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura and Vampire: The Masquerade –...
. Bethesda developers Ken Levine and Todd Howard also remarked that one of the difficulties in developing for consoles is that, "[console gamers just] don’t have the patience to wade through the introduction of [new] systems" when compared to PC gamers, but were careful to qualify the remark with, "[But] once they’re into the game, the console guys want just as deep of an experience as the PC guys." Other criticisms include the increasing emphasis on video quality and voice overs, and their effect on budgets and the amount and quality of dialogue offered.
Further, there have been more subtle shifts away from the core influences of Dungeons & Dragons in the 1980s and 1990s. Whereas games were originally closely tied to the system's basic mechanics such as dice rolls and turn-based tactical combat, games are increasingly diverging in the direction of real-time modes, simplified mechanics and skill-based interfaces. Examples include the lack of an inventory system in Mass Effect 2 and the Dialogue Effect System in Alpha Protocol. Even Dungeons & Dragons is diverging from its roots, with the 4th Edition rules being compared by some to role-playing video games, including MMORPGs (such as World of Warcraft) and tactical RPGs (such as Fire Emblem). And, while some non- role-playing games are incorporating more RPG elements, there is still a stigma associated with the term "RPG" that developers and publishers would like to avoid.
However, innovation and quality need not necessarily be stymied. Europe—in particular Germany—remains slightly more receptive to PC-exclusives, as well as to older, more "hardcore" design decisions in general. Further, independent developers can still be successful as long as they focus on delivering what "big" companies cannot; and developers for new platforms such as handheld
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
and mobile systems do not have to operate under the pressure of $20 million budgets and the scrutiny of publishers' marketing experts.
Lastly, while profitable, developing for multiple platforms remains difficult: Optimizations needed for one platform architecture do not necessarily translate to others. Individual platforms—for instance, the Sega Genesis and PlayStation 3—are seen as difficult to develop for compared to their competitors; and support for new technologies such as multi-core processors and hyperthreading are things developers are not yet fully accustomed to. Thus, while multi-platform releases are becoming increasingly common, not all differences between editions on multiple platforms can be fully explained by hardware alone; and there continue to remain as a result franchise stalwarts that exist solely on one system.
Independent games and Eastern Europe
The new millenium would also see a number of independentlyIndependent video game development
Independent video game development is the process of creating video games without the financial support of a video game publisher. While large firms can create independent games, they are usually designed by an individual or a small team of as many as ten people, depending on the complexity of the...
published RPGs for the PC, as well as a number of CRPGs developed in Europe and points farther east—leading some to call Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
a hotbed of RPG development in recent years. Examples of independent, or "indie", RPGs include Spiderweb Software
Spiderweb Software
Spiderweb Software is a small indie video game developer founded in 1994 by Jeff Vogel in Seattle, Washington. Its primary focus is on creating demoware games for the Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems. The company is unusual in that it first develops games for Macintosh...
's Geneforge (2001–2009) and Avernum (2000–2010) series; Pyrrhic Tales: Prelude to Darkness (2002) by Zero Sum Software; Eschalon: Book I
Eschalon: Book I
Eschalon: Book I is an isometric turn-based computer role-playing game by Basilisk Games. In the style of classic computer role-playing games, it features a large and openly explorable game world, comprehensive management of character stats and skills, and a non-linear storyline...
(2007) and Book II
Eschalon: Book II
Eschalon: Book II is an isometric, turn-based single player role-playing video game by Basilisk Games. Like the first game in the series, Eschalon: Book I, it features a large and openly explorable game world, a comprehensive management of character statistics and skills, and a non-linear...
(2010) by Basilisk Games
Basilisk Games
Basilisk Games is an independent video game company that develops video games for the Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux platforms. Currently specializing in role-playing games, the company released its first title Eschalon: Book 1 in 2007...
; Depths of Peril
Depths of Peril
Depths of Peril is a fantasy, single player action RPG computer game. It was developed by Soldak Entertainment and was released on September 5, 2007. Depths of Peril is set in the fictional lands of Aleria. In the game, the protagonist is a faction leader in the barbarian city of Jorvik...
(2007) and Din's Curse
Din's Curse
Din's Curse is an action role-playing game by independent developer Soldak Entertainment. It was officially released March 31, 2010, for the Windows and Mac OS X platforms. The retail game was published October 3, 2010, by Masque Publishing...
(2010) by Soldak Entertainment
Soldak Entertainment
Soldak Entertainment is a small independent company that was founded by Steven Peeler on November 22, 2004. The company released Windows Depths of Peril on September 5, 2007, followed by a Mac version of the game on June 6, 2008...
; and Knights of the Chalice (2009). Examples of Eastern and Central European RPGs include Belgian developer Larian Studios' Divinity, series starting with Divine Divinity
Divine Divinity
Divine Divinity is a single-player fantasy computer role-playing game created by Larian Studios, released in 2002. It has a spin-off, Beyond Divinity, and a sequel, Divinity II: Ego Draconis. The game was re-released in 2004 along with Beyond Divinity as a part of Beyond Divinity: Deluxe...
(2002); Russian developer Nival Interactive's series of tactical RPGs, starting with Silent Storm
Silent Storm
Silent Storm is a tactical role-playing game for Microsoft Windows, developed by Russian developer Nival Interactive and published by JoWood in 2003. The game is set in World War II Europe. The player commands a team of up to six elite soldiers on the Axis or Allied side, undertaking a variety of...
(2003); German developer Ascaron Entertainment's Sacred series of action RPGs, starting with Sacred (2004); Polish developer CD Projekt
CD Projekt
CD Projekt is a Polish video game publisher. The company was founded in May 1994 by Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński. From the beginning their goal was to publish software in the Polish market on compact discs...
's The Witcher (2007); and Polish developer Reality Pump's Two Worlds (2007). Examples in hybrid genres include Russian developer Elemental Games' hybrid RPG/strategy game/space sims Space Rangers
Space Rangers (video game)
Space Rangers is a multi-genre computer game by the Russian company Elemental Games, released by 1C Company in 2002. It is critically lauded and popular in its home country, Finland and parts of Eastern Europe, although not so popular elsewhere due to lack of marketing...
(2002) and Space Rangers 2: Dominators
Space Rangers 2: Dominators
Space Rangers 2: Dominators , released in North America with the subtitle Rise of the Dominators, is a multi-genre science fiction computer game developed by Elemental Games for Windows and first published in 2004 by 1C Company...
(2004); Ukrainian developer GSC Game World
GSC Game World
GSC Game World is a Kiev-based computer game developer. Founded in 1995 in Kiev, Ukraine, it released titles such as Cossacks: European Wars, American Conquest, Alexander, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat...
's hybrid RPG/first-person shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is a first-person shooter video game by the Ukrainian developer GSC Game World, published in 2007.It features an alternate reality theme, where a second nuclear disaster occurs at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone in the near future and causes...
(2007); and Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
developer TaleWorlds
TaleWorlds
TaleWorlds Entertainment is an independent game development company located in Ankara, Turkey. TaleWorlds is an official brand of İkisoft Software Company. They have been developing PC games under the brand "TaleWorlds Entertainment" since 2005...
' hybrid RPG/medieval combat simulator, Mount&Blade
Mount&Blade
Mount&Blade is a medieval, single-player, open-ended, action role-playing video game for Windows, developed by the Turkish company TaleWorlds, and published by Paradox Interactive. Its retail version was released on September 16, 2008, in North America, and three days later in Europe...
(2008).
Lastly, in 2009, a pair of Obsidian developers left to form their own company, DoubleBear Productions
DoubleBear Productions
DoubleBear Productions is an indie game studio founded in June 2009 by writer and game designer Brian Mitsoda. The studio intends to specialize in PC role playing games. Its first and current project is Dead State, a turn-based PC RPG set in a zombie apocalypse scenario...
, and begin development of an RPG utilizing Iron Tower Studios' The Age of Decadence game engine (also in development); and veteran game designer Cleve Blakemore's "Golden Era" retro-RPG, Grimoire, would become notorious for having been "close to release" for over a decade, leading many to label it as vaporware
Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
and saying it would never be released. However, due to player expectations and the technical sophistication needed to make modern video games, it remains difficult for indie developers to wow audiences viscerally to the same degree that "big name" game makers with extensive budgets and development teams are able to.