Again cause people dont seem to understand this.
The responsibility for paying tariffs depends on the International Commercial Term (Incoterm) agreed upon by the exporter and importer. Incoterms are standardized rules set by the International Chamber of Commerce that define who handles costs, risks, and responsibilities during shipping.
For person-to-person (P2P) transactions, such as individual online purchases, the most common Incoterms are:
Delivered at Place (DAP): The seller arranges and pays for transportation to a specified destination, such as the buyer’s address, but the buyer is responsible for import duties, taxes, and unloading costs.
Delivered Duty Paid (DDP): The seller covers all costs, including transportation, insurance, and import duties or taxes, delivering the goods ready for the buyer to receive. This is often used in P2P e-commerce (e.g., platforms like Temu) to simplify the process for buyers.
In contrast, for business-to-business (B2B) transactions, such as trade between companies, the most common Incoterms are:
Ex Works (EXW): The buyer assumes nearly all responsibilities, including transportation, insurance, and import duties, starting from the seller’s premises (e.g., factory or warehouse).
Free on Board (FOB): The seller pays for costs until the goods are loaded onto a ship at the departure port. The buyer then handles freight, insurance, and import duties or taxes.
Free Carrier (FCA): The seller delivers the goods to a carrier or location chosen by the buyer, who then takes over all costs and responsibilities, including import duties.
Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF): The seller covers the costs of transportation and insurance to the destination port, but the buyer is responsible for paying import duties and taxes upon arrival.
In B2B transactions, the importer typically pays tariffs when the goods enter the destination country. While Delivered at Place (DAP) or Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) can also be used in B2B, the seller includes these costs (e.g., tariffs, transport) in the invoice to ensure they do not sell at a loss. The choice of Incoterm significantly affects who bears the costs and responsibilities, so it’s critical to review the agreed terms in any transaction. The misconception that exporters always pay tariffs, leading to consistent losses, is flawed. Tariffs are a standard part of international trade, and exporters use Incoterms and pricing strategies to remain profitable, as no business could sustain operations by consistently absorbing such costs.
However, the video game industry, major awards, and the actual creators of these games have officially redefined JRPG as a mechanical and artistic style, rather than a geographic restriction.
If we look at valid industry sources and the developers themselves, the argument for a geographic lock falls apart:
1. The Creators of Final Fantasy Reject the National Label Naoki Yoshida (Producer of Final Fantasy XVI) openly explained that Japanese developers historically disliked the term 'JRPG' because it was an external, Western-invented label used to box them in. He stated: "We don't go into them thinking that we're going to be creating JRPGs, we just go into them thinking we're going to create RPGs." Tetsuya Nomura (Kingdom Hearts) similarly noted: "To pretend that there's no unifying trend other than 'it came from Japan' is silly."
2. Japanese Legends Define it by Style, Not Geography Hideki Kamiya (Creator of Bayonetta and Devil May Cry) defended the term but explicitly separated it from borders, calling it a design ethos: "It’s not a regional thing, it’s more of a stylistic thing... unique sensitivity when it comes to creating characters, stories, and game systems." Furthermore, Masahiro Sakurai (Super Smash Bros.) defines the genre's essence entirely by its mathematical systems, using stats and strategy over real-time dexterity, treating it as a programming philosophy anyone can use.
3. Industry Awards and Storefront PrecedentsMajor industry bodies officially categorize non-Japanese games as JRPGs based on their mechanics. For example, at The Game Awards, Sea of Stars was universally classified, nominated, and celebrated as a classic turn-based JRPG, despite being made entirely by Sabotage Studio in Quebec, Canada. Major digital storefronts like Steam also officially use 'JRPG' as a subgenre filter for Western-developed games like Chained Echoes (Germany) and Bug Fables (Panama) because they possess the mechanical hallmarks of the genre.
4. The Inverse Logic FlawIf 'JRPG' only means 'made in Japan,' then Dark Souls and Elden Ring (made by FromSoftware in Tokyo) would have to be called JRPGs. However, the entire world—including the developers—classifies them as Western-style Action RPGs. If a Japanese studio can make a Western-style RPG, a Western studio can absolutely make a Japanese-style RPG.
At the end of the day, a JRPG is a beautiful style of game design defined by its tropes, turn-based systems, and narrative structure. Limiting it to a map border discredits both the global indie developers honoring that legacy and the Japanese creators who want their games judged on merit, not nationality.
Buddy I explained in detail above multiple times. But you don’t even bother to use counter arguments. As above I explained what WRPGs are and you did not read it or anything beyond. I even brought up the WRPG point first, if you had actually read it, you’d have known. This whole idea that words cannot change meaning is absurd and proven false as the definition of JRPG has changed. Or does “gay” still mean happy in your book?
The real question is: why is JRPG the only RPG subgenre that gets a country prefix turned into its own identity? No one calls something a “CRPG” for Canadian-made or “GRPG” for German.
JRPG became special because Japanese developers in the 80s/90s forged a very distinct style: stylized/anime-inspired art, linear epic narratives with pre-written characters, menu/turn-based combat full of dramatic flair. It diverged sharply from Western RPGs (player freedom, simulation, moral gray areas, etc.). The label stuck as shorthand for that design philosophy, not just geography, exactly like how we now have “Soulslike” or “Metroidvania.”
Calling non-Japanese games “JRPG-style” (Sea of Stars, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, etc.) isn’t erasure. It’s recognizing the influence and shared DNA. What you’re doing is literal-meaning gatekeeping on a term that language has already evolved beyond.
You clearly haven't kept up with how the term has evolved. Originally, "JRPG" literally meant "RPG made in Japan." But over decades, it shifted into its own subgenre, describing games with highly stylized (often anime-inspired) art, linear/narrative-driven stories, pre-written party characters, and specific gameplay rhythms, regardless of where they're made.
Denying that evolution is gatekeeping.
Games like Sea of Stars, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, or even some Western indies get called JRPGs by mainstream outlets because they capture that classic feel better than some modern Japanese titles. FF itself has drifted toward action-adventure while still carrying the label. The term is now about style and vibe, not just a passport stamp.
I’m conflicted because I don’t really see it as a Final Fantasy game anymore. I actually prefer it as an action-adventure game with character leveling instead of a traditional JRPG. The character development is a nice upgrade over the OG for some party members.
That said, the combat isn’t JRPG-worthy for me. I really miss the ATB meters, now you’re constantly spinning the camera searching for that last enemy because it’s not in LOS, and it breaks the flow.
On top of that, filler chapters like the Mako 5 reactor puzzle (that took me nearly an hour) feel like dead story-void filler when you just want to move the story forward. Powering 3 cores for one elevator really killed the pace for me.
True but i prefer the strategic combat over hack and slash but that is personal preference.
For 16 it was a fun game for a DMC spinoff and spectacular monsterfights etc. But it wasnt a final fantasy to me.
15 half of the time i strughled with the combat cause the fight was sometimes strerched over such a huge area that you had to get "in range" to do something. It felt like fuckt they are a kilometer away how the fuck am i in combat 🤣
Its because it is not a true remake rather a "reimagining" and lots of old fans feel duped, while others like the reimagined FF. Both sides have their validity if you like it good for you but dont try to gaslight the old fans that it are remakes of the original. That is the reason for the discourse.
@mcbiscit@kgfch2waiting@ActualAero But on this part we are at an agreement my man no use to argue 😊
Fun to have a civil discource about this for once tho...
@mcbiscit@kgfch2waiting@ActualAero Remakes are still ARPG's there is an ATB for special attacks but that does not make it not an ARPG just instead of a cooldown timer you have an atb meter. Different thing same result.
True and i am not disputing that. But if you cannot turn out a descent story in a year, 7 years should be a threshold for an amazing story and it simply was not. Then again we are talking about opinions my opinion vs your opinion in this part of the convo. Saying there is a mix of thruth is purely personal thruth not established facts. And dismissing my opinion as false while we both basicly said the same 😅
@mcbiscit@kgfch2waiting@ActualAero At the end of the day both Persona, Pokemon, ... are all true JRPG's and that is my point. FF lost that, look at E33: turn based, baddas graphics, good storytelling,... that game is closer to being a JRPG then FF is these days
Yet back when they released a game every year the fanbase grew year to year. Due to good storytelling. Now they need 7 years and and the endresult is just not the same. Then again that is my opinion but nice to see that people feel passionate about a gameseries i used to love but now struggle to play.