Gamasutra - The Spread of RPG Mechanics

Gamasutra has a new guest article that that takes a look at the, "Spread of RPG Mechanics in Game Design". I thought this article would interest a few of you.

RPGs are a fascinating genre to analyze: it's one of the oldest genres on the market, not limited by platform and has a huge variety of designs.  But what I find interesting is how the mechanics and systems of the genre have spread and thrived in completely unassociated genres.

While replaying Odin Sphere, a question popped into my head that has been asked countless times: "What is a RPG?" And while many of you will be quick to answer, there is more to examine under the surface.