[quote=The Nexerus]
It's even worse in games that aren't post-apocalyptic. There's less of an excuse, then.How many named NPC's were in Whiterun, Skyrim's largest city? Maybe thirty?
[/quote]

And half of them are merchants or important to the story. Whiterun has a total of ten merchants, including those that sell you things out of shops. Each one has a name because its easier to remember than "The guy in the shop on the right side of Whiterun that sells whatever."