Square Enix: Final Fantasy XIII “Last of its Type”

Put the effort into it like they did with 7 or 10 and it could work.

Create crap like everything in between and after them, and you get the same results..

How long did it take them to realize this again?

We've done the FF thing. Many, many times. When you try to use a franchise as a cash cow, you kill it, that's just how things work.

Now then, remember those experiments you said you wanted to avoid? The ones like WEWY? Yeah, get back to them. Because those were actually good.

western developers + square enix = doom?

Wada says that they need to move onto something else with FF, people like Inafune says the Japanese gaming industry is dying, we're all saying jRPGs are getting stale, and those are reasons for Final Fantasy to change according to him?

I have two words (well, three):

Dragon. Fucking. Quest.

Still the biggest seller in Japan. Still practically EXACTLY the same since the first game.

well with XIII released before XIII versus combined with all the negative feedback from how it is too linear and a few other problems that currently slip my mind i hope they wont make the same mistake on versus

Final Fantasy XIII was just a bad number is all.

whats with all these 'how crap is final fantasy XIII' topics? no-one cares in reality

well i hope Final Fantasy doesnt change sides to the West, or Hollywood would probably buy it over first

IMHO they shouldnt have released xiii in just japan first, it would be better if they just simultainously released it, bad feed back from jap earlier is just going to kill the franchise all together

Don't take this seriously, its just wada rambling.

He's not a game producer, so he had jack shit to do with game development.

As long as new FF games sell millions, there is no need for change.

There is nothing wrong with tried and tested game design, not everyone wants a revolution.

Not everyone wants to be a casual wii gaming twat.

"Dear Square-Enix,

Thank you for releasing Atlus' Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 in Europe (even if I don't live there). You guys could learn a thing or two about developing good console games with them, something it seems you have forgotten how to do.

Best Regards,
Anon."

The Final Fantasy series is getting stale, they have to move on to a totally new series.
I personally enjoyed the FF series back in the PSX system (especially FF9), they come up with real neat FANTASY world and deep storyline..
Ahhh.. Such a good old glory days.. :)

no way 13 is a bad number

I wouldn't mind if they ended the final fantasy series and started working on something new, but it can't end with this as it's final game. They should go out in a blaze of glory

I think next FF will be full action based because turn battle is too much unreal and boring for western.
(Despite for japanese, western FPS is boring clicking game. Too few FPS made success. And when the thing is too hard, they simply stop to play because they play for fun.)

Maybe it will be a Legend of Zelda style with tons of muscles.

...Why western is wanting realism in fantasy?

I'm not sure what to think here. Whether they change FF to a different kind of game or stop the FF series altogether to start something new, it would be a stupid move on their part.
FF is one of the most well-known franchises that even people who don't play the games (or games at all) know what it is. And if they change the series to something new, it wouldn't be FF anymore. It would be just like Street Fighter 2010.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out AVGN's review on it.
Either way, I'm scared for SE.

Wada might as well be admiting hes about to get kicked off from SE....if XIII bombs word wide (or dont do as good as expected) his ass is fried.

EVERYONE, they made the CONSCIOUS decision not to redo FF7. These people have no intent to bring FF back to glory. Everyone refers to the FF glory days of 7-9 and maybe 10. That's where it stopped, that's where the glory stopped. 11,12,13 show the direction Sqeenix wants to go. They received a server crashing amount of e-mails on the topic and they're not listening. FF13 wouldn't be better if they overhauled the character models, nor would any other if they kept the same standard for characters, while gutting what really counts, gameplay. Sidequests, missions, scandals (Aeris naked and not dead, sephiroth as a playable character etc...) And you intellectuals are crucifying the series based on character models??? The direction they want to head is action rpg (or just action) which is a travesty considering FF was designed and acclaimed as an rpg.
I would personally pay 200 u.s.d. for a ps3 ff7 remake. Many people would. They don't care though. They are announcing that they plan to kill off FF as it once was.

Here's an idea. Anyone here play Valkyria Chronicles? Anyone else think a Final Fantasy in that style might work?

If FF is going to be made in the USA, sign me up for a job!!!

IMO this doesn't sound too bad. They have been going at the rpg game for years and quite frankly destroying almost all other competitors. If XIII turns out to be an amazing game and receiving even half the acclaim that VII did it would be a fitting end to an era.
I don't think they would give up on RPGs all together but they definitely need to focus on other projects. Square-enix probably realizes that they have a market that they haven't even touched and they could make into a beautiful thing.Also if their objective is just to put to rest FF and focus on other RPGs then that's cool too. Their RPG game is on point and they'll be able to show other games the same care that they've done with their flagship series. Hey maybe they'll finish Kingdom Hearts 3.

Square not Milking FF for all its worth? I find that hard to believe. I think such a notion would backfire, since I think we'd get more crap as a result of western development (especially considering how the aim to get purely western views)

I doubt this would mark a return to the grand creativity that Square had in the Playstation era (which gave us various games like Einhander), since let's face it milking FF for all its worth makes more money than being creative.

Maybe it's the partial realization that their attempts at mass marketing FF is starting to backfire.

And to think FFXIII is an upswing in the series. It might be just as well considering how the original producer left square lately. All empires must fall after all.

Sounds good. Maybe they'll try making an ACTUAL rpg too, that would be nice.

How about a new parasite eve? That series hasn't been touched for years.

Basically I'm going to say what a lot of fans have had on their mind for years but haven't gathered the courage to say what needs to be said....and that is Square[soft] undeniably has went downhill ever since merging with Enix. It has. The ultimate culmination of this fact is presently seen. You cannot, absolutely cannot, have a single, company-founding game in development for the better of 5 years and be THIS detached from the core of what your audience wants and what you ought to know what is required to make a masterpiece. It's embarrassing, delusional for all the factional teams involved in the development, and downright grounds for a serious internal review of design using 1997 as a ground zero template.

Essentially I think it meanswill go the same way as front mission series, what was once a good stratagy mech game they turned into lazy mans dumbed down kiddie action game. I think reading this FF will just end like a platformer or action game series from now on. Tbh FF13 to me imho felt more like action game than rpg was just too linear or more like you watching a movie where they throw you bread crumbs few minutes play between scenes before next part of movie plays imo.

Oh well it's about time, New franchises plz? no more sad ppl.

What a shame, Final Fantasy is awesome.

A big issue is that the characters are becoming too human-looking. I think we all thought they learned their lesson from 'Spirits Within' when they went to do stuff like FF9 or 11 (10 sort of had the same issue but at least had badass 1-armed hellions and furries) but then they resort to the whole pop culture pretty boy stuff that's just not memorable.

We get more attached to odd-looking sprites like in 4/6/7 don't we? Then even when the graphics get tailored up it doesn't matter since they're in our hearts.

But when it looks like Advent Children to begin with, there's not a chance.

Final Fantasy + Wii sports = teh HORROR TEH HORROR!!!

What can be done to save FF? well for starters GOOD PLOT Writers... I am fucking tired of cliches...

True FF fans would never say shit ! u guys are just too gay and pussy to play FF.go play ur master in gay helmet and gears of gaytard.

Square should have stayed Squaresoft they started getting shitty when they became Square Enix......you may just need to fire half your staff.....

I've never played Final Fantasy, and from what I've seen, probably never will. But those graphics, those girls, fuck! Want!

Final Fantasy died after the mediocre FFX. Gone are the good old days...

"Last of its type"?

That's a relief.

well theres always versus xiii

Square enix should have stayed Squaresoft....I don't remember who the joined up with and I don't feel like looking it up but they just need to break off.....who ever they brought with them screwed over Square.....

They should have stopped making this kind of FF 5 FFs ago.....

Oh and square has destroyed the FF franchise already...well considering it takes them 3 or 6 games to make a good one these days....

I thought FF was already going in a new direction with FFX.. And it was a direction I didn't like.

Hey, due to the production cycles, every subsequent FF has usually been done by a different team anyway (sorta like the interleaved production of Treyarch/Infinity Ward-produced Call of Duty installments).

That's also why no two subsequent Final Fantasy installments are similar.

Mmmm.. brown on brown third person shooter Final Fantasy complete with exploding barrels and QTE's. Sounds delicious.

So I guess this means even less world maps, mogs, chocobos, medieval to Victorian era fantasy, Odin, Airships, Ultima and Holy spells, and every single other notable thing about Final Fantasy.
And we'll never see the crystals, white mages, red mages and black mages again.

And that means more belts and zippers, more childish main characters, sci-fi, ugly reptile races that look like the belong on Tatooine, boring political "plots", and every other thing that's been ruining Final Fantasy on further edge.

Gosh darn it, why don't they just call it "Final Sci-Fi" now?

"catering to the particular audience they have now"

WAT did he just call us linear?

FIRST:

SE, do what you want with the series, BUT JUST KEEP Tetsuya Nomura at the helm of character design, and FF will rule FOREVER. I'll never get tired of his work. No matter how gay (beautiful) his characters look, he is still one of a kind.

SECOND:

For fucksake, they said it themselves:

"catering to the particular audience they have now."

Just remake FF VII for PS3 already, you'll get fucking TONS of money! Srsly, are you morons to not see that, SE?

~Final Fantasy IX is Hironobu Sakaguchi's Favorite Final Fantasy title, saying that "it's closest to his ideal view of what Final Fantasy should be".

I think we should do what the man says

The fuckers should just remake the damned FFs from 1 but start from 7 lol! I'd give my money for them then.

if Final Fantasy turn into western kind of games then it FAIL completely

I juts want a classic style FF game again. Hasn't the horrid fan reception of XIII been a clue to Square?

I for one still love JRPGs.
I hope they don't just make everything action based now, which is what I'm getting out of this.

Whatever
Any game with Final Fantasy in the name is worth my money! ಠ_ಠ

What they should do is turn the game over to indie developers, philosiphers and storytellers.

A fantasy RPG is, at it's purest a combination of mindless but if done right addictive "Dungeon Crawling" and some retelling of "The Hero's Journey". Losing sight of this, the dungeon crawling is tedious and the story is dry as dust.

However, "The Hero's Journey" is an "Eternal Story", it's just a matter of how to tell it.

Let's analyze what made some of the best ones work:

1. Ultima IV Quest of the Avatar. The first three were just graphically good (for the time!) dungeon crawls and even for the creator were feeling like he'd reached a plateau of what to do with them. Lord British had essentially told the first tales of "Fantasy adventure on the Computer" three times, and wanted something more from the games.

So he made "Quest of the Avatar" which was about moral and spiritual development. Technically it advertised at least 40 hours, but plenty of people I knew spent 400+ hours on it, mastering each and every aspect, going all over the grand world...

It kept its popularity for a long time and as computer graphics improved, kept with amazing sequels. It also innovated itself, Labyrinth of Worlds used Doom-like 3D years before it was supposed to work, and challenged itself, "The False Prophet" and "Pagan".

2. Final Fantasy. I'm no scholar of that series, but the one I remember the most was FF7. (in the USA) It was a graphical marvel, but perhaps as a coincidence the story it told touched the hearts of many people and helped the series springboard to mega hit status. Like all RPGs it was or about the "Hero's Journey" but it had a lot of "real" things in such an unreal world.
a. "Growing Up", Cloud grows up during the adventure, like it or not, just as in RL. You think you are a big kid who's struggling to keep alive, get pussy and maybe a few extra bucks, but then people start referring to you as a "Man" perhaps even complimenting your progress and you go "WTF?"
b. The cost of doing good. In RL you don't trip a bank robber stealing a million from a bank and get a reward of a million dollars. The world is harsh, ugly and evil and good is as often punished as rewarded. But that is the reason it is called doing a good thing. The characters are trying to save the world, but because of that are "Eco Terrorists" and no one minded that, I guess because they didn't interfere with anyone's "Whale Anus sushi" with a speedboat;-)
c. Aeris's death. If you've truly lived, you've experienced the loss of another. If anyone whines "Spoiler" well again it should be common knowledge now. This element made the thing feel very "Real" to the player, there are even (way too much free time department) people who've made 'edits' of that game so Tifa can still be alive, her loss is so tragic.

Furthermore, Final Fantasy had two more (among many) good things going for it:

1. A visionary quality artist, Amano. His elegant illustrations probably made the company guys and less established artists angry and frustrated, but they really captured the eye and imagination. I forget which Final Fantasy it was, 2 or 3 on the SNES, but the one where that sorceress has the headband... The stand alone pictures he did for that really captured the imagination.

2. The intro and iconic title artwork. That intro is a rather simple thing to do, but done right it really captures the users attention. The best "Real" stories have a simple saying as an introduction. You might YouTube "The Thief and the Cobbler" for a really good example, the intro to "Aquaria" is another. But the Final Fantasy games start out with that beautiful intro, then the title flashes in, then the artwork/screen shots. It's a "Like being born" feeling, of entering the new world, being projected.

Now, the problem is that most companies that re-examine and look for what made previous hits work, usually end up with a "More of the same" that works well for just after but later becomes dry.

I've made my own suggestions for other types of games, the "Littlewitch Romanesque: Adventure" but for a new "Final Fantasy" they should look into some more accomplished "Indie" publishers and give them a daring amount of "Free Reign". For instance BitBlot that made "Aquaria" and "Paper Moon" and are working on "Marian". Now that technology is catching up to the mainstream, Indie makers have a huge edge because they don't have to justify and pre-plot every step to a 'board of directors' until the creative process chokes itself and they just push garbage through to hopefully get their paychecks.

oh?
imagine a 'western' designed final fantasy with lots of 'manliness'.
'cos thats how i see western games testosterone loaded~

I wonder how many Japanese gamers are frothing at the mouth over the his admiration of western developers and games. I'm sure their rage is delicious.

I have a better solution for their ailment:

Square-Enix, just give us a new Final Fantasy Tactics for a console and everything's gonna be alright. I don't get why they confine the Tactics branch into handhelds when they could actually try to reach out to the consoles. The original Tactics was an underrated classic and Bahamut Lagoon was also an interesting RPG. I think SE are stupid and lazy as to not making a FFT for PS3; there's no excuse, so they better try to make one and we'll play it if the final product's good.

Just don't turn into XII's gameplay... please don't

Square Enix is following Capcom's lead. As Megaman left the side-scrolling shooter genre, Final Fantasy will leave the JRPG genre.