Support NeoGAF

[Cornbread78]

Hmm, close..

 

[Trojita]

The dragon looks like a combination between Vryn from Granblue Fantasy and a Moogle from Final Fantasy.

This is what I saw as well.

 

[King Gilga]

they made her kneel and apologize to fans, something like that. Really fucked up situation...

Wow... That is supremely fucked.

 

[Trojita]

You're trying to extrapolate a business decision with a fan opinion on games, it makes you look really childish or ignorant. That's like, not how anything works. People on NeoGAF make fun of Toriyama all the time, shat on FFXIII, etc. He still got to direct game after game. Why? Because he's a capable project manager. Baba is one step above even that - he's a producer, not a director. So whatever complaints you have about the game or whatever, it's nonsensical to pile everything on the guy who basically manages the team, handles business decisions, and does PR fluff at events. What, you think he personally wrote the story in Zesteria which cut out some precious waifu from the story and made all the losers in Japan who won't even leave their homes cry in outrage? Lmao.

Baba is at Square Enix because they obviously agreed to a business alliance here. They didn't "hire" him so much as partnered with him in this case. This is a brand new studio created under S-E Holdings. He is managing it and he's the CEO. He's not a Square Enix Japan employee. This is his studio, so he probably pitched it to the management and they liked it.

I wouldn't say much of Japanese game development is rational, much less Square Enix in the last decade. Yoichi Wada moved Square Enix's offices based on advice from a fortune teller. Executives can put themselves in an influence bubble.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Oh this is interesting. Given that its SE and we're just now seeing hiring for it, 2019 seems reasonable guesswork.

they made her kneel and apologize to fans, something like that. Really fucked up situation...

Dude.

What.

Goddamn seiyuu fans are bonkers.

 

[Datschge]

Baba is one step above even that - he's a producer, not a director. So whatever complaints you have about the game or whatever, it's nonsensical to pile everything on the guy who basically manages the team, handles business decisions, and does PR fluff at events.

Just noticed this part and got to chime in. When Tales Studio still existed the development staff was managed separately from Bandai Namco proper. Even after Tales Studio was closed at the end of 2011 the structure was kept until around mid/late 2013 if the staff listing of Symphonia Chronicles is any indication. That makes Zestiria the first Tales game managed and developed from within Bandai Namco (aside the oddity that is Legendia). It was for that Symphonia Chronicles already that Baba excuses himself that the Tales team lacks development staff (and we now know they proceeded to outsource essentially all art asset creation aside other stuff for Zestiria and Berseria). Either he was very bad at team management or he was overruled by superiors (whoever that was as he was the only constant with executive producers changing all the time).

 

[Inuhanyou]

I initially came back to this thread to say i was glad i heard Baba was making noises in the direction of a console release as opposed to prioritizing mobile and how i hoped SE gave their new studio a decent budget, but then...

Hope it's some dank ass game that SE releases on PC after 30 years so I can buy it.

I mean you didn't say anything wrong, Saber a shit.

This is true.

Oh, HIM

That scrublord needs to learn that Arcueid is best girl.

Arc is in fact best girl. This was never in question.

Not denying that Arc is best girl in her particular franchise(with Curry coming a close second), but, really...Arturia is best girl

No shit? Aside from being a mod, I'm also the resident bully of all Type-Moon fans. Lol.

Yappari.

 

[Oregano]

I'm not Hideo Baba fan but it's not hard to see how he managed to snag this when you consider that both domestic and international sales of Tales increased when he took over.

 

[duckroll]

Just noticed this part and got to chime in. When Tales Studio still existed the development staff was managed separately from Bandai Namco proper. Even after Tales Studio was closed at the end of 2011 the structure was kept until around mid/late 2013 if the staff listing of Symphonia Chronicles is any indication. That makes Zestiria the first Tales game managed and developed from within Bandai Namco (aside the oddity that is Legendia). It was for that Symphonia Chronicles already that Baba excuses himself that the Tales team lacks development staff (and we now know they proceeded to outsource essentially all art asset creation aside other stuff for Zestiria and Berseria). Either he was very bad at team management or he was overruled by superiors (whoever that was as he was the only constant with executive producers changing all the time).

I think that it's probably a combination of Baba wanting to try different things all the time (as can be seen by the results as well lol) and Namco Bandai going through a ton of restructuring in the same period. There was a lot of weird stuff going on in the SRW teams as well, with what looked like a company wide mandate to centralize internal teams as much as possible into easier to understand and easier to brand studio umbrellas, even if it hurts practical efficiency.

 

[kayos90]

Just noticed this part and got to chime in. When Tales Studio still existed the development staff was managed separately from Bandai Namco proper. Even after Tales Studio was closed at the end of 2011 the structure was kept until around mid/late 2013 if the staff listing of Symphonia Chronicles is any indication. That makes Zestiria the first Tales game managed and developed from within Bandai Namco (aside the oddity that is Legendia). It was for that Symphonia Chronicles already that Baba excuses himself that the Tales team lacks development staff (and we now know they proceeded to outsource essentially all art asset creation aside other stuff for Zestiria and Berseria). Either he was very bad at team management or he was overruled by superiors (whoever that was as he was the only constant with executive producers changing all the time).

I'm going to say it was a combination of both but most likely the latter...

 

[Datschge]

I think that it's probably a combination of Baba wanting to try different things all the time (as can be seen by the results as well lol) and Namco Bandai going through a ton of restructuring in the same period. There was a lot of weird stuff going on in the SRW teams as well, with what looked like a company wide mandate to centralize internal teams as much as possible into easier to understand and easier to brand studio umbrellas, even if it hurts practical efficiency.

It was definitely a company wide mandate. Though there was one curious exception I can't find anymore atm. Edit: B.B.Studio was what I was thinking of.

I was cautiously optimistic that it may be a way to channel more budget to Tales games. Except for Shiina doing a couple tracks nothing changed though. Aside massive outsourcing which I actually expected to be reduced, not expanded to new records considering a 1000+ Bandai Namco Studios staff should be able to contribute something as well.

I'm going to say it was a combination of both but most likely the latter...

Well, the handling of Zestiria (PR wise and by all indications also development wise) was by far the worst of any Tales game yet (including all those resulting fruity conspiracy theories). If that indeed was Baba's first try at team management, ouch!

It's also funny that 5 years after NTS' closure Studio Istolia is set up essentially the same way, legally separate public company but 100% owned by another. Maybe Baba should have become one of NTS' directors and fought for its continued existence.

Edit: @duckroll

Some details from the site that people aren't talking about:

As that was quoted in OP but none of the links show what you summarized there: What site was that from?

 

[DiipuSurotu]

I think they're making a Mana spiritual successor

 

[Fisico]

.

Edit: @duckroll

As that was quoted in OP but none of the links show what you summarized there: What site was that from?

You have the job listings on the official site, just have to click on each offer for details like for Battle planner where they mention both creating an action RPG system and working for a new IP and not only a single game.

 

[Datschge]

You have the job listings on the official site, just have to click on each offer for details like for Battle planner where they mention both creating an action RPG system and working for a new IP and not only a single game.

Haha damn, with my custom color scheme I didn't see that the list were links. Thanks...
Edit: That's a lot of copy/pasta between the roles. Only thing to add is that C++ is a requirement for programmers and that battle planner also includes all growth systems and subsystems.

 

[Edge_Maverick]

New artwork

Thanks to Famitsu/Dualshockers.

 

[Fou-Lu]

Well all of this artwork is impressive at the least.

 

[duckroll]

The artwork looks great but I have this feeling that instead of making a game that looks like FFXII as some of the concept art suggests, it's going to just look like another Tales game instead.

 

[Datschge]

The artwork looks great but I have this feeling that instead of making a game that looks like FFXII as some of the concept art suggests, it's going to just look like another Tales game instead.

Haha, I'm coming from the opposite direction, why did he talk about the project like the most saturated saccharine Tales games but the first couple artworks all have dimmed colors? =P

 

[duckroll]

Haha, I'm coming from the opposite direction, why did he talk about the project like the most saturated saccharine Tales games but the first couple artworks all have dimmed colors? =P

Well, lucky for you, regardless of what the artworks show, the recruitment notice specifically says this:

日本の独特の文化から生み出されるコンテンツ表現を最大の強みにし、日本から世界へ送り出すファンタジーの世界。
新アニメティックRPGを共に開発し、人と人との絆を大切にすることの出来る仲間を募集します。

Lmao.

 

[Datschge]

Yeah, that part sounded like Graces playing in Japan. ^^

 

[What The Forest Taught Me]

New artwork



Thanks to Famitsu/Dualshockers.

I like what I'm seeing here!

 

[What The Forest Taught Me]

The artwork looks great but I have this feeling that instead of making a game that looks like FFXII as some of the concept art suggests, it's going to just look like another Tales game instead.

😢

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

New artwork



Thanks to Famitsu/Dualshockers.

Please look like this, please!

 

[DiipuSurotu]

New artwork

Thanks to Famitsu/Dualshockers.

Reminds me of Ashram and Parn from "Record of Lodoss War".

 

[wmlk]

The concept art looks so neat. Dunno how they'll do it justice of they say high-end platforms and Baba also mentioning mobile.