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Mevius Final Fantasy (iOS/And) announced: Kitase/Nojima/Itahana, console level [INFO]

Goli

Member
Did that level 5 mobile game ever release in America? Wonder Flick. Was on mobile, vita and ps4. Looked really cool

Not yet, and at this rate I'm doubting it'll come out of mobile or Japan, since it's flopping pretty much.
 

wmlk

Member
Seeing the images the others hinted out(before anybody bugs me, I'm not directing anybody to them), I'm really disliking this guy's design. The fuckin tribal tattoos... urgh! I think the world looks interesting. I get a mystical fantasy vibe from it(though that kinda contrasts with the hero's look, which has an, urgh, fully exposed back). The hero, to me, is a cross between Sydney Lossarot and FFI's Warrior of Light, with some of those classic Nomura tribal tattoos(y'know, when he was into that big street, "urban chic" trend in the mid-00s).

Itahana has a weird thing with openings or whatever with clothes. Nomura looks elite compared to this, which he is.
 

Jomjom

Banned
I don't get it why is Sakaguchi in the picture? What does he have to do with this game? He's not on good terms with S-E again is he?
 

Reveirg

Member
Not yet, and at this rate I'm doubting it'll come out of mobile or Japan, since it's flopping pretty much.

Aren't they re-launching it? "Wonderflick R".

Maybe that version will come over. I wonder if the announced PS4/etc. versions are eventually gonna come out too.
 
"Hey guys I have this new mobile game called Terra Ba--"
"Shut up! Sit here with Kitase and let's talk about the new FINAL FANTASY game!"
 
This had my heart racing for about 12 seconds til I realized it was just an interview.
Square @$(% on a roll with the trolling this month. (;¬_¬)

What? What was the point of him being in the interview? Sakaguchi MUST be involved somehow right? Otherwise why would he be talking in an interview about a new FF?
 
D

Deleted member 20920

Unconfirmed Member
What? What was the point of him being in the interview? Sakaguchi MUST be involved somehow right? Otherwise why would he be talking in an interview about a new FF?

He's not. They're doing a creator and his successor sort of interview.

I doubt Sakaguchi would ever return to SE or work with them. Even if he did would it make a difference these days? I don't think SE lacks talent. They just seem to have problems making them into good games within a reasonable timeframe.
 

saher

Banned
Well my problem with those games like chaos rings is that they are way too easy, i hope this one is different.
 

Myths

Member
I've gotten quite use to their Famitsu bits that it comes off as completely corny at times.

But anyway, looking forward to more info.
 

robotnik

Member
It's on first page actually. And these screens... Damn, I want to believe, but I won't

Sphnpam.jpg
 

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
- There map movement in the game will be automated
- They're aiming for a smartphone game which is comparable to a console game

lol

What the fuck happened to this company?
 

extralite

Member
I bought the issue containing the interview via Book Walker (e-reader app). Apparently this is the very first time Sakaguchi and Kitase were interviewed together. Although they obviously have talked with each other in private and at work before.

They tell of how they were competing in making great events for FFV. Kitase had joined Square in 1990 and worked on Seiken Densetsu for Gameboy and Romancing Saga before working with Sakaguchi on FFV.

Kitase reminisces that he had problems finishing up Seiken Densetsu and was complaining a lot, until Sakaguchi yelled at him, saying he should stop blaming others and just finish up the project. Sakaguchi comments that was a good lecture he gave him there, asking if that wasn't Kitase's origin, when he came into his own. Kitase says it's true he critically reflected on his actions afterwards.

Sakaguchi recalls that Kitase was kinda mean. He had asked Narita, the programmer, to help him make a landslide event that wasn't possible to create with their former dev tools. Sakaguchi was very impressed, saying "how did you do that? Pure genius." When Kitase answers that he had asked Narita, Sakaguchi laughs as he says Kitase was pulling dirty tricks on him.

Kitase adds that they were working in relay, checking how the events they made would fit with each other after the other had left work. Seeing what Sakaguchi had made, Kitase thought "I'm gonna best him on that!" and they were competing with each other that way.

Sakaguchi further comments that Kitase was good at making spectacular events like the landslide one. He knew he couldn't win against that so he took the route of "Give me your tears". He saw crying [making the player cry] as his last trump card.

The interviewer asks how Kitase felt about the vents Sakaguchi made. Kitase replies that he tended towards technical approaches and only had eyes for the spectacle. Sakaguchi on the other hand also wrote the scenario and was thinking about how he would let the characters act, he had an eye for human drama. Not just in V but also in VI Kitase left the drama parts to Sakaguchi.

The interviewer says that although Kitase was the new guy on the team and Sakaguchi was the director, that they would compete in this way shows how Kitase's talent was being acknowledged.

Sakaguchi agrees and adds, that until IV the ways they could make the characters move was limited and in V they finally reached a certain level of "acting" for the characters. In that sense, since they were breaking new ground there wasn't a relationship of director and new guy but rather it felt like they were all on the same page. Kitase didn't just fulfill the tasks he was given but rather when he wanted to realize something he gave it his all, involving others as well to make it work. He was able to create something out of nothing, which Sakaguchi admires.

The interviewer says he thinks Sakaguchi created FF but Kitase inherited it and asks if they see it like that as well.

Sakaguchi replies that when they made FFV together, at some point it became the work of the both of them. So it wasn't just that Kitase inherited his work but he would even say he felt they were connected in blood. Which reminds him that he once suddenly received an email by Kitase asking "what exactly is Final Fantasy?"

Kitase explains that it was during the work on FFXIII. The team size had been considerable so they had monthly meetings where the whole team came together and briefed each other on the state of the game. They also had a sort of entertainment section in which Kitase told Sakaguchi's message to the team...

Sakaguchi laughs saying, what, that was for entertainment's sake? I wrote that in all seriousness.

Kitase apologizes and says it was only half entertainment. He says when he discussed the question of what is FF really with the director Toriyama, Toriyama said that if you take Disney for example, the animators who succeeded him would base their work on what the originator Walt Disney had said. For FF, Sakaguchi's words should serve the same purpose. In FFXIII's team there weren't many staff member who had worked with Sakaguchi and since Toriyama also explicitly asked for it, Kitase meant to ask Sakaguchi to go out and eat so he they could talk about FF.

Sakaguchi adds that he was so drunk at the time that his answers were not all that useful, he just said what came to mind. So on the next day he felt regrets about that and put his thoughts in proper words and sent it via mail.

Kitase remembers that when he once noticed in a conversation that he didn't remember ever talking with Sakaguchi about what is FF, Tetsu (that's how they refer to Nomura usually) said that Sakaguchi had told him, as long as the text appears on a blue text window, it's FF.

Sakaguchi says that is easily misinterpretable. He thinks that Tetsu very well knows what he meant by that but it has a deeper meaning! During the work on FFV, he and Kitase were definitely trying to change FF and they entertained every new idea. Even when they came out empty, the next time they would again put all their energy in coming up with new ideas, changing everything completely. So in that sense, as long as the text is on blue text boxes, you can do whatever you want. That was his advice.

Kitase says that the staff who work on FF related titles sometimes gathers material on the series and analyzes what makes the typical FF flavor. That might be also necessary but he feels they shouldn't be caught up in the past history of the series but should take a more free approach.

The interviewer asks if he can see Sakaguchi's message about what makes FF what it is. Kitase says if it's okay with Sakaguchi. Who in turn, says, please, go ahead. He points out again that he seriously wrote it, so it's okay.

Then they comment on each other's new projects. Kitase shows Mevius FF on an iPhone and Nexus 5. The interviewer is wowed by the graphics. Kitase explains that in the latest iOS8 they use a graphics API called Metal. He says that although you select the places you want to go on the map and you are automatically transported there, the exploration of the fields, the strategic battles and the leveling systems conform to the orthodox FF games. The scenario is by Nojima so the story will be on par with a numbered game, featuring refined plot twists.

The interviewer asks when it will be out. Kitase replies they aim for spring 2015.

Sakaguchi interrupts, saying this bit with tutorial could use some more work.

Kitase nods, remembering that Sakaguchi once told him that the tutorials are also part of the game and they need to be fun.

Sakaguchi elaborates. A tutorial isn't a manual, it needs to be fun. The lines are too narrow, make them 2 point wider so they're easier to read. How does the customization work?

Kitase shows the ability settings and says it has a job system...

Sakaguchi is very interested. So you can greatly change the parameters via job change? The art style is new?

Kitase says Itahana is doing the character designs.

Sakaguchi firmly associates Itahana with the Chocobo series. But he's very good, he adds. Then he speaks on the world map. This is like a globe view, but can the player zoom in?

Kitase says you can't, currently.

Sakaguchi says (jokingly), you need to add that! The graphics are so nice, the player will want to zoom in on them.

Kitase: When my staff reads this they will think, if Sakaguchi says so, we must do it. (wry smile)

Sakaguchi wants to ask for something else they should add. The world map needs a moon (laughs).

Kitase: But then the player will want to go there.

Sakaguchi: That's the point! They don't need to be able to go there right away. But they will think, maybe I can go there sometime along the line.

The interviewer agrees, saying people will expect that going to the moon will be added with a version up.

Sakaguchi takes the interviwers reaction as confirmation. Stuff like that is important!

Kitase comments that Sakaguchi is now being his typical self.

Then they speak about Terra Battle. Conception of the world and a feeling of expectation are major points of Sakaguchi's games, says the inteviewer, with Terra Battle being no exception.

Sakaguchi agrees that the construction of the world is very important. From there the story gradually develops. But the characters are also important and they're getting praise for Fujisaka's designs.

Kitase has played Terra Battle and he feels nostalgic about the damage floors. The game starts out simple yet cool, has really great sense. Then the game hits the player with those damage floors. FF used to have these too in earlier installments. His staff members also play the game. Sakaguchi is happy they like his game and asks if they also have spent money on it. Kitase says he thinks they probably do. Sakaguchi then says it's not important. What is important is if the game is interesting. He wants to compete with gameplay.

The interviewer suggests they should do a collaboration of Terra Battle and Mevius. Sakaguchi says that should be possible. Let's do it! Kitase says there should be elements from a game with a different setting they can bring into Mevius without it feeling out of place, they just need think about what would be suitable.

The interviewer says, this is like a planning conference. (laughs)

Sakaguchi: Kind of. (laughs) How big is the team?

Kitase says that for a smart phone game the staff is bigger than any other title of that sort and it is mostly developed in house. The staff consists of people who work on the numbered games.

Sakaguchi asks, this is the first time they develop such a title in house, right?

Kitase says for this scope it is. Parts of the illustrations and graphics are outsourced though.

The interviewer asks, why Kitase decided to make a full blown FF for smart devices now.

Kitase says that even though you can make games like on dedicated game consoles also on smart phones, there aren't any. That was the reason why they wanted to make one. And also because players nowadays spend most of their gaming time on smart devices.

Sakaguchi says, that is the era we entered now. Smart phones are starting to give players satisfying game experiences.

The interviewer asks if Sakaguchi thinks Mevius will be able to satisfy the user. He replies he needs to see the finished game before he can pass judgment. He just thinks it could be more quirky. If the graphics are this well done the user needs more ways to interact with the game.

Kitase says he will report this to the staff. Then he says since Mevius will have the warriors of light as a theme, it includes respect for the very first game. It's not a remake and has a new story and setting but he wants to show the game to Sakaguchi before release.

Sakaguchi wishes the character designs would be closer to Amano's style. It needs markers like that which will make the player feel, this is FF.

Kitase says they can't change the faces but they have prepared the armor of the warriors of light. He will think about what else they can do.

Sakaguchi: You came this far with the game, that is why I have so many things to say. Can I fiddle with it some more?

Kitase: Definitely! Today was a good opportunity. Let's hear more of your comments and talk about the collaboration in the future. I hope we can work together.

In Closing: From Sakaguchi's email to Kitase. "The answer to the question of what is FF: Roads where no one ever left their foot steps, overcome by people who just live their lives with all their heart, and what is born when they finally arrive at the same goal." That is what it should be. Always aim to accomplish new things, that is what I want the series to be in the future as well.
 
Damn, love that Sakaguchi's giving notes to Kitase, and they seem to be damn fine ones, at that. The zoom into the world map is interesting, as is the "add a moon"(that you might eventually go to), LOL! The whole, "tutorials should be fun, not be like a manual" is something a LOT of devs should live by.
 

Jomjom

Banned
Wait what?! Did they just talk about a Terra Battle and Mevius collaboration? Maybe that can be the first step to Sakaguchi and Square working together again. We need a Mistwalker x S-E game!
 

saher

Banned
The logo is amazing i have to say and the art is decent but not a fan of the armor design...its really terrible even for FF.
 

Stark

Banned
So what I got from the map detail was that you have an overworld, you select the location, and you get to explore that area/field. That's more than fine with me.

I'm curious how detailed the job & ability system is.

I bought the issue containing the interview via Book Walker (e-reader app). Apparently this is the very first time Sakaguchi and Kitase were interviewed together. Although they obviously have talked with each other in private and at work before.

Fantastic interview. Many thanks for posting it.

Reading about the mentor/student relationship they had was great. Especially how one lecture changed his approach. Then that competition evolving into the game(s) being both their works and themselves being equals. Thinking about it, you don't really see that kind of competition internally anymore or hear about it. Kind of sad.

Was funny how Sakaguchi immediately started giving suggestions on the game and it turned into a debate/planning for the game. Interview shows why those 2 are my favorite FF directors.
 
In Closing: From Sakaguchi's email to Kitase. "The answer to the question of what is FF: Roads where no one ever left their foot steps, overcome by people who just live their lives with all their heart, and what is born when they finally arrive at the same goal." That is what it should be. Always aim to accomplish new things, that is what I want the series to be in the future as well.
Amazing. Sakaguchi is the best.

It's like, Kitase is amazing, but damn there's a gap between him and Sakaguchi.

Wait what?! Did they just talk about a Terra Battle and Mevius collaboration? Maybe that can be the first step to Sakaguchi and Square working together again. We need a Mistwalker x S-E game!
Well, Kitase did deny that =P

But if they plan something like that in the future, it will be glorious.
 

extralite

Member
Amazing. Sakaguchi is the best.

It's like, Kitase is amazing, but damn there's a gap between him and Sakaguchi.


Well, Kitase did deny that =P

But if they plan something like that in the future, it will be glorious.
Actually if we can take what they said at face value, there should be a collaboration. Kitase himself brings it up again at the end and his initial reaction is that they just need to find a way to not make the cross over forced (because of the different settings).

Well I guess they know where FFXIII went wrong.

I don't know. It seems to me that they were trying to follow Sakaguchi's suggestion, to make the tutorials playable. Btw, two weeks ago, in the issue celebrating the 20th anniversary of Playstation, there was a list of the most impressive games in PS history, voted by Famitsu readers.

FFXIII came in 4th, just after FFVII, MHP2G and FFX. I mean, it ranked above MH3P, RE, P4G and DQVII.
 
Actually if we can take what they said at face value, there should be a collaboration. Kitase himself brings it up again at the end and his initial reaction is that they just need to find a way to not make the cross over forced (because of the different settings).
Indeed, the last part of my post was because of that.

I really hope that happens on a future game. Maybe FFXVI if they try a more classical setting, maybe another mobile game, I wouldn't even mind.
 

anaron

Member
Sakaguchi truly was the heart of FF. Wish these two could so something together


Thanks for translating, extralite
 

dramatis

Member
I don't know. It seems to me that they were trying to follow Sakaguchi's suggestion, to make the tutorials playable. Btw, two weeks ago, in the issue celebrating the 20th anniversary of Playstation, there was a list of the most impressive games in PS history, voted by Famitsu readers.

FFXIII came in 4th, just after FFVII, MHP2G and FFX. I mean, it ranked above MH3P, RE, P4G and DQVII.
Wasn't that a list of games readers 'most associated' with Playstation, rather than 'most impressive'?
 

takoyaki

Member
I just looked at the article in the Bookwalker App. Square-Enix is clearly positioning this as FF1 for mobile/tablet. Not in the sense of a remake, but as a new take on FF that is tailored around those platforms.

There are only a few images, but the art-style looks interesting. The character design and the colors are clearly FF, concept art of a dilapidated castle reminds me a bit of Demon Souls or SMT4, one of the enemies looks like it jumped right off the cover of a MH game and, most interestingly, the one (presumably) in-game image of the scenery looks a lot like Infinity Blade (in terms of art direction and graphical quality).
 

HyperOne

Banned
Yeah, no thanks. Here in the states where I drive where I need to go, I don't need to pay the overpriced nonsense this and most SE mobile projects are and will likely be..
 

Stark

Banned
I just looked at the article in the Bookwalker App. Square-Enix is clearly positioning this as FF1 for mobile/tablet. Not in the sense of a remake, but as a new take on FF that is tailored around those platforms.

There are only a few images, but the art-style looks interesting. The character design and the colors are clearly FF, concept art of a dilapidated castle reminds me a bit of Demon Souls or SMT4, one of the enemies looks like it jumped right off the cover of a MH game and, most interestingly, the one (presumably) in-game image of the scenery looks a lot like Infinity Blade (in terms of art direction and graphical quality).

I think the only relation to FFI is the warriors of light theme & its visual style.

Thanks for the details. I wonder what other visual cues they'll take from FFI and I'm interested in hearing more about the world.
 

Fbh

Member
I think it's a nice idea, hopefully it turns out to be as good as they are making it sound.

I'd love an experience like Bravely Default on my phone. Turn based battles don't suffer from touch controls and they could get it to look quite nice on mid-high end devices.

Just... sell it to me for $20-$30 and make it a full experience. Not some $2.99 + tons of grinding and microtransactions like other mobile games.


The going back to the roots part doesn't sound too appealing.
I hope that what they learned after Bravely Default is that people want more oldschool style JRPG and not that people want different version of final fantasy I-III.
 

Stark

Banned
Yeah. Full price is what it should be. It will be one of the things that decides if it warrants my current excitement.
 

saher

Banned
So what I got from the map detail was that you have an overworld, you select the location, and you get to explore that area/field. That's more than fine with me.

Basically its going to be like FF13 but without being able to move the character around, just battle after battle and cutscenes maybe, sort of like Wonder Flick i guess.
 

Myths

Member
Excellent read. I enjoyed Sakaguchi's input, specifically the respect from Kitase in regard to his suggestive input. It's one of those situations where yielding respect to a vet goes a long way.
 

Shamdeo

Member
In Closing: From Sakaguchi's email to Kitase. "The answer to the question of what is FF: Roads where no one ever left their foot steps, overcome by people who just live their lives with all their heart, and what is born when they finally arrive at the same goal." That is what it should be. Always aim to accomplish new things, that is what I want the series to be in the future as well.

I couldn't help but smile.
 

extralite

Member
Basically its going to be like FF13 but without being able to move the character around, just battle after battle and cutscenes maybe, sort of like Wonder Flick i guess.

Kitase said the game will have field exploration like the console games. The select locations on a map part sounds like FFX, which has been mentioned before several times now. This is going to play like a numbered game.
 

Stark

Banned
Basically its going to be like FF13 but without being able to move the character around, just battle after battle and cutscenes maybe, sort of like Wonder Flick i guess.

That or you are able to walk around in a semi-linear area. Only reason I consider this is:
the exploration of the fields, the strategic battles and the leveling systems conform to the orthodox FF games.

I don't mind either as long as the gameplay is good.

EDIT: So as I expected?
 
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