Support NeoGAF

[Beth Cyra]

I still care about Versus, but the lack of development and marketing updates implies that the project is having problems. Will definitely wait for user reviews before buying.

No it means they have Large budget Final Fantasy projects that they want to sell as many copies so giving the light to what could end up being the best/most popular game of the Fabula Nova Crystallis is a very stupid idea.

Nomura has talked repeatedly about how he really wants to show the game, and that up until now the higher ups have said he couldn't.

He wouldn't be so quick to want to show it off it was having problems.

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

Why is everyone in this shot dressed realistically for the urban setting except for the prince...who looks like he's late for San Diego Comic-Con?

BECAUSE HE DOESN'T GIVE A FUCK!

 

[Famassu]

5 years since Versus XIII and Type 0 where announced.


I dont know alot about game development but it shouldn't take 5 years to make a psp game.


how inefficient must Squares studios be?

During those 5 years the people who made Type-0 also finished Crisis Core and co-developed 3rd Birthday with HexaDrive, at the very least. Versus team has also done different things (helped with all the KH spin-offs, did KHII Final Mix+, helped finish XIII after the problems with the Crystal Tools delayed it).

I mean, IIRC, they said that Type-0's development "team" consisted of, like, three persons for the first couple-ish years after the announcement and apart from character designs & writing the scenario/coming up with ideas for the game, no other actual work was done on the game before they were finished with other games.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Guys lets commemorate this occasion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiIx9VJWSl8

Why is everyone in this shot dressed realistically for the urban setting except for the prince...who looks like he's late for San Diego Comic-Con?

they actually redid his clothing, not as crazy as it used to be, but still stylish enough.

 

[The Broken Ska Record]

Square does a ton of pre-production and planning up front from a core staff, and then they do a massive, quick execution where they throw a million grunts at it. It's modeled on the anime production pipeline.

For example, apparently FFXIII was only in "full production" for about a year, and the demo was one of the first things that came out of it.

So with that playable build done and all the planning complete, Versus XIII could finally be heading into "full production."

Actually, if I remember correctly, the demo is what helped the team get on the same page in-terms of design. It was more chaotic because the team was split on the design side and the engine side and neither could commit to a good finished product.

 

[Perfo]

XIII-2 - December 2011
X HD - Summer 2012
Versus XIII - December 2012
XIV 2.0 - March 2013

Yeah, Final Fantasy Versus XIII is surely a December 2012 release in Japan and Q1 2013 in the west. I always thought the same and I don't have anything to complain about it considering FFXIII-2 is coming out so soon so I have already something to play. I'm not that sure about Final Fantasy X though. They have to make clear if it's just an HD remaster or a full remake, because in this case could take a bit more.

 

[Thoraxes]

C'mon delay it and announce KH3.

Spoiler

Ok, i'm just kidding. Versus I hope we'll see more of at E3. Would be nice.

 

[royalan]

No it means they have Large budget Final Fantasy projects that they want to sell as many copies so giving the light to what could end up being the best/most popular game of the Fabula Nova Crystallis is a very stupid idea.

Nomura has talked repeatedly about how he really wants to show the game, and that up until now the higher ups have said he couldn't.

He wouldn't be so quick to want to show it off it was having problems.

Whatever their intentions were, still doesn't excuse the fact that they initially announced and hyped this title half a decade ago. I mean, this gen is almost over. I think a lot of people are burned out on the concept of Versus. At this point I'd be surprised if it performed nearly as well as XIII...when it finally comes out.

 

[Beth Cyra]

Whatever their intentions were, still doesn't excuse the fact that they initially announced and hyped this title half a decade ago. I mean, this gen is almost over. I think a lot of people are burned out on the concept of Versus. At this point I'd be surprised if it performed nearly as well as XIII...when it finally comes out.

They showed a trailer and not much else.

If anything Nomura has done a wonderful job trying to be up front with all the fans with the status of VS and not to ever do anything that hypes it to much without letting us know just how far the game was out.

I do agree that Square shouldn't announce games this early, but VS XIII is by the one man who continues to make popular stuff that ends up doing well so I can easily see Vs XIII out performing XIII in total sales and shipped numbers.

 

[weeaboo]

It's like I don't care anymore Nomura, there's no more hype, just give me KHDD and then TWEWY2!

 

[Flying Wonkey]

Nomura mentioned something about Versus XIII?

 

[chickdigger802]

Now the big question here.

Will there even be a kingdom hearts game for ps3?

 

[The Broken Ska Record]

Now the big question here.

Will there even be a kingdom hearts game for ps3?

Kingdom Hearts HD Collection. Believe.

 

[Defuser]

Whatever their intentions were, still doesn't excuse the fact that they initially announced and hyped this title half a decade ago.

Let's make this perfectly clear. They NEVER hype VersusXIII,all they did is show a trailer and the outline and that's it,they been pimping XIII all the way while leaving a very small update on Versus very few months,it's the fans that hype themselves up.

 

[UnblessedSoul]

No its XIII-2s turn then XIII-3s turn

 

[Regulus Tera]

Square does a ton of pre-production and planning up front from a core staff, and then they do a massive, quick execution where they throw a million grunts at it. It's modeled on the anime production pipeline.

Anime companies don't take six years to finish their animays. Well, most of them.

 

[royalan]

Let's make this perfectly clear. They NEVER hype VersusXIII,all they did is show a trailer and the outline and that's it,they been pimping XIII all the way while leaving a very small update on Versus very few months,it's the fans that hype themselves up.

They hyped it by revealing it. They hyped it by showing multiple trailers and gameplay glimpses. They hyped it along with the rest of Fabula Nova Crystallis era as part of the of the initial trilogy of games in the series. Now, 5 years later only one of those games has actually been released (with sequels announced and scheduled to launch before Versus), and another has dropped "XIII" from its title entirely.

In short: maybe they didn't hype it with an actual release date. But you're kidding yourself if you think that a 6+ year post-announcement development cycle was part of the plan.

 

[itzknickknac]

And then when S-E stops milking the XIII franchise, we'll finally get Ito's FFXV!!!

They better not do this again... SE needs to work with one game at a ti-

.. it's now Versus XIII's turn (lol)

waitwut?

..So yeah, that's it.

._.;

 

[Beth Cyra]

They hyped it by revealing it. They hyped it by showing multiple trailers and gameplay glimpses. They hyped it along with the rest of Fabula Nova Crystallis era as part of the of the initial trilogy of games in the series. Now, 5 years later only one of those games has actually been released (with sequels announced and scheduled to launch before Versus), and another has dropped "XIII" from its title entirely.

In short: maybe they didn't hype it with an actual release date. But you're kidding yourself if you think that a 6+ year post-announcement development cycle was part of the plan.

Of course it wasn't, thing is Vs XIII hasn't been in development for 6 years.

It's been in Development for just over two.

Nomura has even said that they didn't even have anything at all when they created the original trailer and given his team has had to work on other games as well as help try to finish XIII because of it's fucked Development issues means that even if they had been ready which we know isn't the case that the Dev time wouldn't be 6 years anyway.

 

[Wazzim]

LOTS OF MEDIA LOTSA MEDIA

They have been promising that forever and we still got very few info.

 

[Rolf NB]

Square Enix needs a management of sorts. At least one. And soon.

 

[Beth Cyra]

They have been promising that forever and we still got very few info.

No, infact they have said how they wouldn't be doing that time and again.

I can't remember how many times Nomura said specificlly that they wouldn't be showing much on the game. That is why people were so excited when Nomura said the next true reveal was already decided and that he wanted to talk more about it but SE told him not to.

 

[Famassu]

They hyped it by revealing it. They hyped it by showing multiple trailers and gameplay glimpses. They hyped it along with the rest of Fabula Nova Crystallis era as part of the of the initial trilogy of games in the series.

They showed the initial announcement trailer, then it took FOREVER before they released a new trailer for the public (they showed it in those closed mega theaters at TGS and/or Jump Festa each year for a reason), and even then those trailers featured absolutely no gameplay stuff. They showed the first gameplay glimpse a little over a year ago with that supershort teaser-trailer, followed by the first proper trailer with proper gameplay half a year later in January 2011. Nomura has only given some development updates in the form of "yes, we are still developing it, we actually just tested how our dog fights work", not in a "HEY, VERSUS XIII GET HYPE!!!!1!1!!!1" way.

In short: maybe they didn't hype it with an actual release date. But you're kidding yourself if you think that a 6+ year post-announcement development cycle was part of the plan.

Nomura was quite clear right from the start that the project had hardly even begun by the time they announced it and that it would be a LONG time before we saw anything of it, let alone the game being released. And even in January this year he still insisted that people should forget about the game for a while since Type-0 & XIII-2 were next in line for being hyped. Sure, they had problems with the Crystal Tools and since they had to help sort XIII out Versus was a bit delayed, but apart from that this was a game that was never going to be released in 2009 and it's a game that has NOT been developed full steam for 6 years.

 

[royalan]

Of course it wasn't, thing is Vs XIII hasn't been in development for 6 years.

It's been in Development for just over two.

Nomura has even said that they didn't even have anything at all when they created the original trailer and given his team has had to work on other games as well as help try to finish XIII because of it's fucked Development issues means that even if they had been ready which we know isn't the case that the Dev time wouldn't be 6 years anyway.

Change "development" to "release schedule" and my point is pretty much the same.

I remember the interviews with Nomura saying that very little had been done with Versus when the initial trailer was released. But I also remember early interviews that described the Fabula Nova Crystallis series as the main focus of their efforts this gen, with XIII, Versus XIII and Agito being the initial games in the series. Of course we all know that issues with XIII and the White Engine threw a wrench in all of that, but that really only points to the potential management issues over at Square Enix that people have been speculating about all gen.

Versus is a long time coming, and its hard to see it having the same impact that it would have had it come out a year ago.

 

[mocolostrocolos]

So, KH3 2020 confirmed, as we all knew.

 

[Beth Cyra]

Change "development" to "release schedule" and my point is pretty much the same.

I remember the interviews with Nomura saying that very little had been done with Versus when the initial trailer was released. But I also remember early interviews that described the Fabula Nova Crystallis series as the main focus of their efforts this gen, with XIII, Versus XIII and Agito being the initial games in the series. Of course we all know that issues with XIII and the White Engine threw a wrench in all of that, but that really only points to the potential management issues over at Square Enix that people have been speculating about all gen.

Versus is a long time coming, and its hard to see it having the same impact that it would have had it come out a year ago.

Tech issues are something that better managment can only help so much.

Not only that but Nomura is so far the one employe that really doesn't need a new manager over him because he has had continues output from start to finish of this gen.

We haven't had a year go by with out a new product or major progression on something that Nomura has had his hand into and he continues to keep his franchise (KH) and teams doing thing and getting games out, be it Dissidia, KH, or stuff like TWEWY.

 

[Dr Frasier Crane]

Who wants to play the Japanese Release Date game for Versus?

Me first, I predict 10/01/2013 (using the correct DD/MM/YYYY format).

I'm listening.

 

[Beth Cyra]

Who wants to play the Japanese Release Date game for Versus?

Me first, I predict 10/01/2013 (using the correct DD/MM/YYYY format).

I'm listening.

I have said for a long time and I stand by the idea that VS XIII unless it hits a big snag will launch in December of 2012.

 

[Throavium]

Announcement of a non-anouncement? This is huge.

This is the thread. An "announcement of a non-announcement" is anything that ever comes out of Nomura's mouth regarding Versus.

 

[Anteater]

The king speaks about Versus again, this could be huge!

 

[Famassu]

I remember the interviews with Nomura saying that very little had been done with Versus when the initial trailer was released. But I also remember early interviews that described the Fabula Nova Crystallis series as the main focus of their efforts this gen, with XIII, Versus XIII and Agito being the initial games in the series. Of course we all know that issues with XIII and the White Engine threw a wrench in all of that,

Well, to be fair, didn't they also announce FFX, XI & XII at the same time as well, with X-2 being announced after XII but released before it? And it took them almost 6 years to fulfill those promises. This is only OMG UNACCEPTABLE if you view it in a way that they should release mainline iterations XIII, XIV and XV during one generation instead of doing these different XIII games, when in reality Versus & Type-0 are every bit as big & important projects to Square Enix as a mainline XV would be. They are just a bit TOO different from mainline releases to get that next roman numeral.

but that really only points to the potential management issues over at Square Enix that people have been speculating about all gen.

Square Enix has admitted that the way they worked on games is too dated for games of current caliber. They started having some problems in the PS2 era (best examples being the problematic development of FFXII as well as some games not living up to their potential/name, i.e. Seiken Densetsu 4), but it all culminated in the White Engine/Crystal Tools fiasco. They've acknowledged this and have been working to fix all of this (take the Luminous Engine, which they've been preparing with next-gen in mind so that they can jump to PS4/Xbox 720/Wii U development a lot more smoothly). Change simply doesn't happen overnight. But really, just think of Square Enix post-2008/2009 and see how they've been a lot more efficient while also delivering some great quality games (the likes of Birth By Sleep, The World Ends With You, Type-0 and even XIII-2 seems to take plenty of steps forward from XIII, at least gameplay-wise)

Versus is a long time coming, and its hard to see it having the same impact that it would have had it come out a year ago.

FFXII came really late in the game yet that didn't stop it from having an impact and getting tons of praise from critics & fans alike (though, with the usual "we are against this change" fans on the opposite end hating it)

 

[royalan]

Tech issues are something that better managment can only help so much.

Not only that but Nomura is so far the one employe that really doesn't need a new manager over him because he has had continues output from start to finish of this gen.

We haven't had a year go by with out a new product or major progression on something that Nomura has had his hand into and he continues to keep his franchise (KH) and teams doing thing and getting games out, be it Dissidia, KH, or stuff like TWEWY.

I don't know. I don't knock Nomura's talent, and neither do I have any knowledge of how S-E manages their projects, but I wouldn't call it the greatest of management when Nomura and his team have been constantly side-tracked to work on games that weren't in development until after the announcement of Versus (with some of those projects already being released).

Square Enix has admitted that the way they worked on games is too dated for games of current caliber. They started having some problems in the PS2 era (best examples being the problematic development of FFXII as well as some games not living up to their potential/name, i.e. Seiken Densetsu 4), but it all culminated in the White Engine/Crystal Tools fiasco. They've acknowledged this and have been working to fix all of this (take the Luminous Engine, which they've been preparing with next-gen in mind so that they can jump to PS4/Xbox 720/Wii U development a lot more smoothly). Change simply doesn't happen overnight. But really, just think of Square Enix post-2008/2009 and see how they've been a lot more efficient while also delivering some great quality games (the likes of Birth By Sleep, The World Ends With You, Type-0 and even XIII-2 seems to take plenty of steps forward from XIII, at least gameplay-wise)

I don't disagree with you on any of this. I think a lot of Japanese developers in general have sorta used this gen to get acclimated to developing HD games for consoles. Square-Enix isn't the only one to have stumbled.

I'm just wondering if it might be too late for Versus to be received as well as it could have been.

 

[Beth Cyra]

I don't know. I don't knock Nomura's talent, and neither do I have any knowledge of how S-E manages their projects, but I wouldn't call it the greatest of management when Nomura and his team have been constantly side-tracked to work on games that weren't in development until after the announcement of Versus (with some of those projects already being released).

Different overall teams.

VS Team is the same team that made KH 1 and 2 as well as Advent Children, they got sectioned off to work on XIII when Toriyama's team couldn't finish XIII.

Osaka has made ReCoM, Birth By Sleep, and 3D.

Dissidia Team has Dissidia and 012.

So none of them were really side tracked, unless you want to count the KH team getting moved to work on XIII which isn't their or Nomura's fault the XIII team and it's director couldn't get the job done.

 

[ULTROS!]

From the looks of things, this game better be in 2 BLU-rays (game will be over 80GB)!

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

More like...It's Versus XIII's Turn-Based God

Amirite gaiz

Spoiler

I'm running on 4 hours of sleep

 

[royalan]

Different overall teams.

VS Team is the same team that made KH 1 and 2 as well as Advent Children, they got sectioned off to work on XIII when Toriyama's team couldn't finish XIII.

Osaka has made ReCoM, Birth By Sleep, and 3D.

Dissidia Team has Dissidia and 012.

So none of them were really side tracked, unless you want to count the KH team getting moved to work on XIII which isn't their or Nomura's fault the XIII team and it's director couldn't get the job done.

Correct me if I'm wrong, and I probably am, but it was always my understanding that Nomura was the primary creative guy on the projects he was selected to head. So, regardless of the only team behind a project, if he's been spread across multiple projects at once, wouldn't that slow down the development of a game directly under his control?

 

[Regulus Tera]

More like...It's Versus XIII's Turn-Based God

Amirite gaiz

Spoiler

I'm running on 4 hours of sleep

But... Versus is not turn-based.

 

[Disgaeamad]

I want to get hype for Versus, but part of me is just screaming "DON'T DO IT YOU FOOL."

More like...It's Versus XIII's Turn-Based God

Amirite gaiz

Spoiler

I'm running on 4 hours of sleep

That was physically painful.

 

[Beth Cyra]

Correct me if I'm wrong, and I probably am, but it was always my understanding that Nomura was the primary creative guy on the projects he was selected to head. So, regardless of the only team behind a project, if he's been spread across multiple projects at once, wouldn't that slow down the development of a game directly under his control?

We know he stays hands on with the Kingdom Hearts franchise.

Where as things like Dissidia he drew the art for the characters and helped with other aspects but for the most part it was a different crew with it's own director.

There was some excellent posts with tons of great information a while back, sadly I can't remember who it was by, but they listed a lot of details how Nomura worked with sub teams, how Square Enix as a whole worked on games like TWEWY as well as how Nomura is probably the closest thing to Gooch SE has had since he left with how Nomura entrusts games and tries to have younger members of his team come up and take reigns of games and make names for themselves.

 

[Famassu]

Correct me if I'm wrong, and I probably am, but it was always my understanding that Nomura was the primary creative guy on the projects he was selected to head. So, regardless of the only team behind a project, if he's been spread across multiple projects at once, wouldn't that slow down the development of a game directly under his control?

Versus is his main project, but his role with the other projects is more like that of Miyamoto at Nintendo. So while he might contribute a lot to a game creatively, the projects have their own directors etc. He focuses on Versus, but checks up on those other games at times.

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

But... Versus is not turn-based.

I knew that...but...you can add Based God to the end of his statement and it will reference RPGs and a terrible meme.

Apologies all around, obvious-age. I'm going to sleep now.

 

[Lafiel]

I wonder how many people will still care about the game by the time it comes out.

I'll probably buy the game asap when it is released just because of the novelty of the fact that it is finally out.

 

[-Winnie-]

I can see there being KH3 for PS3 and Vita sometime, even if there's a PS4 by then.

 

[jump_button]

So, KH3 after Versus XIII?

they have to show it first and then we wait 5 to 6 year

 

[AniHawk]

Square does a ton of pre-production and planning up front from a core staff, and then they do a massive, quick execution where they throw a million grunts at it. It's modeled on the anime production pipeline.

For example, apparently FFXIII was only in "full production" for about a year, and the demo was one of the first things that came out of it.

So with that playable build done and all the planning complete, Versus XIII could finally be heading into "full production."

so that means the us will probably see it sometime early 2013 i guess.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

MEGATON.

Nomura dropping da bomb!

 

[Regulus Tera]

MEGATON.

Nomura dropping da bomb!

Everything is a megaton nowadays. [/sighs]

 

[.JayZii]

Everything is a megaton nowadays. [/sighs]

I think he was joking.

 

[Regulus Tera]

I think he was joking.

Back in my day bombs meant something. Like, Sonikku in SumaBura and DoraQue going to DS. Now we are celebrating that Nomura has finally decided to continue on that game he told us he was making like a bazillion years ago.

This is what Gaming has become. A miserable little pile of announcements.

 

[Pie and Beans]

Theyre going to stubbornly stick to the Versus XIII name aren't they? ¬___¬