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[Primethius]

None of the people claiming that remaking FF7 this gen is a technical impossibility without splitting it have played any modern MMO's in the last like... 10 years.

Don't fucking talk to me about "different locales" and "voicework" and "textures" and "caves" and shit. I don't know how these people managed to convince gamers that this cannot be done. It has to be one of gamings most surreal mysteries.

This. so fucking much.

For reals? I've played plenty of MMO's. You mind telling me how many MMO's are successful that operate as one-time $60 purchase rather then an initial purchase and then monthly subscriptions?

Do you want to keep drawing incorrect comparisons just to prove a point?

 

[kitchenmotors]

Do you think Square-Enix would have to hand craft every blade of grass to recreate a convincing FF VII world?

Yes, of course Witcher 3 reuses some assets. Simultaneously, it's impressive how much variety there is in the textures and geography. The overworld is full of character and unique geography. It ranges from swamps to streams to agricultural fields to ocean side fishing villages on to wind swept rocky islands, from villages to massive cities, from towers to dungeons to ships perched on the tops of icy mountains. There is an impressive wealth of unique variety in that game.

Square doesn't have to meticulously recreate every screen of FF VII detail for detail. They could succeed and please most fans by simply capturing the aesthetic of each area, the corrugated iron of the slums to the high tech corridors of Shinra. As evidenced by numerous open world games in this and last generation (e.g. Witcher, Xenoblade, any of a number of other games), the overworld should not be a significant challenge either.

Large scale open world games are a challenge the industry conquered long ago. I don't know why Square-Enix is having such a difficult time doing so themselves.

Exactly.

Like I said earlier, it baffles me how Monolith Soft was able to create the huge worlds in Xenoblade Chronicles X. They must have wizards working for them, yet a company like Square Enix, who I would expect to be able to do this more so than anyone else given their past games and overworld experience, has had such a difficulty with this since last gen.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Great post that sheds light on the difficulties of modern game development. Considering that VII has so many unique assets, do you think they'll be able to fit it all into one disc for when the world opens up?

If the idea is that it's too expensive to take a massive old game like FF7 and remake it all in realistic modern 3D graphics, then I don't see how the world ever opens up to the extent that it did in the original.

 

[rootbeerafloat]

So this isn't even a real game, just a cheap reskinned FFXV that will recreate a handful of scenes from FFVII to cash in on people's nostalgia. Pretty gross, SE. Pretty gross.

 

[Mobius and pet octopus]

I'm not concerned how they deliver the game... almost.

I personally don't like episodic games, but I'm open minded for ff7 because it is ff7.

 

[A-V-B]

Even if we do get a world map at the start of Episode 2, having the Midgar episode end right after the motorcycle chase, with Cloud staring off over that iconic scene of the unfinished highway...

Actually, can you imagine if the first part is all they ever make, and our lasting image is of that unfinished highway?

That would be beautifully horrible.

 

[Cavaliersfan767]

Didn't Verendus say 2 FFVII titles were in development for the PS4? I guess he meant FFVII Episode 1 and Episode 2.

lql

2 would be fine, i could get behind that.

 

[QuiteWhittle]

This sounds like Peter Jackson stretching The Hobbit over three seperate films. It doesn't really sound episodic in the Telltale sense, at first glance.

 

[GregLombardi]

Actually, can you imagine if the first part is all they ever make, and our lasting image is of that unfinished highway?

That would be beautifully horrible.

rofl. this is so going to happen.

 

[MissDeviling]

Of course they would. Xenoblade X has a larger world than Final Fantasy VII with flying mechs and it runs on the Wii U just fine.

This is 2015, they could install all the assets needed from each disk to the hard drive.

Glad to hear it. Then I have zero worries about them splitting this release up.

 

[Kindekuma]

This sounds like Peter Jackson stretching The Hobbit over three seperate films.

This is taking the cinematic experience in gaming a little too far.

 

[Ray Down]

Suddenly, a remake of a company's most popular, best selling, iconic game of all time with a modern action combat system is the most risky project ever taken on by said company. Yep. That's where we're at.

-Development costs are way up
-Cost of living in Japan is high
-JRPG popularity has fallen

 

[MagicWithEarvin]

Man, this is going to set such a dangerous precedent if it works out well for SE. I know some publishers do episodic games already, but not at this level. Can you imagine upcoming AAA games coming out episodically so they can get them out to you "faster"? Sell you chunks of the game at a time.

 

[Paltheos]

Hey, it'll be great. We can have FF7-3 Cloud Returns,

Spoiler

fitting with Cloud returning from the Lifestream in the third act.

It's like poetry, it rhymes.

And another game at the end to tie in Advent Children. Everybody wins.

Spoiler

Someone wins... I'm sure.

 

[JeffZero]

Of course they would. Xenoblade X has a larger world than Final Fantasy VII with flying mechs and it runs on the Wii U just fine.

Large worlds ain't everything.

How many story events are in XCX? How many hours of cutscenes? How many unique settlements brimming with unique content?

 

[Guri]

I understand making it episodic is the only way to get it greenlit.

But the fear here, if I'm not mistaken, is game simplification as a result of how it's managed. Anything to make it cost less after dumping so much money into the game's production value.

Instead it might be a game that is linearly structured like Uncharted. Fewer scenes, fewer enemy types, cut from set piece to set piece, etc... just so they can get the episodes out the door and meet the absurd visual standards of a CG film.

I don't think there's a chance of less content here. It will have more content. If that means good or bad content remains to be seen, but that's the same question any new game project has to face. FF VII is structured in hubs, so they can include what will be used in a new episode/part. I don't think they will stop free-roam for already available areas. Unless they need to lock one down for story-reasons, they will be available to visit if you could do that in the original game.

The real question here is how that will be done, though. For example, will a new episode be installed on top of previous ones, meaning that in the end it will just be one huge installation? Or will they be stand-alone, meaning that they will need to give you access to areas you visited before and can still visit? That remains to be seen.

 

[laser]

Man, this is going to set such a dangerous precedent if it works out well for SE. I know some publishers do episodic games already, but not at this level. Can you imagine upcoming AAA games coming out episodically so they can get them out to you "faster"? Sell you chunks of the game at a time.

People already pay for early access, which I think is way worse.

 

[Boke1879]

This. so fucking much.

No one said it can't be done. But people are realistically saying it'll cost a shit ton of money and we know game development has skyrocketed.

People on this thread said Konami was right to let go of Kojima for spending 80 Million on MGSV. You don't think this budget would be comparable and why no publisher in their right mind would want to spend that much?

Especially when you have FFXV? DO you think they would have greenlit XV if they knew it would end up as the cluster fuck it would be today?

I understand it being episodic or multipart or whatever the fuck they are doing with it isn't ideal, but this is the reality of modern AAA game dev.

 

[bonkeng]

Well, if the content for each episode is like any jrpg, which is atleast 30hrs of playtime, then I'm fine.

They're adding new content anyway, so all good.

 

[ZombiePlatypus]

What's this revisionist bullshit ? The market was much MUCH more receptive to JRPGs back when FF7 released, especially coming out of the SNES era. Especially since japan still dominated the market, and when JRPGS were done still very frequently and were a known pedigree amongst most gamers.

A "one-game" FF7 could probably sell like hotcakes (hell it would) but nowhere near 50 million. The best it could hope for is possibly 10 million, rivalling the likes of pokemon maybe, and that's unsure even. Japan has lost interest in consoles. And the west is not that big JRPG consumer realm that it was. And no guarantee for square who would have to work for several years, pouring millions into this project (with all the risks during this development hell. I mean look at their other recent projects). And i'm sorry but they're a big company, they have employees who need their job. Going "all out" on a single project, even FF7, is being completely unreasonable and putting fanboyism over common sense

Oh come on, there's a night and day difference in terms of interest in the genre before and after VII. Yes, it had it's fans in the west before VII came out, but it was still incredibly niche. We all love VI and we all love SNES JRPGs but let's not pretend they were breakthrough hits that VII was.

 

[Hibiki Kurosawa]

-Development costs are way up
-Cost of living in Japan is high
-JRPG popularity has fallen

But XV

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

FFVII remake to cost $180.

Brilliant.

 

[Shrennin]

This sounds like Peter Jackson stretching The Hobbit over three seperate films.

It kinda does, but hopefully in this case there's no uneeded extension of the story, but rather that each episode is developed fully so that no part of the game feels rushed.

I got the FFVII port on PS4 PSN so I don't mind if Square messes with the formula in ways that make sense.

 

[Cipherr]

Replace DLC with Original Game brehs. ItsHappening.GIF

 

[SmarmySmurf]

I have no problem with this. I'm already waiting for the Xbox One version anyway, might as well wait for the full release.

 

[aitakute]

I'm fine with it. People are really negative

 

[JaseMath]

Welp.

 

[Voror]

I wonder if this could be seen as lending even more credence to the rumor about CC2 being the ones developing this with Nomura. After all, the .hack series was episodic in both series and even Asura's Wrath's whole story was framed in terms of episodes even if only the last part wasn't on the disc.

I'd imagine there will be a season pass of sorts for the other episodes.

 

[A-V-B]

Large worlds ain't everything.

How many story events are in XCX? How many hours of cutscenes? How many unique settlements brimming with unique content?

I do agree that the world of FFVII, taken as a whole, is gigantic. Not the overworld. That's fine. That'd probably be pretty easy to make.

But when you have to enter all of those towns? They're all different. All of them. Different themes for every single one and that's the daunting part.

It can still be done. Just not with this style.

 

[thiscoldblack]

I was concerned that this would happen after watching the latest trailer. It was all the beginning and nothing else. For all we know, the first chapter might go all the way until you leave the city of Midgar.

I guess SE loved the format (and sales) of Life is Strange.

 

[fester]

I think they've largely lost content in favor of intense spectacle.

Now that's a perfect 1 sentence summary of modern day Square Enix.

Not only have they seemingly lost the ability to create deep content, but when faced with the job of "remaking" old content, they can't cope and fall back on just adding more spectacle.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

Man, this is going to set such a dangerous precedent if it works out well for SE. I know some publishers do episodic games already, but not at this level. Can you imagine upcoming AAA games coming out episodically so they can get them out to you "faster"? Sell you chunks of the game at a time.

For me, it all depends on how much content each episode is. Like if each episode had a massive world that took me months to finish, I wouldnt have a problem. I also wouldnt expect them to fit it all in one game if it was that big.

 

[Obliterator]

The only way I could be ok with this is if each release is a literal game. We are talking 30+ hour RPG in each installment. Like they are going to add that much content and turn this into a trilogy of full scale games.

Otherwise its just insanity

 

[DangerMouse]

Well I mean, the E3 trailer has literally twice as many views as any Uncharted E3 trailer. (12 Million vs. 6 Million)

Think about that for a second, twice as much as Sony's biggest exclusive franchise.

It's great to see.

It certainly helps that it reaches "practically" Advent Children-level CG in realtime. That stuff is super hype for a lot of people, particularly seeing FF7 and it's world and cast in that level of detail in their old FF7 style and writing. Regardless of people's opinion on that movie itself.

 

[davidwhangchoi]

i hope the episodes are not 5 hours long ala telltale games.

 

[computers putin']

Man, this is going to set such a dangerous precedent if it works out well for SE. I know some publishers do episodic games already, but not at this level. Can you imagine upcoming AAA games coming out episodically so they can get them out to you "faster"? Sell you chunks of the game at a time.

*shudders at the though*

 

[webkatt]

So will there x number of platinum trophies?

Spoiler

Probably no platinums!

 

[Steel]

-Development costs are way up
-Cost of living in Japan is high
-JRPG popularity has fallen

FF VII Remake is literally the least risky AAA product they can tackle. Like, FF XV is more of a risk.

Did I say anywhere that development costs aren't up?

 

[RDreamer]

Suddenly, a remake of a company's most popular, best selling, iconic game of all time with a modern action combat system is the most risky project ever taken on by said company. Yep. That's where we're at.

In the business world when not many have attempted what you're about to do, that means it's risky.

 

[Primethius]

But XV

What about it? I can almost guarantee that XV is not even close to the scope and scale of FFVII.

Hell, GAF should know all about that. We get development updates on XV and all the stuff it won't have every now and then.

 

[munchie64]

Other than the obvious problem of price, I don't see much wrong with this.

 

[JeffZero]

Didn't Verendus say 2 FFVII titles were in development for the PS4? I guess he meant FFVII Episode 1 and Episode 2.

lql

I do indeed recall that.

Hmm.

 

[kswiston]

What's this revisionist bullshit ? The market was much MUCH more receptive to JRPGs back when FF7 released, especially coming out of the SNES era. Especially since japan still dominated the market, and when JRPGS were done still very frequently and were a known pedigree amongst most gamers.

A "one-game" FF7 could probably sell like hotcakes (hell it would) but nowhere near 50 million. The best it could hope for is possibly 10 million, rivalling the likes of pokemon maybe, and that's unsure even. Japan has lost interest in consoles. And the west is not that big JRPG consumer realm that it was. And no guarantee for square who would have to work for several years, pouring millions into this project (with all the risks during this development hell. I mean look at their other recent projects). And i'm sorry but they're a big company, they have employees who need their job. Going "all out" on a single project, even FF7, is being completely unreasonable and putting fanboyism over common sense

I think that the West's disinterest in JRPGs compared to the glory days is overblown. Final Fantasy XIII shipped more copies outside of Japan than IX and XII did. Pokemon sales have been pretty consistent for over a decade now. Fire Emblem Awakening and Ni No Kuni both outsold the large majority of PS1 and PS2 JRPGs in the west, not counting Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and a couple Nintendo series. Bravely Default did better in the US than most PS1/PS2 era JRPGs did.

The problem isn't so much that these games stopped selling in the west. It's just that everything else has seen massive sales boosts while big JRPGs are largely stuck in that 1-5M sales range with very few exceptions. That range was perfectly fine for a AAA project back in 2000. Not so much now.

 

[ZombiePlatypus]

None of the people claiming that remaking FF7 this gen is a technical impossibility without splitting it have played any modern MMO's in the last like... 10 years.

Don't fucking talk to me about "different locales" and "voicework" and "textures" and "caves" and shit. I don't know how these people managed to convince gamers that this cannot be done. It has to be one of gamings most surreal mysteries.

HD towns

Spoiler

and maybe full, proper games

are still hard apparently.

 

[Prototype]

At $49.99 per part I'm sure. Kinda ruins the whole hype part of being hype for the remake.

 

[Cavaliersfan767]

Hope they dont cut content and add a binch of cutscenes and make it into some tv BS. "Previously on FF7" that would suck. If you could make the games install over each other so you can keep the content from the previous part that would be cool.

 

[fertygo]

I always thought they gonna split it, no surprised or angry at all.

 

[Dysun]

God dammit Square, you were so close

 

[InsaneTiger]

Everyone clamors for remakes then they bitch when it is remade. This is what can happen. Maybe it will be open world as well!

Honestly? The news was very meh for me. Whatever, people will buy it and it will encourage other pubs do to the same shit.

Anybody want FFVI remade now?

 

[True Fire]

Large worlds ain't everything.

How many story events are in XCX? How many hours of cutscenes? How many unique settlements brimming with unique content?

Xenoblade X has a lot of serious issues, but that's moreso on the developers than anything.

Final Fantasy VII's world isn't really that big, unless they go full Final Fantasy XV on it. But if there is a world map (fingers crossed) I'm guessing Nomura will go with his original plan for Versus XIII and have it be a 3D version of a traditional Final Fantasy overworld (so not open world).