-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Tetsuya Nomura Is No Longer Directing Final Fantasy XV
- Thread starter Volotaire
- Start date
BumblebeeCody
Member
This game is in development hell soooooo...this just adds to it really.
My thoughts exactly.
Relaxed Muscle
Member
Is PR stuff...c'mon guys. Even if the project was so "far" (but still we don't even got a tentative release, not even a year), there's no reason to totally put him away from the project, and not even gave him a "creative director" position to oversight the development with periodical reunions.
Not to talk is totally abnormal situation in any creative industry, to brush it off as something normal...
CosmicGroinPull
Member
That sounds fantastic to me, since it seems to me the biggest weakness of the new FFs - convoluted story with characters you don't care about.
Yes, 'blonde''s looks are pushing it a bit for me as well. Can't help you there.
LegendofLex
Member
I don't think this move in any way reflects the quality of the job Nomura was doing. It seems to be purely a "we need to get these games out ASAP guiz" play.
That's not to say I'm voting for or against Nomura's job as the director. I just think that's the logic.
That's not to say I'm voting for or against Nomura's job as the director. I just think that's the logic.
KillerDark
Member
FFXV has to be near completion at this point... I'm not seeing this as a bad thing. Allowing Nomura to start on KH3 sounds good to me!
Cpt Conifer
Member
Because options are good, and this little high school hipster looks even more annoying than Vaan or Lightning. But I guess that's the demographic they're targeting at the moment.
Omnipunctual Godot
Member
To be fair, they look more Japanese than Caucasian.
Edit: Except for the highly annoying blonde guy. Maybe it's me, but I honestly don't understand why Square has this penchant for creating a minimum of one intentionally annoying party character in each Final Fantasy game. It boggles the mind, and maybe it's due to a cultural reason that I'm not aware of, but ever since the annoying characters were given speech in FF X, it's been a real blight on the series.
They don't look generic to me at all. Probably some of my favorite designs from the series.
Dunno, makes sense for a prince to be hanging out with his buddies. Makes sense for a prince on the run to not randomly have people he doesn't trust join his party, male or female.
Prototype Viktor
Member
I'd like to think that Disney told square not to f around, this is phase movement Disney not some small town company. They'll make the game themselves (by hiring out) if they don't deliver quick enough to go with the Disney Infinity 8.0 planned
Cpt Conifer
Member
Guys let's have a moment of silence and ruminate over just how fucking amazing Vagrant Story's character designs are in comparison to this dreck. The sole pitiful excuse of the deniers are that they don't like Ashley's buttcheeks. Taste vs trash, homies.
Also did main character design for Parasite Eve.
Some Nobody
Junior Member
Complainers on GAF suddenly stumped when XV sells like crazy and people make articles about how cool the fashion is. Because that's what they are--fashionable.
TheJollyCorner
Member
goin' kinda brutal into Famassu in these threads, duck. :/
As far as the topic, it does surprise me how it's being handled.
This definitely isn't a subtle message.
Now I'm wondering how the game credits will be handled. Will Nomura still be titled as 'Creative Director' with Tabata being 'Director'? I mean, regardless of how much weight Tabata is carrying, Nomura's fingerprints still appear all over this project.
I have faith in Tabata, though. I liked Crisis Core (didn't really love it) and haven't played Type 0, so a part of me would have been more excited with Kitase wiping his directorial cobwebs away and pulling this thing together. This could be Tabata's chance to shine, though.
After years of confusion and speculation, it actually seems like they (and us, as fans) might have a legitimate finish-line in sight.
I like both. I don't live in some world where liking one thing means I dislike another.
Also, the person who did Vagrant Story's character designs/art (Akihiko Yoshida) also did FF14, and it is amazing.
I would LOVE Yoshida on FF16.
Kingdom Hearts 3 did wait. They JUST started working on that game last year.
As for saying "no" to the higher-ups at Square, yea, I don't think that would work out so well.
I'm not saying it isn't Nomuras fault, but I'm saying shifting ALL the blame on him, when we don't know what happened, that doesn't seem right.
With nearly a decade of on and off planning and development, the game's very fabric has got to be dripping with Nomura's vision.
Sounds like Tabata is being brought in mostly to cross the t's and dot the i's. He probably has a more solid reputation internally for producing results on a deadline. He's also been working on the game for some time, so I doubt the intent is for him to fundamentally alter the game in any substantial way. They just want him to finish the fucking thing.
Their secondary goal is probably to have Nomura in a position to ship Kingdom Hearts 3 within a reasonable time following 15's release. I'm sure Square Enix wants to avoid a repeat situation where they announce a game that takes years and years to ship. Nomura said last year that he thought they were announcing KH3 too early. Square Enix probably disagrees with his assessment, and therein lies the rub.
Yes, they're probably forcing this on him... and it probably will impact his future at the company following the release of FFXV and KH3. That would totally explain the weird PR angle they're taking.
For fans, it means we'll probably get both of these games faster... I'm not sure a possibly bitter and disillusioned Nomura provides any great hope for Kingdom Hearts, though.
Sounds like Tabata is being brought in mostly to cross the t's and dot the i's. He probably has a more solid reputation internally for producing results on a deadline. He's also been working on the game for some time, so I doubt the intent is for him to fundamentally alter the game in any substantial way. They just want him to finish the fucking thing.
Their secondary goal is probably to have Nomura in a position to ship Kingdom Hearts 3 within a reasonable time following 15's release. I'm sure Square Enix wants to avoid a repeat situation where they announce a game that takes years and years to ship. Nomura said last year that he thought they were announcing KH3 too early. Square Enix probably disagrees with his assessment, and therein lies the rub.
Yes, they're probably forcing this on him... and it probably will impact his future at the company following the release of FFXV and KH3. That would totally explain the weird PR angle they're taking.
For fans, it means we'll probably get both of these games faster... I'm not sure a possibly bitter and disillusioned Nomura provides any great hope for Kingdom Hearts, though.
LegendofDragoonLives
Member
No one said it's all his fault. But he is the director and if the game is 5 fucking years behind schedule, then yeah.. he should take most of the blame for it. The rumors of him bouncing all over the place to reach his "vision" make sense.
LegendofDragoonLives
Member
They could pull people but if everything was on schedule, there's no way the amount would be so big. NG has two teams and they shift depending on focus but they can still put the other game out when it comes time.
Fourth Storm
Member
I don't have anything against Nomura, and am not enough in-the-know to place the blame squarely on him for this title's ridiculous length of development (besides being the director, of course), but it seems Tabata has been tasked with getting this game done. This seems like good news to me. At this stage, the Nomura-approved story, characters, areas, and etc are assuredly locked in to place. I just hope this doesn't turn into a situation like FFXII, where the end of the game is rushed.
qualitydisc
Member
I have to agree to this assessment, and I hope we're looking at a "best case scenario" where all of Nomura's key elements in play and they need someone talented (and Tabata is) to come in and wrap things up while Nomura goes and does other creative-conceptual stuff. Nomura is the single most influential taste-maker of the Square Enix brand and it's been glaringly obvious to me that they've been spreading him way too thin across multiple projects in the last few years. Nomura himself has admitted that he isn't a skilled multi-tasker and relies on a lot of staff to support him when he's on multiple projects.
I certainly hope this is NOT a Final Fantasy XII Yasumi Matsuno situation where the pressure of a mainline FF is making him crack. I'm sure it's an unimaginable amount of stress to be the figurehead of a project like this.
Also I wonder if he will be credited as a director on the final project or just "concept" (and character design) as Matsuno was.
Aurean_Mentat
Member
I don't think it's necessarily fair to lay all the blame at Nomura's door. He's pretty much the saving grace at Square Enix right now (at least, in terms of the Japanese directors). To hear a lot of the hype around FF XV, you'd think that he was the Great Savior, come to redeem FF from the garbage that is the FF XIII trilogy.
Its easy to forget that they kept pulling staff they had assigned to him to work on other projects, or that they had kept putting him in charge of other mobile/portable games, as well.
So at this point, does Nomura bear some of the blame? Sure. But Square Enix deserves the larger share, because while Nomura's games take a while to come out, when they do, they're really good. He's the only Square Enix guy I can remember who hasn't really made a bad game, ever. And Nomura's games I'm sure are going to join the old FFs in terms of the games that get ported to every system imaginable, eventually.
I do think that this heralds his exit from the company after KH III, though, for much of the same reasons that a lot of the other people in this thread have pointed out.
I don't have too much faith in this Tabata guy, but because of the part he got to play in 3rd Birthday (not the story) and in the other games he's had a hand in, but I'm cautiously optimistic.
I no longer have any blind faith in FF XV though, because Nomura is the one person in Square Enix who reminded me most of the way Squaresoft used to do things (Their games were made by artists who cared first and foremost about them being good). These days, Square Enix seems more focused on the other thing (Games made by business people seeking to turn a profit). It's down to a 'Do I want to make games, so I need to make money?' or a 'Do I want to make money, so I need to make games' type of thing. All about where your focus is, and I think Square Enix's is on the latter.
That's also the reason I have no faith in the company anymore, and why I wait for their titles to hit the bargain bin or a decent sale before I think about getting them.
Its easy to forget that they kept pulling staff they had assigned to him to work on other projects, or that they had kept putting him in charge of other mobile/portable games, as well.
So at this point, does Nomura bear some of the blame? Sure. But Square Enix deserves the larger share, because while Nomura's games take a while to come out, when they do, they're really good. He's the only Square Enix guy I can remember who hasn't really made a bad game, ever. And Nomura's games I'm sure are going to join the old FFs in terms of the games that get ported to every system imaginable, eventually.
I do think that this heralds his exit from the company after KH III, though, for much of the same reasons that a lot of the other people in this thread have pointed out.
I don't have too much faith in this Tabata guy, but because of the part he got to play in 3rd Birthday (not the story) and in the other games he's had a hand in, but I'm cautiously optimistic.
I no longer have any blind faith in FF XV though, because Nomura is the one person in Square Enix who reminded me most of the way Squaresoft used to do things (Their games were made by artists who cared first and foremost about them being good). These days, Square Enix seems more focused on the other thing (Games made by business people seeking to turn a profit). It's down to a 'Do I want to make games, so I need to make money?' or a 'Do I want to make money, so I need to make games' type of thing. All about where your focus is, and I think Square Enix's is on the latter.
That's also the reason I have no faith in the company anymore, and why I wait for their titles to hit the bargain bin or a decent sale before I think about getting them.
ActStriker
Member
What's the return on the resources poured into Nomura's projects as of late?
Cpt Conifer
Member
I like both. I don't live in some world where liking one thing means I dislike another.
Also, the person who did Vagrant Story's character designs/art (Akihiko Yoshida) also did FF14, and it is amazing.
I would LOVE Yoshida on FF16.
I wish we could have seen Matsuno's original vision for Vaan.
ZombiePlatypus
Member
I like both. I don't live in some world where liking one thing means I dislike another.
Also, the person who did Vagrant Story's character designs/art (Akihiko Yoshida) also did FF14, and it is amazing.
I would LOVE Yoshida on FF16.
Yeah WTF is this one or the other bull? Both look amazing.
Square just shot themselves in the foot.
I don't know how much the rest of you know about Japanese culture (I'm an expert), but honor and shame are huge parts of it. It's not like it is in America where you can become successful by being an asshole. If you screw someone over in Japan, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.
What this means is the japanese public, after hearing about this, is not going to want to purchase FFXV or KHIII, nor will they purchase any of Square's games. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but Square has alienated an entire market with this move.
Square, publicly apologize and reinstate Nomura back as the director or you can kiss your business goodbye.
I don't know how much the rest of you know about Japanese culture (I'm an expert), but honor and shame are huge parts of it. It's not like it is in America where you can become successful by being an asshole. If you screw someone over in Japan, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.
What this means is the japanese public, after hearing about this, is not going to want to purchase FFXV or KHIII, nor will they purchase any of Square's games. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but Square has alienated an entire market with this move.
Square, publicly apologize and reinstate Nomura back as the director or you can kiss your business goodbye.
You do if you're a project lead. You don't go "Oh, yeah, I totally can do five other projects in addition to this MEGA PROJECT I've been doing for 2-3 years now. *thumbs up*" It's unrealistic, you tell your bosses as such. If they fire you, that's their problem.
The major problem with vs 13 is:
-Nomura had to WAIT for the FF13 engine to even be done.
-Then helped FF13 to finish putting vs13 on hold so he can get the engine to start development
-Then did KH1/2 HD instead of focusing on vs13 due to "fan demand" or whatever for Kingdom Hearts.
Instead of:
-Telling Square "no, I'm busy with vs 13, you want that out the door ASAP yes?" and...
-ACTUALLY FUCKING WORKING ON THE DAMN THING, wither by licensing a third party engine (unlikely in the time FF13 engine was floundering) or doing it your own way.
I will partially blame Square for tying the FF13 albatross around his neck, but I full blame Nomura for not being one to say "no, I have too much on my plate already."
You're late, Road.
It has normally already been done by this point, but not in this thread. I guess people were really taken aback by this news.
Anyway, the thread was incomplete without it. It can now fade into obscurity like Nomura. =P
A day later, I am still baffled by this.It doesn't sit well with me at all.
I understand Nomura maybe too meticulous or under productive but why would you want him OFF the project so late into it ?
If it were a matter of productivity Nomura could have still been director while Tabata pushed the team forward to the finish line.
Its matter of creative difference ,but why so late into it ?
I understand Nomura maybe too meticulous or under productive but why would you want him OFF the project so late into it ?
If it were a matter of productivity Nomura could have still been director while Tabata pushed the team forward to the finish line.
Its matter of creative difference ,but why so late into it ?
Citizen_Insane
Member
Best post in this thread that says all I could have said. Especially in regards to the bolded. Nomura really is the only one at Square who hasn't made a bad game yet, and I don't think he ever will. Once he leaves after KH3 (which I firmly believe will happen), I'm done buying games from that company.
I am honestly pleased by this news. Grestly pleased. This game has taken an "Apocalypse Now" creative bloat to it. What this shows to me is that SE executives are finally getting their shit together and not putting up with an ineffective, and obviously inefficient project manager.
vicissitudes
Banned
Hey Square, go die in a fire you worthless POS company.
Way to wait until the FFXV demo is announced to kick off Nomura. Scared that your years of negligence might have just bit you in the ass huh? Fuck you if you think I'm paying for this now after you sat on your thumb for literally YEARS only to put Nomura on KHIII before FFXV is even finished. You're a bunch of clowns. I take it as a personal insult that you mouthbreathers are allowed to make decisions with regards to how franchises I used to really love are handled. I make two better executives than your entire company combined in the toilet every morning before I go to work. I look forward to the day that your company crashes and burns into the fucking sea, at which time the directors you've already scared away with incompetence and negligence can be finally whored out to smartphone games.
As the owner of five Final Fantasy games please go swallow glass.
Way to wait until the FFXV demo is announced to kick off Nomura. Scared that your years of negligence might have just bit you in the ass huh? Fuck you if you think I'm paying for this now after you sat on your thumb for literally YEARS only to put Nomura on KHIII before FFXV is even finished. You're a bunch of clowns. I take it as a personal insult that you mouthbreathers are allowed to make decisions with regards to how franchises I used to really love are handled. I make two better executives than your entire company combined in the toilet every morning before I go to work. I look forward to the day that your company crashes and burns into the fucking sea, at which time the directors you've already scared away with incompetence and negligence can be finally whored out to smartphone games.
As the owner of five Final Fantasy games please go swallow glass.
I shed a tear ;-;.
Eeeee it's good, but it's no Age of Sony or I'm An Expert.
Damn.
LegendofLex
Member
Wait, really? If anything the fact that they're ready to release a demo is pretty concrete proof that this game is pretty far along, way past the stages where Nomura's defining touch has historically played a noticeable role.
Is that what the FFXIII demo meant as well?
BeatResetsTheWorld
Banned
Man...I just don't even know what to say to this, considering some of the actually awesome designs we've gotten in previous games...
The trailer, ignoring the dinosaur ass kicking, basically reminded me of this scene from Zoolander
