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Final Fantasy 10 Released in Japan
tenchiken writes "Following up on the release of the Final Fantasy movie (which will at least break even for square), Final Fantasy, the first installment of the game for the PS2 has been released. There are reviews at gamespot,IGN,the gia, etc. All of them seem to agree... Final Fantasy raises the bar on storytelling and graphics for RPGs again, ho-hum.
Square also released some details (a movie to wit) for FF11, the long antcipated online game. Square has said that they want to be cross platform, but so far only PS2 and PC platforms have been announced. Korean Site Ruliweb which broke most of these videos is already slashdoted (and the story has not been posted on /. yet ;-) but copies are Here. FFXPosed also has details.
Go Square..."
is there a computer game based on a film. Can't they quit this? What's next, a game based on Blair Witch Project?!
One thing that I really loved about the Bouncer was that Square left the Japanese voice track in the American release, and they even included a subtitle option. It is really really cool to have the cutscenes subtitled, plus the Japanese voice actors for that game were pretty good.
Down that path lies madness. On the other hand, the road to hell is paved with melting snowballs.
I read the internet for the articles.
Nope it's just you. The original Final Fantasy was made when Square was a failing company (look at their pre-FF stuff) and it was the last game they were going to release before going under. After that, the branding of FF was too strong to ignore, so they kept the name. Besides, each FF is in a different world, so you can consider each FF to be the Final Fantasy for that world (especially since many of them deal with the depletion of magic or destruction of the world).
Plus most people don't get hung up on game names, especially since a lot of them are really stupid. The name doesn't really affect gameplay anyway.
I suppose you won't buy any book with a crappy looking cover either.
Down that path lies madness. On the other hand, the road to hell is paved with melting snowballs.
I read the internet for the articles.
Part of the cited cost in the $150+ millions is their new movie house and computer farm. They already have deals for more movies. I would suspect that they never intended to recover all the costs of becoming a movie house on their first film. So I believe your idea that there won't be a second movie is already hasty judgement.
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One thing that's interesting is how long it took to get those games out. I don't remember when the SNES came out, but these were some of the last games to come out for that platform. I think VII only came out about two years after VI (III in the US.) Square really takes their time with Final Fantasy. In my oppinion, they didn't even really finish VII until the movie came out; I think there were things they wanted to put in VII, but didn't, for one reason or another. A lot of those aspects made it into the movie however (In a comment I made a while ago, I covered a lot of these similarities. Check out my My thoughts on the movie.)
In also seems that most Square RPGs are about fun gameplay, Secret of Evermore, Chrono Trigger and more, but the Final Fantasies I've played have all been about story. VI has one of the best stories, and the deepest casts I've ever seen. Xenogears comes close, but I'm not done with that game yet.
I think that getting older makes it possible to fully absorb their depth. It sounds cheesy, but I feel like I understand the game better, now. Also, it's really impressive, some of the graphics they acheived with that primitive hardware.
Yes, I'm still a junky. Are you still a bitch?
Whether or not the film is good is a topic for another thread.
Ita erat quando hic adveni.
Last I read, $50 million of the $150 million budget went to facilities construction. However, the movie is unlikely to make back either the fixed cost of the facility *or* the cost of film production. Given that the film was released in a very favorable time of year and with plenty of advance hype, it seems unlikely that Sony will finance any additional Final Fantasy pictures after seeing its box-office performance since the chance of re-couping the costs seems slim.
The reasons for Final Fantasy's poor performance are also subject for debate, but that's material for another thread.
Ita erat quando hic adveni.
Japan has started issuing xxx.jp domains as part of the I18n domain name system. Of course, that doesn't mean that the domain names have to use characters outside ASCII, which is why slashdot.jp exists.
Until they started issuing these domains, the only Japanese domain names that didn't have
It's possibly the best of the series, vying with Tactics and II (US). It brings the whole fairytale atmosphere back, and there's a load of characters you can't help but get attached to. It's very well done, and I enjoyed it tremendously.
Obviously not, judging by the eight million people who posted this same damn comment before you.
Most of the conversation here has been focusing on Final Fantasy (given, the story is about final fantasy...). But how many of you played "Vagrant Story"? Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge FF fan. I own a copy of all of the FF games released in the US. However, I thought that VS was far more captivating than the later FF games, equal in quality to FFII and III. I never understood why it didn't sell very well here.
Yeah, that's the only problem I have with the games - I want to find out what happened to the characters after the game is over, but the next sequel never really comes back to that. It's good that the games continue to be forward-looking, but sometimes you want to know what happened.
Your right to not believe: Americans United for Separation of Church and
Yes, the final fantasy legend series was released for gameboy. I, II, and III. Don't forget Final Fantasy Adventure either!
I kinda view FMV scenes as a sort of "pay off." You worked really hard to get past this quest, now sit back and enjoy a fully rendered scene of your discovery or reward.
I will admit they over do it at times. Where as FF7 used a decent amount of FMV (which helped flesh out the envirnoment and reward the player), FF8 used it to the point of Square showing off it's CG abilities. There was definately a case of "can I play too?" with that one. They redeemed themselves nicely with FF9, which is a really enjoyable game.
Here's hoping FF10 doesn't over do it.
FF11 sounds interesting, since it's an online experience. It'll be more difficult to put cut scenes into that I would think.
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InstantCool
Don't expect to see any new N64 software out soon, considering Nintendo's getting ready to release their new console in a few months. And Square's made it clear that they'd really like to work with Nintendo (they'd make a killing re-releasing old games on the GBA). It's just a matter of time really...
This post sponsored by Ninja Burger. "
While they don't confirm GameCube development, Square says they really want to - or rather have to - develop FFXI for it. http://cube.ign.com/news/36560.html
Explanation I've heard is that in Japanese the title means more along the lines of Ultimate Fantasy than Final Fantasy, but Final was the translation chosen. Just a minor translation issue...
I've been a die-hard nintendo fan for a long time. I'm sorry, but the company that gave me the Mario series, and the Zelda series will always have my loyalty. However, it looks like I'm being childish in not buying a PS2, because the good games count is going up.
If supporting both platforms makes me a turncoat, well so be it.
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python -c "x='python -c %sx=%s; print x%%(chr(34),repr(x),chr(34))%s'; print x%(chr(34),repr(x),chr(34))"
Well, even in Japan it's called "Final Fantasy", or Fainaru Fantaji, as it were. I doubt the meaning of the word "Final" was fully understood, or it probably would have been Ultimate Fantasy (something like that).
Anyway, just because something sounds romantic doesn't mean it's true.
The "Final" in Final Fantasy does not refer to it being Square's last game. It was chosen because the alliteration sounded cool, plain and simple. Rad Racer, double 'r's; King's Knight, double 'k's (yeah, I know, kn != k, shut up); Final Fantasy, double 'f's.
Japan has never been known for making the most sensical of video game names. This is just more Engrish.
...cant we sue them for false advertising tho??
Surely, FFX, this time round there just rubbing our faces in it:)
If you are looking for a great PS2 RPG to hold you over till FF X makes it here, I recommend Summoner. It has a good story with nice twists and I also enjoyed the gameplay and the graphics.
--Ty
When they say "cross-platform" what they mean is the Xbox and Gamecube. At least that's the buzz.
The Doom movie died in pre-production. They couldn't find a passable script with a PG-13 rating.
- W. Blaine Dowler
http://www.bureau42.com
FF1 is the only numbered FF game without a Cid. (In FF2, he rented an airship. In FF3, he had a hidden airship in the desert. In FF4, he joined your party. In FF5, he amplified the power of the crystals. In FF6, he mentored Celes. In FF7, he joined your party. In FF8, he ran a garden. In FF9, he ruled a nation.)
- W. Blaine Dowler
http://www.bureau42.com
-Legion
Also known among my friends as the "keep the suicide hotline number handy before you watch it" movie. Those couple of minutes are the most brutally emotional scene I've ever watched in an animated flick.
-Legion
I've always told my friends when they ask me what console I'm going to get. "I go where Square goes"= \=\=\=\
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... I don't think they know what "final" means if we are on number 10.
Ceci n'est pas une sig.
I think some of the best FMV cut scenes i've seen used are actually in the Odd World series. THough it is not a fast paced action-ish kind of game the same basic philosophy they've used for doing FMV transitions still hold well.
For anyone out there doing video game design (especially where you think you'll be doing work with Full Motion Video) I highly recommend that you go out and pick up the games in the Odd World series to get a good perspective on how FMV cut scenes can be done well.
-shpoffo
I read in Discover that Square Pictures is done after this. They don't plan to do any more movies, funded or no.
So what about us PC-gamers? I'm still waiting for FF9 to be released for my PC. Or did FF8 kill off the FFPC game market?
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There are two Final Fantasy anthologies for Playstation 1: the first one has FF V (never seen in US) and VI (3 for the SNES) which are direct ports; 16 bit all the way. The only changes are that there are intro and I think outro FMVs. Everything else is the same as the SNES/SuperFamicoms. The second anthology has Final Fantasy IV (2 in the US) only retranslated, not hacked down, and with some other improvements. The other title in that set is Chrono Trigger, another widely-regarded classic from the SNES days. Final Fantasy Anthology
Final Fantasy Chronicles
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Another Xenogears game? Shit. Now I have to buy a PS2. Congrats, Sony, you just proved once again that a good story will sell crap hardware. As it should be.
Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
Now, before you post indignant responses about exactly why the name Linux was chosen, realize that you are just proving my point. There are perfectly good reasons for the name Linux, just as there are perfectly good reasons for there being ten games named 'Final Fantasy'. Yeesh.
I remember when I was in about sixth grade, after Final Fantasy (I) had been out for a little while, rumors of the Final Fantasy III being available in Japan got exaggerated (as young kids do so well) into Final Fantasy 10 is available in Japan! So perhaps the PlayStation 9 is really available in Japan, and Final Fantasy 35 will be coming to the US soon...
... to buy a PS2 just for this and A-Spec.
But two games does not a system make (well, not a $300 system anyway.)
God were those awful. You know it's time to quit when all three games together are going for 25 at Best Buy.
actually i'm pretty sure Sabin's "pummel" was Left-Right-Left (or at least that was some move of his)
First off, to respond to allegations that the movie will "at least break even": it will probably lose money. Meaning, Square will be richer because of it, but that money will simply magically appear in their bank account-- anyone foolish enough to ask for a share of the profits will, of course, be told that the movie lost millions. Now, on to the topic.
I saw this bit on ps2.ign.com:
This world, like Tidus', is threatened by the encroaching power of Sin. Sin is, at this point, a somewhat nebulous concept. Sin is an invisible force. Yet Sin is also a gigantic hideous black-hole thing that launches black spawning horrors that our heroes have to battle.
A lot of FF fans think, as do I, that the villains have just been going down hill. FF7 was one of the best not just because the pacing was good and the game mechanic was fun, but because Sephiroth was an interesting villain. He was evil, he did brutal things, and he made you chase him as he gloated. And, of course, he had a bit of motivation for all of that. The villains in 8 and 9, however, more or less sucked. We had a jealous guy from another planet, and some evil witch or something-- I don't remember because I really didn't care. There sure as hell better be someone cool behind this whole Sin thing, and they'd better make an appearance before disc 235.
One brief note of optimism, however, which I'm sure we'll all be thankful for (from the same article):
The speedier battle system in FFX looks as if it may tidy up some complaints about the persistence of random battles.
Actually I was under the impression that FFX (and presumably FFXI) were being re-written for the PC, no direct porting. Imagine actually being able to TYPE in your character names.....
Now as long as the PC port is on a DVD like the PS2 version, I'll be happy. Disc swapping be damned.
Green-voting, republican-registered, socialist-libertarian.
I thought the same thing, although the number I've come across is more like $210 when you include marketing costs.
Anyway, I was curious enough to look up the latest daily results (as of Wed.):
Jurassic Park III -> $19 million
Legally Blonde -> $2.8 million
Cats & Dogs -> $1.7 million
The Score -> $1.6 million
Dr. Dolittle 2 -> $1 million
Scary Movie 2 -> $979,000
The Fast and the Furious -> $956,000
Final Fantasy -> $793,000
Dr. Dolittle 2 (which has been out for 27 days) is currently in front of Final Fantasy (which has been out for 8 days). The Final Fantasy movie can be catagorized as nothing short of a complete failure, despite how it does overseas and on sales/rentals. A $200 million movie that brings in ~$30 million in the US box office is a disaster. There will be no Final Fantasy: The Movie 2.
Methinks the "break even" comment was just a Square fanboy trying to put a positive spin on things.
Oh okay, thanks for refreshing my memory! :) I forgot the events leading up to it, but the scene in the forest, watching his family waving goodbye from the train will always stick with me. More than any of the details, it's the way that scene in the forest made me FEEL. It might be the saddest thing I've ever seen in a work of fiction. Brilliant!
:) And I did like the total mind-fsck the story took in the end when the truth about Cloud and Sephiroth was revealed.
I agree with you SO much about FF Tractics. I consider that possibly my favorite game of all time. I loved the tactical combat, and I thought the storyline was amazing as well.
Yeah, I played FF7 and thought it was really good, but it never floored me like FF3 or Tactics did later on. There were some gripping scenes though, like the one scene where Red13 discovers his father's remains, and learns the truth about his heroism. I did get kind of attached to Tifa though. I was hoping they'd hook up on that monorail ride in the amusement park.
FF8 didn't even make me want to play it at all. It looked like a pretty-boy soap opera. I dunno, seemed very "mass market". FF9 looks like a possible return to old-school values (well, old-school chara design at least) so I'll play it if/when it comes out for PC.
Ooooh! While we're digging out the memories, here's another trademark Squaresoft heart-wrenching scene from the 16bit era. How about in Chrono Trigger, when Robo meets up with his fellow robots, and they all turn on him. Now that was damn sad. My description doesn't do the scene justice, of course, but people who played the game know what I mean.
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Also, I love how the battles take place right on the map, instead of doing some effect or other and going to a different screen.
:) If I was gonna be producer on an RPG that would be a huge design goal of mine. It's so disruptive to have some swirly effect and then switch to a different playfield to fight an actual battle, like all the FF games do.
You're right! That may have been the coolest part of Chrono Trigger. Why don't more games use that? The Black Isle AD&D roleplaying games for the PC (Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale) have this feature as well. Well, so do the MMORPG's, obviously.
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I don't know, but I sort of miss the SNES roleplaying games of yesteryear. As cheesy as it sounds there was something I really loved about those low-tech graphics. I don't know, maybe it's similar to the nostalgia people feel for the text-adventure games.
:)
I remember one scene in Final Fantasy 3 (6 in Japan). It's been many years, so I may have a detail or two wrong but the gist remains. Anyway, war is sweeping the land. At one point your adventurers come upon a young woman and her daughter. The woman is bedridden, gravely ill. She asks you to take a message to her husband, who's off fighting the war. By the time you can return with her husband, though, she's dead... killed as the fighting swept through her village.
The husband is very stoic. He said something to the effect that since he was a soldier (and therefore part of the war) too, he had no right to be upset or angry. And he walked away.
Later in the adventure, you're traveling through an enchanted forest when you meet up with the soldier again. It turns out there's a train traveling through the forest... a supernatural train that takes departed souls to the afterlife. As the train pulls away, your party and the soldier stand there watching it. And then you see the ghostly image of the soldier's wife and child standing at the back of the train, silently waving goodbye to him. The soldier takes a few fitful steps after the train and then just quiently falls to his knees, sobbing.
I swear that was the most heartwrenching thing I've ever seen in a videogame. Hell, 99% of movies don't have anything that powerful emotionally IMHO. What was my point? Oh yeah, that I miss those "old-skool" RPG's, and that they had some awesome stories too that didn't rely on graphics. Having said that though, FFX does look awesome so if they can combine the wonderful storytelling and drool-worthy graphics I guess it will be cool. I'm just a little skeptical that's all.... yeah yeah I know... memories are often rose-colored... maybe FF3 would seem retarded if I played it today... I'm probably being a cranky 25 year-old bastard....
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Um, Warcraft's honor should go to Dune II. Significantly different, yes, but didn't start the genre.
I knew I shouldn't of taken that speed reading class!! ;-)
My apologies.
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Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
What about the original final fantasy for the NES??
I still play that game!
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Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
I'm not a fan of Nintendo (The only reason I bought their consoles in the past was for FF games), but I am a Square fan. The more platforms they are on, the better.
psmylie's dictionary: Godzillion (noun) Any number large enough to destroy Tokyo
I wouldn't be surprised if you see them on the Gamecube, though, unless Sony locks them up with exclusive deals...
J
I saw the "Final Fantasy 10" story go up on Slashdot. I live and teach in Japan, and much of my time is spent trying to fix the English that my students hear and memorize that has been slaughtered by advertisers.
If you've ever lived in a non-English speaking country (and no, Mexico doesn't really count) you know what I mean.
Anyway, the article went up, and I sat down to reply when it was new. Unfortunately, this was the exact moment my toddler son chose to endanger his own life.
Five minutes later, I get back to my computer and hit "submit."
Ooops. Seems like 50 other people had the exact same thought at the same time as me, and boy, am I redundant. Whoops. Oh well.
I check back later and I've been modded down. Fair enough. But SIX replies filled with abuse?
Ritalin. Learn it. Love it. Live it.
He put his boots up on the table and made a face. "The sig," he smirked. "You can waste your life in search of the sig."
Sorry. I live in Japan. I can personally assure you from bitter experience that Mr. Custom Guy's ENTIRE job is to ensure that the price of melons stays at least at 4000 yen.
He put his boots up on the table and made a face. "The sig," he smirked. "You can waste your life in search of the sig."
I answer this question at least once a month, it seems.
Every Final Fantasy title is just that; it is the ultimate event in one planet's history. Every FF title takes place on a different planet, and they are not really sequels of each other. The only exception to this is a little cross-villaination between FF1 and FF9, and the occasional joke (such as the ending of FF9, where it is claimed in a theatre performance that the hero will be with his lover, and "no cloud, no squall shall deter me." -- Cloud being the hero of FF7, Squall the hero of FF8.) This, and certain common themes aside (celestial beings, background creatures, and the trademark struggle between citizenry vs. ultimately powerful corruption) are all that link the stories together. So, each of them is a Final Fantasy.
ow there sure is a whole lot of negative attitude aimed at squaresoft! First the guy who wrote this "article" says "ho-hum" at the idea of another blockbuster game from square? What is so boring about the best rpg gaming company ever pushing the envelope again? I've been a loyal and avid square fan since the beginning, both imports and domestic games, and I'm superhyped at the idea of a crossplatform FF. The movie was great and FF10 is just awesome!!! (Get it early if you can speak japanese). As for the people who have questioned this article's pertinance to slashdot....I'd have to say that not all of us care about everything that has been written here before but it you don't care for the article, don't post a reply. If squaresoft is guilty of anything then it's releasing Final Fantasy's too close together and not allowing for waiting periods in between. The PS2 has a plethra of extremely well designed games (did I mention you can play Q3 and Unreal Tournament?) with nothing but good things to come. The gaming world doesn't consist purely of Quake and Half-Life! Square should be commended for their brillant storytelling andvisuals, not hissed at because people feel they are becoming to much of a mainstream conglomerate. Anyways I for one eagerly await the arrival of ff11
"that which does not kill me makes me bitter" -anon
VS was sort of an experimental game for them, testing out the rpg storyline in a tombraider style setting. I think it came out nicely don't you!! I loved the game up unil I got stuck at the Jinn My overall complaint would be that the weapons/energy system was a little rough and complicated but I think in a sequel they could fine tune it and create a stunning game ^_^
"that which does not kill me makes me bitter" -anon
it seems that your comments are in essence directed at FF and I find many of your points valid but if you examine the development of square's games as a whole over the past few years, they are trying out a number of new battle technics in an effort to eliminate that crappy FF battle system. Character development is definately something that needs to be improved upon it seems as if they focused on it a whole lot more back in the beginning before graphics were so important. The storyline has always been phenomenal though. But I have found myself wondering from time to time where the hell that demi dragon got 10,000 gil from and if he's so damned tough, why do i have time to run up to him in the middle of a fight and rummage through his pockets (aka Mug)??? While ff has been sliding downhill in some areas, some of square's other games are creating new and rather innovative ways to kill off every living thing on the planet, (PS did you ever notice that an ecological inbalance never resulted even though you kill off half the planet's life?)
"that which does not kill me makes me bitter" -anon
I, personally, have no problems with the actual playback (though like your friend, I don't really have anything to compare it to). It's mainly just the user interface that's screwy. Even after playing a dozen movies on the thing, I sometimes have trouble convincing it to do what I want. On the other hand, once it's chugging along, it's fine. But I'm not qualified to rate the relative sound and video quality other than to say that it generally required cranking the sound up on the TV for my setup (I was using just the plain RCA jacks), and the picture was definitely nicer than a videotape. Other than that, I can't really say.
I'm not quite sure what you're asking. If you're asking if you can pause the PS2 game you've got, play a DVD, then go back to it, I'm pretty sure the answer is no. (You generally reboot the whole machine to play a DVD.)
If you're asking if you can pause your place on the DVD, shutdown the machine, come back later, and resume where you left off, then my answer is that I'm not aware of the feature. It might exist, but I haven't come across it. Generally, I just use the chapter/scene feature that most DVDs support to jump to something relatively close.
One thing to keep in mind is that the DVD player on the PS2 could use some work. I haven't run into compatibility problems, but the user interface is painful. You either need one of the add-on DVD remotes or lots of patience. So I'd be tempted to consider the DVD-playing capabilites a bonus, rather than a selling point. If a significant part of your buying decision revolves around the DVD playback, I'd recommend at least trying it at a friend's house or in the store, first.
That being said, I do use my PS2 as my only DVD player, and it does fulfill my needs. But it's quirky enough that I strongly suggest that you check out what you're getting first. (Which may not be an issue in your case, as you also mentioned the games as a reason you're buying it.)
Just as a side question, is there any way to turn off the PS2 (or rather put it in standby mode) when playing DVDs with either a remote or a DualShock 2 controller?
Cid was the name of the guy who said "if only I had a FLOATER..." or something like that
"They said we couldn't do it [Athlon]... but we built it, we shipped it... and we didn't have to recall it." Rich Heye
Actually, reviews are saying that they're cutting back on the FMV. They also eliminated the tedious fade into battle and give you the option of turning off spell graphics to speed up the game. What they particularly got rid of was the long FMV introduction to the game -- instead, it's live and apparently more "interactive". It seems complaints of previous Final Fantasies having a slow gameplay have not gone unnoticed...
By my unofficial estimate, at Playstation 9 we should be up to about Final Fantasy 35.
/., I really hope by 35 they'll have started a new line of names. At least once or twice.
While I have nothing against the name "Final Fantasy", unlike others on
I know there's a cid in FF2/4, and again he's the airship/engineer type, the "scotty" of FF. I don't think there's a cid in FF1 however, since the only characters you get in that game are the four you start out with, though it's been a LONG time and i could be wrong.
You're the third person, by my count. Square was going out of buisiness, so it was going to be final, etc. etc. In conclusion, don't be redundant.
My joke got modded as Insightful and my insight got modded as Funny.
I won't begin to argue with you about FF9 (I loved the game, I just don't want to argue about it), but I can't entirely agree with your opinion of Chrono Cross as an altogether better game. While the battle system was certainly innovative and complex, I hesitate to say it was "more fun", simply because of the sometimes ridiculous micromanagement you had to do to advance (before completing the game, anyway). And please, no comments about how I'm not intelligent enough to figure out such a simple system. I thoroughly destroyed the game (and wasted a lot of time in the process), but I thought the idea was not to have to play endlessly with spell allocation for the sake of mastering the (overly complex) battle system, but to just have fun. I mean, isn't that the point of video games? I get enough complication and mindless detail in the work I do, and I don't play video games to have to expend more time and mental energy.
I wonder what Mr. Customs Guy has to say about my scheme...
Who complains about FMV's? No they don't make for spellbinding GAMEPLAY, but they do add a cinematic element that's beyond currently acheivable interactivity. The FF games have had some of the best FMV's ever, they're used to introduce characters, illustrate important key events and give more atmosphere than can be acheived in the bitmap backgrounds or the polygonal character models. Most of the action in the FMV's consist of actions that the user would have NO control over, like catching someone's fall, mourning someone's death, looking lovingly into someone's eyes, Or would you rather those were minigames?
"Continually press [x] to advance the SEED fleet across the ocean to the shores of Galdabia."
We have a case with slashdot readers gaining ESP superpowers that can "sense" a slashdot article before getting posted!.
¦ ©® ±
I'm sure everyone has seen the "futuristic" commercial about Playstation 9 (the on where the kid touches the elevator button and gets crack injected directly into his brain).
I was disappointed that they failed to mention what versions of FF run on it.
As a side note, has anybody ever found a good connecting element between all the different FF stories? I think it would be amazingly cool if Square made a FF that somehow linked the them all (or some of them, at least. It would be darn hard to come up with a decent story that connected ALL of them. They are just too different.)
I beat FF3/6 for the nth time last week...
Graphics may get old, but a beautiful, epic story never loses its appeal. And FF3/6 has the most haunting story I have ever lived. I remember crying when the music started and the curtain rose on the Opera scene...
I wish Square would revisit the past and give us something better than the mass-market drivel that were FF8-9.
I wish Square would once more give us strong, capable female characters which are not emotional wrecks.
But more than that...
I wish Square will make enough money with the FF movie to hire a character designer. I mean, Rinoa, Garnet, Yuna and Aki LOOK THE SAME! Tidus is Squall with bleached hair! Come on Square, you can do better than that!
Zoi (who'll be playing FF3/6 again when everyone else will be in front of FF10)
If a video game wants the player to use his imagination, it should be a pure text adventure. If a game wants to go for sensory overload, it should be like a movie or amusement park. On the PS1, Square was torn between these two extremes, and on the PS2 they've chosen the latter.
I'm glad that Square's settled with one or the other; games with movie-caliber graphics but no voice have always felt incoherent to me. Maybe later they'll make a pure text adventure, but otherwise I think they should lean for sensory overload.
Try http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/
huh? Firstly, Sony doesn't produce FF...Square does. Square says when the game comes out and for what systems. Sony does not have an exclusivity agreement with Square, as is evidenced by the fact that FFX and beyond will most likely show up on the game cube...and be a hell of a lot better than the PS2 version. You should really read the news a bit more, because there is far more to the gaming world than just Sony. Much, much more.
Your comparisons of game systems, especially the Saturn/PSX comparsion is crazy. While their hardware may be _slightly_ simular, that's where it ends. The saturn was notoriously hard to code for, which greatly hurt it's game base. Also, when saturn came out, Sega was in a bit of financial trouble and was not able to put a huge sum of money into development. Lastly, the PS2 and GAMECUBE are not very simular at all. One is a home entertainment system, while the other is a thoroughbred game system. They have totally different hardware and the games on each system will have their own distinct look.
Thanks for the tip! My coworker is trying to get his wife to let him buy one, so maybe he'll let me 'check it out' at his new house once he gets it. But he did say the PS2 he saw playing DVD's was outstanding, and considering he had never seen a DVD movie before, I take it that the PS2 DVD is therefore on par with most other low-mid level DVD players.
Well, I've made my decision. After reading the Gamespot review, I'm officially hooked on getting a PS2. Both for it's DVD features, and for it's quality games being produced for it. Now if only they'll build a really good team, online multiplayer FPS like CounterStrike for it... I'll be able to ditch Winbloze entirely! I've already converted most all of my operations to my Linux Mandrake8 box, all that's left is getting a good gaming machine that doesn't rely on Winbloze exclusively, and I'll be set.
Didn't they release some of the series on the old GameBoy? I think one was released in the UK as "Mystic Quest".
I totally agree. One thing that has definitely changed is that no one really dies(of the main characters that is) anymore in the more recent games(at least as far as I have come). In FF2 when the twins sacrificed themselves(when you had been playing with them for a while and had grown to love them) you felt really bad. When the wizard used meteo (knowing he would sacrifice himself) that was truly sad, even more so when his sacrifice did not accomplish his goal. But as the FF series has gone along, I'm feeling more and more distant from the characters. The main character just seems to be a narrator as he guides you through everyone elses story. I mean, Squall in FF8 had no feelings for most of the game and we're just watching everyone else suffering. At the end he has feelings, but he feels like he's just along for the ride. I almost wish that they would kill off more party members, because it really made you mad at the enemy and felt like you had actually lost something. So yes, I vote yes on going back to the classics where the story was amazing and it was a more enthralling tale.
I wonder if this time the game will actually be longer than the music soundtrack, unlike the Bouncer. One day Square will break through the RPG stereotype and relive the days when they could make ANYTHING else. Emotion Type-S, Ehrgeiz, Chocobo Racing and are all QUALITY games!(Sarcasm) They demonstrate their superior mastery of all genres and show true innovation. I am looking forward to Square's next game, which I am rabidly devouring, like a weak little fanboy unfamiliar with the concept of incredibly linear gameplay, prerendered cutscene crap and unbelieveably lame fight/attack scenes. I hate Square.
You'll also notice the use of voice in the game. While Square first began dabbling in voice work with The Bouncer, FFX is the first FF game to use voice acting.
This strikes me as something I would both like and dislike. First, the dislike. As someone else pointed out, those early final fantasy games had something in them that made them truly fantastic. I personally like FFII the best, but the stories were great, and I remember caring about the character and what happened to them. I remember in FFVII when the woman got killed by the Antagonist: I was pissed. The early games had this same quality.
Having voices attached to the characters may remove some of this appeal. It's sort of like reading a book. You have to imagine the characters' voices in your head. It's sort of like when you are chatting online with someone for a while and then get sent a picture of him or her. Somehow, I never imagined them looking that way. I want to be able to imagine what characters sound like and what the tone is like. Somehow being given that information seems like it could ruin that aspect of the game.
As for the good, well, it is obvious. This game continues the proud tradition of high quality story lines that are non-linear. Side games, and being able to do things out of a strict sequence appeal to me. The graphics look fantastic, and voice-overs are just an extension of the technology, just like high graphics were. In the end, I think this development will add to the overall story line. I guess I am buying a PSII so I can check this out!
Lawrence Lessig is my personal hero.
With Nintendo soon to release the GameCube, and M$ is about to released thier new boxedpc.. errh, XBOX. It seems like great timing by Sony, Final Fantasy is huge in japan, which should give them the edge over the GameCube this cristmas in Japan(where the XBOX probertly wont stand a chance). And for the more MS-biased US and EU, theyd just released the great A-Spec. And have Tony Hawk 3 and Metal Gear Solid up their sleves before cristmas, so MS(which probertly will be their greates compeditor in thiese markets) is facing a rough time. I know that alot of XBOX fans are scream by all the power of their lungs that "BOTH METAL GEAR AND TH3 ARE CONFIMED FOR XBOX!!???###!!". And yes they indeed are, but theyll both be ports of the PS2 version. So dont expect anything mindboggeling differnt than the PS2 version, and if MS is going to move XBOXes. They need to convince people its more powerfull than the PS2, porting PS2 games (and making the textures a little larger(hence more pretty)) wont do the trick.
What I meant with the crasy comparisons of consoles, was that i asked for a example of a ported game. And i just meant that the consoles should be relatively equal in generation. So no examples of SNES to N64 ports(since a PS2-GC is relatively close in specs, the SNES/N64 are not). And to support my statement of ports being close in apperence, heres a quote of the Crazy Taxi preview for GameCube at IGN:
The GameCube version of the game is expected to look just as good as the Dreamcast original, if not better".
Now, you could belive that the "if not better part", meant that the cars have 5000 extra polyfons and the game is really upgaded to fit the GC. I can only ask, when? When have this happend in the past? And but seriusly, how much differnce isthere between the PS2 and the DC versions? I have both maschines, and have played the games on both maschines. And this port, like most other Ive played are relatively alike, in fact, I have owned a: Megadrive(genesis in US?), SNES, SATURN, PSX, N64, DC and a PS2(soon to come a GameCube to). And Ive played quite a few "ports" through the years, and to my experince. VERY few of them, in my oppinion, are remarkably different. If you find this lame just give a example of a PORT then, and remember games like the Resident Evil and Toom Raider on the DC arent ports, they have been developed specifially for the DC.
And the ports being developed for the GameCube right now, are reported very alike to the originals(And if you check out the GameCube Phantasy Star Online shots, they differ VERY little from the DC version).
And on a closing note, Im just going to make one last comment. You write in your reply that: "Lastly, the PS2 and GAMECUBE are not very simular at all. One is a home entertainment system, while the other is a thoroughbred game system".
It seems like you think that the GameCube is a FAR more powerfull system than the PS2? Check out theGameCube Vs. PS2, they(IGN CUBE, BTW so you cant say they are biased or anything) compare the two consoles and interview Naugthy Dog and Bioware. Which have games in development on both consoles, one leaning to PS2 and one leaning to GC as the most powerfull. But youll get the picture, the maschines, AS gameconsoles, are VERY close in spec.
Quote from the before mentioned GC vs. PS2 Article. "A lot of the first software that came out, because developers were either porting from Dreamcast or doing something really quick, has only used the base CPU because that's the easy thing to do". There a guy who lives of creating games implies that ports are rushed, meaning that if a system is way more effective. Like the PS2 is over the DC, the PS2 developers just used the CPU and left the Emotionengine, and therefore the VU1+VU2 Vector units alone. This is not the way of creating ports that surpass the originals by far.
The Final Fantasy games have always been wonderful.
They remind me of why I play games in the first place - to escape reality, a fact lost of many games designers today who try their best to emulate the real world... Shenmue anybody?
But one thing has always bothered me since the days of FFVII and that is that FMV in games is a bad thing.
Granted Square have always made the BEST use of FMV in their games but after playing Skies of Arcadia on Dreamcast and seeing just how good cut scenes using the in game engine could look, I can only view the use of FMV as a sloppy, time wasting excercise.
What do you think?
Pete
There are differences between previews and reviews. None of those sites you mention didn't have any reviews about the game just previews/impressions. The only "major" publication that reviewed Final Fantasy X is Famitsu which gave it 39/40. Final Fantasy Hater. Go buy Dragon Warrior III for GBC, instead.
I tried to find the same news on Slashdot but there are only these cryptically looking signs on that page.
jeez... I already said so.
Screw 3...
Consider the RPG users who have bought the following systems for the following FF installments:
Super Nintendo: FFIV, FFV, FFVI (ff2 and 3 in USA)
Playstation: FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX
and now... PS2: FFX
Note that I didn't include the NES because FF was just being established. But FF1 was awesome.
I will buy a PS2 eventually for FFX and FFXI because I'm too bloody impatient to wait for the (often shitty) PC port.
Screw 3...
That was arguably squaresoft's masterpiece.
Screw 3...
I'd have bought the CD's to support Square, but I can't find them anywhere.
Nobuo Uematsu rules!
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The thing most sci-fi geeks don't understand about the movie industry is that, in moviespeak, "in development" means, "in hell". Every time word gets out that a film is in development, based on a computer game, RPG or popular late night sci-fi TV show, the assumption is instantly made that this means it will be made. In fact, the chances of a film that is "in development" being made are actually less than 1%. Do not expect to see Doom on the big screen. I'll go further, and point out that Doom lacks the plot elements necessary to make a film adaptation easy, and the game is too old to have market appeal.
Denial isn't just a river in Italy
Of the two scripts that were offered, both were rejected purely because they sucked ass. PG-13 had nothing to do with it, and sounds like a half-hearted effort to make excuses for the games failure to make the transition to the big screen.
Denial isn't just a river in Italy
Final Fantasy 7 under WINE is not sufficient, so I can only hope that by stating "cross-platform" they infact are not speaking of MACs... and that they are infact down with Lunix as JeffK would say. Rock over London, Rock on Chicago!
There was a "Mystic Quest" for the Super Nintendo, released in 1993. It was aimed at the beginning gamer with its simple interface and relatively easy enemies and puzzles.
Overall, it was a pretty good game anyway.
About every FF since 7 has have about as much full motion video scenes as game play. Some even more than that. I get annoyed with games that make me sit through 5 minute scenes. Well ok, maybe once if it adds to the story but some are just eye candy that I'd rather skip, at least after I've seen it once already. I'm much more interested in actually playing the damn game. Hell I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually release a version of FF where you hit the start button and then sit back and watch one big scene. Oh wait they already have, its just not out of the theater yet ;)
--Won't that be grand? Computers and the programs will start thinking and the people will stop. - Dr. Walter Gibbs
What about the N64?!? I love FF, and am looking forward to seeing FF10, but I don't have a PS2 yet, and I'm getting sick of borrowing the game and system from friends. Why can't they just say that enough is enough, kiss and make up. Not literally though.
What's wrong with /.ing a good game? No one complains about Quake being posted. What gives?
The reason everyone seems to be down on this game is because it isn't really all that revolutionary. To elaborate, I will attempt to draw both PC and console parallels here.
Everyone who remembers playing Wolfenstein 3D, try to remember the first time you saw it. You probably said to yourself "holy shit, this is 3D! This is so cool!". The game was totally new and different, and thus, it attracted an enormous crowd. Then came Doom, where it was incredibly cool to see people deathmatch over a network or modem connection. Again, it totally wowed people that you were competing against eachother. Of course, following that, we all dropped our jaws when we saw GLQuake running with a 3D accelerator. It was a fundamental change to the nature of the game. It was now rendered in full 3D, and thus took advantage of 360 degrees of space. It fundamentally changed how the game was played.
Now try to remember how it was the first time you saw Quake 3. It was impressive, yes. The curved surfaces were nice to look at, the game had been made a little more fast paced, but nothing had fundamentally changed. Thus, while Quake 3 was very succesful it is not really a truly incredible game. Doom 3 will likely have something that fundamentally changes the game, even if it isn't graphics.
Final Fantasy 7 (the one everyone seems to love) is much like the original Quake. Until FF7 had been released, RPG gamers knew nothing but dumpy sprites and text boxes. All of a sudden, here comes an RPG with 3D characters. The choice of weapons is reflected in the graphic representation of what your character wields onscreen. The spells throw out bursts of light and the like, where the older games' spells simply shook the screen. And, of course, the movies came. For a lot of people, this was what made the difference. No longer did gamers read a text box to find out what happened, they saw it in a beautifully rendered movie sequence. Many people can argue that the FMV detracts from the gameplay, but there is no doubt that the combination of movie sequences with the complete graphical updates fundamentally changed the way we experienced the games.
Now, if we flash forward by about 4 years, we'll start to see why Final Fantasy 10 isn't as awe inspiring to most gamers. The jump to more polygons per character is definitely not as important as the jump from sprites to polygons was. More pretty lights don't really impress most of us. Square needs to get their act together and release that truly next generation game. Maybe it's going to be their planned MMORPG (FFXI)... I for one think that until that next fundamental step is reached, that one thing that separated DOOM from Quake, people will probably continue to complain that square is releasing nothing but 50-hour long virtual soap operas.
Don't forget Sid!
Personally I like the diversity (wow deja vu) of /. stories. Being a gamer this topic does interest me some. /.s appeal is in the fact that at any given point in my day I can come here and read interesting stories from all different interest areas and then read intelligent (well sometimes) responses and opinions on the story. Now I can comment on how sick I am of all the good RPGs appearing in Japan months ahead of the U.S appearance and give my opinion on the quality of recent FF games. FF9 was pure crap, sorry for those that liked it but it was, it was like the Windows of FF games, simplified beyond reason. Chrono Cross on the other hand was a much better game for many reasons, I hope that FF10 will go back to the FF tradition of more complex (and fun) battle systems and innovative gameplay.
http://www.gamedev.net/reference/articles/article
Any videogame considered "groundbreaking" would fall under the /. umbrella. Also something about the RPG genre (moreso than FPSs??) connects with "geeks". Perhaps the fantasy / identity assumption elements? Maybe we're just suckers for cheesey romantic subplots :)...
One link between the FF stories is Cid, there's always a Cid in there somewhere. I've seen Cids in FF7, 8 & 9. I'm sure I remember a Cid from FF3/6.
There's even a Cid in the movie.
Does anyone remember if the earlier FFs had a Cid in? Guess it's back to ZSnes for me to go find out , or maybe Nesticle (Depending on how old FF2 is)
I don't think I'm very happy. I always fall asleep to the sound of my own screams.
I guess some has been waiting for this. But i have to say that this is not my final fantasy.
If it's wet, Drink it!
If it's wet, Drink it!
Yeah, CT is quite a game. Seriously, if you MUST consider graphics when purchasing an RPG, Square always say its latest game "pushes the limit" of the system it's currently running on, and then they manage to prove otherwise with every sequel. If you want to see a game that REALLY "pushes the limit" of a system, Chrono Trigger is the thing. Remember the "Magus" theme? I know I do. How about those graphics? Very few SNES games I can think of match THAT quality. Also, I love how the battles take place right on the map, instead of doing some effect or other and going to a different screen. The only thing I could wish about CT is that it was longer.
Will Square fans ever see games as consistently amazing as they were in the 16 bit era? I doubt it. Still, I'll wait and see what FFX brings us (and FFXI, which sounds to me like a MMORPG?).