Slashdot Mirror
Dell Partners with Square
zenintrude writes "Gameforms is reporting that Square has signed a deal with Dell that will secure new Dell computers to be shipping with Final Fantasy XI pre-installed. This comes on the heels of another story involving Square partnering with nVidia, in which certain aspects/details in Final Fantasy XI will only be able to be accomplished with a geForce4 card."
Dude, you're gonna lose productivity.
I hate sigs.
Ok, so they're going to put a game that I'll have to pay a low low monthly fee in order to play it?? And it'll be included?? For free? WOW! Please tell me more? I'll get.. how many months free? Please where do I sign!?
Anyway, having a game show it's full potential (!)only(!) with a GeFore 4 sucks! :(
They seem to make a lot of friends: how many people have exclusivity agreements with Square now? It is getting so it isnt quite so exclusive anymore....
I sure don't mind it shipping on new computers from Dell, but requiring a nvidia card for certain things? That is rediculous. I use an ATI Radeon (aging one mind you) and would like to see some real compatibility between them!
What we see depends on mainly what we look for. -- John Lubbock Now search for that bug slave!
All this promiscuous 'partnering' is sure to result in a computer virus that won't wash off so easily.
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Dude, you are getting a level up. g
Interestingly enough, a large amount of market share of Square is owned by Sony, which also sells PCs. However, I have yet to see any announcement of Square products being shipped on Sony PCs. It seems strange that the reverse is not the truth.. is there something going on behind the scences here?
Don't even start.
All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.
nVidia has finally realized the edge it needs to put ATI under: marketing dollars. No amount of cool tech from ATI will stop the fact that Square signed this deal with nVidia. This is where the GeForce4 will get its' edge against the technically superior Radeon 9700 Pro.
It's the same way with Sony. If you can't win with better games, win with more money and an unstoppable juggernaut of a marketing department.
Dell Preinstalling computers with FFXI is a nice idea. It will probably help assure compatibility with their machines. Both Dell and Square would benefit from the sales.
Now only if Dell could convince them to port the game to Linux, they could have a killer game, on a killer OS!
Maybe I can talk my supervisor into putting in an order in with IT for a Dell, I just need to find a clever way to justify a Dell and not something else...Hmm, let's see, Dell will offer "alternative" operating systems while Compaq does not - I can always say that I need Linux for rapid mySQL and other sophisticated-web-related acronyms that he won't understand...no wait, I don't think that FFXI is going to run in Redhat.
Didn't FFXI already fail?
Seriously how many games like EQ are we going to see made? Why didn't square try to cut into some totally uncharted territory and offer something that no one had ever seen. They could have done so much more with the idea but they didn't. Might have worked well too if they had done something totally unique. What the game market needs is originallity not rehashes of things that have been and are being done to death.
However show me a MMORPG of Shadowrun (done well please) and I might take interest. Shadowrun has always been a wonderful world to play in, and it is a shame that no one has really done much with it.
unless they're gonna port ff to linux, it's windows all over the world again!
Spread the RC luvin'
You're getting a hit-point bonus!
And then, at that moment there was a Final Fantasy that didn't fly off the shelves...
crazy dynamite monkey
Does this mean this game won't run on an ATI or anoy other 3D card? If thats the case then thats one game I won't be able to play.
...these jokes are getting old.
But seriously, this could be a good thing and it could also be a bad thing. If FFXI gains enough popularity to generate the fanbase it needs in Japan, a US port (to PC) would be almost guaranteed. But, considering that nobody wants to pay (monthly) for FFXI after buying it, is giving it away free going to make people want to buy it? I think not. Take Everquest, for example-- you can pick up a jewel case copy for $10, a huge slash over what it was back in the day. I did this. And I stopped paying for it two months later, when I found that I don't like that style of game. If anything, it's going to get a huge fanbase for the first month or so and then everyone will quit.
Of course, that's all just my speculation, being a typical FF fan. See sig.
"Why Subscribe?" Good question...
but I mostly agree that with the exception of ff7, everything else since ff6 (US, and the greatest game ever made IMHO) has been complete and utter ass.
Spread the RC luvin'
It took someone long enough to understand how to deal with the MMORPG market, and it took Square to do it.
The thing is, rpgs of this sort are -addictive-. There isn't alot of gameplay to them, never has been. (I hold this true of games like NWN and the like; you don't actually -play- the game, you -experience- it. And this is addictive. It's also why I refuse to play them anymore.)
So what are they understanding? That 'Hey! You can give the game away for free and charge for subscription, like AOL cds!' If there's very little cost of entry, you're more likely to try it and, thus, be addicted by it. Behold, instant cash cow.
I'm just wondering why it took so long for companies to figure this out, seeing as how I've read speculation on this crap for years...
Your best bet is to borrow an OS install disc from one of your friends and install the OS again from scratch.
I want to be able to play FF7 on my new PC.
There would be such a massive market if they released a patch, or released a remastered version of the game (updated graphics, perhaps?) that it would easily cover it's own production costs.
Does anyone else remember when the really great thing about an Nvidia card was incredible performance at great a great price, and not gimmicks?
Is it just me, or did anybody else see this exact story come out of the random Slashdot story generator?
they are saying that there are some parts of the game you will not be allowed to play if you don't have the GF4 installed.
Being unfamiliar with the game, lets just guess that there will be a quest for some semi-uberweapon, but if you have a Radeon 9700,for instance, you will be unable to equip it or something equally sucky
You either believe in rational thought or you don't
What? Don't think it'll sell? So quit trying to port XI.
"You're never ready, just less unprepared."
Before you know it every Dell box will come with Windows pre-installed. Oh, wait...
Square's been doing this stuff forever.. Remember Super Mario RPG? Actually, that Disney one looks kind of intriguing.. Probably pick that up for 'the kids'.
I'm just upset they're abandoning the installed FF fanbase in favor of a 'trendy' MMORPG. What made the series great was the story lines, characters, the single player experience.
Now instead of leveling up to track down Sephiroth or defeat the Ultimate Weapon, I get to have Jimmy McNutsack in his parents basement in Iowa call me a 'big gay fag homo'.
I swear to god, those things are just irc chatrooms with 3d avatars, and less intelligent conversation.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
I swear to god, those things are just irc chatrooms with 3d avatars, and less intelligent conversation.
:)
:)
Says you, big gay fat homo!
j/k, of course. Read his post before you moderate me down, please!
I wish Square would do something BESIDES put out the same game every year or so. They havent done anything original or compelling since Final Fantasy 7
I don't think you have the right to accuse them of this. While they've rehashed the same genre over and over, they did put thier hearts into making Final Fantasy the Movie. It didn't do too well in the box office, so now they're back to making games.
They tried branching out, and it didn't work out as well as they had hoped. Give them some credit, they tried.
The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky
Good idea:
Striking a business deal to provide your game on a large customer base.
[Please note that I say this for games, not utilities or operating systems]
Bad idea:
Requiring your game to only be 'optimized' on a specific company's chip-set.
AnamanFan - Trying to find the Truth, one post at a time.
Listen, I will make this point once, so listen up. I know you guys are regular Linux nuts, but when it comes to games, you obviously don't have a clue.
;) )
The reason Square is making so many 'exclusive' deals with Final Fantasy XI is because they want this product to be a success. MMORPGs, whether the cheap ****s who won't and never will float the monthly fee will admit it, are quit good and successful games. If this is a quality MMORPG, Square could have themselves a big money maker on their hands. Not only that, but an MMORPG that is insanely popular is a great way to get consumers interested in your other console games. Even better, its a good way to convince them to buy the console where near all Square games live.
( Exception being for portable Squaresoft games. No portable Sony system. )
Square knows it needs as many people playing its MMO as possible. More subscriptions means more monthly cash, more 'friends' of possible subscribers online, etc. . They don't want barriers such as 'which gaming system you prefer' to stand in the way of addicting you to their game. ( especially with that nice monthly fee
Basically, this story means that a great number of people will play this game purely because it comes with their new Dell computer. It ensures a greater online gaming population of players, and more subscriptions for Square. Its a smooth move.
1. Give away someone else's software with your new computers, with a monthly fee that doesn't go to you, but in fact goes to someone else.
2. ????????
3. Profit!!
Honestly, you can't expect a company to turn their nose up to licensing offers ($$$) just to honor some "no sell out" philosiphy. The phrase "sell out" is not in the vocabulary of marketing people. Partnering with every company that wants a piece of the action might rub the hardcore fans the wrong way, but it makes Square millions.
Heh. I remember back when nVidia support was in the minority and 3dfx was 'the' graphics card chip. nVidia didn't use any sick tactics back then: their business practice was clean. It seems that has changed; though I suppose Intel was that way once, too.
It's a lesson in monopoly. You keep a company at bay, balanced by another and they BOTH behave and keep prices down. You leave one alone, and prices go up, service goes down, and the customer gets screwed.
I can only hope ATI does well with the latest Radeon Pro (quite highly rated from what I've seen). I'm disgusted with nVidia. This kind of business practice makes me think I should never buy an nVidia card again. Some areas only playable if you buy a ridiculously expensive card? It's incredible what capitalism gives us, just incredible.
Logic is the ultimate device.
We just saw a story on the collapse of 3dfx. One thing the story didn't mention was Glide, and 3dfx pushing it down the throats of game developers to try to get a monopoly on the market. Thank God for John Carmack, Id Software, and OpenGL.
Now nVidia is doing the following: "This comes on the heels of another story involving Square partnering with nVidia, in which certain aspects/details in Final Fantasy XI will only be able to be accomplished with a geForce4 card"
Now a geForce4 is a nice card, but the ATI 9700 is the only card that fully supports DirectX 9. You would think the 9700 would be better for Final Fantasy.
There is probably a chunk of code that says,
if (card_manufacturer = nVidia)
{
frame_rate=fast;
colors=vibrant;
special_effects=on;
}
It seems like nVidia is going the 3dfx route. Too bad; competition in the graphics card market is good for the consumer.
This is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, Dell is offering pre-installed games (albeit with only one choice). This increases the number of people with the game, and we all know that when your friends tell you to play something, you should give in to peer pressure. On the other hand, this is just another app that the common computer user will never figure out. They'll probably try to do a straight delete of the game and accidentally delete their important documents in the process (so goes the way of Windows). You know, maybe if these people read Slashdot, they would instantly become intelligent and open-minded.
And now, for a sig that's a complete copout.
Approps. page-bottom quote tonight-
"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. -- W.E. Hickson "
Why can't square move on from the Final Fantasy name?
Bushido Blade
Einhander
Ehrgeiz
Vagrant Story
Xenogears
Parasite Eve
Chrono Trigger/Cross
Driving Emotion Type S
The Bouncer
Kingdom Hearts
I think that Square pumps out the quality non Final Fantasy titles, and you're just not paying attention.
I agree that SquareSoft has pushed out a large number of the FF series games, but have you taken a look at their other offerings?
Parasite Eve? I've had numerous hours playing, but more importantly, replaying the first of that series. As for the second one, it's still a good play.
FFT? Okay the name is the same, but the play is much different and welcome to replay.
There are also a couple of other RPG titles that I've yet to buy/play (Salsa(?) Frontier, etc).
So, I'd have to say that they put out more than just FF games and those ones are quite good.
and the Irishman took the fly in his hands and yelled, "spit it out!"
I find this to be a puzzling move by Square to have aspects/details that only run on a Geforce4. The XBOX basically has a custom Geforce 4 chipset, which obviously is made by NVIDIA. I don't understand why they would target such a chipset on computers, and not the XBOX while they are at it. Maybe Sony won't let them...
From jargon file:
/seks/
SEX
[Sun Users' Group & elsewhere] n. 1. Software EXchange. A technique invented by the blue-green algae hundreds of millions of years ago to speed up their evolution, which had been terribly slow up until then. Today, SEX parties are popular among hackers and others (of course, these are no longer limited to exchanges of genetic software). In general, SEX parties are a Good Thing, but unprotected SEX can propagate a virus. See also pubic directory.
While they've rehashed the same genre over and over, they did put thier hearts into making Final Fantasy the Movie [imdb.com]. It didn't do too well in the box office, so now they're back to making games.
Damn, do I count as the only person on Earth who actually liked "Spirits Within?"
I mean, it had a decent plot (even if large portions of it did drew heavily from the games IV/II, VI/III, and VII), the graphics made for amazing eye-candy (good enough CGI to "forget" it counted as an animated movie after the first fifteen minutes), and a reasonably consistent game (er, movie) world.
I really suspect it flopped only due to the same anti-animation prejudice American audiences have against anime in general. I don't know a single person who said they hated it - But at the same time, I don't know more than two or three people who actually saw it.
This game is one of only two reasons I'll be buying a PS2 (the other is Kingdom Hearts). So, if ertain aspects/details in Final Fantasy XI will only be able to be accomplished with a geForce4 card, will that leave PS2 users out of those aspects and details? I'm not a hardware junkie, so I'm not sure of the specifics of the PS2, nor do I much care. I just want a kickass game experience. But if there are going to be GeeWhizForce4-only parts, am I really going to get what I pay for if I buy the PS2 port? As an FF fan since FF1, I'd feel a little jaded...
Blog Prophyts - Right On, Man
I have a problem with all Massively Multiplayer Online Only games... and I think a lot of other people have the same problem with them... monthly fees! I don't want any game where I HAVE to have an Internet connection (broadband preferably) and also HAVE to pay a monthly fee just to play a game. You may also even be required to pay for the game up front too. This just doesn't seem like something that the general consumer wants to bear. I like gaming a lot, and I like playing my games online... but I only play the ones that are free to play online (Unreal Tournament, Medal of Honor, Warcraft 3, etc.). I have played Asheron's Call, Ultima Online, and EverQuest but it turned out that I had a lot more fun playing those types of games (RPGs) by myself. Also, a huge problem with MMO games, is their longevity. Think about it, if you have your NES, Sega, TurboGrafix, NeoGeo, etc. games still and the consoles, you can still play them now. This will probably (95% sure) not be the case with all your MMO games. How many of those will still be around and playable 5-10 years from now. My guess, not many. There goes your time and money investment.
3df/x tried that foolishness. It was just before they died...
Kind of ironic Nvidia is trying to have their card look better in games and have their competition look shitty by paying the developers of games do so. Maybe the next generation of Nvidia cards won't be all the great from them. Why else would they have to resort to this. All this will do in the end, is drive ppl away from PC games and more towards consoles. The PC Game market isn't in the greatest shape atm and this will only compound the problem.
Don't despair. They haven't abandoned the loyal, traditional fans with FFXI. In case you missed the announcements, shortly after Square revealed the details of FFXI, they mentioned they would soon start designing FFXII which would take them back to the original single-player RPG format.
The XBox has an integrated GeForce3 GPU. ;-)
...did anyone mention Dell's new all-in-one package? TFT-LCD on a stand, with a clip-on CPU that hides behind?
I mean, it had a decent plot
No, it didn't. It wasn't a Final Fantasy plot, it wasn't an american plot... and it wasn't even a very good Jappanese plot.
it was bloodthirsty, distopian, anti-establishment, and mundane. Every good FF game I've ever seen has magic and a villian that the heroes actually fight and face down... Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within did not.
Now, don't get me wrong--the CG was great, the design of the gagets was great, and the story had a message... but between every character aside from the two non-military folk dying and the utter lack of FF's traditional "different" feel, it just wasn't a good movie.
Great CG. Bad Movie.
I really suspect it flopped only due to the same anti-animation prejudice American audiences have against anime in general. I don't know a single person who said they hated it - But at the same time, I don't know more than two or three people who actually saw it.
The last movie I saw that I hated was "Superstar," and I got dragged to go see that. I'm an anime fan, I saw the movie twice... and while I won't say that I hated the movie, I hate the fact that they wasted the chance they had with a bad script, lousy voice sync, and bad market research.
Making a movie isn't art. Making a scene or playing a character is, but making a movie is a business, just like making an art gallery is.
The 'story' linked to is actually shorter than the slashdot 'story' reporting on the linked 'story'......my head hurts.
e x p e c t d e l a y . c o m
I would have liked it if I hadn't predicted the entire out come of any plot element the minute it was presented. What it needed was a plot that wasn't quite so predictable. The only thing it was to me was a CG fest (much like their games tend to be)
Agreed. While the concept of being able to have my own custom black mage running around is intriguing, I have yet to find an MMORPG that I really enjoyed and didn't require me to treat it like a part time job to advance.
I would have rather seen another traditional FF game taking the spot of FF11. Another game like 9 would have been great. Oh well.
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
While the Radeon 9700 Pro might be cock of the walk at the moment, ATI has always had a horrible reputation with drivers, and it looks as though (while things are a bit better with the 9700) this trend will continue. Meanwhile, nVidia has consistently produced the most asskicking drivers around (for Windows anyway...). The NV30 might be a little late, but I'll take a proven track record of solid drivers in addition to powerful cards over anything ATI offers me. I hate to sound like an nVidia fanboy, but ATI has yet to prove themselves and I'm not willing to risk jumping ship just yet.
That being said, I'm extremely pleased to see ATI making the headway they are into the market. We haven't seen any competition since nVidia hit the scene and eventually blew 3dfx out of the water. Can ATI do the same to nVdia as they did to 3dfx? Maybe, but at least until then we've got some real competition. The downside of course, is that both companies may resort more and more to partnerships like this in lieu of real innovation and solid tech.
Good call. Shadowrun would be a great MMORPG. The "D&D" style fantasy games, even with FF's added technology aspects, are played out to beat the band. Give us Seattle, plus (with game technology's capabilities these days) an expanded Shadowrun universe (worldwide, perhaps?), and you have something that would put MMORPG on the map for keeps. Deckers, Mercs, Street Docs, awesome weapons and wild magic. This game is screaming to be made for the online audience.
Blog Prophyts - Right On, Man
I totally agree with you. FF1 was a good Ultima 4 clone, but since then they put out exactly the same game every year! Not to mention they are far too linear to be considered real RPGS. They have more in common with the Sierra games of old.
> Driving Emotion Type S
hmmm...this one didn't counted, right?
this game is the single best reason why square should never ever try to make racing titles again.
well, Home Alone titles (oh, the pain!) didn't stopped THQ from making games at all...so square will probably keep trying too...
They can bundle a friggin' game, but where's the JVM?
That must be part of the "real operating system" option--the one that Dell doesn't offer.
The deal was with Dell Japan, and I would imagine this is only going to happen with Dell's Japanese computers. Here is a relevant link at Dell's page, and another story in English.
...that you're gay!
Spread the RC luvin'
You never know...they already announced to make PPC PDAs, soon enough, they might announce to make an XBox clone or a Squaresoft Console.
Alea jacta est!
( Exception being for portable Squaresoft games. No portable Sony system. )
Vaio?
Will I retire or break 10K?
Kingdom Hearts
More like "I Got You Babe".
Ehrgeiz
Now that was a good fighting game, better than C(r)apcom's Street Fighter. But you have to mention where Ehrgeiz came from: it was essentially a texture-mapped version of Square's earlier Tobal No. 1, with obstacles.
Will I retire or break 10K?
Aside from kickback fees from Square, what does Dell get out of it? Certainly noone is going to buy a Dell over something else simply beause of a $50 game preinstalled.
Can the fees possibly cover the increased support and installation costs?
Square USA has nothing even close to this; Dell is silent as hell. even square japan has nothing at all:
the only press release i can find is here but it just says Nvidia chips are used for testing and with the "best way to play" logo -- so does Unreal Tournament 2003 -- it says nothing about GeForce being the ONLY playing video-card (as all directX compatible (OpenGL?) should work okay. (just like UT2k3 runs just fine on my radeon)
besides this is all for japan anyway. There are rumors (Electronic Gaming Monthly) that says there may not ever be a FFXI release because of the massive amount of support square will have to burden -- and if EA does not want to do it, they may just skip it. (can't find online version of article)
small side note: i remember back in the days when FF7 supported every videocard *except* nvidia TNT... haha... but eventually nvidia gained enough popularity / people bitched about it and they released a patch to allow nvidia. (they even had software rendering back then!) i bet if us radeon users bitch enough they will make a patch for it too.
another small side note: again. back in FF7 pre-nvidia-patch days -- the software rendering was so slow it was possible to predict the slot-machine thingy for one of the mini-games. i actually did much worse in that mini-game after the patch was installed. -- so i finished that part with software rendering, and played the rest with the patch.
My life in the land of the rising sun.
As a Linux convert I've come to really like having choices. When a piece of software (open or closed) rises to the top on its own merits I don't have much to complain about. The problem is when a product is artificially bootstrapped the alternatives tend to get ignored, even if there are 'better' choices. I really liked my Amiga and Atari Lynx. Unfortunately I was 'forced' to switch to the 'inferior' substitutes of a Windows 3.1 PC and a Gameboy in order to stay mainstream. Certainly poor company management was a factor in both these cases, but I consider them clear examples of quantity beating out quality.
Hopefully I'm just old and bitter. I used to play Everquest, enjoyed it for a time, but in the end it was just sucking up time and providing little enjoyment. I was aware of the amount of willpower I needed to exert in order to give up the game. MMORPGs can be fun, but addictive. Everquest was certainly much harder to give up playing than any MUD I played, and those were free.
FF11 might be a great game. Square has certainly rarely disappointed me. But this is a new and wide open market, and name recognition will sell units even if the game sucks. I just don't want to take another step backward, and I'm pretty sure deals like this aren't designed to improve the market for me.
A steaming cup of soykaf would be real wiz right now.
I would be more pleased if Dell would ship computers with vi preinstalled. :-)
My other first post is car post.
I had a lot of fun with that game.
It had a whole LOT of references to the pre-FF7 games.
The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either. - Benjamin Franklin
That would be ok except for the fact that "Final Fantasy" means absolutly nothing. None of the sequences have anything to do with each other, in fact they all pretty much have radically different combat systems.
Not to mention, that Square has always been the best at showing the visual quality of consoles. Final Fantasy VI blowed out of the water what people thought was possible with the SNES. I play Chrono Cross to this day and it is hard to believe it is for the Playstation One. Final Fantasy X is the de facto example of the graphical power of the Playstation Two. I can guarentee you things done in Final Fantasy X just could not of been done on the xbox. Look at any of the still screens from Final Fantasy X and they usually look blurry and like crap if something complicated is going on... But actually being animated on a 57" TV it is smooth as silk.
It makes sense really. In real life every "frame" your eye perceives is just a blur and it signifies to your brain how fast it is actually moving. It is hard to make action really smooth with the low refresh rate of NTSC televisions... but the 24fps on a DVD look extreamly smooth.
So ya, Square is defiently moving on. Just keep in mind that Final Fantasy==Square's latest showcase. Any other release they make is them just learning hardware better in order to make their next game.
Parasite eve was only made to develop the rendering engine for Final Fantasy VIII. (Of course Final Fantasy VIII was never finished and was released early thanks to the marketing depeartment.) Chrono Cross was released to make the rendering engine for Final Fantasy IX. Believe it or not, "The Bouncer" was released to develop the rendering engine for Final Fantasy X.
The comparison is off base. Now if your Formula 1 were denied because it didn't have the pre-approved endorsements on the hood, then that would be relevant. It's not a technological feasibility issue, performance is out of the question. The issue is corporate politics extorting consumers to defray fair and open competition.
Cute metaphor anyway. Maybe Get your Honda Civic Turbocharged and see how it fares...
Isn't that the whole point behind Final Fantasy XI? To actually be able to roleplay? With the technical expertise and the sheer amount of time they have been working on this. Playonline.com which is what was made to host FFXI was registered back in 2000. They started planning it long before then. I seriously hope it is a world where I can play a role and get fame and build social characters from it. Evercrack really failed in that aspect.
:(
:)
Though I do agree, if Square made a table top Final Fantasy with a GM and the whole 9 yards it would totally kick ass. But I doubt it would sell to well
And people who just kill things to get exp and have strong characters are not roleplayers... we call them rollplayers
Just a reminder, Slashdot was better when it was a site for discussion, and not a game where superiority was measured in accrued karma points. I believe that was the motivation for obscuring your karma score.
In light of this (discussion vs. karma), please reevaluate what the parent meant when they said "points".
They started designing FFXII and FFXI at the same time. :) I saw screen shots of FFXII almost a year ago. I would send you the link, but I seem to be lacking the macromedia programs necessary to view squaresoft.com :/
;)
I do remember this, the chick in this one has a bare midrift
--Chrono Cross was released to make the rendering engine for Final Fantasy IX.
Really ? Seems strange, the Chrono Cross engine has the same look and feel as the previously released Xenogears engine (and even roughly the same file layout). I don't think it bears much resemblance with the FFIX engine though...
Karma cannot be described by words alone.
FFXI will be relased first for the Playstation 2. If you don't own one already, buy one. It's a lot cheaper than the gosh-wow Nvidia cards.
Besides, everyone knows consoles are better than PCs.
--
#nohup cat
The alleged image of the FFXII girl in the flower field that you are probably talking about is a hoax. It doesn't come from Square.
< tofuhead >
It is still the dark of night.
the Chrono Cross engine has the same look and feel as the previously released Xenogears engine (and even roughly the same file layout).
???
Xenogears (great game, btw - looking forward to Xenosaga ep. 1 next year...) used a polygonal background with sprite characters animated on top of it for the exploration. The Gear sequences were fully polygonal, but seemed to use VERY simplified backgrounds. In fact, it seemed to be the exact opposite of the FF7 engine, which used polygonal characters over static (or fmv) backdrops.
Chrono Cross was all polygonal, IIRC (Can't seem to find my copy to verify this). Again, the backgrounds during combat were very simplified, but enginewise, that appears to be the only similarity I can find. (the other similarity between the two games being the exceptional music, by Yasunori Mitsuda, IIRC)
I can't speak for the file layout, though. =)
Graphics-wise, you're pretty much right. Xenogears's engine was limited to 2D sprites on a richer background, and 3D models on a coarser background. Crono Cross is full 3D, that's why I consider it as an improvement over the Xenogears engine, kinda "Xeno engine 2.0"
Consider the controls and the gameplay... Don't you think they're quite the same ? you have 3 attacks, light/medium/hard, you have (roughly) the same combo system and the same way to "charge" techniques/elementals. The gameplay is not ATB-based : in both games, when it's the player's turn to play the game just waits forever for your command.
Given that and the file layout, the Crono Cross engine is definitely "Xeno engine 2.0" IMHO. Of course, I may be plain wrong on this one, anyone knows better ?
Karma cannot be described by words alone.
Definately agreed. My ATI card (Radeon All-In-Wonder) was beautiful for what it could do, but severely hampered by drivers. The thing was loaded with features, and quite fast. However, due to incredibly crappy drivers, 90% of my games (particularly those needing directX in fullscreen mode) would not play in Windows 2000/XP. I have a dual install of 98, but it was annoying to have to reboot to play my games.
Also, on a few games I noticed that sound would go to crap in win98 games after awhile. While the video card had no relation to my soundcard, once installing a GeForce4MX this problem went away. I'm guess that the ATI drivers for 98 had a memory leak or something.
It's like having an awesome car, and a pair of undersized tires and low axles. It's great to drive around, but go anywhere with a bump and something gets torn out from underneath you...
Good video card=hardware+drivers+support+compatibility - phorm
Yes, for godsakes, port FFX. I've been waiting for ages to play this damn game. I hardly think it fair that I have to shell out money for a PS2 console just to play FFX, since it doesn't seem to be available for any other systems.
Thus far I've collected all of the FF series available to North America up to FFIX. I have FFI on NES, and the rest as part of the FF Anthology/etc. I was somewhat saddened that FFIX didn't come out on PC, although I ended up buying the PS1 disc and played it through on emulator (which worked surprisingly well).
Unless a decent emulator comes out or a port for PC is announced, I may end up not playing FFX at all, even though I love squaresoft games.
Limiting themselves to a single console seems to eliminate a lot of people from getting the game. I haven't seem PS2's coming out overly cheap on eBay yet either.
Anyone know of FFX/PC or a good PS2 emulator? - phorm
So why would it have been on a Square web site?
You would THINK that the 9700 would be better for FF -- if the support and mature drivers were there, since it seems the hardware outguns the GeForce4 by a solid margin. However, it sounds like there are still plenty of kinks to be worked out in the 9700 line.........
Look at it another way: if you were Dell, who would you part with? nVidia, which has market share majority, excellent customer support, regularly releases improved drivers, and is constantly working on bringing bleeding-edge tech to market in a timely manner. Or ATi, which has traditionally focused on the lower-end, OEM markets; has a long history of shoddy drivers support; and an unproven track record in the higher-end markets to which Dell is marketing their computers?
At the end of the day, Dell is going to choose the company with the best all-around features. Having a magnificent piece of technology doesn't mean squat if it can't run reliably, due to driver / compat issues.
I liked Final Fantasy all the way up to FF7. FF8 and onwards have been among my least favorite games.
Take Driving Emotion type S for instance. Many people would tell you that it's quite possibly the worst racing game ever programmed on ANY platform. Likewise with Ehrgeiz (sorry, I shouldn't have done that to the English language).
It could be that my tastes are evolving... Hell, it could be that I haven't really played a console game that I enjoyed since FF7; I don't know. Either way the conclusion is the same: Square is (or rather was) good at making one specific genre of game.
I predict that FFXI will be a failure and that even the biggest square fanboys will abandon it in a moments notice.
I also predict that it will be a failure on the PS2 for the following reasons:
Both of these accessories cost money. Almost as much as a second PS2. Almost every gaming accessory ever released for any console has failed miserably (Sega CD, 32X, etc...)
Square was one of those companies that used to be cool. Now however, it's just producing sub-stanard games with revolting storylines who's sales are driven by the memory of what Square once was.
I think, therefore I am an Atheist.
I find it amusing that this actually got modded up to +5:Interesting -- but it did allude to the fact that Slashdot users are more intelligent and open-minded than the rest of the populace, so I suppose that could explain it.
I don't even know why you bothered with the "one-hand/other-hand" argument -- both sides seem to be fairly negative, and offer no real argument. Yes, people recommend good games they play to their friends -- it's not peer pressure, it's them making an informed recommendation to another person, in the hopes that they'll derive the same amount of enjoyment from playing.
On to your app argument -- yes, clearly this is "just another app the common computer user will never figure out". Because it's pretty damn hard to locate the game in the same way they do all their other apps: Start Menu >> Programs >> Final Fantasy XI >> Play Final Fantasy. I suspect it'll be even simpler than that, since they'll probably provide a desktop icon. And yes, this process will be easily confused with the process of deleting a directory -- in which you press the "Delete" key and choose "Yes" from the ensuing confirmation screen.
"So goes the way of Windows"? I'd like to see the common user you've described try to install a game on Linux without any kind of programming experience, as opposed to being presented with a Windows interface. There's a reason Windows is in 85-90%+ of desktop computers............. see if you can't figure out why.
Ah yes.... because people who read Slashdot are instantly transformed into intelligent and open-minded beings, once they deign to join the community you figure so prominently in, yes? Of course, I see far fewer misspelled, immature and poorly thought-out posts here than any other board I post to. And open-minded? Please........ I have three words for you: "knee", "jerk" and "reactionists". This doesn't describe all Slashdot users, or even most, but there's an awful lot of defensive posts to read the minute anybody says anything negative about Linux or an alternative OSS project.
Taking a lesson from Epic Records will Dell and/or Square deliver the machines with the CD-ROM Burner glued shut to prevent illegal copying of game software?
Failure is not an option. It comes automatically enabled in every Microsoft product.
From wire.ign.com
"While the game was developed with a wide range of computer configurations in mind, only those users with NVIDIA hardware, specifically GeForce4 Ti GPUs, can experience unique visual effects and other optimisations exclusive to NVIDIA hardware."
So, a game is not optimised for the latest and greatest card on the marked(Radion 9700 PRO @ the moment). Is this a new thing? No, not so much. A lot of the games that have been released since the GF3 introduced pixelshaders, haven't supported them.
The new thing here is in the marketing department i believe, they are actually saving in a press release that "We will support the Nvidia way of doing pixel/vertex shaders". The real question right now is: Will they eventually support ATIs pixel/vertex shaders to?
Even if they do, the damage to ATI is already done. Final Fantasy fans with older hardware, will upgrade to a GF not a Radion.
This is the REAL story (courtesy of RPG Warehouse):
. ht m
Dell Japan has decided to release two versions of their PCs packaged with Final Fantasy XI. Dell Japan will release the Dimension 8200 and Dimension 4500 with the PC version of Final Fantasy XI. Both PCs will come equipped with an Intel Pentium 4 1.8Ghz processor and a GeForce4 Ti4200 64MB DDR video card. So if you live in Japan and want to get the best performance from Final Fantasy XI this might be a PC you could consider buying.
Here's a link to Dell's website showing off the systems:
http://www.dell.com/html/jp/products/dimen/ff11
No where do I see that you will be forced to use an nVidia card on the PC version of the game, and no where do I see this deal being in the United States (yet.)
Also, FFXI isn't even out for the PC in the U.S., much less Japan. Squaresoft says November 7th for Japan... with the U.S. version slated for early 2003 release.
Why do I have to do your job for you, SlashDot?
Not All Who Wander Are Lost
...rather than when Final Fantasy XV comes out and it's completely dead.
;)
Yeah, look how dead it is now. I don't think 4 more is going to kill it. btw, FF6 is the best one ever.
Producer: NEXT!!
Ralph Wiggum: Chicken necks
Every single time square wavers from the RPG genre the result is a game that really sucks.
:)
I'm sorry, but youre wrong. Bushido Blade was amazing, and Einhander is the best sidescrolling space shooter ever
As for RPGs, FF8 sucked, bu FF9 and FFX were both very good, and very different (albiet not plot wise) from other games in the series. Squaresoft's other RPGs are also very good, and are typically completely different from each other. They often have a unique combination of the classic Square RPG with some action gaming added in. Vagrant Story and Parasite Eve are perfect examples.
And what's wrong with RPGs anyway? They happen to be my favorite type of game.
I predict that FFXI will be a failure
I personally agree about FFXI, but not for the reasons you mention. Online gaming just isn't as popular as all the hype. Most gamers like to play games alone or with friends that are there with them. The majority of gamers aren't the type you see in internet forums, they're at home playing EA's Madden 2002 with their buddies on the couch. I'll personally be avoiding it because online RPGs require you do dedicate WAY too much of your life to them to be any good at it, and I have other things I like to do besides play video games, and other games I like to play.
FFXI doesn't require the hard drive, and the PS2 network adapter and software are only $30. That's chepaer then what you need to buy to get online with any other console, including the Xbox with it's already builtin interface. I don't think that either of those two things are going to be a factor in FFXI acceptance.
Square was one of those companies that used to be cool. Now however, it's just producing sub-stanard games with revolting storylines who's sales are driven by the memory of what Square once was.
Sounds to me like somebody's making excuses and kicking themselves because they bought an Xbox instead of a PS2.
It never was on the official Square sites, and still isn't. Someone on one of the gaming sites (perhaps in one of the forums, I don't remember) even made a list of all the flaws in the image that pointed out how it is extremely unlikely to be from Square, since no one can verify its source, despite the 2001 Square copyright printed on the picture.
You may be confusing this image with the promo FFXI illustrations (still available on the Square sites) that detail the different races in that game.
< tofuhead >
It is still the dark of night.
Taken as a serious post, I think you can see why I responded the way I did. Going on the premise that there's a bunch of sarcasm mixed in makes it easier to swallow.........
Anyway, maybe your problem lies primarily with Windows ME? I've been extremely happy with Windows 2000, coming from a WinNT @ work and Win95 @ home. And what do you mean by "painfully inefficient"? From a corporate standpoint, it appears as though they are the most efficient brand-name (PC) box builder in the business........ even if their components aren't necessarily upgrade-friendly.
Should the latest ATI card, which has greater capabilities than the GeForce 4 MX line (more like a GF2) have inferior displays? Technology should be the bottleneck, not politics and name-brand compatibility.
The ATI with more effects should not act crippled compared to a lesser nVidia card. and vice-versa. DirectX, if supprted, should actually be a detrmining factor in video compatibility.
A certain monk had a habit of pestering the Grand Tortue (the only one who
had ever reached the Enlightenment 'Yond Enlightenment), by asking whether
various objects had Buddha-nature or not. To such a question Tortue
invariably sat silent. The monk had already asked about a bean, a lake,
and a moonlit night. One day he brought to Tortue a piece of string, and
asked the same question. In reply, the Grand Tortue grasped the loop
between his feet and, with a few simple manipulations, created a complex
string which he proferred wordlessly to the monk. At that moment, the monk
was enlightened.
From then on, the monk did not bother Tortue. Instead, he made string after
string by Tortue's method; and he passed the method on to his own disciples,
who passed it on to theirs.
- this post brought to you by the Automated Last Post Generator...