[10/12] Yoshinori Kitase: FFVII remake will go beyond the story

[Rey]

It has been an important week for fans, with some of them hyped, but some very angry about the multi part decision Square Enix have been taking with the remake. Today, Yoshinori Kitase clarified what Square Enix is aiming for with the remake. He said on the official SE blog, that with the remake, Square Enix wants to go “beyond the story”.

For many years, people around the world have asked me “Will you ever remake FINAL FANTASY VII?” For many years I gave the same answers and on a personal level, having made the original FINAL FANTASY VII, did I really want to spend so many years making the same game again?

With FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, we have the opportunity to go beyond the story, world and experience of FINAL FANTASY VII in ways we’ve always dreamed of - from the depths of Midgar to the skies above the Planet. The multi-part format enables us to expand the original story and turn it into an epic experience for fans and new gamers alike.


This past weekend at PlayStation Experience we were thrilled to present more of FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE. It was great to see so much excitement when we surprised everyone with the first gameplay footage and it was a treat for us to show that development is going well, and further along than perhaps many had realised. Just like when we revealed the announcement trailer at E3 earlier this year, we like surprising you.


One thing that we wanted to be clear about during this weekend to accompany the new trailer was the scale of this project. We wanted to tell you this now and not in the future so that you’d share our vision for what we want to deliver. The biggest reason why we haven’t done a remake until now is because it’s a massive undertaking to reconstruct FINAL FANTASY VII from the ground up with the current technology. Producing a proper HD remake of FINAL FANTASY VII that maintains the same feeling of density of the original would result in a volume of content that couldn’t possibly fit into one instalment.


We’ve seen everyone’s comments and reactions to the news that FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE will be a multi-part series and many have speculated correctly as to the reason why we have made this decision. If we were to try to fit everything from the original into one remake instalment, we would have to cut various parts and create a condensed version of FINAL FANTASY VII. We knew none of you would have wanted that.
I hope that by explaining a little more about our design decisions that you can appreciate the size of this project and what we have planned for this remake. Going beyond the scale and depth of the world, narrative and gameplay from the original to deliver something that feels familiar yet new. As I said before, we like delivering surprises.

See you all soon and Happy Holidays!

Yoshinori Kitase

Source: SE Blog

 

[Razberry Knight]

Thats simply not true. Final Fantasy VII remake is fully capable of being multi-disc. in fact, if FF7 is as massive as they claim, they will have to. And no, its not impossible for an open world RPG to become an open world. Many PC games that are open world need multi discs to play. i don't see the difference for FF7 Remake.

 

[The Witch]

I can't stay mad at you for very long, kitase

 

[Rey]

I can't stay mad at you for very long, kitase

His words clearly swayed you and made you let go of all the hate. Admit it! In addition, I think Kitase did well with this blog, personally. He gains some rather nice respect from me for confronting the NA site head on.

 

[Linnaete]

Thats simply not true. Final Fantasy VII remake is fully capable of being multi-disc.

I don't think anyone can dispute/is disputing whether it's possible to have it all as a multi-disc release, because the answer is clearly yes.

But it's obvious why they're not going to do what you want. I imagine they're roping in more people than CyberConnect 2 to work on each individual volume and I don't want to know how much the whole project will cost. They evidently want to recoup costs and make some kind of profit soon-ish rather than some vague time on the distant horizon. People don't have to like or agree with it, but from a purely cold business perspective, this is the more sustainable model for them.

 

[The Witch]

His words clearly swayed you and made you let go of all the hate. Admit it! In addition, I think Kitase did well with this blog, personally. He gains some rather nice respect from me for confronting the NA site head on.

It's true. Reading what he has to say made me understand the decision. I really respect that they listened to the fans and wanted to answer our doubts themselves. I think the remake is good hands.

I never hated Kitase/Nojima, though. I was just worried that the game was being made into a cashcow (even more)

 

[Razberry Knight]

I don't think anyone can dispute/is disputing whether it's possible to have it all as a multi-disc release, because the answer is clearly yes.

You clearly don't read Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. I think its possible to hate that character more just by association.

But it's obvious why they're not going to do what you want.

I'm saying a single entity game. Lets say that the series is actually complete. You still left with a single story divided up individually. Reminiscent of .hack series, at least the four parts were created as a single entity, but released a couple months away with a bonus DVD. it still didn't grab enough attention. but what makes it so "obvious"?

I imagine they're roping in more people than CyberConnect 2 to work on each individual volume and I don't want to know how much the whole project will cost. They evidently want to recoup costs and make some kind of profit soon-ish rather than some vague time on the distant horizon. People don't have to like or agree with it, but from a purely cold business perspective, this is the more sustainable model for them.

Cold-businesss perspective they could've listened to fans a long time ago. This model is more sustainable, but not for a long time. SE is doing this because they can. This would not fly with any other FF game. FF16 part 1, 2, and 3.

Do you think people will continue to buy into it? This is a horrible business model long term. You can even say that this was due to their lack of foresight and planning. This company lacks any long-term goals. This is why the quick and easy FF13 sequels were made, that is why we get short-lived games like FF Theatrhythm, FF Explorers, and recently World of FF. They make bad business model for FF agito and FF7 G-Bike to the point of cancellation and jumping the gun with FF Agito Online.

I understand SE needs to recooperate money, but they also aren't making the "true" safe bets. Whenever they do safe bets, they don't give it their all.

Look, you can give me the cold hard truth, i can still say i don't like it, but i'm also going a step forward. I'm done ignoring the white elephant in the room. And you all should face it. I truly believe Kitase's word, and i never doubted that FF7 needed more than what it was back then. But i don't believe for a second this game needs more than at least two parts, nor do i believe that FF7 will take as long as FF15.

 

[Linnaete]

You clearly don't read Lunafreya Nox Fleuret.

Don't care.

This is a horrible business model long term.

I think FFVII is the only game that can really get away with this model. That being said, I vaguely recall recent financial reports to investors stating that the company is looking to try and make flexible their release models, so they can recoup money faster from big budgets before they even properly hit game shelves. Hitman is already doing that. Guess we'll wait and see, because it may go either way.

Personally, I'm a bit concerned, because a model like that may work for Hitman, which as a series can come out in chunks, but not for a full RPG. I'll cautiously watch on and see how they intend to reconciliate the conflicting realities of ballooning game development costs and practical limits vs not catastrophically compromising the flow and structure of RPGs we're all familiar with.

This company lacks any long-term goals.

I still don't understand what your problem is with World of Final Fantasy besides questioning what audience it's designed for. Or with Theatrhythm and Explorers. Harmless smaller projects to fill in gaps while the huge projects take an age in the oven is the sign of no vision, because...?

I'll tell you who doesn't seem to have any long-term goals. Capcom.

But i don't believe for a second this game needs more than at least two parts, nor do i believe that FF7 will take as long as FF15.

Okay, regarding your latter point.

FFVII has a huge range of maps and areas that are all uniquely distinct from one another. It is like the antithesis of your standard big-budget (perhaps open world) game today where assets are liberally reused here and there to help expand the virtual geography of maps and to save manpower, time and costs. No big-budget game today would have the sheer variety that FFVII offers and we're talking about taking each and every map/pre-rendered background feature - as well as each indoor area and potentially the whole overworld and ocean below it - and recreating them in full 3D with all the AI pathfinding, all the physics and every little tiny detail that is necessary.

I think it is reasonably conceivable that it would take far much more work to turn FFVII into something that graphically resembles FFXV and I will bet you now that FFXV just won't have that same palette of variety and number of distinct locations as FFVII.

 

[Razberry Knight]

Don't care.

Doesn't matter that you care. the point is people are making excuses for FF7 Remake to the point that they are willing to believe its impossible for it to be multi-disc.

I think FFVII is the only game that can really get away with this model. That being said, I vaguely recall recent financial reports to investors stating that the company is looking to try and make flexible their release models, so they can recoup money faster from big budgets before they even properly hit game shelves. Hitman is already doing that. Guess we'll wait and see, because it may go either way.

THe model of making games is affecting them because their not making the games most demanded. There's plenty of demand for FF games, but not these excuses, or fillers. How many people are demanding World of FF? Thatrhythm? FF Explorers? [insert Fry "take my money" meme sarcastically]

Personally, I'm a bit concerned, because a model like that may work for Hitman, which as a series can come out in chunks, but not for a full RPG. I'll cautiously watch on and see how they intend to reconciliate the conflicting realities of ballooning game development costs and practical limits vs not catastrophically compromising the flow and structure of RPGs we're all familiar with.

How many people still play Hitman? I"m very concerned to. Despite what a particular die-hard fan here believes, i will not be buying FF7 Remake until its complete. And i'm fully satisfied with that. But there's a lot of things going on. There were 3 discs in FF7, i dont believe it should be anything more than 2, but if it gets by 3, i would forgive it just a little more. But consider all the things their claiming their going to do for the sake of multi-part series. This is an excuse to bring more money sooner. Its not designed for us fans, its not meant to bring the best possible experience. And thats where it hurts.

I still don't understand what your problem is with World of Final Fantasy besides questioning what audience it's designed for. Or with Theatrhythm and Explorers. Harmless smaller projects to fill in gaps while the huge projects take an age in the oven is the sign of no vision, because...?

There was a time when Square Enix seriously banked on smaller projects. In fact, most of these smaller projects' success would eventually create their own IP. FF Adventure became Mana, SaGa series although relying on FFLegend actually became a solidified IP of its own. FF Explorers? I have no problem with Monster Hunter style gaming, but theres the lack of FF appeal. Theatrhythm? Its not a bad idea, but its not exactly a great one either. Its not something that SE can reuse until another few years when new games get more tracks.

FF Crystal Chornicles. An FF game for the nintendo fanbase. Wasn't as successful, as the others, but enough to scrape by. I actually thought they dropped the ball on these ones. But that doesn't mean that FF shouldn't go to Wii U.

FF Dimensions was highly successful. And SE is changing the reasons why it was made in the first place with a sequel that doesn't look anything like FF.

The problem i have with these excuse filler games? Thats all they are...Once we get the real thing (FFXV and FFVII Remake) we wont be relying on those games. I remember i still played Crisis Core over and over. I still played Dissidia over and over. And i still play those games. Heck, i even have the patched Type-0 and i prefer that over the HD remake.

I'll tell you who doesn't seem to have any long-term goals. Capcom.

If you look at Capcom today, they have been working on, their not making it worst. If Capcom did what SE did, would anyone forgive them? Not a chance.

There's a difference between Capcom and Square Enix.

Okay, regarding your latter point.

FFVII has a huge range of maps and areas that are all uniquely distinct from one another. It is like the antithesis of your standard big-budget (perhaps open world) game today where assets are liberally reused here and there to help expand the virtual geography of maps and to save manpower, time and costs. No big-budget game today would have the sheer variety that FFVII offers and we're talking about taking each and every map/pre-rendered background feature - as well as each indoor area and potentially the whole overworld and ocean below it - and recreating them in full 3D with all the AI pathfinding, all the physics and every little tiny detail that is necessary.

I think it is reasonably conceivable that it would take far much more work to turn FFVII into something that graphically resembles FFXV and I will bet you now that FFXV just won't have that same palette of variety and number of distinct locations as FFVII.

With the unreal engine it makes the process that much smoother. And even more so we're talking about graphics and polygon count at the most.

But with that said ff7 is massive, but so we're the other games. Ff7 massive pallet doesn't mean much. They clearly toned down some of the things in the new trailer. But most importantly FF7 is huge but I've literally seen bigger games. Star Ocean was a multi disc PS2 game. It had plenty of mini games and one can even say it was inspired by ff7. And I still see that came as a single disc ps4 game if ever remade.

 

[Cardinal Copia]

Thanks for sharing this, great read! It's always nice to see a company interact with fans like this and go more in depth with their thinking and the direction(s) they choose/want to go.

 

[Coco]

Kinda upset about the multi-part series, but idk, depends how it plays out.

Still very excited tho! I'll be in line for this for suuure