PSX 2015: FINAL FANTASY 7 REMAKE WILL BE A MULTI-PART SERIES
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I knew they'd find a way to fuck this up. Way to officially kill my hype I had after seeing that gameplay.
Literally just wrote an article about this a few minutes ago 
Personally I have very mixed feelings about this, as you'll probably see in my writeup. If this is a 'because we can' move from SE, then I'm disappointed. But on the other hand if they mean they're also remaking Crisis Core, Dirge of Cerberus, and Before Crisis, this is great news for fans. That's a huge 'if', though. More information would definitely be nice. You'd think SE would know by now not to let the cat out of the bag without also clarifying a few important details before fans go crazy. Or hey, maybe it's all part of the plan to get fans riled up a bit now and then. Certainly draws attention.
Personally I have very mixed feelings about this, as you'll probably see in my writeup. If this is a 'because we can' move from SE, then I'm disappointed. But on the other hand if they mean they're also remaking Crisis Core, Dirge of Cerberus, and Before Crisis, this is great news for fans. That's a huge 'if', though. More information would definitely be nice. You'd think SE would know by now not to let the cat out of the bag without also clarifying a few important details before fans go crazy. Or hey, maybe it's all part of the plan to get fans riled up a bit now and then. Certainly draws attention.
No problem. Unfortunately this section is beyond my jurisdiction so I can't merge the posts, but I think it's fine since this is a different section from the home page.
No double posting though, please
Carry on!
No double posting though, please
Carry on!
I picked a great time to head to bed just as an internet shitstorm was beginning to brew. 
Pros
+ We won't have to wait an age before we can get our hands on something playable, even if it's not the full thing.
+ There is zero excuse for anything significant to be omitted. The impetus on both Square Enix and CyberConnect 2 to retain practically every feature from the original game with room to expand upon them (Gold Saucer, snowboarding and all that) cannot simply be shunted aside and there will be reasonable expectation for this, so anything less would be a damning indictment on them.
+ Hey, they can fit a whole world map of a reasonable scale and proportion now!
Cons
- This will likely have an adverse effect on sales potential. A lot of people may simply hold off purchasing the individual parts and wait for some kind of complete collection in the future.
- When you split an RPG into segments, flow and progression are interrupted and even stunted.
- You will have to pay more for the whole package. This can be offset by any reassurances from Square Enix that the content will be there to justify the extra price tags, but it won't quell fan disappointment in the expectation of a single, coherent game.
- You may have to wait until 2020-1 to be able to fight Sephiroth!
- We could all be dead by then as nuclear war and apocalypse claims the planet.
Conclusion
- LOL
(I would flesh out my post now, but I'm in a rush and it's early morning for me.)
Pros
+ We won't have to wait an age before we can get our hands on something playable, even if it's not the full thing.
+ There is zero excuse for anything significant to be omitted. The impetus on both Square Enix and CyberConnect 2 to retain practically every feature from the original game with room to expand upon them (Gold Saucer, snowboarding and all that) cannot simply be shunted aside and there will be reasonable expectation for this, so anything less would be a damning indictment on them.
+ Hey, they can fit a whole world map of a reasonable scale and proportion now!
Cons
- This will likely have an adverse effect on sales potential. A lot of people may simply hold off purchasing the individual parts and wait for some kind of complete collection in the future.
- When you split an RPG into segments, flow and progression are interrupted and even stunted.
- You will have to pay more for the whole package. This can be offset by any reassurances from Square Enix that the content will be there to justify the extra price tags, but it won't quell fan disappointment in the expectation of a single, coherent game.
- You may have to wait until 2020-1 to be able to fight Sephiroth!
- We could all be dead by then as nuclear war and apocalypse claims the planet.
Conclusion
- LOL
(I would flesh out my post now, but I'm in a rush and it's early morning for me.)
FinalxxSin
Anti-Hero
This is the most important con for a good number of people
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GothicSyn
Blue Mage
It's actually odd to see this, but the reactions from fans is no surprise, the remake of VII was always going to be about money for them and even more so with this.
There will as ever with episodic release be more than one method I would assume to alleviate some of the rage a "Season Pass" will be available allowing us to obtain each part as it's released. Buy it piece by piece which will be significantly more over all and of course simply wait for the full release.
It also allows them to up the release schedule and ensure we get something in 2016. But from reading various things it seems their intent in doing this is so they DON'T take anything out, nothing needs to be glossed over, nothing will be removed from the original story BUT they are building new areas and adding further character enhancing story lines. As is usual with Enix we get a "Please look forward to future announcements" and nothing else.
It's always amazing to me how in one breathe they hype everyone up and then in the next wind them all up again. Happened with the original announcement, "We're remaking FFVII" and then "But we're changing the combat system" it seems their MO with this game.
There will as ever with episodic release be more than one method I would assume to alleviate some of the rage a "Season Pass" will be available allowing us to obtain each part as it's released. Buy it piece by piece which will be significantly more over all and of course simply wait for the full release.
It also allows them to up the release schedule and ensure we get something in 2016. But from reading various things it seems their intent in doing this is so they DON'T take anything out, nothing needs to be glossed over, nothing will be removed from the original story BUT they are building new areas and adding further character enhancing story lines. As is usual with Enix we get a "Please look forward to future announcements" and nothing else.
It's always amazing to me how in one breathe they hype everyone up and then in the next wind them all up again. Happened with the original announcement, "We're remaking FFVII" and then "But we're changing the combat system" it seems their MO with this game.
So I've given myself some time to calm down and reflect on this news, before I was all like:
But now I've managed to kid myself into thinking that this may actually be better for the remake. I've been reading some arguments and according to some SE will be able to include FF7 in it's entirety and then some rather than having to cut content in order to make it one game. Having it released in episodes essentially allows those who don't want to wait for the entire game to be developed to get their hands on it sooner. This seems to be the modern day equivalent of releasing it with multiple discs, much like how the original was shipped.
I realise I'm beginning to sound apologetic but I think we should take a step back here and wait for clarification before going bat shit. I hope this means there will still be a world map, airship and so on, but then again this is SE so don't be so sure they won't just strip it all down, make it linear and start some serious profiteering anyway.
But now I've managed to kid myself into thinking that this may actually be better for the remake. I've been reading some arguments and according to some SE will be able to include FF7 in it's entirety and then some rather than having to cut content in order to make it one game. Having it released in episodes essentially allows those who don't want to wait for the entire game to be developed to get their hands on it sooner. This seems to be the modern day equivalent of releasing it with multiple discs, much like how the original was shipped.
I realise I'm beginning to sound apologetic but I think we should take a step back here and wait for clarification before going bat shit. I hope this means there will still be a world map, airship and so on, but then again this is SE so don't be so sure they won't just strip it all down, make it linear and start some serious profiteering anyway.
Hey FANS, have a hot fudge sundae that is gluten free, amazing and good for you!
-hang on, wait...
Lemmie just squat and... SHIT ON YOUR SUNDAE!
I'm sure that's how many fans feel about this.
Personally, I prefer smaller episodic games. While I dislike waiting for serialisation and releases, I feel better about getting through a four hour episode of the walking dead with my schedule than I would going through the whole thing.
Of course, this all depends on the pricing. If the overall pricing slips higher than the average game, then we know this is a money-making scheme, but I reckon it's more to do with focusing team assets and getting the game out. I mean, Versus 13 is embodiment of a dragged down, no direction mess of a development cycle.
I'm pretty sure Square want to avoid this.
My only concern is whether it will be split up like a telltale game, or whether it'll be like Ass Creed and simply stop you entering (DLC) areas.
Also, the beginning of VII is pretty linear anyway. I think it could be pretty well done episodically.
-hang on, wait...
Lemmie just squat and... SHIT ON YOUR SUNDAE!
I'm sure that's how many fans feel about this.
Personally, I prefer smaller episodic games. While I dislike waiting for serialisation and releases, I feel better about getting through a four hour episode of the walking dead with my schedule than I would going through the whole thing.
Of course, this all depends on the pricing. If the overall pricing slips higher than the average game, then we know this is a money-making scheme, but I reckon it's more to do with focusing team assets and getting the game out. I mean, Versus 13 is embodiment of a dragged down, no direction mess of a development cycle.
I'm pretty sure Square want to avoid this.
My only concern is whether it will be split up like a telltale game, or whether it'll be like Ass Creed and simply stop you entering (DLC) areas.
Also, the beginning of VII is pretty linear anyway. I think it could be pretty well done episodically.
Well, okay, Nomura finally spoke up about Cloud's look in the remake (after Japanese fans made a roar against it)
That part does actually say he looks lean, but Nomura says it's because of his skin color and lighting. Nomura also goes on to say that Nojima “liked how it gave off a very ‘pathological’ feeling". So it is referring to Cloud’s Jenova poisoning on his mind.
Thing is, Nomura said Cloud only looked this way because of the lighting and skin color of that particular Midgar scene.
Which is exactly what I presumed. Cloud still looks 'off' in the eyes, which indicates his Jenova sickness, but I'm glad to know that Cloud only looked thin because of the lighting and stuff.
… does that mean his body is going to change sizes in different lighting??? or was that their way of saying it's not finished yet?
I'm pissed off about the episode thing because I probably couldn't afford to get all of them, but whatever. I can watch walkthroughs
That part does actually say he looks lean, but Nomura says it's because of his skin color and lighting. Nomura also goes on to say that Nojima “liked how it gave off a very ‘pathological’ feeling". So it is referring to Cloud’s Jenova poisoning on his mind.
Thing is, Nomura said Cloud only looked this way because of the lighting and skin color of that particular Midgar scene.
Which is exactly what I presumed. Cloud still looks 'off' in the eyes, which indicates his Jenova sickness, but I'm glad to know that Cloud only looked thin because of the lighting and stuff.
… does that mean his body is going to change sizes in different lighting??? or was that their way of saying it's not finished yet?
I'm pissed off about the episode thing because I probably couldn't afford to get all of them, but whatever. I can watch walkthroughs
Final Fantasy VII Remake is a multi-part series. Please tell us more about this decision.
Kitase: “The idea that a remake of Final Fantasy VII would not fit into a single release was there from the very beginning. We still can’t share more information about its multiple parts, but please look forward to future announcements.”
Nomura: “If we dedicated our time to a single release, parts of it would become summarized. We’d have to cut some parts, and additional parts would come in few, so rather than remake the game as a full volume, we decided to do multiple parts.”
Kitase: “As you can see in the trailer, we showed Sector 1 and Sector 8, but in those areas alone, I think you can see a lot of density. When you’re remaking the entirety of the original version in that quality, it’s not possible to fit it all in one release.”
I would be kidding if I did not think this would be received negatively. Honestly, Square Enix have worked so hard to bring you all the remake you've wanted all your lives and JUST because there are some parts in this article that suggest multiple games, people are going absolutely nuts? Whoa now, let us look at the bigger picture here. Look how long Final Fantasy XV has taken; do you people want that again? Do you want to wait that long or would you rather keep the anticipation up for the VII remake? By having multiple parts, it means this game is on such a grand scale that if SE were to make it a whole game, it would easily take a decade or so. I saw the news this morning, and I at first suggested this probably means fans will think FF VII has become a TV series or something, but no, in reality it is just different parts of the story released on a time gate. I am very okay with this because it keeps the anticipation up, and need I remind you all that SE back in the ps3 days said this remake would take SEVENTEEN YEARS to develop? I implore you all to calm down and eagerly anticipate what we saw in the trailer at PSX. This is not bad news and if anything, SE is trying something new with multiple parts of the game along with new ones. I mean, sure, it is worrying they will redesign some characters, but as long as it is still staying fateful, there will be no problems on my end.
TLDR: They want to do something new and design new areas, which would not be possible in an entire release. This IF ANYTHING, is a good direction because it gives us the nostalgia PLUS the benefit of things that are new. They DO NOT want the whole game on their plate. It is a huge project, probably on a grand scale like FF XV, if anything. I think this is an apology to fans.
Kitase: “The idea that a remake of Final Fantasy VII would not fit into a single release was there from the very beginning. We still can’t share more information about its multiple parts, but please look forward to future announcements.”
Nomura: “If we dedicated our time to a single release, parts of it would become summarized. We’d have to cut some parts, and additional parts would come in few, so rather than remake the game as a full volume, we decided to do multiple parts.”
Kitase: “As you can see in the trailer, we showed Sector 1 and Sector 8, but in those areas alone, I think you can see a lot of density. When you’re remaking the entirety of the original version in that quality, it’s not possible to fit it all in one release.”
I would be kidding if I did not think this would be received negatively. Honestly, Square Enix have worked so hard to bring you all the remake you've wanted all your lives and JUST because there are some parts in this article that suggest multiple games, people are going absolutely nuts? Whoa now, let us look at the bigger picture here. Look how long Final Fantasy XV has taken; do you people want that again? Do you want to wait that long or would you rather keep the anticipation up for the VII remake? By having multiple parts, it means this game is on such a grand scale that if SE were to make it a whole game, it would easily take a decade or so. I saw the news this morning, and I at first suggested this probably means fans will think FF VII has become a TV series or something, but no, in reality it is just different parts of the story released on a time gate. I am very okay with this because it keeps the anticipation up, and need I remind you all that SE back in the ps3 days said this remake would take SEVENTEEN YEARS to develop? I implore you all to calm down and eagerly anticipate what we saw in the trailer at PSX. This is not bad news and if anything, SE is trying something new with multiple parts of the game along with new ones. I mean, sure, it is worrying they will redesign some characters, but as long as it is still staying fateful, there will be no problems on my end.
TLDR: They want to do something new and design new areas, which would not be possible in an entire release. This IF ANYTHING, is a good direction because it gives us the nostalgia PLUS the benefit of things that are new. They DO NOT want the whole game on their plate. It is a huge project, probably on a grand scale like FF XV, if anything. I think this is an apology to fans.
Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. Can you stop being an Squeenix kiss-ass for once and think for once? Honestly, if you like the decision, fine by me. But don't lash out at anyone who thinks this is wrong. Will you allow Squeenix to sell you season pass? Dlc that came out just a few weeks from the official release? Squeenix is making bad decisions. More and more people will be waiting for the complete edition. Whatever it takes to not have their joy be stunted by waiting for the next volume. Or feel like their getting ripped off through another volume.
The decision to make it into a multi part series is because they claim it will be too dense. Not because they want to release the game sooner. Hajine Tabata mentioned how it has become easier and easier to make open world games. So that's not a problem.
Also final fantasy XV was in a huge development hell. It never hit full production until 2011 and by that point the tech was outdated. The ambitions for more realistic FF had to be moved to next Gen in which is why Sqeenix was upset about Sony saying ps4 will release a few more years. So they probably didn't have a lot of time with ps4 software. and even then they wasted a year reworking the story in 2014. They spent basically 3 years on full development, one on a total recall.
Don't use ffxv as a reason why ffvii is the way it is. Ffxv is a result of Square wnix focusing too much on easy to make games just to stay afloat financially. There was no room for ffxv to ever hit full production.
The decision to make it into a multi part series is because they claim it will be too dense. Not because they want to release the game sooner. Hajine Tabata mentioned how it has become easier and easier to make open world games. So that's not a problem.
Also final fantasy XV was in a huge development hell. It never hit full production until 2011 and by that point the tech was outdated. The ambitions for more realistic FF had to be moved to next Gen in which is why Sqeenix was upset about Sony saying ps4 will release a few more years. So they probably didn't have a lot of time with ps4 software. and even then they wasted a year reworking the story in 2014. They spent basically 3 years on full development, one on a total recall.
Don't use ffxv as a reason why ffvii is the way it is. Ffxv is a result of Square wnix focusing too much on easy to make games just to stay afloat financially. There was no room for ffxv to ever hit full production.
I don't think that will happen. I think it will be the video game equivalent of the Hobbit films. The original source material was one cohesive product, but they're now expanding it as you will into multiple parts that will presumably be meaty on their own as individual products. Fortunately, FFVII is denser in material than the Hobbit novel itself, so we're likely not going to see a case of Nomura turning into Peter Jackson and cramming in (as many) heaps of original material into the films simply to pad out in between the scarce Tolkien content. Hopefully being able to afford the much larger canvass to work with means there is no excuse to conspicuously cut out any content present in the original game, e.g. you're underwater and the gargantuan sight of Emerald Weapon's shadow hovers over you as the titan sneaks up behind you.
I don't like the word "episodic" in this context, because the first thing I think of is Telltale and that format would be unworkable for an actual RPG spanning an entire overarching story. Given Square Enix's propensity for releasing lengthy RPGs all throughout its existence, I would hope there is enough reasonable expectation that each volume would be worth the money they expect people to shell out for and that they will be well paced and built as such that there's still a coherent sense of the narrative heading somewhere, with each volume possessing its own discernible beginning-middle-end structure. I would loathe the idea of one of the games just cutting you off at a random point and greeting you with a roll of credits before imploring you to purchase the next installment with nary a fanfare. So I don't believe that will happen, because it would simply be daft. A FFXIII-2 ending situation in this context would actually be the perfect way to go about it, except for the fact that the whole story will be coherent, unlike the Lightning Trilogy.
But yeah, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now, shrug and wait until we learn more. I'm baffled that they decided to disclose this rather salient and crucial piece of information in such a muted way, as if they expected the angry backlash, so someone came to a decision to break the news quietly. Does this make sense from a development standpoint? I suppose so? They have breathing space to work on the remake at a more humanly possible pace without fans having to wait another ten years. From a business standpoint? Well, there's more money to be had from releasing volumes than there is from just throwing costly regular budgets at a title hoping it will see the light of day somewhere down the line as one package. It does seem to be a more sustainable strategy than FFXV's clusterfuck, which is making me seriously wonder what its realistic prospects of decent returns will be. Of course, it risks the ire of fans who elect to buy a prospective complete package than the individual volumes. This may be so, but I think we all know that a tonne of people will not leave their wallets closed as promised.
Is this a good plan for the fanbase? Mmmmm...probably not as of now. Like I said before, people expected a single package and the assurance that at a fixed price point, they have at their command all they need to get from beginning to end and everything in between (especially the overworld) without the scourge of further fees that is prolific in the western market today. It is BEYOND UNDERSTANDABLE why this news has invoked the anger and disappointment it has, though I can't advocate the embarrassing hyperbole of some comments I have seen. No, random commentator. They haven't "raped" you and your childhood. It's a fucking video game anyway. I don't even think ISIL invokes this much angry emotion for some people.
FinalxxSin
Anti-Hero
Well the main key points are still there. However, this is a chance for the company to really expand out on a lot of factors. Character development would be one of those factors. I'm sure some people don't get too attached to Aeris/Aerith in the original since she got killed fairly early in the game. Now, imagine if that time had been massively expanded and the players actually got to do more stuff with her before that point. It could very well have better drama striking appeal imo. Vincent and Yuffie could also be significantly more fleshed out. Zack could be interwoven into flashbacks significantly more...and maybe even be playable temporarily. Who knows maybe Angeal and Genesis could make an appearance in the flashback tense. Focus on the poverty in the game could get fleshed out massively. More weapons could be added in comparison to the original. If there is any lore out for FFVII that wasn't in the original game, this is the chance to incorporate that into the title. This could also incorporate content from Advent Children and some contents between the 2 years. So, I do believe that the project could just be that massive. It's not like the lore hasn't already existed to an extent. The possibilities are present, but it will be up to Square on how they execute those possibilities. Each game is suppose to feel like a full game, but we'll need to wait and get more information on the context and meaning of that, before jumping to conclusions. The execution of this is going to be very important, to say the least. If the execution turns out good for the most part, then this will be forgiven by a lot of people. If not, then I'm sure some of you already know what is going to result.
Linnaete the problem is having an incomplete product. Just imagining playing this game already gives me a bad impression. Final fantasy in terms of episodic reminds me of ff4: the after years, ff dimensions and maybe even ff7:bc. But for a full scale story never intended for episodes, gives me chills. It has to be pretty pact. And will be able to explore the entire game or just certain aspects until the next volume release? Its important to know what we're getting into. I know it's a risk, but one entire episode should be release.
If the entire world is already available, then all they need to do is make it multi disc for the story aspects. Me and a large community of gamers prefer playing a game that is complete. Even if I was OK with releasing them episode at a time, I'm not going to actually buy the game it's not in my nature to buy incomplete games. Games I never heard of that we're intended for episodic release? Sure. Ill consider buying it.
FinalxxSin Aerith was very fleshed out. And she died halfway into the story. I wouldn't say sh died fairly early. yuffie and Vincent we're mostly optional. Also there we're plenty of Zack flashbacks in ff7.
If the entire world is already available, then all they need to do is make it multi disc for the story aspects. Me and a large community of gamers prefer playing a game that is complete. Even if I was OK with releasing them episode at a time, I'm not going to actually buy the game it's not in my nature to buy incomplete games. Games I never heard of that we're intended for episodic release? Sure. Ill consider buying it.
FinalxxSin Aerith was very fleshed out. And she died halfway into the story. I wouldn't say sh died fairly early. yuffie and Vincent we're mostly optional. Also there we're plenty of Zack flashbacks in ff7.
FinalxxSin
Anti-Hero
Is Aeris/Aerith dying at the end of disc one considered the half way mark of the story? I personally don't think so. With Zack, there is Crisis Core based material that could be woven in. The point of my post was that things being massively expanded on could very well happen.
Yeah, I'm very aware of what your problem with it is. I've sort of addressed that already. My post was to try and navigate my way through no man's land between the two extremes and explore the wider reasons and implications for this decision. I am very aware that you and a lot of people are particularly wary of how this will be executed and what effect it will have on the flow of progression post-Midgar that people came to expect the remake to replicate and I'm with you on that.
We'll have to wait and see. They're not hiding the fact that there will be some additions and previously terse sections that will be fleshed out, so this remake is essentially as malleable in structure as they want it to be. It seems entirely possible that the first volume is entirely Midgar, albeit expanded yet still keeping the salient, familiar plot beats. The impetus will be on Square and CC2 to try and make up for the egregious fact that the remake won't be a full package by making each volume something worth buying and something fulfilling. It may not be completely ideal as a principle and it's precisely why I empathise with fans who are upset, but I suppose I can see the merits behind this decision.
The other elephant in the room is that if this risky move succeeds (and I bet it will, because the circumstances here are way different compared to the Lightning Trilogy and how less and less people bothered with each subsequent, make-up-as-you-go-along entry), Square may employ this model again for large, costly future projects. It will definitely annoy people, but on the other hand, you risk a situation where nothing comes out for a while and the final game on its own may not be a sufficient financial success? I don't really know what will happen exactly. It will be an interesting balancing act.
All this talk makes it sound like Square Enix is still not out of the red that they dug themselves into. We have to really look into this, how many parts will we be having, how many do we have to wait for the complete product? And will these new additions be worth it?
I can understand they need to span it out for multiple discs but lets also consider if we do want to play the game. Will it install, or will we have to switch out discs just to play it form beginning to end in one playthough?
Considering how long it took to leave midgar in the beginning, you might be right. Which is worry-some, but its best to address these issues then wait and see approach. Otherwise Square Enix will not give the care it deserves. Look at Final Fantasy XV? Can anyone say this was the result of the best planning available?
LOL, FFXV is in a league of its own. I'd hate to be the person who has to work out how much the discarded material for Versus over the years cost (not to mention lost man hours), how ludicrously expensive just making the game is, how detrimental it might be not to have safe direct sequels to try and recoup costs from like the Lightning Trilogy, and on top of that, how much it cost to build a proprietary engine in conjunction with FFXV with an uncertain future.
From a purely developmental and business standpoint, they certainly are making the (more) right decisions with the remake, as people will have to begrudgingly admit. CyberConnect 2 assistance, Unreal Engine 4 with excellent existing Japanese documentation and support meaning relatively quick progress can be made without being slowed down considerably by proprietary engine teething problems, multiple volumes to pad out a release schedule roadmap and maximise money gain from the whole project.
From a purely developmental and business standpoint, they certainly are making the (more) right decisions with the remake, as people will have to begrudgingly admit. CyberConnect 2 assistance, Unreal Engine 4 with excellent existing Japanese documentation and support meaning relatively quick progress can be made without being slowed down considerably by proprietary engine teething problems, multiple volumes to pad out a release schedule roadmap and maximise money gain from the whole project.