Now Square Enix Thinks Faster Dev Cycles Is The Answer
Final Fantasy XIII-2Yes, it's safe to assume that Square Enix has been getting under PSXE's skin lately.
Not long after we call out the company for wreaking havoc with our beloved Final Fantasy franchise, we hear another interesting piece of news: Square Enix is once again trying to mirror Western developers by cutting down on the development times for their games.
In speaking to GameReactor, Final Fantasy XIII-2 producer Yoshinori Kitase first admitted they took too long in releasing FFXIII, and then compared S-E's output to that of Western companies like EA and Ubisoft. Said Kitase:
"When you think of Western triple A titles like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Assassin’s Creed, they seem to work with a lot shorter turnaround – they make a new game in 1-2 years. That is something we need to follow up, because that seems to be the best way to keep our fans interested and attracted to the franchise."
So when it came to FFXIII-2, Square Enix said they had learned their lesson and cranked it out faster. In all, development time came to only about a year and a half, which they're going to try to maintain in the future. In other words, we've learned they might make FFXV an action RPG and instead of taking time to create a masterpiece, they're going to try the annualization - or semi-annualization approach - and pump 'em out faster.
...just flailin' in the dark, huh?
Tags: square enix, game development, ffxiii, final fantasy xiii, ffxiii-2, final fantasy xiii-2
11/20/2011 8:51:49 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (107 posts)
shadowpal2
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 12:25:17 AM
I certainly believe there are some business tactics that they can follow here and there...but changing a franchise's style to something more like the game that's getting a lot of sales is not the way to do it. You want to follow your own heart and mind and do what you feel good about.
I hope SE can shape up, but in a way...I just feel that a lot of people there...just lost a lot of confidence in themselves. I guess we have to count on Atlus from here on out (though we really have been doing exactly that for this whole generation).
Still...waiting on seeing how FF Versus XIII comes out. I know it won't be the traditional FF, but as a KH fan...I consider this my KHIII for this generation.
4 up, 0 down
kokoro
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 12:27:46 AM
@shadowpal2
Yeah I've been waiting all generation for KH3 too. As I recall KH was always lucrative for them- why then have they seemingly abandoned it? Their behaviour is incomprehensible. When something acts incomprehensibly, it most probably indicates that there is serious lack of communication between the people operating the entity. That there is conflict of ideals, visions or values between the people in square enix is a reality which seems more probable than ever.
Last edited by kokoro on 11/21/2011 12:35:02 AM
4 up, 0 down
Highlander
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 10:27:09 AM
3 up, 1 down
tes37
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 9:57:25 PM
Reply
3 up, 0 down
ZettaiSeigi
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:01:43 PM
Reply
6 up, 0 down
Warrior Poet
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:02:48 PM
Reply
This makes literally zero sense. "People don't like our games, so we should move to an engine we're not familiar with, experiment new formulas we've never tried before, and to top it all off, spend LESS time working on them."
Square-Enix has some really intelligent people. I mean, look at the graphics in FFXIII. That had to take brains. Why not have brains at the top of the company too?
This is soooo messed up.
12 up, 1 down
kokoro
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 12:35:47 AM
5 up, 0 down
Ludakriss
Thursday, November 24, 2011 @ 7:03:24 AM
That's exactly how I feel when all these magnificient figures (graphically) are going to start resembling the bulking, hulking megalo-maniacs like in Gears of War/Unear Tournament. It's a no-no artistically.
0 up, 0 down
VampDeLeon
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:03:52 PM
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On a lighter note, will this mean FFVersus XIII will no longer be pushed back?
2 up, 0 down
Riku994
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:04:36 PM
2 up, 0 down
hellish_devil
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:45:15 PM
3 up, 0 down
Riku994
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:04:06 PM
Reply
6 up, 0 down
GuardianMode
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:07:05 PM
4 up, 0 down
Vitron
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:08:30 PM
Reply
Its official VsXIII will be the last thing I'll buy from SE.
Last edited by Vitron on 11/20/2011 10:11:26 PM
6 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:10:05 PM
Reply
quick, fast, & in a MF'ing hurry!!!!
10 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:15:34 AM
Wada has to go, he is single handedly destroying one of the greatest gaming companies in Japan and people over there seem to be okay with it. Are they simply too scared to tell their boss to go jump off a bridge?
2 up, 0 down
Underdog15
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:51:43 PM
1 up, 0 down
firesoul453
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:13:05 PM
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I liked them better when they focused on quality.......
3 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:18:46 AM
"We have to mimick those two games if we wanna see 8 million sales in the first week!!"
Problem is Wada, YOU didn't make Call of Duty, or publish it. How many casual CoD players are into expansive RPG's? Almost none!!!!
If you're gonna make an RPG, make a damn good RPG to get the fans to all wanna buy it. There are still millions of us here!!!! How could you dismiss us like this?!?!?!
3 up, 0 down
Underdog15
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:53:03 PM
It's poisoned him, apparently.
1 up, 0 down
Xra897
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:14:05 PM
Reply
2 up, 0 down
ZettaiSeigi
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:17:40 PM
Last edited by ZettaiSeigi on 11/20/2011 10:17:58 PM
1 up, 0 down
Riku994
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:20:37 PM
6 up, 0 down
wenezz
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:19:47 PM
Reply
1 up, 0 down
Oyashiro
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:40:27 PM
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Sweet Jesus! What the hell is wrong with the heads of SE? I refuse to believe that anyone that can be this damn dense! They have to read what people are saying on the internet, how can they not know what we all want?!
It pisses me off to my very core to read more and more progressively stupider statements from these hacks!
I swear that they have there heads shoved so far up there asses, that there heads somehow double lap themselves and thus create a one man human centipede... F($%!!!
5 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:46:40 PM
4 up, 0 down
Oyashiro
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:49:47 PM
3 up, 0 down
Oyashiro
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:52:23 PM
Your seeing it right now, Its titled Square Enix.
1 up, 0 down
Vitron
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:53:03 PM
0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 11:00:25 PM
2 up, 0 down
Highlander
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 10:44:37 AM
1 up, 0 down
hellish_devil
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:43:38 PM
Reply
And those people that buy CoD every year, they are not fans, they are just brainless people that believe that they are gamers and explode if somebody says otherwise.
Last edited by hellish_devil on 11/20/2011 10:46:27 PM
5 up, 1 down
Dancemachine55
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:25:51 AM
If CoD was a broken mess of a game with a ton of glitches, horrible graphics that give you eye strain and limited multiplayer, would it have sold so well?
Don't get me wrong, I prefer Battlefield 3 myself and Uncharted 3 or any Sony exclusive over CoD, but to say CoD isn't quality... it's just wrong.
I believe the words you were looking for were:
"Highest quality standard FPS"
Doesn't do anything new or radical, but what it can do, it does well.
3 up, 0 down
Vitron
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:49:37 PM
Reply
1 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 11:00:47 PM
1 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:47:38 AM
I just feel like all the old Squaresoft devs should get together and make their own dev company, or just simply join Level 5 or Atlus and see what great ideas they all come up with.
0 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 5:24:12 AM
Last edited by Beamboom on 11/21/2011 5:25:22 AM
1 up, 0 down
Yukian
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:49:48 PM
Reply
"Heyyy, April's Fools! We're going to go back to what we were and do OUR thing with the RPG's again, what with the quality and the awesomeness, all right? :D"
If so, then this is THE BIGGEST and THE LONGEST April's Fools ever, then... :/
1 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:52:32 AM
It's like if Buddweiser said "Coka Cola is selling more product than us, so let's scrap our current popular taste and try a new, more Coke centred flavour, but keep the Budweisser name. We don't need the old fans of our drink, we'll just reap in all the fans of Coka Cola!!"
No other company would kill themselves like that, so why is SE getting away with it?!?!
4 up, 0 down
Yukian
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 7:06:05 AM
I think I just thought how SE thinks we think... and it's not good...
Give the Final Fantasy series to Kojima and let the dumbass executives do your assisted suicide before you ruin that name!!!
1 up, 0 down
Warrior Poet
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 5:41:15 PM
2 up, 0 down
Fane1024
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 @ 6:51:02 AM
horse urine > Budweiser
1 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 10:50:48 PM
Reply
How can anybody make this many bad moves so close together? This is how you ruin franchises and ultimately gaming companies. Final Fantasy hasn't always been perfect, but imagine a bad one every year.
3 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 11:28:45 PM
Oh wait....FFXIII-2.
2 up, 0 down
shadowpal2
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 12:29:45 AM
Only gaming companies that seem to be doing their own thing are Level 5, Kojima Pro., and a few others.
1 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:54:23 AM
Sure, it didn't sell millions like CoD, but it sold more than expected for such a niche game.
3 up, 0 down
Jawknee
Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 11:26:58 PM
Reply
5 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:57:13 AM
"Tune in next week when we hear more from Wada or Kitase about how they plan on destroying the FF franchise!! Will they scrap turn-based combat altogether?!? Will they go First Person?!? Will it go online multiplayer with a 9 hour story mode?!?! You can find out next week!!!"
2 up, 0 down
Lawless SXE
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:02:28 AM
Reply
"The problem, as I see it, is that those games all have a vastly different focus from Final Fantasy. Battlefield and Call of Duty have both built their fanbases upon online gameplay, and that is why people buy. That is where the brand awareness comes from. And yet, fans are beginning to fight back against both of those series, thanks to a tiring out of the formulas. Assassin's Creed has a continuous narrative thread, making it logical for quick releases so that fans don't begin to forget key elements.
"Final Fantasy, however, has always introduced a new world and new characters, with various themes. The scope of a Final Fantasy game far exceeds any of those annual release series, and the quality that was once synonymous with the series is what kept fans interested and attracted. I fully understand now why people say that Square-Enix is out of touch with the people that loved their games. Tis truly a shame."
There should be a mass culling of stupid people. Then we wouldn't have to deal with such inane nonsense as these statements made by Square-Enix and maybe they'd be able to embrace their heritage, rather than chasing some illusory dream brought on by the desire to appeal to a mass audience.
6 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 2:09:38 AM
Call of Duty, along with Wii and Guitar Hero managed to sell millions because they were aimed at multiplayer, party or casual players. These types of players do not play hardcore RPG's, so why are Square Enix trying to aim their Final Fantasy franchise at them? It just won't work!!
Like you said Lawless, Final Fantasy games are all about new characters, expansive worlds, new stories, new mini-games but the same good ol' chocobo rearing that fans have come to love. If it was so popular in the past, why mess with a formula for success by dumbing it down or speeding up the process and risk a lesser game?!?!
If anything, Square Enix should be finding more streamlined and deeper uses for turn-based combat systems, and I must admit, I loved Final Fantasy XII's ability to control 4 characters, position them wherever you want, assign them characteristics like healer, tank, big hitter and magic abilities. FF XII was the greatest evolution of turn-based combat I have yet seen in the series.
Going from FF XII's deeper yet far more controlled use of turn-based mechanics to FF XIII's dumbed down version of turn-based combat (with auto-attack, WTF!?!?) completely ruined the FF experience for me.
I just wonder how long it will be before either Wada and Co finally turn around and listen to the fans, or Wada and Kitase are fired and replaced with someone comptetent in their own abilities, not just trying to copy the success of others.
The FF series were unique, and were of the highest quality in RPG games. Dumbing it down won't get more people in, it will just push bigger and older fan bases further away.
Last edited by Dancemachine55 on 11/21/2011 2:10:17 AM
4 up, 0 down
Ludakriss
Thursday, November 24, 2011 @ 9:31:47 AM
I like you so much for commenting in favour of XII. I seriously thought exactly the same thing (minus the fact that you have to stop to draw a weapon).
And the way you explained what the evolution of turn-based game could look like...jeez, almost started whaling up xD
If only SE would listen to these, still caring, creative and I think, thetty intelligent fans, the game would go back to it's beautiful roots. Eh.
0 up, 0 down
___________
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:33:28 AM
Reply
i.... i......
sorry, i give up!
trying to understand the logic of $E is like trying to understand the logic of the OFLC.
man would have a better change of walking to the moon and back!
0 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 2:11:39 AM
The Government and Christian Groups, however, I do not.
2 up, 2 down
___________
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 8:53:28 AM
0 up, 0 down
Underdog15
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:58:18 PM
1 up, 0 down
Jed
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:54:30 AM
Reply
I take a dump every day, but that's not very interesting. I really want to see SE come out with a huge, rich, beautiful game, like they used to do. But I've given up on those dreams.
Help us Obi Wan Kenobi, you're our only hope!!!
1 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 5:16:23 AM
The MP gaming market is the single worst market to get into - they will have to stand against the mammoths on the gaming scene, multi-billion marketing budgets and distributors that will do anything, *anything* to make you fail in stealing market share from them. So even if you *do* release a pretty good MP game chances are that you'll hardly sell a single copy cause the competitors are too many and too good.
It's the worst possible way to go if you are laying down with a broken back.
Last edited by Beamboom on 11/21/2011 5:19:14 AM
2 up, 0 down
Highlander
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 10:48:10 AM
2 up, 0 down
Dancemachine55
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 2:15:52 AM
Reply
Lower quality games
Chances are, a yearly or 2 year installments of Final Fantasy games will mean bigger budgets spent on more workers to get the game made. Not only that, but they will all have to be linked together, use the same set of characters, the same world, and that IS NOT the Final Fantasy I know.
I am no longer sad about Square Enix, I'm beyond that. I'm interested in seeing how deep they can dig this hole they're in now. I'm finding SE's comical statements to be far more entertaining now that I don't care about buying their games.
2 up, 1 down
Beamboom
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 5:09:41 AM
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It's that ANNUALIZATION SUCKS! We all hate it!
It leads to watered down storylines, little to no technical progress, we grow tired of the franchise, there's too many too soon, it is a Bad Thing! We don't want it!
Why can't they learn from one of the few things that even those of us who prefer western games think is bad about the western games? This is ridiculous. They must be desperate. This smells like swan song.
Last edited by Beamboom on 11/21/2011 5:11:24 AM
2 up, 0 down
JackDillinger89
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 5:13:19 AM
Reply
2 up, 0 down
Highlander
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 10:36:15 AM
Last edited by Highlander on 11/21/2011 10:36:23 AM
2 up, 1 down
Beamboom
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 3:02:18 PM
I understand you are upset, but... "MMORPG wannabe"??? I don't think it is Skyrim who has been accused of that... ;)
Last edited by Beamboom on 11/21/2011 3:02:29 PM
2 up, 0 down
Lawless SXE
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 5:31:08 AM
Reply
They could also do spin off titles and sequels, like FFX-2, XIII-2, Versus, Type-0, Dissidia, Theatrhythm, and The Crystal Chronicles. They could even bring up Haeresis, or goodness only knows what else. If done properly, rather than simply churning out another numbered entry every year... it could work, maybe probably...
1 up, 0 down
Yukian
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 7:18:37 AM
"I just thought of a new spin-off game! Let's call it Chocobo Hunt!"
Yep, any time now...
2 up, 1 down
raptassassin
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 6:17:44 AM
Reply
(by the way i'm 25)
Last edited by raptassassin on 11/21/2011 6:21:01 AM
1 up, 8 down
Yukian
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 7:11:45 AM
2 up, 0 down
ZettaiSeigi
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 7:21:15 AM
2 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 9:53:26 AM
2 up, 0 down
Highlander
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 10:37:12 AM
4 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 11:08:04 AM
Maturity will always rule, not age.
So start talking with maturity, young grasshopper
BTW, I'm 59 & have been gaming from the very beginning, & that's been a hell of a lot longer than when you were even first formed as a sperm deposit.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 11/21/2011 11:10:15 AM
2 up, 0 down
Jutter
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 3:24:25 PM
1 up, 1 down
Underdog15
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 @ 2:00:41 PM
By the way, the OP is crazy. I'm also 25... I fail to see how that gives him any more weight to his argument.
1 up, 0 down
Excelsior1
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 6:54:09 AM
Reply
It's not just Square that has dissapointed this gen. Capcom has done a lot of damage to RE series with RE5. Then they tap a crappy western developer for a follow up. I think these Japoanese companies have terrible leadership at the top and have shown little ability to adapt to the changing gaming market. Dazed and confused is how I would describe them for the most part.
Just look at FF vs 13 development cycle. Not to mention The Last Guardian. These games have been announced around 5 yrs ago...ridiculous that any game takes that long to make.
4 up, 0 down
Highlander
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 10:46:08 AM
2 up, 1 down
ZenChichiri
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 8:06:30 AM
Reply
You wake up in your home to a ringing coming from beside you. Your friend calls you on your magic wand, which transposes a 3D hologram of him in front of you. He’s in trouble with the government, and a secret force, named the Crystal Nebula Secret Military Expansive Forces, is after him. Luckily, even though the inside of your home looks like a typical fantasy house, when you press a button underneath your kitchen sink, the walls flip and all kinds of secret agent gadgets and weapons come out.
You grab your starting equipment (an assault rifle, a sword with a scope attached, and milk) and after solving a puzzle about how to put your shoes on, you feed your cows, then bound off onto your chocobo. While the chocobos are still yellow in color, they look much different. They have spiked wheels instead of feet, nitrous boost, and customizable decals on the side. As you’re racing towards your friend, a gang of chocobo riders pull up beside you and force you into a race for your life. As you race them through the city, you may get into random encounters, but if you’re able to score a headshot on the other racers with your scoped sword, then your encounter rate will go down.
Upon arriving at your friend’s location, you realize it was a betrayal, and you must take cover and use your assault rifle to take out your enemies that are much akin to Middle Eastern people. When you confront your friend about the betrayal, he says that he had to do it to protect his family, and really the Crystalluminati was behind it. As your friend is about to pass away, you have a chance to revive him with a defibrillator, but you have to solve a Rubik’s Cube to generate enough power because Rubik’s Cubes are extreme.
I think that will cater to the markets Square is trying to target.
Last edited by ZenChichiri on 11/21/2011 8:08:21 AM
2 up, 0 down
Warrior Poet
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 5:46:09 PM
0 up, 0 down
DrRockso87
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 9:46:12 AM
Reply
Seriously, I know this will probably be my six-hundredth time asking this but where the hell is Versus XIII?! Square seriously brings this upon themselves. I remember during E3 when they said Eidos "saved" them because they had nothing to show besides Final Fantasy XIII-2 (apparently Western gamers don't care about Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Type-O, Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance, etc.)
Unbelievable bunch of morons. If it wasn't for their top-dollar franchises keeping them afloat (Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Quest, etc.) and Eidos, Square-Enix would be bankrupt already.
2 up, 0 down
Underdog15
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 3:19:54 PM
0 up, 0 down
Akuma07
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 3:51:15 PM
Seriously, so many gaming events have gone by, and not a single word of Versus.
I thought they wanted to focus on action games, but they have ditched their most promising action-rpg since Kingdom Hearts.
0 up, 0 down
Highlander
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 10:33:30 AM
Reply
Let's recap. They want to make action games not RPGs. They want to use the Unreal Engine because their own engine is too good and doesn't run well on the western console, Xbox 360. They still can't complete FFXIV. Vs might as well be re-announced as a multi-platform game since we all expect it to go that way. SE think the answer is faster churning of games rather than increased quality because sticking a pile of crap under the noses of gamers every 12-18 months will keep it fresh, but serving up a gourmet meal every 3-4 years will bore gamers. Finally, it seems clear now that XIII-2 is part of this new fascination from SE for churning out episodic games of questionable comment to keep 'fans' interested. A pity that SE's fans long ago were abandoned by them and all they have now is the folks that bought FFXIII based on the name value alone.
If anyone is lost, if any Japanese developer is hopelessly behind the times they must be Square Enix. They are so pathetically out of touch and lacking in confidence that they must slavishly copy the episodic development practices behind CoD and AC? I have never seen any developer take the wrong lessons from a situation quite so skillfully as Square Enix. I have no more polite words for Square Enix, I really don't I have to stop commenting now because I don't believe that there is much point in attempting constructive discussion further, nor would I be able to do so. All I have left is to say that this is embarrassing and pathetic.
Last edited by Highlander on 11/21/2011 10:42:52 AM
4 up, 0 down
karneli lll
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:10:07 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
Highlander
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 1:18:34 PM
I use to think that one way that this could go would be for a good developer to build a game engine, and then deliver episodic content. so let's say for the initial game, you pay $60 and it includes a full game's worth of content, as well as the basic engine. Then the following year, or perhaps just 6 months later, there is a $20 game release that provides X hours of additional content - the game engine remains the same. Then on a 6-12 month cycle, another $20 game launch that simply provides the additional game content and uses the same basic engine. Sure the developer might update the engine, provide bug fixes, but other than that, it's all about creating a platform and delivering content.
The trouble is, that this doesn't fit all game genre. Call of Duty could easily go the way of World of Warcraft, and to be honest I think that this 'Elite' thing kind of points in that direction. It would be a much more reliable income stream.
That said, I think that gaming in general is done a total disservice by this kind of development because it dampens down innovation and the creation of new engines, new games and new ideas. If the industry shifts towards enhancement and extension, then what about the new games and new experiences?
Square Enix might see this as the future, but I see it as a dead end for gaming and the companies that pursue it. it's a dead end because it creates a dependence on a single product and a single audience. When that thing goes out of fashion, or takes a mis-step, that's the end of the gravy train, and that can really hurt an organization.
I really hope that this is not the way the industry goes, but if it is, I will jealously guard my game discs and replay single player until my fingers no longer will hold a joystick.
2 up, 0 down
Underdog15
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 3:27:04 PM
2 up, 0 down
Akuma07
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 3:47:20 PM
COD and AC are GOOD games. Thats why they sell so much.
Annual releases are nothing to do with it, if AC and COD had longer dev time, they would still sell millions.
A COD game takes 2 years to develop, across multiple teams.
These are also franchises, that build off the previous installments.
FF wouldn't work with annual releases, not in a million years, they are all brand new games, with no carry over from the last game. If $E could make a game franchise that was good, then annually release it, sure whatever. But all of their current franchises are awesome (most of the time) partly because of their story telling ability, and the fact that by the time they come out, the fans miss the games.
1 up, 0 down
Akuma07
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 3:40:55 PM
Reply
Really?
Really?
REALLY?!?!
How?! How can a company be THIS stupid?!
NEVER in my entire life have I ever seen a company that was trying to commit financial suicide like $E.
Do they really want to start releasing new FFs every 1-2 years? The fans will get over that SOOOOOOO quickly.
COD wins because it is a multiplayer powerhouse, it is like, getting a new expansion pack for your favourite multiplayer game every year.
AC is seeing a minor drop in consumer interest, because there are too many too soon.
I don't think I could handle dumping 100+ hours into a game every year. I have 5 games atm to finish from this year. But then again, if they released a new game every year, I doubt they would be very good.
Another sign that FF7 is not coming.
0 up, 0 down
Akuma07
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 3:59:18 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
Warrior Poet
Monday, November 21, 2011 @ 5:48:34 PM
0 up, 0 down
BigBoss4ever
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 @ 12:54:37 AM
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0 up, 0 down
Fane1024
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 @ 6:37:45 AM
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FFVIII - 02/99
FFIX - 07/00
It seems that shorter development cycles are not totally anathema to the creation of great JRPGs. I thought this latest comment was the first bit of sense I've heard from S-E in ages. You all have been complaining that there aren't enough JRPGs this generation and now you're upset that they will be released more frequently?
That said, "the best way to keep our fans interested and attracted to the franchise" would probably be to make games that feel like they're part of the franchise.
Last edited by Fane1024 on 11/22/2011 6:44:32 AM
0 up, 0 down
Underdog15
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 @ 2:03:51 PM
The answer is not releasing FFXV as an actionRPG, nor is it to fill the entire jRPG void with a million of the same franchise.
The trick is to spend TIME to make just ONE incredibly, hands-down outstanding turn-based jRPG with a thick story that lasts more than 10 hours. THEN, when people see a quality jRPG being successful, more will be made by other developers, and old IP's that used to be huge will resurrect.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 11/22/2011 2:04:59 PM
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raziel2kain
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 @ 5:46:06 AM
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raziel2kain
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 @ 5:46:24 AM
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kokoro
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Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 9:53:59 PM
Last edited by kokoro on 11/20/2011 9:54:29 PM