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Role Playing (Games)

Advent Children Director Wants To Redo FFVII 116

1up.com has an interview with director Tetsuya Nomura, one of the men behind Advent Children and Kingdom Hearts. In it, he talks about several aspects of Square-Enixs' gaming library, and admits he'd like to expand the PS3 tech demo into a full revamp of Final Fantasy VII. From the article: "The PS3 tech demo was actually not the perfect forum that he wanted to have. It was just timing that we had to submit something in time for E3, for the press conference. So, again, it was not perfect forum. And the 7 remake idea was always, always in conversation, just because it's so popular. And then just because of that tech demo here in the PS3 conference, that probably based more expectations of fans, obviously."
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Advent Children Director Wants To Redo FFVII

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  • Fanboy Outrage (Score:3, Interesting)

    by xgamer04 ( 248962 ) <<xgamer04> <at> <yahoo.com>> on Thursday September 15, 2005 @05:34PM (#13571021)
    Ya know, I'd love for Square to redo VII and just kill all the sacred cows that fanboys have about the game (and the series). I guess it's the asshole in me, as I've never played through the whole game (I probably should someday). I just think it's put on such a pedastal as the "ultimate RPG" (console style, anyway) and I don't know if it really deserves it.

    PS: I'm not trolling here, these are just my off-the-cuff thoughts. Don't take this comment seriously, it's not meant to be a critique of FF/Square/gaming/fanboys/etc.
    • Ya know, I'd love for Square to redo VII and just kill all the sacred cows that fanboys have about the game (and the series). It worked for George Lucas.

      • You know, I am slightly suspicious about the remake too. Better technology doesn't mean they are going to make the entire game better than before. FF7 was such a great game that I doubt Square Enix can do it again, leave alone better. One of the best things about FF7 was that it was like reading a comic book. You gave the voices to the characters and had your own interpretation of the story. Look at FF-X...I mean, its like a freaking soap opera. They destroyed most of what FF stood for using Tidus and the i
        • I always assumed a FF-VII remake would mean everything remains EXACTLY the same as the original EXCEPT for the graphics... but I think I might have assumed too much.

          Now, I (at least) hope we (the prospective players) will be given a few choices when playing the remake, as we start the game, like "use only original gameplay content" vs. "use updated content too", and maybe "use old style textboxes" vs. "use newly created speech and subtitles".
        • Why do they have to do all that? Is there really any reason they can't just re-implement the game?

          Think about it like this; start with a straight port, meaning the exact same 2D textures and low-poly 3D models on the PS3. Then replace all the models with 3D ones, and textures (tilemaps) with 3D scenery. Replace all the special effects with nice pixel shaders, throw in some new effects where it wasn't possible before, and you now have a new game, identical in every way but media, which is vastly improved.

          Now
          • I'd be happy if they implement the short versions of summons for after the first time.
            A sufficiently powerfull party in battle can go nearly an eternity when you end up doing 1 or more KOTR.
    • by Haeleth ( 414428 ) on Thursday September 15, 2005 @06:04PM (#13571329) Journal
      Maybe they could put the fabled "Aeris resurrection quest" back in...

      ...and then have her die again ten minutes later. I'd pay good money to hear the fanboys scream!
    • It'd be like some kind of Card Battle Game!

      Final Fantasy ACID.
  • Redo FF VI instead (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Stormwatch ( 703920 )
    Final Fantasy VI was the best of the series.
  • Seriously, are you willing to shell out at least 50 quid for an RPG you have already played, albeit with better graphics?

    Old is new again. No thanks.

    Remakes never made good games, and never brought back the old vibes.
    • Actually I think that Sid Meier's remake of Pirates! both makas a good game and brings back the old vibes and good fun of the original version.It also improves on some of the worst aspects of the original game such as land combat.
    • Honestly... (Score:2, Interesting)

      by 8086ed ( 876715 )
      I'd pay $100 for a revamped version of FFVII, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I've spent hundreds of hours on the game, and would most certianly do it all again.
      • Re:Honestly... (Score:3, Insightful)

        by badasscat ( 563442 )
        I'd pay $100 for a revamped version of FFVII, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

        Yep, me too, provided it was like one of those crazy Japanese SE's. I'd pay $50 for a regular version, easy. And I never pay that for games anymore.

        If someone doesn't like FF7, that's great for you. What the hell do you want from the rest of us? Save your money and stay home, who cares? A lot of people do want an FF7 remake and have been hoping to hell Square would make one ever since they started teasing us about it aroun
        • Actually, I do happen to like FF7 a lot.

          So the market goes where the money is. Fair enough. But then, why whine about the lack of originality in todays games if everybody is more than willing to pay full price for the same old game again?

          It's more than obvious why Square has lost it's innovation: it's much more convenient for it to stick the proven formula and release carbon copy sequels than try something really groundbreaking like Ehrgeiz, Tobal or Einhander. Wonder why you don't see any more games like
          • This is the truth that many folks need to swallow. The "hardcore" gamers slamming on all the upcoming games for being terrible and unoriginal ought to realize that their opinion is the minority.

            Fact is, a good game is a good game regardless of whether or not it was innovative. If the majority of players enjoy it, the game did its job of giving them entertainment at the cost of their money. When people make innovation a core requirement of enjoyment then the developers will take the risks involved in doing s
    • What about all those people that bought and raved about Mario 64 DS? They added some mini games and I think some more stars to collect, I'm sure SE would add some similar stuff to any FFVII remake. Oh, and the Twin Snakes remake of Metal Gear Solid on the Gamecube is apparently very good, AFAIK they added a few things like giving Snake the moves he gained for MGS2. £50 for a remake of FFVII? Nah probably not. I'd find it somewhere at a decent price, or pay £50 for a collector's edition or the
    • Yes...

      Though mostly because my copy of FF VII isn't playable anymore (it's the PC version which offered higher res graphics than the PS1 release which sold me on it). It never supported 3D graphics API's, just individual cards and so doesn't work anymore unless I can dig up (and get working on a fairly recent system) a 3DFX Vodoo 1/2 or Riva TNT 1 card... I know I sure don't own those anymore and my current rig uses PCI Express, so their is no way I could play it now...

      I'd love a Xbox 360/PS3 version with r
      • Slightly off-topic, but it is possible to play FF7PC still. You can get any of a myriad of OpenGL wrappers (ie: google search 'OpenGL Wrapper') that will allow for playing of the game. You will also be able to get higher resolutions.

        Alternatively, if you own the PSX version of the game and have a CD reader that can read the CD, you can grab a PSX emulator like ePSXe, some plugins, dump the CD isos to your HDD, dump your PSX's bios via a somewhat intricate cable mod, buy a PSX -> USB converter, and pl
        • How can you get higher resoultions when the game itself is limited to 640x480? Does the wrapper itself force a higher resolution for the game?

          I know you can play with a PSX emulator and use the emulator to increase the resolution, but as far as the PC version goes, it's hardcoded isn't it?

          I'd be interested if you could post furthre info.
          • Depending on the wrapper, while the game is limited to 640x480, you can have the wrapper upsample to 1600x1200 and do smoothing and filtering. Offhand, I hate to say I don't have a specific example of a wrapper that does this -- most wrappers are simply wrappers... They just convert 3DFx Glide calls to OpenGL or DirectX. Some of them have advanced features, although iirc you have to pay for them.

            It's been a few years since I have used one of these wrappers, YMMV.
  • Killer App for PS3 (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Laven ( 102436 ) on Thursday September 15, 2005 @05:55PM (#13571242)
    Even with the reported high cost of the PS3, if they do an excellent job on a FF7 remake using the full capabilities of the new hardware then that alone would be enough reason for me to buy PS3.
    • everyone has their reason to buy a console.

      mine would have been Oblivion. even though i have a top notch computer to play the pc version, i wanted to be able to play from my couch or bed. i have some back pain and it's too difficult to play sitting on a chair for more than short periods of time.

      but since the last generation of consoles, i have become aware of the kinds of issues such as the DRM that prevents the customer from having full access to the chips that i won't be buyng a next gen console or any in
      • but pc gaming is very unfortunetly becoming like the console crowd. extremely invasive copy prevention methods like starforce and securom/safedisc that install drivers behind the users back and interfere with normal computer function is enough for me to avoid games that use those methods.

        Perhaps even worse than consoles. Aren't there now PC games that will refuse to run if you have certain applications installed, such as Alcohol 120%? It can't get much more invasive than that.

        Personally I've never minde

    • Not going to come out (if it ever does) in time to matter for the PS3.

      Slashdot's title is very misleading. Their title:

      "Advent Children Director Wants To Redo FFVII"

      What was actually said was more along the lines of "A remake would be neat, but is impossible anytime soon since his schedule is too full, and there is no time."
  • by ShamusYoung ( 528944 ) on Thursday September 15, 2005 @06:01PM (#13571303) Homepage
    FF has been known as this series that never keeps anything. Every game is a whole new world with new rules and new wonders. They didn't make sequals, they started over every time. (Aside from keeping a few basic game mechanics) It was a series of constant innovation and invention.

    I think it's sad that the thing is deteriorating to the point where all they do is put out re-hashed versions of the old stories. FFX2 was a joke. Now they want to simply re-make FFVII.

    The goal shouldn't be to re-make FFVII. It should be to go out and make something even better.

    • Did you even play X2? Or did you just read the reviews and decide it wasn't worth playing?

      As horrible as the premise of the game is, the story is more original than FFX's and the game system is more enjoyable. There hasn't been a job system in a numbered FF game since 5j. And it was LOADS better than the freakin idiotic sphere grid.

      Really I've not seen any of the FF games have the same story twice. Some similarities are always there, like "Save the planet!" but that's the point of the game.

      If you s
      • I played about 10 hours of it and gave up. Most FF games I get excited about, and I try to explain to other people why this thing is so cool. In X2, I was worried someone would catch me playing it. You know... the concert. And the dress-up. And Yuna using GUNS. Yeesh. Getting back to the main point, it's not that I think the FFVII remake won't be good, its that I'm worried they've lost their appetite for innovation. Most game companies (most American ones, anyhow)suffer from this a lot, and it was comfo
      • You can drop the j. At this time, all the FF ## have been put out in practically every market using the original numbering scheme in one form or another.
    • Skimming through /.'s old Advent Children threads recently, I found something interesting. Apparently franchise-milking is a strong aspect of the "Enix" side of the company (you know, the one that did the Dragon Quest V remake not too long ago?). I'm afraid those old posts might be right, as I certainly don't remember FF being milked this rampantly before the merger.

      At any rate, as long as it's faithful, but with decent embellishments (*cough*morechocoboracingcourses*cough*), I wouldn't mind an FFVII rema

    • Then you obviously haven't heard of the "Compliation of FFVII", which Advent Children is part of. Just to clarify, there are 3 other titles in the compilation: Before Crisis (Mobile Phone), Crisis Core (PSP), and Dirge of Cerberus (PS2) (Notice a trend in the abbreviations? *C). Seeing a FFVII remake would be the penultimate closer to this concept.

      However, I think this is a bad idea. FF Anthology & Chronicles & Origins & Dawn of Souls were good ideas. Most of the FF fanbase came into being a
      • "Now they could be really slimey and just update the FMV sequences, since we all know the fanboys would gobble that right up." I'm a big fan of FFVII, but if they did that and I knew anyone who bought the remake having already bought the original I would be disgusted. I know the FFVI port for the PSX added FMV and little (nothing?) else, but that's a port and not a remake. If they *ported* FFVII to the PS3 and redid the FMVs that might be acceptable as long as they charged a significantly lower price than
        • I'll buy it if:

          Same storey, even the txt.
          No voice acting. Oh God it's annoying when they can't speak characters' names.
          New graphics and FMV's. This would include panning from 2D background to 2.5D environment. If they made environments 3D, that would be okay too, as long as they don't differ too far.
          Same leveling system.
          Worthy amount of extras (extra Weapons to fight?).
          Doubtful, but I would like to port my current game. I don't want to build levels and beat Ruby again. Granted, completionist would hate t

      • They don't all just end with C... look at them. AC. BC. CC. DC. If they add anything else (which I don't think they will) it would have to be something like Final Fantasy VII: Evil Cranberry or something.
    • by ShamusYoung (528944)

      You spelled your name wrong. :D
    • Normally I'd agree with you, but this was a fantastic game, and I'd buy it if it was remade.
    • I totally agree with you. Of all the "ports" they did, the only ones I thought were worth it were FF1-FF3 and FF5. While I played the original, I didn't see how making FF4-esque graphics and numerous interface improvements (oh, like being able to see if chests were already open;)) was necessarily a bad thing. Using charts and whatnot to play a game was OK in the 80's but the updated system was better.

      FF2,3,5 weren't released in the US and I think they deserved a state-side release (other than via emulato
      • Get Skies of Arcadia, if you've got a Dreamcast or Gamecube (I assume its a faithful port). Its just about the best RPG ever made. Grandia 2 is pretty good too (DC and PS2), and lately I've been playing Stella Deus (PS2), which is more of a turn based combat-oriented game with a loose plot (so far, maybe it gets better) to hold it together. The combat is good though, and the graphics are wonderful (old style hand-drawn look). If you like turn based tactical games, I would really recommend Gladius (PS2 a
    • by Naikrovek ( 667 ) <jjohnson@p[ ]com ['sg.' in gap]> on Friday September 16, 2005 @01:34PM (#13578320)
      the main problem with the final fantasy series in my opinion is all the crappy minigames they make you drag yourself through to get somewhere.

      I don't *want* to play blitzball.
      I don't *want* to hit 7 buttons in a specific order in 2 seconds to unlock a one-use powerful strike that i've already earned by taking several beatings.
      I don't *want* to be playing cards.
      etc.

      I *want* to play FF7 again on newer hardware with better graphics, because its the only one I've played that ever did anything right.
      • It's odd that you like FF7 so much if you dislike Square's minigames, because that's the one that actually started the minigame trend. Prior to FF7 there weren't any actual "minigames" in any of the Final Fantasy games (not that I recall, at least).

        off the top of my head:
        Motorcycle race,
        Submarine fight,
        Casino games,
        Chocobo racing,
        Chocobo breeding,
        Snowboarding...

        The minigames you mentioned are optional, they don't actually advance the plot in their respective games. The snowboard, the motorcycle race/fight,
  • by AcheronHades ( 837485 ) on Thursday September 15, 2005 @06:02PM (#13571309)
    When I first read this interview I admit I was a bit excited. But seriously think about what he is saying:

    • We think a remake of FF7 would be cool.
    • We are not currently working on a remake
    • If we do a remake it really ought to be directed by Nomura
    • "Nomura-san has so many other projects lined up already in the future schedule, so it's almost impossible to think about that [a FF7 remake] and squeeze that in."

    He is saying it would be cool, but it's not something that's going to happen any time soon.
  • Maybe it could be a good idea? I mean, when was VII released? It's been a couple years. If they actually updated the game with better cut scenes, more side missions, and an updated battle system, it might be worth buying.
    • I would be against an updated battle system. I really liked how the materia system worked. Just my opinion though.
      • Yeah. The materia system was actually my favorite magic system the series ever used.

        That's the SYSTEM I like, not the parts of the game surrounding the system. Like having to breed a gold chocobo to get to the little island to get, far and away, the best summon in the game. Which I never actually did.

        I like that it presented such a huge number of options, and it really made you think sometimes about what equipment you wanted to use. Better stats, or more materia slots? Or more linked slots? Or higher growth
        • Darn it you made me think about what chocobo racing could be like on next gen! Chocobo racing was mostly a joke on PS1/PC, but it could be insane now-a-days... That said I did breed chocobo... Multiple times... Once you got used to it, then it was simple...

          Personally I wouldn't mind a bit of a revamp of the Materia system... It had it's good ponts, but it had some downsides to... I'd be willing to say FF as a series has never had all that great a set of battle systems, with some fresh talent from the Enix s
        • I agree 100% about how interchangable the characters were. They didnt really feel unique battle-wise because they all could basically do the same thing if you swaped out the materia.

          I actually did go get the Knights of the Round summon. I understand your frustration in that it took so much work to do EVERYTHING, but stuff like that adds a lot of replay value for me. Call me obsessive compulsive if you like, but I don't feel like I have beaten a game unless I have gotten EVERYTHING.

          And yes, Chrono Trigg
  • Advent Children (Score:4, Interesting)

    by focitrixilous P ( 690813 ) on Thursday September 15, 2005 @06:45PM (#13571663) Journal
    I just saw the fansub of Advent Children last night, and I had my proveribal socks rocked off. It puts the Matrix to shame in cool fights and chase scenes. Cloud riding his motorcycle in a slide while blocking bullets with his sword looks pretty great. I haven't even played FF7, and I was impressed.

    So yeah, I recommend the fansub entirely. I'll assume you all know how to find a copy.

    • At times, during the heavy action motorcycle scenes, Cloud's hair definately looked terrible. When everything got crazy, it looked like gameplay and not a CG movie.

      The fight scene with Tifa and Loz was by far the most incredible thing I have watched in ages, it definately rocked the Matrix.

      I agree with most of these posts, FFVII was great, but I hope they don't run out of other great ideas to keep the franchise going. FF has always been something I know I would get my money out of and would have some decent
    • What's a "fansub"? You mean the movie that's coming out in November that was leaked?

      I saw it. THIS is the movie they should have released as the first Final Fantasy movie...not that "Spirits Within". I mean, that was an OK movie, but hardly a Final Fantasy movie.

      Advent Children was the better movie AND it was Final Fantasy through and through.
      • A fansub is a series, OVA, or movie that is subtitled from a (normally) Japanese release. It's standard fare for aniem fans that don't want to wait for a hack job to be done on the latest anime before they get to see it...

        Since the DVD raw was released the other day in Japanese the fansub groups have had their fun and subbed the DVD raw...
      • Yeah, fansubs are fairly common. It's the japanese version with fan made subtitles added in, but you've been told that already. Another one I really like is the One Piece one, as that series got messed up for the transition to Saturday Morning Cartoons. Any blood, swearing, smoking, drinking, and a bunch of critical plot elements got taken out for American audiences. Google for Kaizoku-Fansubs if you're still interested.
    • I can't believe what I'm hearing. I saw the leaked fansub of it last weekend with a group of friends (all of us except 1 is a FFVII die hard loyalist) but that movie really just sucked.

      Graphics superb
      Music great
      Action scenes good
      Story Line piece of crap

      Yeah the chase scenes were good, the aeris and jack scenes were nestalgic, and the sephoroth fight was totally awesome but all in all about 66% of it was so bad that I wanted a refund on the time it wasted on my watching it.
  • by illumina+us ( 615188 ) on Thursday September 15, 2005 @08:14PM (#13572198) Homepage
    ...I'll be forced to buy a PS3
  • Yum (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Taulin ( 569009 ) on Thursday September 15, 2005 @09:52PM (#13572742) Homepage Journal
    I just hope they explain what the 'weapons' were. I will definatly buy it since I loaned it to a friend before reading it (hope you are reading this Glenn), and never got to finish it.
    • They were weapons, just big WMD's if you will.
  • Possibly off topic but I think most people get turned off by ff8 mostly because they expected it to blow them away and live up to ff7's legend. Square obviously aimed to create a game that could get more less ff acquainted interested by using more emotionaly constipated characters that might be easier to identify with, I'm sure teens were quite a target audience. If you haven't noticed it's also probably one of the FF's closest to having the least outragous fantasy or sci fi setting, making it seem a litt

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