Squeenix FF7 Enhanced Edition coming to Steam?

[aris]

Here's new news right from Wada (CEO of Squeenix) why they wont make a FF7 remake. Now he is saying that they don't want to remake it because it would be admitting that they can't make a better Final Fantasy. This is, of course, disregarding the millions of ports and other remakes of past Final Fantasies that aren't FF7.

That's a surpising candidness coming from a CEO. Compare that to bioware, who's still saying that Dragon Age 2 was a fantastic game and a fantastic success. It gives me some measure of hope, in that they are at least trying to make good FF-games again.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Here's new news right from Wada (CEO of Squeenix) why they wont make a FF7 remake. Now he is saying that they don't want to remake it because it would be admitting that they can't make a better Final Fantasy. This is, of course, disregarding the millions of ports and other remakes of past Final Fantasies that aren't FF7.

I wonder what the real reason behind this is. They keep making up dumb excuses as to why they don't want to do it. I think I've seen screenshots where they've remade some of the FFs on GBA or handhelds with cartoony graphics too.

They've remade FF1 & 2 for the PS1, for mobile phones and for the PSP. I think the PS1 and PSP remakes are different ones too and not ports, maybe the mobile phone version too. They remade FF4 for the DS and then for the PSP which are different remakes and not a port. They remade the NES FF3 for the DS. Maybe something else too, but I can't recall anything else really major.
Oh yeah FF5 was remade for the GBA too. It had some extra content if I'm not mistaken, like a new dungeon and new classes. Not sure if it's a proper remake though.
I left the FF5 and FF6 PS1 versions out since they are just ports and not proper remakes.

Here's new news right from Wada (CEO of Squeenix) why they wont make a FF7 remake. Now he is saying that they don't want to remake it because it would be admitting that they can't make a better Final Fantasy. This is, of course, disregarding the millions of ports and other remakes of past Final Fantasies that aren't FF7.

That's a surpising candidness coming from a CEO. Compare that to bioware, who's still saying that Dragon Age 2 was a fantastic game and a fantastic success. It gives me some measure of hope, in that they are at least trying to make good FF-games again.

I'm still hoping that Final Fantasy Versus 13 will be good, although it kind of stinks of vaporware. Wasn't that game supposed to be a PS3 launch title? And it's still in development.

 

[aris]

THose are all relatively small budget remakes though. I don't think anything short of a grand HD-remake would pass for a remake of FF7, due to rabid fans.

 

[SerratedBiz]

So basically, keep chucking out them excuses because you're bound to convince a portion of your audience with them - throw enough and eventually everyone will find one they find reasonable.

 

[Grimlorn]

So basically, keep chucking out them excuses because you're bound to convince a portion of your audience with them - throw enough and eventually everyone will find one they find reasonable.

I like how they always tell people to keep on buying their games and maybe they'll do a remake. Or keep on buying their games that are 10+ years old and if there is enough interest maybe they'll do a sequel to it.

 

[Hobo Elf]

I wonder if SE is just plain scared of remaking FF7. For many people it's *the* Final Fantasy, and I know many fans, even some who are my friends, who keep on buying the new and crappier Final Fantasies in a vain hope that it might be as good as FF7. Maybe there are more people like that? Maybe SE is scared of fucking up a FF7 remake and then shattering their illusion that there is any hope of them ever being that "good" again, causing some of their fans to abandon them entirely for good.

 

[aris]

I'm still hoping that Final Fantasy Versus 13 will be good, although it kind of stinks of vaporware. Wasn't that game supposed to be a PS3 launch title? And it's still in development.

It does indeed. It was announced in 2006. I don't like very much the idea of an ARPG with 3rd person shooter elements in an FF-game though...

I wonder if SE is just plain scared of remaking FF7. For many people it's *the* Final Fantasy, and I know many fans, even some who are my friends, who keep on buying the new and crappier Final Fantasies in a vain hope that it might be as good as FF7. Maybe there are more people like that? Maybe SE is scared of fucking up a FF7 remake and then shattering their illusion that there is any hope of them ever being that "good" again, causing some of their fans to abandon them entirely for good.

I think it also has to do with the fact that with such devoted fans, you simply can't succeed with a remake. There will always be something that they think sucks, no matter what you do, unless you do nothing, but that would suck too.

 

[Hobo Elf]

It remains to be seen what they mean by 3rd person shooter elements. It could mean anything. Since it's an action based game with a similar combat system to KH I wouldn't be surprised if they added stuff like cover mechanics so you can take cover from bullets, spells and other poop.

 

[Grimlorn]

I wonder if SE is just plain scared of remaking FF7. For many people it's *the* Final Fantasy, and I know many fans, even some who are my friends, who keep on buying the new and crappier Final Fantasies in a vain hope that it might be as good as FF7. Maybe there are more people like that? Maybe SE is scared of fucking up a FF7 remake and then shattering their illusion that there is any hope of them ever being that "good" again, causing some of their fans to abandon them entirely for good.

I was thinking this also. That maybe they're too afraid to mess it up and once they do, they'll lose their fans that are still interested in the series and keep hoping they make a "good" FF game.

 

[Average Manatee]

Have they actually remade any of the FFs? I know they have ported 1-6 a few dozen times but remaking a game entirely is completely different from a port.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Have they actually remade any of the FFs? I know they have ported 1-6 a few dozen times but remaking a game entirely is completely different from a port.

Yes, I made a short list of them. The post is on this page.

 

[Takeda Kenshi]

I wonder if SE is just plain scared of remaking FF7. For many people it's *the* Final Fantasy, and I know many fans, even some who are my friends, who keep on buying the new and crappier Final Fantasies in a vain hope that it might be as good as FF7. Maybe there are more people like that? Maybe SE is scared of fucking up a FF7 remake and then shattering their illusion that there is any hope of them ever being that "good" again, causing some of their fans to abandon them entirely for good.

This pretty much. Gooch is gone, and so is the illusion that everything Squeenix touches turns to gold. Too bad Enix couldn't just drop Square and go off on its own again.

 

[Average Manatee]

Have they actually remade any of the FFs? I know they have ported 1-6 a few dozen times but remaking a game entirely is completely different from a port.

Yes, I made a short list of them. The post is on this page.

derp reading is the hard fo me.

Though it should be mentioned that all of those remakes are for handhelds and crap, so probably 100x cheaper than the remake that people would expect of FF7 on current consoles, which was the point I was making. IIRC one of the FF13 devs was saying that FF13 was linear and crappy because making games like FF7 would cost too much nowadays.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

I wonder if SE is just plain scared of remaking FF7. For many people it's *the* Final Fantasy, and I know many fans, even some who are my friends, who keep on buying the new and crappier Final Fantasies in a vain hope that it might be as good as FF7. Maybe there are more people like that? Maybe SE is scared of fucking up a FF7 remake and then shattering their illusion that there is any hope of them ever being that "good" again, causing some of their fans to abandon them entirely for good.

Possibly. It's the Duke Nukem Forever of jrpgs, nothing could possibly live up to the fans' expectations.

Oh yeah FF5 was remade for the GBA too. It had some extra content if I'm not mistaken, like a new dungeon and new classes. Not sure if it's a proper remake though.
I left the FF5 and FF6 PS1 versions out since they are just ports and not proper remakes.

GBA's FF5 is a port with a new translation and a few extras, such as character portraits and some new classes. PS1's FF6 had a bestiary and possibly a few bug fixes. FF 1 and 2 were released for the GBA too, it's a port of the PS1 with some changes and an extra dungeon or two. Sadly it's locked into the "easy" setting from the PS1 version (MP system from newer FFs instead of the original vancian one, and characters will redirect their attacks in case a monster dies after they targeted it)

 

[Monad]

None of the so-called remakes even count as remakes, really just remasters. Even the so-called remake for Final Fantasy 1 and 2 looked like Final Fantasy VI at best.

 

[Stabwound]

FF3 and FF4 for DS are remakes, and a shitty ones at that. From 2D to terrible 3D.

 

[Damned Registrations]

So what, it's not a real remake unless it's a AAA budget game?

 

[sgc_meltdown]

Possibly. It's the Duke Nukem Forever of jrpgs, nothing could possibly live up to the fans' expectations.

just port all the bits over wholesale to the advent children look, all of it

if they want a more dynamic lower grind gameplay make it so that players can switch to the old style immediately

remaster the summons with their iteration-unique design intact

even more detailed chocobo racing

more casino games

instant moneymaker trust me

if they make the combat twitchy with strategic slowdowns or someshit like that it will bomb ass
likewise if they try to cut down the plot to just the awesome gritty serious bits and leave out the whorehouse infiltration and weird ass random monsters

also HD modern tifa has to be in her old costume this is very important I cannot stress this enough

 

[Monad]

So what, it's not a real remake unless it's a AAA budget game?

If it's for a handheld, then yea, it's not a real remake. When people talk about a Final Fantasy VII remake, more specifically, they are thinking of that PS3 tech demo.

 

[Grimlorn]

Have they actually remade any of the FFs? I know they have ported 1-6 a few dozen times but remaking a game entirely is completely different from a port.

Yes, I made a short list of them. The post is on this page.

derp reading is the hard fo me.

Though it should be mentioned that all of those remakes are for handhelds and crap, so probably 100x cheaper than the remake that people would expect of FF7 on current consoles, which was the point I was making. IIRC one of the FF13 devs was saying that FF13 was linear and crappy because making games like FF7 would cost too much nowadays.

And this is why those devs or suits or whatever are idiots. They think they have to make games with the best graphics and fill them up with cinematics and other shit. But look at the Souls games. They look good without trying to have the latest graphics. They obviously focus more on gameplay and encounter design. I hear Dragon Dogma is the same way too. With a more open world and better encounter and class design at the expense of some graphics. Even FFT looked pretty bad on the PSX but that game had good turn based combat with a lot of classes and customization for your party.

They'll never make a good game as long as they think that way and keep on putting out crap like FF13. Gaming has gotten too big and now we have these corporations stifling creativity (which is what they generally do) by mandating graphics and cinematic games above all else. It may work in other genres, but it's pretty shit in RPGs.

 

[aris]

FF3 and FF4 for DS are remakes, and a shitty ones at that. From 2D to terrible 3D.

From a graphics viewpoint, and considering the hardware of the DS, I'd say FF4 is a damn good looking one.

So what, it's not a real remake unless it's a AAA budget game?

Point is, which I think many are making, is that such a remake (that is, not an AAA remake), would not fly with the fanbase. At least, I don't think so.

 

[Giauz Ragnacock]

From reading your take, Hobo Elf, I was thinking BS, but after reading the actual article I can empathise. Remaking FF7 would quite a different thing than this Steam touch -up or one of their hand held ports. If they brought the game up to full Crystal Tools graphics and sound it might overshadow future efforts when Square hasn't yet got people as excited and praising them as so many did in '97.

Also, Circ...

:BROFIST:

 

[Giauz Ragnacock]

I would be delighted if Square would slash their graphics budget in favor of placing more time into writing, content, and fun gameplay systems (right now I think they're in a graphics expectations hole on consoles and mmos, so the lower 'maturity ' expectations on the 3DS is stiil probably the best bet). I would prefer this happened in two ways :

1) Give us back the awesome 2D world detail, emotive sprite-work, and unmoving huge, bizarre monster portraits in the vein of FF6 (I hate it when people say "if you can get past the oldschool graphics..." when the game looks like it has aged so well on my GBA update. I guess I can't into CryEngine like popular opinion) .

2) Do as they did with Dragon Quest 8. If Akira Toriyama is the architect of Dragon Quest, then surely Yoshitaka Amano is that of FF. Would things look bizarre and not out of place in a Doctor Parnassus dream world? Yes, but my love of video game concept art tells me that I would nostalgically adore every second of it. What say ye? I say more light commedy, stories not so vague as to come out whimpering, and an artstyle that often veers into the stuff of nightmares.

 

[Hobo Elf]

As much as I like Amano and his work, I prefer the guy who handled the art for Vagrant Story, FF12 and the other Ivalice games as well. Not only do I think he's stylistically one of the best game artists in Japan, but his style seems to translate pretty well into actual game graphics as well.

 

[Giauz Ragnacock]

For game graphics I concede to you that 12's art direction looks pretty good. I just figured it was worth a try bringing Amano's art to cell -shading since the translation of his art into Dissidia was a nice touch to the character redesigns (Johnny Young Basch's Firion master of slaying for the win!).