Squeenix Square Enix "definitely interested" in bringing future Final Fantasy games to PC

[set]

What makes them think there will be more Final Fantasy games?

XIII and XIII-2 were well received, and while the original XIV was a dud, the Realm Reborn version is doing well. I think the series still has a future, unless XV and the possible XVI are total shit.

Let me review my roman numerals here... XIII is 13, right? And XIII-2 is 13-2?

And you're saying these games were well received?

No, let me look at those numerals again, I must be... there's an accidental I or maybe one too few. Are my browser settings off? Is anyone else seeing these numbers?

 

[Clockwork Knight]

I'd ask the obvious "why would they make a sequel to a game that bombed", but I'd rather just paste the Wikipedia articles and make this face

Spoiler

Reception
Aggregate scores

GameRankings

(PS3) 84.15%

(X360) 81.68%

Metacritic

(PS3) 83/100

(X360) 82/100

Review scores

Publication Score

1UP.com A−

Computer and Video Games 9.2/10

Edge 5/10

Eurogamer 8/10

Famitsu 39/40

Game Informer 9.25/10

GameSpot 8.5/10

GameSpy 4.5/5

IGN 8.9/10

Official PlayStation Magazine (UK) 9/10

Play Magazine 7.9/10

Awards

Publication Award

Games Radar Awards 2010 Best Graphics

Final Fantasy XIII sold over one million units on its first day of sale in Japan, and had sold 1.7 million copies for the PlayStation 3 in Japan by the end of 2009. Square Enix had anticipated high initial sales for the game and shipped close to two million units for its launch. The game sold more than one million copies in North America in its release month. In March 2010, Square Enix stated that Final Fantasy XIII was the fastest-selling title in the franchise's history. By April of the same year, American game sales for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 reached an estimated 800,000 and 500,000 units respectively. As of January 2013, the game had shipped 6.6 million copies worldwide. According to Media Create, female gamers accounted for nearly a third of the game's Japanese fanbase. As of July 2012, a combined total of 9.6 million units has been sold for both Final Fantasy XIII and its sequel Final Fantasy XIII-2.

Spoiler

Reception
Sales
During its first week of release in Japan, Final Fantasy XIII-2 sold 524,000 copies, and the PlayStation 3 version was the highest-selling game for the system. The Xbox 360 version only reached 48th. Although high, initial sales were notably lower than what they were for the game's predecessor, which sold 1.5 million units in its first week. By the end of the year, the game had sold over 697,000 units, and was the fifth-best selling game of 2011 in Japan. It was just below four handheld video games, making it the highest-selling home console game in Japan that year. On Amazon Japan, the game was the best-selling console title for the first half of 2012. In the United States, the game placed as the second-best selling game of February 2012, just below Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. In the United Kingdom, Final Fantasy XIII-2 was the best-selling game of February 2012. By January 2013, Final Fantasy XIII-2 had shipped 3.1 million copies worldwide, almost half of the 6.6 million copies its predecessor sold by the same date.

Another sobering reminder that vocal people on the internet don't really matter.

 

[evdk]

Now what are the sales of the other titles in the FF series and what were the budgets for the XIII series games?

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Now what are the sales of the other titles in the FF series and what were the budgets for the XIII series games?

That's beside the point. "Well received" doesn't mean "oh god it's heavan it's like FF1's profits hitting Square's ass and legs all over again". Just that it didn't flop nor did it bomb so hard that it killed the franchise dead.

 

[felipepepe]

Besides, Lightning became a icon, a character that sell tons of merchandise and makes lots of money with licensed products. I guess that she easily surpassed Yuna and can stand with Squall and Cloud on popularity.

 

[Alex]

Is there even a Final Fantasy after the ninth that is actually worth playing? I must have tried the tenth and the thirteenth for about 2 hours before deciding they didn't fit in this category, but I have no idea about the other ones.

 

[Delterius]

Is there even a Final Fantasy after the ninth that is actually worth playing? I must have tried the tenth and the thirteenth for about 2 hours before deciding they didn't fit in this category, but I have no idea about the other ones.

Twelve, though the story and character progression systems could have been much better. To remedy the latter, you may want to look for something called the Job Class challenge on Gamefaqs. Essentially, it proposes that the player limits each character's advancement into the license board (place where every skill in the game is located) so as to simulate the Job System from FF Tactics -- something that Square should have implemented in the first place.

Also, nevermind the 'protagonist'.

Though I'm curious why you didn't like Ten since the only outstanding thing about it was combat.

 

[Alex]

Wait, after checking, I think I played 12, not 13... Is it the one with the awful mmorpg mechanics?

 

[Delterius]

Wait, after checking, I think I played 12, not 13... Is it the one with the awful mmorpg mechanics?

That depends so much on what you mean. Though most people had given up on criticizing FF XIII's mechanics so I guess you did play XII.

EDIT:

FF XII was an attempt at consolized RTwP though it doesn't actually play much different from former Active Turn-Based FF games. Most criticism it drew was from the fact you could program the party a la Dragon Age. Some would say that the fact gambits were totally optional nulls this criticism but I'd say it puts one of the system's flaw into evidence: the introduction of free movement into a seamless battlefield is really cool for things like finding enemies (something FF should have learned from Chrono Trigger, but oh well) but it doesn't add much tactically at all. 'Consolized' sums it all well when things like positioning and area of effect are rarely of concern -- except, of course, when you want to run away and let your esper do his thing.

FF XIII used a threat mechanic and very MMO-y archetypes as core mechanics. I didn't bother with it so I can't offer better input.

 

[mediocrepoet]

Oh my God, that's so exci-zzzzzz...

 

[Mrowak]

Besides, Lightning became a icon, a character that sell tons of merchandise and makes lots of money with licensed products. I guess that she easily surpassed Yuna and can stand with Squall and Cloud on popularity.

It will forver remain a mystery to me why that happened.

 

[felipepepe]

It will forver remain a mystery to me why that happened.

Simple, she's a female Cloud.

 

[Delterius]

It will forver remain a mystery to me why that happened.

Simple, she's improved Cloud.

 

[felipepepe]

"A Cloud you can fap to"

 

[Delterius]

"A Cloud you can fap to without feeling guilty about it"

Because nothing stops these people. Nothing.

 

[dnf]

"A Cloud you can fap to"

But where is mah sephibro?

 

[aris]

Besides, Lightning became a icon, a character that sell tons of merchandise and makes lots of money with licensed products. I guess that she easily surpassed Yuna and can stand with Squall and Cloud on popularity.

God knows how though, she is as interesting as watching the painting dry on a newly painted wall. Then again, Squall and Cloud are equally interesting.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Wait, after checking, I think I played 12, not 13... Is it the one with the awful mmorpg mechanics?

Neither of them have MMO mechanics. FFXII has wide open areas with roaming monsters, combat that looks real-time (actually just the old ATB system except you can move) and a "hate" system (monsters have preferences when choosing who to attack) which may kinda sorta remind you of a MMO, but apart from that it's a normal FF game.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

I think it looks great, and it's the first FF-game in a looooong time I have any hopes for at all.

Have you seen the gameplay video? This whole thing was one gigantic on-rails spectacle. One can argue that Lighning Returns brought much decline to the FF series, but XV is FF in name only at this point.

 

[aris]

I think it looks great, and it's the first FF-game in a looooong time I have any hopes for at all.

Have you seen the gameplay video? This whole thing was one gigantic on-rails spectacle. One can argue that Lighning Returns brought much decline to the FF series, but XV is FF in name only at this point.

Yeah I've seen it, but there's not enough to go on yet to see how it is, and for me it looks like they bring back many of the things that made the previous FF-games great, that were missing in FF-XIII. Even if it seems like they've completely dropped squad based TB-combat:
From the wikipedia site:

Final Fantasy XV is an action role-playing game with third-person shooter elements.[7][8] The player character is seen from a third-person perspective that will be adjusted depending on the weapon currently equipped.[8][9][10] The game's environments include kingdoms and villages, and allow for much freedom and interactivity: for example, objects can be destroyed and different paths may be chosen to reach a destination.[11] The world map is a wide, open field that the player can traverse on foot or by using a car, an airship or a chocobo

 

[Avellion]

Regarding the popularity of Toriyama's Waifu, Japan had a poll regarding the most popular female character in the series, here are the results.

Spoiler

1. Lightning (FFXIII)
2. Aerith (FFVII)
3. Yuna (FFX)
4. Tifa (FFVII)
5. Celes (FFVI)
6. Tina (FFVI)
7. Serah (FFXIII)
8. Garnet (FFIX)
8. Faris (FFV)
10. Rinoa (FFVIII)
10. Rydia (FFIV)
12. Selphie (FFVIII)
13. Rikku (FFX)
14. Beatrix (FFIX)
14. Yuffie (FFVII)
16. Ashe (FFXII)
17. Rosa (FFIV)
17. Eiko (FFIX)
17. Agrias (FFT)

Source

So she is definately marketable and popular (in Japan at least).

 

[deuxhero]

That's been torn down. There were WAY too many ties for a triple digit+ vote count, let alone four digit, and fewer than 99 votes total is laughable as a metric.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

also, it implies someone out there likes Selphie, which is obviously a lie

 

[Damned Registrations]

also, it implies someone out there likes Selphie, which is obviously a lie

Probably voted by people who only ever played FF8... and the first ten minutes of it at that. Or maybe 2. How long does it take to get to Quistis?

 

[Echo Mirage]

Quistis is the first character you meet in FF 8.