Grin's Unreleased Project Was a Final Fantasy Game

Keane Ng

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Sep 11, 2008
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Grin's Unreleased Project Was a Final Fantasy Game



Believe it or not, evidence is suggesting that the "unreleased masterpiece" from Bionic Commando dev GRIN was a game based in the Final Fantasy XII world.

If defunct [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/93842-Grin-Goes-Under] Swedish developer Grin had stayed afloat, it could have been a part of one of the biggest franchises in gaming today. Sorry, Bionic Commando doesn't count. Final Fantasy, on the other hand? I'd think that a Final Fantasy game would qualify as something of a big deal. In any case, yes, according to the scads of evidence and rumormongering across the internet, Grin's game-that-never-was, its "unreleased masterpiece," as they put it, was apparently a Final Fantasy game.

To be exact, it was an action game set in the Final Fantasy XII universe. concept art [http://www.destructoid.com/rumor-grin-s-unreleased-title-a-final-fantasy-game-what--145038.phtml] for an unannounced project called "Fortress." The concept art is awful pretty and the FFXII universe is one of my favorites, so it's kinda sad to see what could have been and never will be.

According to Destructoid, this project was the one that caused Grin to go under. You'll recall that the studio cited [http://grin.se/] the reason for its closure as "too many publishers have been delaying their payments, causing an unbearable cashflow situation." Well, apparently Square owed Grin as much as several million dollars, which I can imagine wasn't good for business.

There are a few interesting things to be gleaned here, though. One, apparently Square either isn't in the financial shape it needs to be to pay for its games to be made, and two, apparently they've started letting Western developers work on their most important of franchises. Too bad we'll never get to see how it would have worked out.

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HardRockSamurai

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May 28, 2008
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First FFXIII comes to the Xbox 360, and now Square has started letting western developers help them with their games?

Were I a fan of Final Fantasy, I would throw a hissy fit.
 

Sevre

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Apr 6, 2009
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HardRockSamurai said:
First FFXIII comes to the Xbox 360, and now Square has started letting western developers help them with their games?

Were I a fan of Final Fantasy, I would throw a hissy fit.
I'm sort of a fan. I'd gladly donate a hissy fit.

The bastards! Turning their backs on us like this! I didn't buy FF7 in the original Japanese for this!

It's not much but being a fan of W-RPGs I can't say much.
 

fix-the-spade

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Feb 25, 2008
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Given Grin's track record, perhaps Square were simply refusing to pay them to develop a sub standard product.
I can hear the conversation now...
"Give us more money, we've spent the last load, give give!"
"Not until you show us what you're doing with it!"
"Never, you can't rush a masterpiece, this will be totally worth the investment!"
"Like your other masterpieces?"
"Oh fine we'll just go bust,"

Based on what they'v come up with since GRAW2, 'unfinished masterpiece' seems to be pushing it.
 

Ghost8585

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Jul 21, 2009
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Well it could have been interesting, but Grin is not a studio I think of when it comes to FF. XII was my least 2nd favorite of the series, so no big deal.

HardRockSamurai said:
First FFXIII comes to the Xbox 360, and now Square has started letting western developers help them with their games?

Were I a fan of Final Fantasy, I would throw a hissy fit.
I don't care if FF goes to 360, but letting outside studios help make their games is further proof the once great SE is slowly collapsing upon itself.
 

hansari

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fix-the-spade said:
Given Grin's track record, perhaps Square were simply refusing to pay them to develop a sub standard product...
That would be Square's defense...but I'm starting to think the publishers are running out of cash.

I mean think about it. Why have GRIN do it in the first place? Of all the studios they could have chose, they pick these guys?

I can only assume GRIN was the most attractive studio to outsource to when Square starting comparing prices.

I'm surprised though...the Final Fantasy Franchise is really low on cash?
 

LeonLethality

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Keane Ng said:
The concept art is awful pretty and the FFXII universe is one of my favorites, so it's kinda sad to see what could have been and never will be.
I'm glad too Ivalice has the BEST OF THE BEST stories of all time for final fantasy. tactics, XII, vagrant story all very good stories