Square Enix Unconvinced On Motion Control for RPGs

Tom Goldman

Crying on the inside.
Aug 17, 2009
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Square Enix Unconvinced On Motion Control for RPGs



Square-Enix's Yoshinori Kitase finds Kinect and Move to be awkward for RPG control.

Microsoft's Final Fantasy XIII [http://www.amazon.com/Kinect-Sensor-Adventures-Xbox-360/dp/B002BSA298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1283869887&sr=8-1].

He didn't say if Square-Enix tested either Kinect or Move, but seemed convinced that they wouldn't stand the test of time over a lengthy RPG. Of motion control, Kitase said: "It is quite awkward, particularly for example in Final Fantasy XIII, which came out last March in Europe. That kind of interface is quite difficult to be included in the RPG."

For "gun shooter" games like the upcoming 3rd Birthday, Kitase's PSP Parasite Eve spin-off, he thinks motion control is more suited and he says it could become "handy." But he apparently has no plans on implementing any sort of Move of Kinect support for JRPG-style titles.

"The main difference between shooting games and RPGs - obviously there are some - but shooting games probably amount to up to 10 to 15 hours of gameplay," Kitase said. "But an RPG, you have to improve your character, fight and fight and fight, and then the ending, and then more to play with, that could be 40 to 50 hours ... That kind of technique might not fit so well with a very continuous title that requires long gameplay."

He thinks that if motion control is implemented in future titles, say Final Fantasy XV, it could be used for mini-games to "give them additional spice." I know I definitely wouldn't want to play an 80-hour RPG that required me to stand up and kick slimes to death over and over. It'd be a pretty good workout when grinding up levels, but would get tiring after a few dozen battles.

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-09-07-kitase-kinect-move-awkward-for-rpgs]

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Korten12

Now I want ma...!
Aug 26, 2009
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Well Demon's Souls imo seems like its combat and pvp would have been pretty fun with the Move. :D
 

Igen

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Apr 28, 2009
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kicking slimes for hours.... you may have discovered a way for square to do a weight loss RPG.

EDIT: hmmmm... the more i think about it the more it seems like this could work. small fights before the boss as your warm up, long boss fights for the main work out. a 40+ hour RPG would last months! And if you made a branching story line that had a huge impact on various outcomes and story elements, people would keep doing the workouts to progress through the different story arcs. RPG gamers would be the fittest people around. Though I would would use a new IP for the initial release, other wise they could produce a final fantasy that receives worse feedback then FF13.
 

JPH330

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Jan 31, 2010
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I agree. RPGs like Final Fantasy have always been about strategy, not about reflexes. Motion controls would just add an extra endurance factor, it wouldn't fit well with the combat.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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I see potential in it. Is some annoying NPC/Party member being very, very annoying? Flick 'em off to get them to shut up.

I'd pay for that.
 

Mana Fiend

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Jun 8, 2009
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Jedi Sasquatch said:
I agree. RPGs like Final Fantasy have always been about strategy, not about reflexes. Motion controls would just add an extra endurance factor, it wouldn't fit well with the combat.
QFT, especially if the bosses HP levels were in the same area as FFXIII. I don't want to fight a boss for 20 minutes straight using motion controls...
 

Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
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I pretty much agree with him on this point - RPGs wont suite it, at all - Not with the sheer amount of time committed, and the very nature of them.

Keep Motion Control out meh RPGs!
 

Onyx Oblivion

Borderlands Addict. Again.
Sep 9, 2008
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Indeed. Also, keep it out of any long game, really.

Okami took me about 40-50 hours on Wii. After that length of time, I was tired of shaking the Wiimote to attack.
 

Riku'sTwilight

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Dec 21, 2009
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Finally someone with some reason not to include a motion control into a game just for the sake of it. (and think about the impact on the player)

Keep them on a button basis and we will all be happy.

Of course, I would like to see a first-person RPG (eg Oblivion) take up motion controls as this would be sweet (although there would have to be an option to switch between button and motion controls so you do not get too tired)
 

yanipheonu

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Jan 27, 2010
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I dunno, you could make the motion controls amount to a Mouse on a PC game, with actual motion controls for QTE and such only. Like how Metroid Prime 3 used pointer controls, but let you flip swtiches and such with motion controls for cool effect.
 

SpaceMedarotterX

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Jun 24, 2010
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I've always liked Kitase, one of the last few competent 'Old Guard' designers who's unfortunately been used as a produced recently and not a Director which is his strong suit.
 

Dexiro

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Dec 23, 2009
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The solution is to not give FF13 motion control, not fucking rocket science.
 

Madmanonfire

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Jul 24, 2009
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He's right about the FF13 example. It wouldn't be easy to find a good motion control-esque way of pushing X a thousand times.
 

Electrogecko

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Apr 15, 2010
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This is a complete load. Motion controls don't automatically mean waggling your arms about to perform actions. With my only experiences with FF being the original, the DS version of 4, and watching 13 for a little bit, and my only experience with motion control being the Wii, I can tell you that every FF ever created would've been improved with motion control. This is because every FF ever has a shitload of menus, and menus are best waded through with a clicker. I'm assuming that a Move controller can function as a point and click, just like the Wiimote. If this is the case, wouldn't it be greatly preferable to a standard controller when navigating your inventory, outfitting your characters, fighting, or doing anything at all for that matter? I'm curious- in exactly what way would the sixaxis be better than a Move and Nav combo?
Kinect, on the other hand, I'm not sure about. If a precise method of control can be mastered, then maybe...If only it had a single button.
 

Unrulyhandbag

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Oct 21, 2009
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Electrogecko said:
This is a complete load. Motion controls don't automatically mean waggling your arms about to perform actions. With my only experiences with FF being the original, the DS version of 4, and watching 13 for a little bit, and my only experience with motion control being the Wii, I can tell you that every FF ever created would've been improved with motion control. This is because every FF ever has a shitload of menus, and menus are best waded through with a clicker. I'm assuming that a Move controller can function as a point and click, just like the Wiimote. If this is the case, wouldn't it be greatly preferable to a standard controller when navigating your inventory, outfitting your characters, fighting, or doing anything at all for that matter? I'm curious- in exactly what way would the sixaxis be better than a Move and Nav combo?
Kinect, on the other hand, I'm not sure about. If a precise method of control can be mastered, then maybe...If only it had a single button.
agreed, it's not that the motion controllers can't work with ff it's simply that the creators of final fantasy love rubbish interfaces and think motion controls means punching kicking and flailing around.

Also... "improve your character fight and fight and fight, and then the ending" the makers of an rpg think the only important elements are grind, level-up, cutscene? I've always fence sat when it comes down to western developed RPG's and japanese developed RPG's but that right there is tipping me west.
 

Adzma

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Sep 20, 2009
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And the world retains its sanity. Seriously though, playing FF13 for hours on end with motion control would've pissed me off to no end.
 

enzilewulf

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Jun 19, 2009
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[HEADING=1]Thank.You.Square.Enix.[/HEADING]

I never wanted to play through a FF game for 20 hours waggling a Wii mote or wand or what ever they are calling it now.
 

sharkinz

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Apr 26, 2010
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I hope square-enix never uses motion controls. Motion controls are gimmicky and I personally don't find them fun. I will stick with a controller or mouse and keyboard forever.