FF13 Producer Explains Why FF7 Remake is Unlikely

John Funk

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Dec 20, 2005
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FF13 Producer Explains Why FF7 Remake is Unlikely



According to Final Fantasy XIII [http://www.amazon.com/Final-Fantasy-XIII-Playstation-3/dp/B000FQ2DTA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1278964269&sr=1-1] Producer Yoshinori Kitase, there are actual reasons why Final Fantasy VII hasn't been remade other than "because Square-Enix hates money."

Longtime readers of The Escapist may have noticed my fondness for lengthy recaps when news posts have important backstories, but in this case, the recap doesn't need to be lengthy at all: Obsessed Final Fantasy VII fanboys have been slavering for a modern remake for years, and No, it's not happening right now, stop asking [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/97717-Square-Enix-Continues-to-Tease-Gamers-With-Final-Fantasy-VII-Remake]."

But why isn't it happening? A remake of Final Fantasy VII [http://www.amazon.com/Final-Fantasy-VII-Playstation/dp/B00000JRSB/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1280159560&sr=1-1] would easily sell millions of copies worldwide, and the story, characters, and gameplay mechanics all already exist - does Square-Enix just hate the thought of millions of fanboy dollars flooding its coffers? In the latest issue of Ultimania, FF13 producer Yoshinori Kitase admitted that there were technical difficulties presenting themselves that made a remake unlikely.

Intriguingly enough, the FF7 info came to light in reference to the studio's newest game. In answering questions about the lack of traditional towns and the overall linearity of Final Fantasy XIII, the game's director Motomu Toriyama said that part of it was due to the difficulty of working in such a demanding graphical environment. "[A non-stop story] is one of the reasons, but more importantly, it is a result of considering HD graphics will be the mainstream. Considering the amount of work to make graphics that deserve HD, it is hard to make towns in the conventional style."

Kitase echoed those statements, saying that the same problem was one of the reasons Squeenix wasn't working on a remake of its groundbreaking PS1 title. "This issue is related to whether a Final Fantasy 7 remake will happen or not. It is very hard to make games on PlayStation 3 in the same style as the games in that era had. Making graphics will take enormous time."

I'm not quite sure I buy it, seeing as how the studio did a decent job with the infamous 2006 tech demo - is he just saying that it would be too hard to render environments and graphics in modern technology, while still being faithful to the original game in a way that won't send the diehard fans into a frothing rage of "They changed it, now it sucks!"?

Either way, it would be nice if someone made a magical device that tracked down anyone in the world who asked or otherwise whined about a Final Fantasy VII remake and kicked them in the groin. Enough is enough already: Can we please stop talking about it now?

(Via Videogamer [http://www.videogamer.com/news/kitase_makes_ffvii_remake_sound_unlikely.html])

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Arkhangelsk

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Mar 1, 2009
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I can see how that would stop them. Alas, my dreams of a God game is sadly crushed now. But a Demi-god is just as good.
 

Dectilon

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Pff, look who's making up excuses. I think they just realized they can make a lot more money by making side-projects. An actual remake of FF7 would make those side projects less viable as they'd have to have actual quality.
 

Slycne

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Feb 19, 2006
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They just don't want to piss everyone off by telling them the game won't sell as well as they would like. Yes, Final Fantasy VII was widely popular, but there in is the problem. Your core demographic already owns it. Granted you will get some repeat purchasers, but cutting out a percentage of your previous purchasing demographic is not a great way to start a release.

I remember a time when I used to think the exact same things, "why don't they do a remake it. It would make billions and single handedly sell the ps3!!!!". Now, I would be much more interested in a new experience than reliving the same world in shinier bloom and sharper edges.
 

BlueHighwind

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Nobody will ever spot talking about it, unfortunately. Well there is one way... but that requires the remake to be made, and then 99% of the people asking for the remake will just ***** about how everything is changed. (These people will never be happy.) However, every single one of them will still buy the game for some reason, so I don't know what they'll get worked up about.

But as for Kitase's problem, Blue has a solution: If graphics are the problem, then just make it on the PS2. Dust off FFXII's engine, whatever needs to be done, do it. I don't need my games to #%&!ing sparkle, just look good enough that the characters appear human, which sadly, is something the original FFVII didn't do. The current gen is hardly much better than the last one, graphics-wise anyway. Who cares?
 

Eldarion

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Sep 30, 2009
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Graphical problems what?

Do the tech demo and Advent Children not count or something?
 

Therumancer

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Nov 28, 2007
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The ironic thing here is that when the new technology can't do something that has been fundemental to games (detailed town designs and such), for whatever reason, I can't truely see that technology as being better. If this is honest, that is quite a limitation, regardless of what it stems from.

Overall though I think it basically amounts to them saying it would take too much time to develop, during which they could cr@p out three other products of lesser quality to what a townscape or remake would require.

As far as Final Fantasy XIII being too linear, I've already pre-ordered it, that does not sound good given that Final Fantasy games were always fairly linear, but I'm enough of a genere fan where I'll give it a shot. If I really wind up not liking it I'll take it out on the next game in the series by refusing to buy it, or the spiritual successor if they indeed end the Final Fantasy label.
 

Epitome

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Slycne said:
They just don't want to piss everyone off by telling them the game won't sell as well as they would like. Yes, Final Fantasy VII was widely popular, but there in is the problem. Your core demographic already owns it. Granted you will get some repeat purchasers, but cutting out a percentage of your previous purchasing demographic is not a great way to start a release.
Some repeat purchasers? I loved FF7 the best of the series and worthy of most of the praise it recieved. But now when I would try and play it its dated everything gets to me, Aeris death was one of the most moving of all time, but watch that same scene a decade on I just keep thinking of how she looks nothing like say Advent childrens Aeris which I thought was a very good design. I would by a PS3 if they announced the full remake on this to experience the same game I did then without be dogged by modern expectations.
 

Crazy_Bird

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Dectilon said:
Pff, look who's making up excuses. I think they just realized they can make a lot more money by making side-projects. An actual remake of FF7 would make those side projects less viable as they'd have to have actual quality.
Yo could argue that a remake makes the extension more relatable for a younger audience who have not played FF 7 (yet). But I guess their thinking is a lot along your line unfortunately.

In the end I reckon this is a case of severe mismanagement. How high the production costs might be it would pay off. And at the end of the day Square might even lower their unreasonable high expectancies for cut scenes this time a tiny bit.
 

Gxas

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Slycne said:
They just don't want to piss everyone off by telling them the game won't sell as well as they would like. Yes, Final Fantasy VII was widely popular, but there in is the problem. Your core demographic already owns it. Granted you will get some repeat purchasers, but cutting out a percentage of your previous purchasing demographic is not a great way to start a release.

I remember a time when I used to think the exact same things, "why don't they do a remake it. It would make billions and single handedly sell the ps3!!!!".
I don't even own a PS3 and I would buy it. Granted, I have full access to my roommate's PS3 which basically makes it mine...

Still, I would buy it without a thought.
 

BehattedWanderer

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Jun 24, 2009
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Hehe...the fanboys almost started erratically salivating again. And now it's like you shot their puppy. Well, maybe not that bad. Maybe just a goldfish that you liked died. Nice pass along, Funk, it's good to know that Squeenix actually has considered it, and that in their dedication, they would have to make a whole new FF, with identical story and characters as a previous one. Interesting that they say it's not gonna happen yet, at least we know there's still quality control functioning at Squeenix.
 
Aug 25, 2009
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I still maintain this comes from a crippling fear of money and success. If they were to kickstart the FFVII machine again, they could get a whole load of money by releasing teasers, tidbits, sequel games, anime series, whatever they wanted, while working on the main game.

I think part of the issue may also be to do with the people that worked on the old game. They may honestly think that the old one was perfect, and so there's not point in, he. I can't finish that sentence with a straight face.

I don't think they've got any good reasons for not remaking it. They would make money hand over fist if they did.
 

Amnestic

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Aug 22, 2008
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Maybe they're just saving it for the 20th Anniversay of FFVII's release? - That's seven years from now, give or take a week.

Not bothered. FFXIII looks pretty sweet and if I really wanted to play FFVII I could just, well, play it.
 

StriderShinryu

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Can't say I'm buying that as a plausible excuse. Almost every single game these days uses full 3D environments, and for things a lot bigger than the towns they had in FF7. Also, I would be surprised if they couldn't just borrow some art assets from Advent Children for the characters if nothing else. There certainly would be a cost involved, as there is in all big game development these days, but that's just a lame excuse when put that way.

Maybe the perceived audience just really isn't that big for a remake of a game, even a well loved one.
 

tmujir955

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BlueHighwind said:
If graphics are the problem, then just make it on the PS2. Dust off FFXII's engine, whatever needs to be done, do it. I don't need my games to #%&!ing sparkle, just look good enough that the characters appear human, which sadly, is something the original FFVII didn't do. The current gen is hardly much better than the last one, graphics-wise anyway. Who cares?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

You gotta be kidding, right? Why would Square Enix waste their time making a game for a console that has been replaced by the PS3? Many people don't need graphics to sparkle, heck, I even get a kick out of the 3D N64 graphics. But most gamers just drool over shiny tinfoil, and anything that isn't shiny gets:

"That game? But the graphics suck."

Not to mention the fact that the remake is wanted primarily for the better graphics.
 

Jared

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Jul 14, 2009
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Although I would love to see a re-make for FF7, I understand it is very unlikely to happen, and, if it does I bet it wont be for a long time.

I just wish people would let this rest...
 

Slycne

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Feb 19, 2006
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Epitome said:
Slycne said:
They just don't want to piss everyone off by telling them the game won't sell as well as they would like. Yes, Final Fantasy VII was widely popular, but there in is the problem. Your core demographic already owns it. Granted you will get some repeat purchasers, but cutting out a percentage of your previous purchasing demographic is not a great way to start a release.
Some repeat purchasers? I loved FF7 the best of the series and worthy of most of the praise it recieved. But now when I would try and play it its dated everything gets to me, Aeris death was one of the most moving of all time, but watch that same scene a decade on I just keep thinking of how she looks nothing like say Advent childrens Aeris which I thought was a very good design. I would by a PS3 if they announced the full remake on this to experience the same game I did then without be dogged by modern expectations.
Yes, some. As in more than none, but less than all or most. I already prove that all is impossible and I would hazard a guess that maybe even most wouldn't either. Let's say even if a majority of previous owners bought it 49% or less is still a lot of people. Just because you would doesn't mean everyone else will.
 

anthony87

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If they're not going to make it then could they please stop telling us that they're not going to make it?