Jimquisition: Two Rules For Square Enix

[Bluecho]

Personally, I think a lot of the drag of development cycles has to do with just how much work is needed to make a current gen game look as gorgeous as they can be. It's like if every comic book publisher decided all their books needed to have artwork on par with Kingdom Come. Hand painted and photo-realistic. This would not be a good business strategy for a comic book publisher, so why do game developers seem to think their game has to be constantly pushing the limits of the console's processor.

If Square Enix is going to get on the ball and release more games (thereby making it so that not all their profits hinge on two or three titles), they need to take a step back and realize that graphics do not a good game make. Does this mean they can't make beautiful games like in their trailers? Of course not. I'm just saying maybe they should look at making more games with fewer A's in them. If they're well made and engaging titles, people will buy them.

What I'd like to see is another SNES era type FF title. Back when games didn't have to be about immense and graphics intensive cutscenes or all the pomp and circumstance that went with the FF games with VII and beyond. Just make another FFVI and people will buy it.

 

[K_Dub]

Jim Sterling. LIKE A BOSS!

But yeah, this is pretty much why I don't pay any attention to SE anymore.

 

[Antwerp Caveman]

I found the perfect words describing Jim Sterling.
I found them on this very forum infact
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Yes, it's the first 3 rules. His show breaks all of them.

 

[AgentBJ09]

Two Rules For Square Enix

Square Enix has an addiction, and it won't admit it has a problem. Time for an intervention from the man who knows how to fix everything that has ever gone wrong, with his incredible two-step program.

Watch Video

Nice video, Jim, although I believe that two-tiered list could be expanded upon a bit; I would add two more rules to it myself.

A third rule, which several others who have posted before me have touched on in different ways: Stop making spin-off games for an established franchise if they don't have a substantial amount of information or story to add to the canon.

Crisis Core for Final Fantasy VII was a good example of how to do this right. It filled in the story of Zach, Cloud and Sephiroth that took place before VII, thus being a prequel to it. On the other side of the fence, Chain of Memories, recoded, and Birth by Sleep for Kingdom Hearts were all games that while they did add to the series canon in each game, it was not substantial enough to warrant that many titles on so many platforms.

And then, my personal rule #4: If you are making a role-playing game, do not force it to become linear, and allow players to actually role-play at times. The jarring transition from Final Fantasy XII to XIII is my reason for saying this, and while it's been said before it bears repeating.

In XII, while you COULD set it up to play itself with the Gambit system, that took some strategic thinking and you were never forced to set it up one way. If your selected PC died, you switched to someone else, or could do so without someone dying. You also had plenty of choice over how your PCs grew, and if you wanted them to all use the same stuff, that was your call. The maps were non-linear when exploring, so you could go anywhere, and if you got involved in a fight you couldn't win, just hold down a button and run for it.

In XIII, other characters are played FOR you at all times, leaving you to control only one character, whom if that person dies, it's Game Over. The system to build your characters doesn't allow as much individual building and growth as XII did, much less as 7, 8, 9, or even 10 did. The maps, if you've looked at the strategy guide for the game, are almost 85% straight lines all the way, only opening up once you reach the near end-game of the title. By then, it's come down to the people who got tired of playing, and those who kept going, which is not a good way to build a game at all.

Anyway, keep up the good work, Jim.

 

[AgentBJ09]

Yes, it's the first 3 rules. His show breaks all of them.

So does Yahtzee, on a regular basis no less, so your argument is invalid.

 

[The Great JT]

So in other words, "Square Enix, calm down and focus more on making games than announcing them." Yeah, sounds about right.

I also think maybe Squeenix concentrating more on better storytelling, or rather making the stories of their games better. Also, maybe they should work on their characters, getting them out of being tired tropes and being actually likeable characters.

 

[Grey_Focks]

You know, I'm kinda glad I took a break from Jimquisition. Now that I've come back to it and am watching it from a fresh perspective, I think I can safely say "I get it". Excellent video, sir, you may have just made a fan out of me.

 

[Wolfenbarg]

I don't really think you solved their problem, Jim. So they only announce two titles a year? Well suddenly a company mole will be leaking information faster than the journalists can compile it, and Wada's asshole is safe. I think the real solution would be to cut them down to two fully staffed studios and one smaller studio on the developer's side. Then (like Bioware) they can fully focus on two quality projects at once instead of constantly promising the world and delivering nothing. That's pretty much been common practice since XII was in production, and back then they didn't have the issue of announcing a million titles in a year.

 

[Zetsubou^-^]

it would be nice to see them focus on making the game over advertizing it. take valve or blizzard for instance. they take just as long or longer, but its actually to provide something much deeper than what they advertize. sqweeenix doesn't just have ocular problems, i think it's mouth is probably bigger than it's stomach too. they advertize something that at least recently has come up lacking.

they have the capabilities to make good games, but delaying the expected titles or limiting new developments with no progress is foolish. and what is with everyone wanting another XIII? i figured with how reviews sounded and how people were talking, another XIII wouldn't be something people would want. or is it just an expected delay now that every game since X has had its offshoots? personally, i would rather see kingdom hearts 3, or moving on to another game, but maybe fans just prefer this over the old formula of dropping old characters and plot with each game.

 

[FinalHeart95]

Versus XIII is getting in the way of my Kingdom Hearts 3. So I like all of this.

Although I'll probably buy both. Hell , I may get XIII-2. MAYBE. But I liked XIII, so I guess that's not that crazy.

 

[Raddra]

I think Square Enix has more problems than that.

Agreed, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Still, I enjoyed the video.

 

[Alphakirby]

the charector designer has ADD and too much free time. If after you've made an interesting cast then get bored and cut a sleeve off, put lace on the hems, sunglasses, eyepatches or a more intricate and un sheathable sword... then go home, or buy a doodle pad because making these people up in your cubicle seems to force writers and developers into action

Oh and don't forget the giant,rainbow colored,gravity defying hair!

OT:I honestly don't care how long a game takes to be released (within SANE time measurments I.E. Not Duke Nukem Forever) as long as it's good and worth the wait.

 

[MB202]

Square Enix seems to be going about game announcements the same way Hollywood goes on about movie announcements; basically increasing hype over something that isn't really being made, only that the people who are supposed to be making it are interested in making it.

 

[Rabidkitten]

While valid, over ambition is not the problem with Square Enix. It's there recent inability to make good games.

You can announce all that you want, and delay all that you want if what you make is good. All will be forgiven.

You can churn out highly polished turds at any rate and nothing is going to stop them from being turds no matter how many androgynous over saturated cinematics you throw at it.

 

[twaddle]

i think he's right about one thing. They really need to finish versus 13. i mean the fact that 13-2 is going to come out before vs 13 and the fact that we have not even gotten the one that was supposed to be on psp....what the bloody hell man? And u think they would have released a trailer for 3 but we truthfully have absolutely nothing o it.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

Square Enix really need to get their arse in gear. Given that the Final Fantasy series is possibly the most widely known JRPG franchise in the world and that they've been very Martmite in quality isn't doing much to promote a healthy image for JRPGs.

They've got an obsession with making things look pretty and it ends up being all flash and no substance. Even the gameplay suffers. I have a feeling that if they'd released Duodecim on consoles instead of handhelds they'd have a few more fans.

 

[Something Amyss]

There aren't many things a boot in the arse can't fix.

But for the love of GOD, and Jim, please record better audio. Half of the video sounds like I put a pillow over the speakers.

 

[Mister Linton]

Better solution for SEs problem: Liquidate that pos company and stop making games all together. The game designers can get jobs at Burger King where they will be successful and not painful failures.

 

[mjc0961]

But how do you get Square Enix to make a game that's worth playing instead of a bunch of cutscenes tied together with random battles that you hardly get to participate in that doesn't even begin to be even close to entertaining until you're 20 hours into it? I mean that last thing right there is enough for me to tell them to take their games (as in the ones they develop, not the ones they publish that are made by competent developers) and shove them up their ass. I don't care if the game is the best game ever and even gives me blowjobs once you hit 20 hours of playtime: I am not slogging through 20 hours of shit to get to the good part when I could just be playing something else that's good from start to finish.

As for the block game, the only Apple device I have is an iPod Classic. Oh well.

 

[penguindude42]

Ha, I didn't hear a word he said over how awesome Dragon Quest is.

Why do so few people like it? 0_o

~Tom<3