Square-Enix: This Generation Has Been Way Too Long

The Wooster

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Jul 15, 2008
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Square-Enix: This Generation Has Been Way Too Long

Microsoft and Sony's hesitance to release next-gen consoles is "the biggest mistake they've ever made."

While Nintendo's Wii-U looms on the horizon, Microsoft and Sony seem intent on drawing out the current generation for as long as possible - a big mistake, according to Square-Enix's Worldwide technology director, Julien Merceron.

"I would suggest that maybe we don't want long generations," he told Gamesindustry International "We have Sony and Microsoft talking about this generation lasting 7,8,9 or even 10 years and it's the biggest mistake they've ever made.

Merceron argues that the the advent of online consoles, browser games and smartphones has radically changed the market. While in previous generations, it made a certain amount of sense to make console hardware complex and inaccessible so that developers could "unlock" performance over time, now frustrated developers will often opt to develop games for less challenging hardware.

"Now you don't need to manage longevity by complexity of programming, because your longevity is ensured by your online model," he continued.

"This generation has been way too long, and I say this because you have a lot of developers that work on a new platform, and perhaps will not succeed, so they will wait for the next generation, and will jump on that platform. You could not do that with this generation though. So these developers went elsewhere to see if the grass was greener. They found web browsers, they found iOS, they found other things and a lot of them won't come back to the hardware platforms."

While Square-Enix's recently released Final Fantasy-themed tech demo [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/117723-Behold-the-Next-Generation-of-Final-Fantasy], Agni's Philosophy, shows how pretty next-gen titles could be, Merecon notes that it's not just about graphics.

"Focusing on graphics only would be a huge mistake," he said. "You start to have super great graphics, characters look really good and you end up in the uncanny valley, but you don't have animation at the same quality level. Same thing with behavior and AI; it animates well and looks good, but it is making stupid decisions. It simply won't be immersive."

Source: Gamesindustry International [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-07-09-square-enix-on-next-gen-and-why-the-uncanny-valley-will-always-exist]


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MortifiedPenguin

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Jun 8, 2012
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This comes from a company that took 6 years to develop a game where you basically ran down corridors.

[sub]I'm not bitter[/sub]
 

Vivi22

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Aug 22, 2010
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Wait, so basically he's arguing that developers left consoles to go to browser based games and mobile devices because the current gen has lasted too long. Am I reading that right? Because if that's what he's saying then it's proof positive of how out of touch with the market Square is. Companies who are big in casual gaming didn't leave consoles (most were never in that market to begin with) and consumers didn't suddenly abandon consoles either. Companies and smaller developers moved to a market segment that hadn't previously existed that also happened to have low overhead and was growing at a ridiculous pace.

Moreover, I have to wonder why a company that's failed to produce more than a small handful of arguably mediocre/bad games on current technology wants a new generation. They should be getting their house in order before they have to worry about adapting to new tech.
 

ila

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Jul 29, 2008
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I love Square's games, but hearing this from a guy whose company is still working on titles before the PS3 was even launched irks me.
 

JokerboyJordan

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Sep 6, 2009
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Matthew94 said:
It's quite funny as they still haven't released FF Versus XIII in this timeframe.
Quoted for truth.

Although I do agree entirely with what the man is saying, it just smacks of hypocrisy.
 

rcs619

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Mar 26, 2011
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Hey, Square, how about you try to release more than one main-line game this generation before you start talking about the next one?

Honestly, I think next-gen will be the last generation of consoles as we know it. Games these days take too long to make, are generally shorter than games of older generations, and cost such insane amounts of money that not only do the consumers have to foot more of the bill, but entire studios can go belly-up, or be gutted on a whim by publishers over the flop of a single game...hell, over a Metacritic that is lower than what the publisher wanted.

The PS3 is going to be my last console, most likely. I refuse to pay $70 or $80 for an eight hour game. What do they think I am, Australian? (I kid, I kid, lol)
 

Ariseishirou

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Aug 24, 2010
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Yes, Squenix, we get it: you make beautiful cutscenes. You've been making some of the best cutscenes in the industry for a decade or more. That demo does absolutely nothing to inspire me, because I know that it either won't come out in a reasonable timeframe (i.e. while I still give a shit) or it won't come out at all.

I'm no bigwig developer or anything, but since you have the whole cutscene thing down pat, may I humbly suggest that you try making a good video game?
 

ghstbearx

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Sep 22, 2009
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shows you how out of touch with reality square has been for years.

also... this isn't the nintendo age when $200 for a system every few years wasn't bad. now we are paying for full (though toned down) computers and $600 for a new system sure does hurt the pockets. if i had to shell that much out every 4 years... i prolly wouldn't be partaking in consoles.
 

Don Savik

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Aug 27, 2011
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Why do game studios have to come out and say stupid pretentious stuff like this? It shows how insecure they are about their own products.

"Focusing on graphics only would be a huge mistake," he said. "You start to have super great graphics, characters look really good and you end up in the uncanny valley, but you don't have animation at the same quality level. Same thing with behavior and AI; it animates well and looks good, but it is making stupid decisions. It simply won't be immersive."

Don't focus on graphics kids, focus on everything BUT gameplay.

Why don't these people just make anime again? I know they want to.
 

Trishbot

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May 10, 2011
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We get it, Square. You want to make movies.

But you're a game company. Focus on the gameplay, not the graphics.

You're STILL working on Final Fantasy Versus XIII, a game that was announced prior to the PS3's launch, and you then say you want shorter console cycles? The long cycle we have now is the only reason your very-late-to-the-party game even stands a chance.

Seriously, though, your best game this generation was Dragon Quest 9, which was a game running on 14 year old hardware.
 

Salad Is Murder

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Oct 27, 2007
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I would buy more of Square's movies if they didn't keep putting them out for 50 or 60 bucks. I usually don't pick up a DVD until it's in the 15-20 dollar range.

For reals, I can get new release titles for my DVD player for 40-50% off at Target within a week or two.

Or rather, a rebuttal: Square, make a GAME that would necessitate a next-gen console and maybe we'd have a solid foundation for this argument, otherwise it's all vapor and big talk...and we can really only tolerate one Peter Mol'n'ew.
 

saintdane05

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Aug 2, 2011
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MortifiedPenguin said:
This comes from a company that took 6 years to develop a game where you basically ran down corridors.

[sub]I'm not bitter[/sub]
Except fot the part where you reach a wide open field and can go wherever you want. I suppose you forgot about that.
 

Doom972

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Dec 25, 2008
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Fist of all, Sony and Microsoft still need Move and Kinect to make a big profit before moving on to new consoles. There is also the problem of what to do about current-gen digital content and online games.
 

MortifiedPenguin

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Jun 8, 2012
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saintdane05 said:
MortifiedPenguin said:
This comes from a company that took 6 years to develop a game where you basically ran down corridors.

[sub]I'm not bitter[/sub]
Except fot the part where you reach a wide open field and can go wherever you want. I suppose you forgot about that.
In which all you can really do is fight monsters, and is no where near as big as the over worlds of previous games in the series.
 

Hirumakage

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Sep 28, 2009
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I love their story and cutscenes and I would love to see what a new gen console could bring...I just can't afford it. I'll just make do with what we have now
 

Hirumakage

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Sep 28, 2009
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rcs619 said:
Hey, Square, how about you try to release more than one main-line game this generation before you start talking about the next one?
They only released one mainline game? What about all the DS games they've made? The World Ends With You, Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, all those Kingdom Hearts games, and the remastered Final Fantasy games. The console games: Infinite Undiscovery, The Last remnant, Deus Ex, Tomb Raider, Fortune Street, and of course Final Fantasy 13 and 13-2.
So yeah, just because some of their games didn't have Final Fantasy in the title doesnt mean you should ignore them. Most of those are great titles!