You own Square-Enix: What's the next step for Final Fantasy?

[MDSnowman]

First a FFVII Remake to fill the coffers for the next 20 years, mollify share holders, and fanboys alike.

Begin planning a new FF game using the job system, turn based combat, and cutting edge graphics. Essentially a tactics game snorting eye candy off of a hooker's backside. Story-wise either go back to a largely pure fantasy setting or try something new. Middle Eastern, tribal cultures, or such things. A future/fantasy idea would need to blow me out of my seat just because of how much I hated XIII.

After I reestablished FF as a premier franchise, I'd develop them slowly to keep quality high. I'd fill out the release schedule with other, neglected, IPs. Like Parasite Eve, Secret of Mana, and the like. Let each franchise serve it's own Niche, FF as turn based strategy in a near future world for example.... PE as more Action-oriented Single character RPG in a modern setting... and Mana as real time combat in a fantasy environment (throw in some multi-player co-op for sh*ts and giggles)

 

[Manji187]

There is no future for Final Fantasy, because Squeenix as we know it is broken. Broken beyond repair.

You sound so certain...as if you already know what the future looks like...but when can a thing be said to be "broken beyond repair"?

To start fixing the problem Squeenix first has to realize it has a problem. Do you think them blind? In denial perhaps?

I'm not entirely sure what goes on at their management level, but apart from Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts, they've systematically carted all of their previous franchises to their graves.

Spoiler: Squeenix's Track Record

FF12 starts out looking promising, but the lead story writer quits half-way through production; leaving an otherwise solid game devoid of character and plot.

Every title in the FF7 compilation/compendium (including Advent Children) is a filthy, pandering mess, with the possible exception of Crisis Core (whose gameplay was horribly bland and repetitive anyway).

The Mana series hit a creative peak with the relatively unknown Legend of Mana in 2000, then the series was struck again and again with lazy, half-hearted gameboy titles until any anticipation for the series evaporated entirely. What used to be a testing ground for their hybrid action-rpg is nothing more than a graveyard.

FF13 launches and promptly falls on its face, with gameplay shockingly reminiscent of another failed jrpg (Xenosaga Episode 2, which was so bad that it nearly killed the series entirely).

Front Mission Evolved is announced, rushed, and forced out the corporate anus to critical and public shame (hell, Unskippable is doing a bit on it now; it's that bad).

FF14's beta launch was so poorly-received (and with good reason) that Squeenix has come out to publicly apologize for it. Twice.

It's really hard to remain patient with a company that has so consistently gone from Great to Bad to Worse over the better part of a decade. In fact, I'd dare call it insanity to even try at this point; at least if you're one of us who remembers Squaresoft's work fondly.

If Squeenix is to be "redeemed", they have to figure out what they want to do, and do it well because these half-assed, overbudgeted titles aren't cutting it for them. If I were in command, the first thing I'd do would be to stop this exploit-cheaply-made-sequels-for-a-quick-buck bullshit.

I've little doubt at this point last year that their management was in denial, but after posting an 80% loss in their profits (still in the black) from the previous year, I think some of them are waking up.

It can't even be blamed entirely on market shrinkage; Atlus's JRPGs are still well-made and showcase potent stories/characters (albeit, the gameplay is becoming a little too formulaic).

Hmm, that is...actually very convincing. Would you be inclined to say that a lot is riding on the reception of Versus XIII?

Basically...how many screw-ups do you think Squeenix can permit itself after the shameful fiasco's of XIII and (especially) XIV?

What if Versus XIII bombs....will the management be forced to undergo seppuku?

 

[jhlip]

I would put it to bed... and then smother it to death...

Take it out back and put a bullet in the back of its head since its already pretty much been worked to death.

shut down the Final fantasy franchise.

I'd just burn down the company building. Honestly...don't even want the money that selling it off would bring.

Kill it with FIRE!

I'd get my shotgun and take it out behind the woodshed..

Why? If you don?t like it fine just don?t buy it. Why insist that a popular series should end just because you don?t like it anymore?

Why do you need to call out my opinion just because it is different from yours? I believe it would truly be best to let the franchise end. Besides, this is a fictional scenario, and neither of our opinions will affect the franchise beyond our own personal opinion so why don't you calm down?

Becau "herp derp kill it cuz it sux" adds nothing constructive to the conversation.

Captcha: Techedu 2000 would be a great title for an anime.

I don't think the series should end any more than any other should end. Final Fantasy isn't one endless story (exception of FFVII), each installment represents a new tale that the developers want to tell. It isn't like God of War or Halo, where the story stopped being good after the first installment, only to be dragged ON and ON through ridiculous sequels.
I just think Square should put a bit more creativity into their works. While I enjoyed XIII, there were definite signs of laziness throughout its narrative. On the flip side, there was laziness in XII's gameplay. I think that if Square starts putting more work into their stories they'll be better than ever.

How does someone saying they would rather end a franchise then try something new not add to a conversation? Yeah, I might not have said so in the most professional manner, but that doesn't mean a dissenting opinion can't be constructive.

As for not killing and improving it, I kind of agree with that but the thing is it is not so much who owns Square Enix, its Square Enix. People don't like how they are handling their intellectual property. So if I owned Square Enix, I would stop Final Fantasy, or at least sell the rights to some other company to try to get something new into the formula because what Square does just doesn't cut it anymore. Its like Sonic, Sonic Team may have created something many people like and don't want to go away, but unless its owners give it to someone else, things will not improve.

 

[Mckeown]

personally? sell the shares to someone who gives a shit about square enix. truth be told, i finally lost faith in them shortly after square joined with enix, until then i didn't think that they were too bad, FF9 is one of my favorite games and i even found 10 acceptable and worth a look, tactics is another of my favorite plays (but only the GBA version, the ps1 version really wasn't that good and certainly didn't hold up next to the GBA version where 4 kids from the real world get sucked into final fantasy (not sure which one) and only the one you control wants to leave, the other three make it their mission to kick your ass into line until you can convince them that the real world is okay, it's quite fun)

and besides, i will NEVER forgive them for taking the reigns of grandia away from ubisoft, grandia 1 and 2 were better than any final fantasy i've ever played, even if the voice acting was a bit shit. but then square enix realised that if they allowed this series to go on long enough for people to realise that it was much better, then they would die. so they took over for grandia 3 and made one of the worst abominations of an RPG ever concieved. so fuck square enix, i would purposefully run them into the ground even faster than they're doing now

 

[Dark assassin for hire]

I will... make another movie.

 

[zehydra]

Make the "FINAL" fantasy lulz.

Actually, yes, announce that this will be the final of the original series, and that a whole new universe will be booted up afterwards. And it will have to be really awesome, or else like OP said, Square Enix won't last.

 

[Tirrast]

I'd give the fans what they want a FF7 remake with advent children voice overs and graphics. The original soundtrack and an optional updated version of the same songs. Then as far as the FF series as a whole id look at fan opinions and not try to please all but take the good ideas and make a good game.

 

[napmil]

I'd basically re-hire everyone that made the good Final Fantasy games and put them in charge of the series. That probably wouldn't fix everything, but at least it's a start.

And I would fire anyone who ever wanted to make another angst-driven character. I liked FF VII, VIII and what have you, but it's been done, time to move on.

Oh, and when I say "fire" I don't mean they'll lose their job. I'll literally put their asses on fire.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

• 1. Stop doing systems like the Sphere Gird and License board. I want my character's to have classes,
  2. Allow armour to have an aesthetic effect on characters,
  3. Stop making characters that are fillers main characters(eg. Vaan. Basically every other character was developed much more than and him and there were plenty of opportunities to develop him. His only real development was Vaan/Basch relationship and even that was weak.),
  4. I understand this would be a big endeavour but a Turn based combat system and a DMC/Kingdom Hearts/Star Ocean style combat system.
  5. As much as I love the series lets make the Final Fantasy. This one is a cross over between every Final Fantasy encompassing characters from all. There will be Time Travel, Inter Dimensions and combining Sephiroth's behind the scenes manipulative style with Kefka's in your face mad fucker Joker like style.

 

[Cheesepower5]

Remake FFV and FFVI on 3DS.

Then hire Yasumi Matsuno to direct the Final Fantasy Tactics sequel.

Then pump more budget into Dragon Quest.

Then get a good FF MMO going.

i just said that. look at the post above you

That just means you're awesome.

square says they will but only if the 3ds sells well and nintendo said its their fastest selling handheld yet so it is inevitable

Of course, it's almost inevitable any Nintendo handheld sells like hot cakes, unless some new system manages to dethrone it like the Playstation did Nintendo's home consoles(pre-Wii.)

 

[Defense]

Final Fantasy has gradually been getting...not "worse", but maybe "out-dated".

Here's your problem right here. It IS getting worse. it's getting significantly worse. And the problem is the exact opposite of being out-dated, it's too... in-dated? It's following the rest of the industry too well. Final Fantasy was good when it was FANTASY, and not Final Fanfiction.

As soon as 7 came out and had characters with anime eyes and Sephiroth's perfect hair, it was over. I don't even hate anime as an art form, I love Gurren Lagann, Cowboy Bebop, FLCL, Fullmetal Alchemist, and plenty of others. What I can't stand is that typical melodramatic soap opera crap where the hero has to be some angsty douchebag so the losers they're catering to can identify, and you always have to have the ADHD comic relief that makes you want to put a bullet through your temple, and the perfect girl who somehow puts up with your shit for 50 hours and will sleep with vacuous manchildren if they have nice hair or a cool scar. It's not the jRPGs are bad because they're Japanese, it's that that kind of badness is so common in Japanese nerd "culture."

You sure you were playing Final Fantasy VII? It rarely seemed like a soap opera to me, except when *OMG SPOILER ALERT* Aerith died.

 

[Redweaver]

Because the original versions are in some cases hard to find collectables and in most cases look like crap not to mentions bugs/issues. Most people who want remakes are mostly talking about graphics, and I see nothing wrong with wanting your favorite game to look prettier.

they are not hard to find at all. final fantasy 1 through 4 have been ported/reamde on multiple consoles. and the rest are available for psp and ps3 through pplay station network. not hard to find at all.

seems to me that it's just nostalgia talking.

So what if it is just nostalgia? Is that some kind of argument against an update/remake of some fan favorite games?

 

[Jesus Phish]

Remake 7 and make a tonne of cash for me and the company.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Hmm, that is...actually very convincing. Would you be inclined to say that a lot is riding on the reception of Versus XIII?

Basically...how many screw-ups do you think Squeenix can permit itself after the shameful fiasco's of XIII and (especially) XIV?

What if Versus XIII bombs....will the management be forced to undergo seppuku?

1) Yes, Versus XIII is turning out to be bigger than I think they were banking on, and not in a good way. "Fabula Nova Crystalis" was originally meant to be a franchise expansion plan, all stemming from their (then predicted) megahit, FF13.
Only, instead of driving their plans forward, they now rely on them to play damage control, and anyone who didn't like the game (or didn't buy it due to the negative element) will be cautious rather than stoked.

2) I'm not sure how many more costly screwups Squeenix can afford. But I do know that heads will roll if Versus bombs.

 

[JordanXlord]

Ignore Final Fantasy, work on Kingdom Hearts 3, you bastards!

Argeed

 

[EmzOLV]

Why thank you for the nice words.

+ 1 point.
As an approach to subsidiary studios, (a-la Eidos) continue the current approach of not making them do something they don't know, like JRPGs and aiding them with the cinematic division.

Also, think this is a good idea. Their strongest point is surely the cinematics and graphics. If they can capitalise on that, or at least aid on it, it can only be beneficial. Reckon SE could also receive back some useful pointers too!