Random Gaming Thoughts

[MrPopo]

I still need to play Bravely Default. Maybe I'll download the demo to get started. The demo's pretty long right? And I assume I can continue my demo save when I get the full game?

The demo is long enough that you'll have played with the mechanics enough to determine whether you like the game or not. The demo save will give you some items for the full game, but the demo starts at the second chapter with its own story that's not related to the main story of the game; it's basically a spoilerless demo.

[ZeroAX]

I don't have a link handy, but there was an interview or a statement by SquareEnix that basically said "Hey, you guys really like Bravely Default; we should probably do more games like that" and it gave me hope for the future.

I think at this point the main Final Fantasy brand is "graphics spectacle" and there isn't much getting away from that. But we could see sidelined franchises and new franchises pick up where Final Fantasy VI left off.

Interesting fact: at the Sakaguchi panel at PAX he was describing some of what went on at Square when they were building FFVII that I think explains why the main series has gone the direction it's gone. When they were building FFVII they didn't really have any people who knew 3D graphics at the time, so they reached out to the film industry. The film industry had a ton of people working with computer generated graphics that they were able to bring on to help them, but at the same time they brought on a lot of know how with how to build a film-like story. As they got integrated it really transformed the Final Fantasy team.

Yes I remember the news story.

I would say up to Final Fantasy IX they were still pretty traditional JRPGs just with more eye candy.

There was also this interview (on eurogamer I think, you can google it) with the guy they brought in to fix FF XIV Online, and he said that a major problem with the initial game was the lack of focus on the gameplay during the development and an emphasis on graphics, and he brought up the fact that just to display a single burning lantern they wrote 100.(,)000 lines of code :S

[darsparx]

There was also this review (on eurogamer I think, you can google it) with the guy they brought in to fix FF XIV Online, and he said that a major problem with the initial game was the lack of focus on the gameplay during the development and an emphasis on graphics, and he brought up the fact that just to display a single burning lantern they wrote 100.(,)000 lines of code :S

I may not know as much on programming as I should, but usually the less code the better...guess someone in their team forgot that

Edit: also I think I may have played a little too much ff1 before I quit to play something different. Looking at the little bit of ice left in the bottle I took to work it looked like a crystal from ff1...I may need help

[Retrogamer0001]

If this studio just cranks out more Final Fantasy XIII's I won't be too thrilled.

Don't even joke about that

[BoneSnapDeez]

^ Too late.

Have you seen what XV looks like?

Mother of God...

[dunpeal2064]

Maybe we can finally get another game in the style of Vagrant Story. Imo their best title by miles, and I was always sad that they didn't give the game/style another shot. Seems like, with the success of Dark Souls, now would be the time!

XV is a XIII anyways, even though it looks nothing like FF, or XIII. Hopefully it ends up being one of those Metal Gear Rising instances, where the game looks laughable and ends up being quite nice, but I'll reserve excitement. I'm sure I'll play it about 10 years after it comes out though.

[Exhuminator]

Maybe we can finally get another game in the style of Vagrant Story.

This was the best game to ever come from Square, I agree. But without Yasumi Matsuno that lightning won't strike twice.

[Flake]

I'm actually not sure what keeps Square floating these days. Even the ravenous fanboy/fangirl army they used to enjoy is gone.

[dunpeal2064]

I'm actually not sure what keeps Square floating these days.

Magic

[Retrogamer0001]

Square is a company that I don't even recognize anymore, everything that made them great/innovative/creative seems to either have died or been shoved aside. I hear good things about Bravely Default and I thought Tomb Raider was excellent, but not much else comes to mind recently.