Eyes on FF Visits Square Enix - Round 2!

[Del Murder]

I think you all remember our last event (http://home.eyesonff.com/general-chat/139805-eyeson-visits-square-enix.html) where Square-Enix invited us to their Los Angeles offices to play a demo of Final Fantasy XIII-2 and interview the creators. Well, they've been generous enough to invite us to hang out with them once again, this time at the Lightning Returns: First Look event!

Yesterday afternoon, Freya and myself got together with SE officials in San Francisco to view an extended trailer and hands-off demo of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. In addition, Producer Kitase and Director Toriyama were both on site to present and answer questions about the game. Some of the highlights include:

Complete demo of the battle and customization systems.
A look at the expansive world Lightning will explore in the game.
Information on the multitude of quests and shops throughout the game.
Which Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 characters will be appearing.
We find out just how much SE really loves Lightning.
What SE hopes to accomplish with Lightning Returns and their motivations for making it.
Ending spoilers (not really).
Robert from SE taking us out to dinner and telling us how much cooler we are than IGN.

This information will be put up throughout the next couple of days, as our Editor Freya is still on a plane home. I'd write stuff but I'm just a grizzled old Admin (I was older than everyone else there by 6 years at least). Plus Freya took two notebooks worth of notes compared to my 4 pages.

A special thanks to Robert Peeler of Square-Enix NA for making this possible. More to come soon! Including a recap of the day with surprise guests!

[qwertysaur]

That's beyond awesome.

[Quindiana Jones]

In ever they have an event in Guiyang, be sure to let me know first, yah?

[Old Manus]

Face to face meetings with consumers seems to be the in thing these days at game devs. (They must be using an agile project methodology [/computersciencejoke]).

All sounds pretty cool. I can't wait to not play this game.

[Freya]

It's actually more action rpg super open worldy so you might want to give it a chance

[escobert]

All sounds pretty cool. I can't wait to not play this game.

[Lone Wolf Leonhart]

I was giddy with excitement just reading the original post, so I can tell there's more excitement to come as we read more of what Freya and Del have to say in the coming days :bigsmile:

[Jowy]

If it happens again, please ask someone with authority where Chrono Break is.

[Del Murder]

Robert could not confirm nor deny the existence of any future or past Square Enix game outside of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. We did try asking him!

[Formalhaut]

Face to face meetings with consumers seems to be the in thing these days at game devs.

That's because by listening to their fans, they might just make an awesome game! I am frankly honoured that SE are so willing to communicate with us and show us a demo and give us some juicy info.

If this is SE's way of getting us hooked, it's worked. I really cannot wait. And a SE NA employee taking you guys out for dinner? This just gets better. I love how SE are treating us well! :D

[Freya]

He bought us drinks too! Boooooze

[Shorty]

Technically, Square bought us booze.

[krissy]

YES

[Freya]

Oh yeah shorty and miriel showed up too and got square to buy booze. Heh

[Slothy]

Oh yeah shorty and miriel showed up too and got square to buy booze. Heh

I need to become an editor. I can right good to guyz!

[Shorty]

Correction: You need to come to California.

It was pretty sweet!

[Mirage]

Action RPG and open world. Sounds good to me, I might buy it when the price drops.

Keep in mind, SE: Making this game action RPG-y does not mean you can cancel that other action RPG you're working on.

[The Man]

If it happens again, please ask someone with authority where Chrono Break is.

This and Versus please. Thanks in advance.

[Aulayna]

This all sounds amazing.

[DMKA]

All sounds pretty cool. I can't wait to not play this game.

Oh shush you negative nancies.

This is awesome.

[Raistlin]

I approve of SE paying attention to us, and remain cautiously interested in Lightning Returns.

[Bunny]

This is cool.

I'm interested in who paid for the plane ticket for Freya to come out there? Or is that super secret hush-hush information.

[Del Murder]

SE paid for her flight and hotel. Pretty generous!

[Sephex]

Gotta say, this is badass. Good on SE to do something like this for us!

[Freya]

They paid for my lunch, after the presentation drinks and stuff and hotel and plane and stuff!

Here's the article (http://home.eyesonff.com/content/2287-eyes-ff-exclusive-lightning-returns-preview-part-1.html) guys go check out all the juicy info!

[Bunny]

SE paid for her flight and hotel. Pretty generous!

That's pretty incredible.

Congrats guys.

[Freya]

It was fun! I met a lot of other members of other fansites too! It was great to nerd out with other fellow nerds. Some got a bit TOO nerdy for the eyeson crowd but we were still nerdy enough. Hopefully you guys like it! I know after the whole thing I'm sold on the game. I also hope I can convey the same emotion to you all.

[krissy]

kc i know you played ff13, did you play ff13-2?

[Denmark]

Correction: You need to come to California.

It was pretty sweet!

um excuse me i was in california for a week and square didn't buy me no booze

[Bunny]

They paid for my lunch, after the presentation drinks and stuff and hotel and plane and stuff!

Here's the article (http://home.eyesonff.com/content/2287-eyes-ff-exclusive-lightning-returns-preview-part-1.html) guys go check out all the juicy info!

Not to be anymore of a dick than usual but there are quite a number of glaring typos in there.

[Shlup]

Still waiting for all the country-girl-in-a-big-city pics.

[Mirage]

Kaycee> Oh wow skyscrapers!

[Night Fury]

I'm so jealous. Super duper jealous. THIS IS THE KIND OF JOB I WANT JETSETTING TO AWESOME PLACES TO DO AWESOME THINGS AND STUFF.

[Freya]

I typed the article in a car after two flights, dont be hatin

[Shorty]

Kaycee> Oh wow skyscrapers!

She essentially did do this, just in different wording.


Some got a bit TOO nerdy for the eyeson crowd

:colbert:

[Shauna]

Such nerds.

But srs, this is awesome and I am jealous. :(

[Freya]

One tried touching sarah it was funny.

[Shorty]

Miriel came to my immediate defense like the good friend she is!

[DrAssenov]

That's so amazing! I'm insanely jealous!

[Sephex]

It would be funny that if the meeting there was some sort of gauge that counts down to the point where SE and EoFF members are allowed to take turns speaking.

[Miriel]

If I had known SE was footing the bill, I would have ordered lots and lots more sangria.


Miriel came to my immediate defense like the good friend she is!

I've got your back.

[NorthernChaosGod]

That's pretty cool. Next time get them to buy you guys more stuff.

[Del Murder]

Here's the group shot of the event with Producer Kitase and Director Toriyama. I may be biased, but I think we were the hottest people there. Even moreso during dinner when Miriel and Shorty showed up.

39546

[Faris]

No, you're not being biased :erm:

[Loony BoB]

I dunno, Toriyama looks like a pretty suave guy.

[Jowy]

Doppelganger Daniel Towns next to sexy flannel girl. Nobody's noticed that yet?

[Psychotic]

The woman on your right was nice too.

[Loony BoB]

Doppelganger Daniel Towns next to sexy flannel girl. Nobody's noticed that yet?
You do know who that is, right? xD

[Jowy]

Doppelganger Daniel Towns next to sexy flannel girl. Nobody's noticed that yet?
You do know who that is, right? xD

I don't, embarrass me in public, please!

[Freya]

It's time for, GUESS WHO DEL IS GAME!

[Rantz]

Is SE Rob in that picture?

[Shorty]

I don't see Rob anywhere. Maybe he was taking the picture!


Doppelganger Daniel Towns next to sexy flannel girl. Nobody's noticed that yet?

ahahaha what absolutely not

[Del Murder]

:mad:

[Jowy]

:mad:

If its any consolation, about five minutes after I committed that faux pas:

New text message! "Ahahahaha doppelganger Daniel towns NOOOOOOOPE that's MURDER, you nerd! He is quite handsome."

And in my defence, that came to mind before I clicked the thumbnail and got a closer look!

[Shorty]

You didn't post what I said word for word and gave me way more enthusiasm than the actual messages exuded. :colbert:

[Psychotic]

What are you talking about, Jowy? The person next to Sexy Flannel Girl is Shorty.

[Shorty]

:(

[Jowy]

You didn't post what I said word for word and gave me way more enthusiasm than the actual messages exuded. :colbert:

I have revised my original post to correct my paraphrasing.

[Shorty]

Your attempt at embarrassing me isn't working. Murder knows he looks good.

[Psychotic]

Also holy shit look at the dude in the waistcoat next to BoB. That's Baloki.

[Jowy]

Your attempt at embarrassing me isn't working. Murder knows he looks good.

I'm really the embarrassed one here. I'm pointing out how quickly I was called out by the masses.

[Shorty]

Also holy shit look at the dude in the waistcoat next to BoB. That's Baloki.

I sat next to him at dinner. I don't remember his name, I just called him Ponytail Gamestop Guy in my head the whole time.

[Psychotic]

Dude, he has a name badge right there. How could you forget his name was Caesar Catpenis?

[Raistlin]

So that's why Del wouldn't post his picture for so long; he didn't want to be told he looked like Daniel. Can't say I blame him!

[Del Murder]

I look like him as much as any white guy with a beard and glasses looks like any other white guy with a beard and glasses.

[Shlup]

I am unreasonably jealous for a person who already got to go to one of these. Next one had better be at the LA office so I can weasel my way in again!

[NorthernChaosGod]

Man, if you guys go to LA for one of these again, then let me know. I want to join the fun. :(

[black orb]

>>> Im surprised everyone is smiling in that pic..:luca:

[Loony BoB]

Man, if you guys go to LA for one of these again, then let me know. I want to join the fun. :(
We're actually really lucky to be allowed to send two people (most of if not all other sites only get one person going), although we only get paid travel for one person, the other has to go out of their own pocket. Luckily we have a few good staffers in LA!

[NorthernChaosGod]

Man, if you guys go to LA for one of these again, then let me know. I want to join the fun. :(
We're actually really lucky to be allowed to send two people (most of if not all other sites only get one person going), although we only get paid travel for one person, the other has to go out of their own pocket. Luckily we have a few good staffers in LA!

But Shorty and Miriel joined them for drinks. :(

[Miriel]

I just showed up and was all, HEY GUYS and started ordering drinks/eating all the food. And then Shorty showed up and was like HEY GUYS and ordering drinks. And at the end of it SE Rob paid for everything. :up:

[Loony BoB]

But Shorty and Miriel joined them for drinks. :(
Oh, that! Yeah, we're aren't really allowed to talk about going to meet Square-Enix until a certain date has passed. That's probably why they didn't try to get more people together. I think... Shorty is on staff so knew about it, and Miriel is in a privileged position. ;)

[Jessweeee♪]

Oh EoFF I am so proud of you and also miss you tons :cry:

[Night Fury]

I look like him as much as any white guy with a beard and glasses looks like any other white guy with a beard and glasses.

I made a comment in chat about how you kind of look like a New York Scamp kinda guy from the 1920's era.

[yukina]

I'm jealous but then again, I'm happy for EoFF. Long live this community of troublemakers! :))

[Tigmafuzz]

I look like him as much as any white guy with a beard and glasses looks like any other white guy with a beard and glasses.

GOOBLE GOBBLE GOOBLE GOBBLE

[NorthernChaosGod]

But Shorty and Miriel joined them for drinks. :(
Oh, that! Yeah, we're aren't really allowed to talk about going to meet Square-Enix until a certain date has passed. That's probably why they didn't try to get more people together. I think... Shorty is on staff so knew about it, and Miriel is in a privileged position. ;)

:colbert: I can pay for my own drinks.

[Shorty]

I showed up because Murder, Miriel, Freya and I were all going to go out to dinner afterward but I guess SE was like "come here first, appetizers and booze!" so we were like "hellll yeah".

[Freya]

I finally got the interview up (http://home.eyesonff.com/content/2327-eyes-ff-exclusive-lightning-returns-preview-part-2-interview.html)! Yeah I interviewed Kitase and Toriyama! Well me and several other people xD It was cool! Go check it out :D