Final Fantasy XIII director speaks out against lower-than-expected review scores.

[Slothy]

When Toriyama & Kitase said how they were influenced by First Person Shooters and Call of Duty, everyone laughed, but it's now apparent - the statistical report after battles, the contained environments with clear objectives

I won't deny that they may have been influenced by FPS games in designing a linear game, though I find it interesting that in terms of constrained levels, they completely missed how levels can be linear but still interesting from a gameplay perspective. That's probably the biggest failing with this game in terms of its linearity, they focused so much on getting the player from point A to point B for story purposes that the setting has no purpose within the gameplay except to provide a backdrop in between fights. It works in shooters because you use the environment in the gameplay; taking cover, flanking the enemy, drawing them out, etc. It fails here because it's just there for you to walk through.

So I suppose I can see the influence, but my god is it ever a twisted bastardized version of a more western genre convention than anything else.

[Elpizo]

No thanks, that is how this game was possible, because people like you accepted mediocrity.

People like you made X sell millions, and that was suckage incarnated. Really, not much to say here. You're just doing it as usual: I am the world, everybody thinks like me and whoever doesn't is a loser I'll piss on. *nods*

So? That doesn't make it exempt from criticism, and nor does it mean I have to be part of it.

Seeing as it won't change anything, and people are already quite aware of your opinion, I fail to see the need to keep repeating yourself. If you're waiting for me to change my opinion to one that matches the great Seifer's, save yourself the trouble.

More is the pity as they are the intelligent ones. So I prefer "Intellectual Train" Thanx.

Haha. I'm on the intellectual train, then, too. I hate X. You're just a blind sheep following the rest with praise for X. See what I did here? Of course you didn't.

Cheers, I will carry on as usual.

Well, if you like doing this more than seeking a game you enjoy...

I love how people go on a rant and then say "But I don't really care....err...I just had a massive rant but I don't care....honest!" haha

A massive rant, where? And I don't care, really. But hey, if you can waste your time, why can't I do the same? You think you're the only one allowed to do that? There's enough time to be wasted, we can share. Don't be so greedy.

So why are you here in this thread which is entitled "Director Speaks Out"? I must say I find your logic fascinating....

Same as you, share my opinion, my opinion may be that I don't care, but it's still an opinion. I know you tend to think others don't have own opinions, but please, do your best for once to understand that everybody, in fact, does. And at least I am fascinating. You, however, failed to be as soon as all your posts contained the same: "RAWR XIII EVIL RAWR SE EVIL RAWR I ALONE AM GOOD RAWR THE REST ARE LOSERS!".

With your attitude, definitely not.

Pot, meet kettle. All you do is rant on internet forums about how evil XIII is and SE is. Tell me again, how is that gonna change anything? Oh, right, you're not out to change anything. You just want to rant and spit out your XIII and SE hate again and again and again. Sorry, my mistake for forgetting.

Cash loads yes, but at your expense, not mine

Depends if I buy every game SE brings out, no? Last I checked, I didn't. Yes, I know it's shocking that somebody can be not a sheep and still buy XIII, but that's what you get for not understanding others have different tastes and opinions.

Hater this hater that. And yes, Hitler changed society, and the world. He was certainly a hater....

Proof that haters like you are good for nothing. If I wanted to hear negative things about things I like, I'll look at critics. Biased as they may be, at least they've played the games, and don't repeat the same things in every post all over the internet.

Aimed at your own intolerance I hope?

Surely you are joking? Pot, meet kettle, again. Don't know if you've noticed, but you're, like, intolerance against people who like XIII in the flesh. You may say "woo, go me!", but it's really not something to be proud of. It's pitiful. Not that you care, but hey, we both have time to waste, apparently.

[Bolivar]

When Toriyama & Kitase said how they were influenced by First Person Shooters and Call of Duty, everyone laughed, but it's now apparent - the statistical report after battles, the contained environments with clear objectives

I won't deny that they may have been influenced by FPS games in designing a linear game, though I find it interesting that in terms of constrained levels, they completely missed how levels can be linear but still interesting from a gameplay perspective. That's probably the biggest failing with this game in terms of its linearity, they focused so much on getting the player from point A to point B for story purposes that the setting has no purpose within the gameplay except to provide a backdrop in between fights. It works in shooters because you use the environment in the gameplay; taking cover, flanking the enemy, drawing them out, etc. It fails here because it's just there for you to walk through.

So I suppose I can see the influence, but my god is it ever a twisted bastardized version of a more western genre convention than anything else.

Agreed.

[ANGRYWOLF]

or the intelligent ones claim.

I never would claim to being a fan of something denotes intelligence..or being a critic of something denotes it either.

It's opinion.

Being a fan means you are a fanatic. If you are a true fan of something you see the good..or what you sincerely believe is good and you ignore the bad.The inept and the incompetent.
Goes with the territory.

There are great games that could have been better....and people can find where that could be true.
and there are fans of so called bad games.

It's still opinion.

Like I have said before..people who like a game, be it FFVII, FFX, FFXII, FFXIII, any FF...won't be persuaded by an arguments to the the contrary.They won't suddenly dislike a game they love no matter what someone else says.If Sakaguichi came out tomorrow and said FFXIII is flawed and here's why and listed his reasons for disliking the game..the fans that like it wouldn't believe it and would still like it.
If Matuno came out tomorrow and said FFXII was incomplete and apologized for what he says are the game's weaknesses and misteps...the fans of FFXII wouldn't believe it and would still say FFXII is a great game.

So getting out of kelter, acting all righteous either in defense of an FF game or attacking the alleged flaws in an FF game..doing all that and getting your blood presure up serves no useful purpose.It won't change anyone's mind.

If you like FFXIII that should be fine...if you don't like it the fact others do may seem perplexing to you but there's nothing you can do to change their minds.
Same with any previous FF game you might like or dislike.The people on the other side won't change. There's absolutely nothing you can do to peruade them to change or to force them to.

So we'll wait and see what Agito and Verses have in store for us.Likely, more disagreements and more controversy.It never ends.

[seiferalmasy2]

Well I won't be buying them, and I hope people with more sense than Elpizo really delve deep into reviews and youtube before they shell out :P

[Elpizo]

If everybody had my kind of sense, they'd buy only 1 game every year, like I do. And then SE wouldn't get much cash. Kinda like how you want it to be. Don't assume you know my buying habbits just because I bought XIII. There's more to a person than the fact if they did or didn't buy XIII, as impossible as that may sound to you.

Also, you seem to think I bought XIII blindly. Again with the assumptions. I've followed the game quite closely during its development, watched plenty of youtube videos for the story (priority for me in a FF game) and liked what I saw, so I bought it. I in general don't listen to reviews, but I do prefer reading them for negativity than reading hundreds of post by one hater grabbing every chance he can get to bash XIII.

The only time I didn't inform myself enough was when I bought X. But that's because a close friend of mine was constantly raving about how good the game was and how he had more than 200 hours on it, so I thought: "Why not?". Mistake of a lifetime.

[Bolivar]

If Matuno came out tomorrow and said FFXII was incomplete and apologized for what he says are the game's weaknesses and misteps...the fans of FFXII wouldn't believe it and would still say FFXII is a great game.

Actually I would probably agree with everything he said (if he says what you and I expect him to), but still like FFXII as one of my favorite PS2 games!

Very thoughtful post overall, Wolf, I think what we get most out of it is to EVERYBODY CHILL OUT!!!

Oh, wait, seems things are already more civil, I'm too late

Well I won't be buying them, and I hope people with more sense than Elpizo really delve deep into reviews and youtube before they shell out :P

What if they end up being good? Apparently Versus has an Airship you can fly around on a World Map!! That alone already makes it a better game than FFXIII to me.

[Crop]

More is the pity as they are the intelligent ones. So I prefer "Intellectual Train" Thanx.

Listen buddy, although I don't disagree with all of your points on FF games (such as some in XIII and XII) I hate the way you take the superior ground. As if anyone who dares have another view on the game is inferior. Whatever way you look at it, how good a game is is a matter of opinion.
For the most part, I enjoyed XIII. Am I not intelligent for thinking that? Am I stupid? Seriously dude, it's one thing to piss on someone's opinion but it's a whole other situation to actually question someones intelligence when it comes to game opinions.

[Shin Gouken]

More is the pity as they are the intelligent ones. So I prefer "Intellectual Train" Thanx.

Listen buddy, although I don't disagree with all of your points on FF games (such as some in XIII and XII) I hate the way you take the superior ground. As if anyone who dares have another view on the game is inferior. Whatever way you look at it, how good a game is is a matter of opinion.
For the most part, I enjoyed XIII. Am I not intelligent for thinking that? Am I stupid? Seriously dude, it's one thing to piss on someone's opinion but it's a whole other situation to actually question someones intelligence when it comes to game opinions.

Funny, i was just thinking this too

[seiferalmasy2]

Cry me a river, if someone is trying to say we are on "A hate train" they deserve anything that is coming in response

Am I not intelligent for thinking that?

I do wonder, actually. Certainly lacking logic...of that I have no doubt.

[Crop]

Cry me a river, if someone is trying to say we are on "A hate train" they deserve anything that is coming in response

Am I not intelligent for thinking that?

I do wonder, actually. Certainly lacking logic...of that I have no doubt.

And yet I deserved that response? Completely proves my point. You not liking FFXIII is your opinion, it doesn't make you more logical.

[Elpizo]

Cry me a river, if someone is trying to say we are on "A hate train" they deserve anything that is coming in response

Kinda like you saying the rest of us are all on a "blindly follow SE" train?

We're dealing with an obvious troll here, people, let's move on.

[finaloblivion]

I think everything that I could've said has already been said. Look at my sig. And I'm not ashamed of it lol because no one should be considered less intelligent or shameful because of their likes and dislikes in video games, music, food, anything. It's opinion. Get over it. And no one's is superior to anyone else's...so seriously if you're only goal is to get on the forums and argue with people about how their opinions differ from your own and try to change them, you're seriously wasting your time. while these forums are here to post your opinions, they're not here for you to piss on everyone else's.

[ANGRYWOLF]

Opinions are like ..well colons..we all all have them.

as any gastro doc can tell you...rotfl....

I am disappointed in the excuses from the FFXIII directors and developers.We couldn't do this and we couldn't do that.
I feel they could have..if they had been willing to seek assistance from the right people.

I do agree with a lot of seifer's opinions about the games although I feel he's somewhat too dogmatic in the way he expresses them.

As far as gamers are concerned..we are all human with different opinions and varied taste and concepts about what an rpg is and what makes a good rpg.
Our opinions of those subjects differ and are subjective and not objective in any sense.Nor can we define in any objective sense what makes a good rpg or what criteria it should be judged by.
Our views differ in many respects.

So to lose our cool and to be derogatory towards each other would be devisive, pointless and counterproductive to this forum..

shrugs...

so just relax...

Before we know it we'll be seeing more about Agito and Verses and we can discuss those.I hope in a more civil fashion.

[Rase]

Just throwing out that Toriyama was probably referring to RPG's when he mentioned a Western point-of-view, ala Oblivion, Baldur's Gate, Fallout, etc. That's how I took it at least. I don't necessarily agree with him on it, but he's basically doing PR damage control here it seems.

Oh, and read pretentious, ad hominem-laden arguments about FFXIII is fun.