We've gotten used to seeing Tetsuya Nomura, Yoshinori Kitase and Motomu Toriyama in interviews regarding Final Fantasy XIII, but a new face joined the executive staff for the latest feature on Japan's most anticipated PS3 title.
The latest issue of Japan's monthly Ge-maga magazine is home to an interview with the three FFXIII mainstays, along with a newcomer, Tosirou Tsuchida. Following his work on Front Mission and Final Fantasy X, Tsuchida is taking charge of the battle system in Final Fantasy XIII. Before getting into the details of his latest creation, Tsuchida gave some insight into his previous work with the Final Fantasy series.
Back at the start of Final Fantasy X's development, he was told that he could do whatever he pleased with the game's battle system. He ended up asking if he could do away entirely with the ATB (Active Time Battle) system for which the Final Fantasy series is known. This caused an emergency meeting within Square. The result was that Tsuchida wasn't allowed to completely do away with the ATB system, resulting in that game's CTB (Count Time Battle) system.
This time, Tsuchida was asked from the start to create a flashy, speedy battle system. He felt that the command-based systems that have been used for previous Final Fantasy games wouldn't allow for this. However, Square Enix wanted a battle system that was as fast as an action game while allowing the player to input commands.
That's apparently what we'll be getting in FFXIII. The battle system is still considered an ATB system, complete with time flowing by as you input commands. However, the actual means of input has changed a bit and, according to Tsuchida, will now allow for more control options. You'll be able to, for example, select between carrying out a simple slash, or charging and then slashing. Some characters will be able to combine magic with standard attacks.
And all of this is somehow connected to a new animation system that will blend individual motions to result in a single smooth motion. Final Fantasy XIII's battle system may share a few points in common with the Final Fantasy XII system. Rather than a standard encounter-based system where battle begins with the allies and enemies in a face off, Tsuchida suggested that FFXIII's battles will begin with the player noting, "Oh, here's an enemy." Players will be able to change the battle conditions to an extent.
Tsuchida gave the example of a player considering what can be done in order to create a winning situation for an upcoming battle. This doesn't mean we'll be getting an evolved version of the FFXII system either. Toriyama stated that the FFXIII battle system will be something that's not quite encounter based and not quite seamless. Players will have a new way of getting into fights with enemies. Although Ge-maga got a couple of pages worth of comments from him, Tsuchida managed to keep most of the specifics on the battle system to himself.
He wouldn't even confirm if players will be inputting commands for ally characters, or if they'll just be in control of a single character (his response to this question was "no comment."). Toriyama did, however, refer to the battle system as a "party battle system" as he went on to describe how he wants the game's cast to appear in battle without straying away from their roles in the scenario.
This latter point seems to be of prime importance to the FFXIII combat system. It seems that battles in FFXIII are going to be more meaningful than those of previous FF games. Outside of your main party characters, Tsuchida wants to make the enemies that you encounter in battle more wholly connected to the main game. Scenario and battle should be more closely connected, he feels, and so the enemies will change based on the conditions of the scenario.
As an example, he mentioned players moving through an area that's being searched by the army. You'll end up encountering the appropriate type of enemy for this situation, and may even get shot at. An enemy's specialty and habitat will change based on the location. In the case of an enemy requiring thought and feelings, you can expect to encounter things that aren't strictly "monsters." In addition to moving differently based on the situation, an enemy's "category" will also change.
Enemies in FFXIII are categorized with much detail, Tsuchida revealed. Kitase (who didn't speak much during the interview) made it clear just how much detail we can expect. Battalions will have their own personnel chart, with each soldier having his own background story.
Closing off the Ge-maga feature, Kitase made mention of the fabled "White Engine," the next generation engine Square Enix is using for Final Fantasy XIII. He hinted that Square Enix is considering using the engine for games after Final Fantasy XIII.
The recent announcement of the company's plans for the Unreal Engine 3 caused some concern that Final Fantasy XIII would be the first and last sighting for the internally developed toolkit.
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Know Your Role
RPGs Abound at E3 2006
May 10, 2006
By Matt Lachlan
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RPGs Abound at E3 2006
Time to confess your fetish for futuristic swordfighters and doe-eyed anime babes – otherwise, you’ll have some serious explaining to do when someone looks at your holiday videogame collection. Role-playing games are everywhere at E3 2006 which is fast shaping up to be the show for fans of fantasy, comic book and sci-fi adventures.
Square Enix leads the charge with the mind-blowing Final Fantasy XIII, planned for release exclusively on the PLAYSTATION®3 system. A dazzling trailer being shown to select audiences teases observers with glimpses of gorgeous girls, furious gunfights, airships a-flying, melee combos a-whirling, and sights to thrill any fan of sci-fi or sword and sorcery outings. Companion title Final Fantasy Versus XIII is in development as well, presenting much more action-oriented play within the same universe.
The aforementioned offerings are but a brief sampling of dozens of titles due for release throughout the coming year that place storyline and characterization above thumb-numbing, twitch-based action. Undoubtedly, they prove that there’s no better time to be a role-playing game fan than now.
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PS3
Forget Godzilla.
It was an even mightier giant, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. president Ken Kutaragi, who ran roughshod over Japan this morning, kicking off Far Eastern extravaganza Tokyo Game Show 2006 with an eye-opening keynote address.
“The possibilities are enormous… beyond the scope of your imagination,” he said, describing PLAYSTATION®3 system’s potential to an exhibition hall jam-packed with hundreds of media and analysts eager to get a glimpse at the platform’s future. “We’re opening the doors to the next generation of entertainment.”
Proof was immediately offered in the form of an eye-opening video montage highlighting titles such as Namco Bandai’s Ridge Racer 7, Sega’s Virtua Fighter 5 and Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy XIII. But a gigantic display filled with images of sword-swinging, lead-spitting robots – courtesy of mechanized warfare simulator Mobile Suit Gundam: Target in Sight – wasn’t the highlight. (Although, in fairness, featured scenes of massive metallic instruments of death meeting in battle did prove suitably awe-inspiring…)
Rather, it was Kutaragi’s singular description of where the interactive entertainment business is headed that provided the most memorable and buzz-worthy talking points. “The computer and videogame industries are finally coming together,” he said. “I believe a breakthrough is almost upon us.”
Speaking highly of technological advances made since the PS one console’s launch 12 years ago, Kutaragi assured attendees the next decade will bring even more meaningful developments in the fields of computer processing, user interactivity and high-definition audiovisual technology.
Among upcoming possibilities: Global online networks supporting direct connections between enthusiasts and game developers, allowing users to shape featured game content in a live, real-time context. Massive databases of landscape/design data compiled by the satellite positioning and automotive industries instantly accessible to game makers, freeing them to focus less on engineering and more on the creative side of software production. Even shared computing applications that allow PLAYSTATION 3 owners to link up and combine the raw processing power of their systems, devoting machines to solving pressing scientific questions or eradicating incurable diseases.
“A transformation is taking place,” said Kutaragi. “With PLAYSTATION 3, users won’t just have the option to upload and share photos and short films. They’ll [also be able to] provide game designers with new ideas… and make meaningful contributions to their community.”
Chiding the industry for its current complacency and ongoing reliance on sequel-driven hits, Kutaragi also called recent consumer passiveness to task. Without innovation, he explained, there’s no sustainable future for game development, and insisted that creativity should be the basis of computerized entertainment.
Promising that Sony would drive the world of gaming and connectivity forward, he actually confessed that the PLAYSTATION 3 system’s high-tech hardware “may be overkill” at the present juncture. However, it won’t be long before the functionality it offers – letting buyers acquire content in both prepackaged and digital form – sets the standard for tomorrow’s horizon-broadening, silicon-powered diversions.
Never mind downloadable, system-emulated PS one and Sega gaming classics. He also hinted that in coming years, you’d be able to visit local retailers and pay a small fee to enjoy PLAYSTATION 3 titles then and there on-demand – a concept which could prove a spiritual successor to coin-operated arcades.
Offering observers a sneak peek at electronic entertainment’s future, the presentation fittingly closed with a video of upcoming blockbuster Afrika. (An innovative new game which, from charging rhinos to hungry cheetahs, offers audiences a pixel-perfect look at the Dark Continent’s exotic wildlife…)
“We’re putting the power [to change the world] in your hands,” explained Kutaragi. “The dream is now a reality.”
PLAYSTATION®3 the Obvious Choice for Game Enthusiasts
September 24, 2006
By Matt Lachlan
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Pop quiz: What’s the highest honor we’ve been afforded since arriving in Japan for Tokyo Game Show 2006 thus far? (Hint: It isn’t getting to watch gorgeous young women rocking pink hair and vamped-out ball gowns primp and pose – although that has been a nice perk.)
Think instead a visit yesterday evening to Sony Computer Entertainment, where we were ushered up to the PlayStation Lounge – a combination full-service bar, restaurant and product showroom incongruously located high atop the city in the middle of a sparkling office – and told to relax and dig in with the latest PLAYSTATION® 3 games. (Not to mention some rather dubious-looking pate…)
While mingling with the likes of SCE boss Ken Kutaragi and SCEA president/CEO Kaz Hirai, we took the opportunity to truly immerse ourselves into the next-generation of interactive entertainment. With titles like Formula One 06 and Everybody’s Golf 5 on full display for all to pick up and enjoy, staring into the future wasn’t nearly as difficult as muscling rival journalists aside for a chance to jockey behind the controller.
The scoop: Consider us duly impressed with everything we saw. Whereas previous appearances only hinted at the platform’s power, featured demonstrations like a surprise showing of NBA 07 running in real-time at 1080p graphic resolution absolutely blew us away.
An early favorite for all-star status is Resistance: Fall of Man™, an ultra-visceral first-person shooter coming from Ratchet & Clank® creator Insomniac Games. Imagine frantically running around claustrophobic bunkers or dismal underground hangars while going toe-to-toe with multi-eyed, skull-faced opponents busy clinging from walls and targeting you with eerie laser sights whose ghostly red beams cut through the choking gloom. Or, while we’re at it, spastically popping off shotguns and even fiercer weapons which fire ricocheting bullets or homing shells as you tap-dance with titanic adversaries keen on blasting you to kingdom come using cannons the size of small hippos.
Off-road racer MotorStorm™ also looks undeniably fantastic, letting anyone take ATVs, dune buggies, rally cars and more for a seat-of-your-pants test drive. We kicked up so much mud it’s a wonder our pants were still clean afterwards. (Even more so when you consider how likely the title’s intense pacing is to prompt a sudden soiling.)
But lo, we were soon lured away from high-speed thrills by the ever-stunning Genji: Days of the Blade™. Holy guacamole… Boy, will this Asian-themed action-adventure knock your socks off! We’re talking stunning backgrounds featuring photorealistic waterfalls trickling down dusty, rock-strewn streams. Leaves which float in the air of mighty, primeval forests. Spurts of blood that gush forth from enemies savaged by flying attacks, spinning strikes and gravity-defying assaults that actually let you bounce multiple times on their heads. And, of course, a cast of interchangeable heroes that includes a lethal samurai, lithe girl packing a cord-mounted blade and mega-buff monk who uses a stone pillar as a club.
Don’t forget to look for Lair™ – which casts you as a dragon-mounted warrior and encourages you to claw legions of armored troops, spit flame at fellow fire-breathing lizards and soar through the air simply by tilting a motion-sensitive controller – either. An innovative blend of action and strategy elements, the game melds ground-based and aerial combat together in an immediately accessible way that’s truly rousing to behold.
These highlights are just a small sampling of what’s available for show attendees to gawk at, however. From Devil May Cry 4 and Gran Turismo™ HD to Fatal Inertia, FINAL FANTASY® XIII, Virtua Fighter 5 and Coded Arms: Assault, it’s just a brief taste of the butt-kicking (and -numbing) fun to come when PLAYSTATION®3 arrives this November. Akihabara might not necessarily be the trendiest place in town – what up, Harajuku? – but for any self-respecting geek, a visit’s an absolute must. It’s worth going just to see how big Sony can really do things up.
, moogles:mog: , and traditional spell names will still be present.
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