Remake on hold until series improves

[ShinGundam]

Wada mentions that a remake of VII would destroy the franchise, partly because it's success would only help to prove the current staff can't produce a game of it's caliber anymore, in other words, it would probably confirm what most fans have suspected for awhile. While I don't necessarily like Wada and I often feel he's more of the problem than he admits, I have to say I agree that SE should be trying to build a game that can chump the older titles. What I'm not sure is if he knows what that would entail and understands what the series has been missing.

But then why is it okay to port or remake other FF games? In I and IV's case, multiple times? They already crossed that line multiple times. Why hold off on VII?

It's kind of like a drunk person saying, "Nah, man. I've already had 40 beers. Having my 41st would be taking it too far!"

Square-Enix has already indulged themselves. Just drink the final beer, bro!

IV remakes weren't big or over budget. I mean 4's sequel was a mobile game.

[Alpha2099]

And to be fair, SE has tried to cash in on the success of VII in other ways without a full-blown remake. We had a movie sequel (Advent Children), then a game sequel to the movie sequel (Dirge of Cerberus), then a PREQUEL (Crisis Core), then a mobile game (Before Crisis, I think?).

Which, by the way, how well did any of these games fare? Dirge of Cerberus was adequate, but I don't hear it talked about much anymore. Crisis Core seems to have come and gone without anyone noticing, and since Before Crisis is a mobile game, that automatically gets thrown out.

The point is, SE has done an awful lot related to VII already. They can sit on a remake for a little while and focus on what really matters, namely restoring the series to its former prominence in gaming culture.

[Jinx]

It's like this: as long as they hold out on remaking FFVII, fans will play every other Final Fantasy title they put out in hopes that they create a game that matches the former glory of the older titles. General consensus is that recent Final Fantasy games have been terrible. If they remake VII, fans will go insane and the game will sell like crazy. But fans no longer have faith in the Final Fantasy name, so it's likely if VII was remade, there'd be nothing left to look forward to, and the series would die.

[ShinGundam]

It's like this: as long as they hold out on remaking FFVII, fans will play every other Final Fantasy title they put out in hopes that they create a game that matches the former glory of the older titles. General consensus is that recent Final Fantasy games have been terrible. If they remake VII, fans will go insane and the game will sell like crazy. But fans no longer have faith in the Final Fantasy name, so it's likely if VII was remade, there'd be nothing left to look forward to, and the series would die.

So FF7 is the"Final" Final Fantasy after all.

[Alpha2099]

So FF7 is the "Final" Final Fantasy after all.

Eh...that's debatable. I would agree with that sentiment because I love FF7, but I think you can find a reasonably large group of people who think that FFX was the last great Final Fantasy.

[Loony BoB]

But then why is it okay to port or remake other FF games? In I and IV's case, multiple times? They already crossed that line multiple times. Why hold off on VII?

It's kind of like a drunk person saying, "Nah, man. I've already had 40 beers. Having my 41st would be taking it too far!"

Square-Enix has already indulged themselves. Just drink the final beer, bro!

Remaking NES games with PSP/DS standard graphics (at best) = Simple.
Remaking PS1 games with PS3/360 standard graphics (at worst) = Tricky.

Relatively speaking, anyway.

[Sephex]

But then why is it okay to port or remake other FF games? In I and IV's case, multiple times? They already crossed that line multiple times. Why hold off on VII?

It's kind of like a drunk person saying, "Nah, man. I've already had 40 beers. Having my 41st would be taking it too far!"

Square-Enix has already indulged themselves. Just drink the final beer, bro!

Remaking NES games with PSP/DS standard graphics (at best) = Simple.
Remaking PS1 games with PS3/360 standard graphics (at worst) = Tricky.

Relatively speaking, anyway.

I am aware that it is more difficult, but saying they want a more successful game at this point before doing a remake is silly. They had no problem crossing that line with other FFs, but they can't cross that line with FFVII? If they want to get back on top and have more positive attention back at Square-Enix, then maybe the remake would get that ball rolling.

[ShinGundam]

So FF7 is the "Final" Final Fantasy after all.

Eh...that's debatable. I would agree with that sentiment because I love FF7, but I think you can find a reasonably large group of people who think that FFX was the last great Final Fantasy.

Nah i just were joking, I don't think X is the last great FF at all but for Square to create a greater impact similar to 7 then it will be tricky job maybe a matter of luck too.

[Loony BoB]

I am aware that it is more difficult, but saying they want a more successful game at this point before doing a remake is silly. They had no problem crossing that line with other FFs, but they can't cross that line with FFVII? If they want to get back on top and have more positive attention back at Square-Enix, then maybe the remake would get that ball rolling.

Because it's easy to translate the mood of a 2D game into another 2D game, perhaps with the mildest of 3D attributes. It works.

But the atmosphere of FFVII and Advent Children differs dramatically. Same for VII and Crisis Core. We all know how Cloud changed notably, but how do you translate the Honey Bee Inn and Don Corneo from blocky 3D to full-on graphics? Do you give it the chop, taking away a great bit of humour? Do you cut the dolphin jumping five stories into the air with the help of a whistle? Finding the balance between comical and serious in a game is easy for games with poor graphics but in high definition, I worry that things will not translate so easily. It would be the same as trying to get FFI through to FFVI reworked in HD+3D.

[Sephex]

I am aware that it is more difficult, but saying they want a more successful game at this point before doing a remake is silly. They had no problem crossing that line with other FFs, but they can't cross that line with FFVII? If they want to get back on top and have more positive attention back at Square-Enix, then maybe the remake would get that ball rolling.

Because it's easy to translate the mood of a 2D game into another 2D game, perhaps with the mildest of 3D attributes. It works.

But the atmosphere of FFVII and Advent Children differs dramatically. Same for VII and Crisis Core. We all know how Cloud changed notably, but how do you translate the Honey Bee Inn and Don Corneo from blocky 3D to full-on graphics? Do you give it the chop, taking away a great bit of humour? Do you cut the dolphin jumping five stories into the air with the help of a whistle? Finding the balance between comical and serious in a game is easy for games with poor graphics but in high definition, I worry that things will not translate so easily. It would be the same as trying to get FFI through to FFVI reworked in HD+3D.

I have considered this problem myself many times. I still say that finding a balance isn't as hard as they think. At the end of the day, I don't like their excuse of waiting until a game performs better than FFVII. That isn't the real reason. What is preventing the remake is the desire to get most of the original team back on board and the issues you just brought up. They have admitted it already, but now they seem to be changing their story. It just bugs me.

[Freya]

This coupled with the "hey we're not gonna make anything inhouse anymore after XIII-2 cause it bombed" just makes me kind of laugh at Square Enix. At least they know their newer games haven't been the best!

[Alpha2099]

I liked them better when they were just struggling to stay financially solvent. At least then they were motivated to make something good.

[ShinGundam]

This coupled with the "hey we're not gonna make anything inhouse anymore after XIII-2 cause it bombed" just makes me kind of laugh at Square Enix. At least they know their newer games haven't been the best!

Who said they won't make anything inhouse.

[Freya]

Oh, the news! I haven't posted an article about it but wk made a thread about it.

[Mercen-X]

"Achieving the impossible only means it will be added to your job description."

Indeed. At this point, Square should settle for second best with everything or just stop producing games entirely and retire.

How well did any of these games fare? Dirge of Cerberus was adequate, but I don't hear it talked about much anymore. Crisis Core seems to have come and gone without anyone noticing, and since Before Crisis is a mobile game, that automatically gets thrown out..

I owned DC until I had to sell 50+ games to afford travel fare to Canada... waste of money.
I own Crisis Core, but my PSP is broken. I think both games are great.
I've never played BC because those Squas sholes won't translate to another console a la Re:coded.

The atmosphere of FFVII and Advent Children differs dramatically. Same for VII and Crisis Core.

Kingdom Hearts has made us play through the first game's storyline four times. Why the hell does it sound so difficult to Re:VII? Use AC/CC/DC-style graphics, CC-style battle and retell the original story from the deceased Aerith's perspective. She'll narrate since she's dead and this is all just flashback.
The only reason Square is gleaning passed the obvious solutions they're already exploring with KH is because they want to keep their fanbase jerking off to the POSSIBILITY of a remake. They don't give a flying fach about the fans.