FF has done it again.

Visual Novel Community Anime/Otaku Discussions
#1

Good thing I rented it first this time.

Well, I’ve (sadly) played (or wasted my time on) FF13. I’m sure most of you already know how this one goes, walk in a straight line, no exploring, and pressing a single button over and over to win the game. As it stands right now, FF12 has outstanding game play compared to 13(and I LOATH 12 and it’s game play). The only thing I can give 13 marks for is the likable characters and the so-so story that feels like they tried to include action a bit too hard.

It’s an action adventure, someone just messed up with the RPG sticker.

#2

We had a thread about it over here. :slight_smile:

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=5738

Also why FF13 is so linear is explained by the devs here:

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=6593

Basically it takes too much time (and thus costs more money), than it is profitable for Square-Enix to make a non-linear game with the same graphical standards.

Some people say they like the linear gameplay.

shrugs

Since it’s always about $$$, more than anything else… if FF13 fails to sell, then it’s a bomb. However if it sells millions, then it’s a success. Also worth considering: Square Enix might lose a lot of old fans, but if the number of new fans balances or outnumbers the loss, old fans will just have to suck it. Demographics are like that. :expressionless:

#3

I’m liking FFXIII so far, even though I know the big Spoiler. I still think Game Companies worry way too much over graphics, when Gameplay and Story are the most important aspects. If the Graphics are decent, and the Story and Gameplay are outstanding, Gamers will get behind it.

#4

If you mean the spoiler I put in the other thread, worry not… it’s not real… or is it? :wink:

However if you mean the spoiler about (Narg is not responsible if you look) Vanille and Fang sacrificing themselves in the end, then yea… that one is true. :o

#5

Square lost me about half a dozen games ago, so I suppose they didn’t need to worry about losing me again with FF13 =P I just hope people enjoy this one. It’s quite pretty and I’ve heard the story isn’t terrible.

#6

What do you mean, “if” it sells millions?

I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s probably already sold at least 2.5, probably 3 millions copies by now, despite having only been available for two days outside of Japan.

#7

Five million copies have been shipped.

http://www.siliconera.com/2010/03/10/fi … -the-wild/

So yea… it was a rhetorical statement. :wink:

The only RPG that sells better than Final Fantasy, is Pokemon.

#8

Bioware is gaining ground though. ME2 sold a couple million as well. I doubt the game is actually going to beat FFXIII however. If Mass Effect 3 is as much of an improvement as ME2 was, though?

#9

I always felt it kind of sick that a dumbed-down Megami Tensei ripoff always did much better than Megami Tensei did, but that’s how these things work, I suppose!

#10

It’s due to Pokemon having a competitive component, more than the RPG factor. People play the latest generation of Pokemon for the new monsters ¬ñ or what new powers they get in the next update ¬ñ more than what happens in the metaplot of the Pokemon Universe. There’s also the whole “gotta catch 'em all” thing about it.

Plot-wise, Pokemon is greatly inferior to Megami Tensei or Final Fantasy… but in competitive mechanics - both in the complexity of how it works and the easy of understanding it - Pokemon completely blows them out of the water. And thus enjoys sitting on the RPG Throne for being so.

The RPG part is just for casual gamers and basically an elaborate tutorial on how the game works.

Of the (currently) 505 Pokemon (including alt forms), only 81 of them are actually worth a damn. However of that 81, only about 25 remain unchanging. Sometimes a reject Pokemon becomes godly when someone figures out a cool strategy with it (Bronzong), while at other times a godly Pokemon becomes useless when everyone knows it’s tricks or updated mechanics make it obsolete (Gardevoir). Quite fun for the experimental aspect, because when someone whips out that useless Pokemon, you never quite know if your opponent has just figured out how to make it awesome again… or is just a bad player. :twisted:

#11

I think they are finally starting to see a demographic shift of people who played during the NES/SNES days and PS1 days no longer really playing the new FF games, but they are still getting other people.

That might not all be that bad really when you think about it. Since they’ll be losing the older fans, but gaining new ones they won’t be making more and can continue to shift the genre away from RPG to a more action-adventure with a few rpg elements. Then they don’t want to lose those other fans so they can hopefully pick many of them up with DQ titles which largely resist change.

Maybe this is their master plan to get DQ series more worldwide popularity? :twisted:

#12

Heh… as I understand it, Square-Enix has a standing directive from the Japanese HQ Board of Directors, that wether or not Dragon Quest sells in the West, Dragon Quest will be released in the West… because God damn it, DQ is DQ, and the West doesn’t know what’s good for them. :stuck_out_tongue:

sigh

If only Namco was like that for iDOLM@STER and Konami for TokiMemo. :cry:

#13

I just with the Tales series would make it over more! Especially since they live by the correct motto… story and gameplay first, graphics last. Tales might never win a best graphics title, but at least they give you 70+ hours of fun and character development. And I actually think the graphics for Vesperia are some of the best in terms of style and effect.

#14

You can blame the SCEA for that.

Namco tried to bring more Tales over, but Sony repeatedly rejected them for not meeting their “graphical” standards. :roll:

Namco never bother pushing the issue, since they figured Soul Calibur and Tekken make them more money anyways, and it wasn’t worth the effort to alienate Sony.