Final Fantasy VII Remake

[Thief]

Yeah... there's no reason why it absolutely needs to be on multiple releases when it can just be delayed. I don't buy the "it's so massive" nonsense. The only reason to do this is if they want to make more money -- but whatever.

[Kenny]

I can also buy the "milk it for all its worth" argument too. They do this for big ass movie releases now. Part 1 and 2 of something. Instant trilogies. Nowdays if you have something people like and are willing to pay big bucks for, milk every single drop that you can.

They're probably scared that their newer FF installments aren't really enough to push enough units anymore compared to their older tried and true entries. After the massively disappointing FFXIII, personally I'm more willing to buy multiple installments of FFVII as opposed to a brand new adventure. Sad but true. With 7, I know I'll like it even if it's the same story stretched incredibly long over the course of however they want it.

[OL]

I dont understand where you are coming from at all with that post. It would be a daunting task to remake it? OL, do you realize how much stuff they DONT have to do because they are remaking a game? A lot of the work is already done for them, I would say its reasonable that it probably takes the same amount of effort to remake a game as it does make a new one and possibly less. They skip hiring alot of people/development steps because the blueprints are already in the original game, and its an old school AAA mega hit that everyone has played over and over and over.

Okay, so the blueprints are already there. If someone handed you the blueprint to the Great Pyramids, would that suddenly make them a breeze to build?
Game development is a helluva lot different than it used to be; more than anything, it's a helluva lot more demanding. Even if you take into account the relative level of technology they'd have been using back then as opposed to the stuff they're using now, it's still much more difficult to model and animate a character like this nowadays than it was to make one like this back then.
Then you have to take into account the environments. While they could get away with static painted/crudely-rendered flat images back then (which is no picnic, granted), now they suddenly have to put it into full 3D, taking even greater care to pay attention to architecture, lighting, HD textures, physics. And assuming they're going for the whole shebang, that includes an absolutely staggering number of locations.
So your stance is that the artistic work has been done (basic character design, environment design, story, music). And sure, that is a big part of it, and sure, that would probably lighten the workload a little bit. But technical work is almost always more grueling. And being that technical work is more demanding now than ever before, I'd still say the work needed for a remake like this is even more difficult to do than it would have been for the original.
As an aside from the technical aspects, you also aren't taking into account all the extra artistic work that has to be redone for something like this. Scores of NPCs need to be designed, rendered, and animated in HD (while the ones in the original were basically just solid-color geometric shapes that could move an arm), even greater detail has to be put into the environments (Midgar appears to have received a visual overhaul anyway), the story is very likely getting a bit of restructuring (which means a lot of extra writing work). There's a lot more that has to go into something like this than you're presuming.

If you really think about it, the developers were able to make a game as massive as FFVII back then precisely because the tech was so much simpler. Trying to make the same thing nowadays is just plain nuts.
Granted, it's most realistic to think that a lot will be changed, a lot will be omitted, etc. Maybe they could fit the whole thing into one release, provided that they engage in some hefty amount of restructuring.
But since we don't know exactly how they're handling it anyway, I don't find it unreasonable at all to take them at their word that the whole thing is too massive for just one release. The way I've been imagining the game, that sounds about right. Sure, I believe the argument that it's also being done for the sake of money as well, but there's no reason to think that means the games will be any less "full." Like I said, I've never known Square to skimp on content. So if they say they need to stretch it out a bit, I actually buy it.

[Thief]

To be fair, I'm not particularly bothered by them splitting it into multiple parts for the sake of business. Heck, I'd do the same thing. As OL said, I'm sure we're not going to be ripped off with each installment. It'll be fine.

[south carmain]

Several releases? That seems like quite a lot...

[Riku Rose]

Originally Posted by raven777
Quick stuff from interviews

-they made multi-release since they would have to cut stuff out if they made it in one game. The detail of the game will be so dense, and you will be able to go to various locations within Midgar that you couldn't go before.
-there will be some stuff that has to be cut, but there will be lots of stuff added. overall volume will be big
-They are working with various companies outside, including CC2
-The battle system is real-time, action feel. The degree of action will be "Dissidia > Kingdom Hearts> FF7 remake" It will be more tactical.
-Although it's action style, it has ATB as well.
-You can control other party members, but you can keep control one if you want
-3 party members at a time like the original

[...]

some stuff I didn't put in my first summary

-Character model is supervised by Visual Work's director.
-They don't want to go with 100% realism for the characters since it might make it hard to recognize certain characters. So they are going as real as possible, while keeping the character's personality.
-Advent Children model data is over 10 years old so they can't really use it.
-Everything from the trailer (excluding the stuff that was shown from E3 reveal) was real-time. The end scene where Cloud gets off the train, it transitions directly to the gameplay.
-Cloud looking sick is partly due to the lighting. Nojima likes that Cloud looks very sick.
-Cross-dressing is obviously in the game, but Nomura didn't design it yet.
-All the party member's design is renewed like Barret.
-At first they thought of going with AC design of Barret, but decided not to.
-ATB and Limit gauge is there but they are different from the original. ATB turning red is something important.
-Battle tempo will be similar to Dissidia. Battle is done by people who has experience in both Dissidia and Kingdom Hearts..

Originally Posted by JeffAtomsky
A rough translation of http://dengekionline.com/elem/000/001/173/1173362/

- About the details of splitting the game into episodes, please tell us more.

Kitase: From the beginning, we have considered it impossible to remake FF7 into one single game. Althought it's impossible to tell you the details about the splitting at the moment, please wait for our further announcement.

Nomura: If we tried to stuff the whole game into one release, some part of the game would have to appear as digests. We'd have to remove some contents from the game, and it would be difficult to add more to the game. Considering that a full remake of the original game must be achived, we have decided to split the game into episodes.

Kitase: Taking the No.8 street shown in the video this time, even just this is already highly dense. If we are to remake the content of the original version at that quality, it would have been impossible to do with a single release.

Splitting the original version into episode with nothing dropped, as well as adding complements, and remaking the game the game in its full volume is what we are thinking.

- How will the battle system look like?
Kitase: Unlike the encounter battles in the original version, we were aiming for a seamless active battle like shown in the video.

Nomura: Regarding the speed of the combat, as well as the sensation of tempo, we have considered something alongside Dissidia FF that you can play without stress. The degree of action would feel like Dissidia FF > KH > FF7 Remake.

We are trying to make a new action combat system that definitely demand no action technique, and let you consider your strategy during the combat.

- What would the elements in the battle system from the original version become?
Nomura: Since the game is based on FF7, elements like ATB gauge and limitbreak will appear but with new useage. Please wait for our further announcements on how they would evolve.

- Are you going to adjust the story in order to maintain connection to other compilations of the game, as well as adapting to the modern age?
Nomura: We are planning some mechanism to dig deeper into each episodes. Players who have played the original version surely would know everything from the beginning to the end of the game, including some very important moments. And we are planning to give even such users surprises.

Kitase: We are not going to remake a game so you only play for nostalgia. We want to make the hearts of the original fans pump. We are adjusting the storyline with this idea in mind.

[AnimeGamer183]

@ OL

You are missing my point entirely, I have taken all of that stuff into consideration. I am saying that development effort needed for this game wouldnt be any different from any other brand new RPG made by what ever big name RPG Developer (CD Project with Witcher, Bethesda with Elder Scrolls and Fallout, Monolith with Xenoblade all of which have similar fleshed out worlds) EXCEPT they already know alot of what they have to work with, and the most time consuming part is rebuilding that world to a 2016 caliber game. I feel you think I am trying to compare development of the FFVII remake with the that of the original FFVII which is not the case.

[Henry Spencer]

Eh, will have to see this pans out before saying one way or another about it. Makes me a bit concerned for Resident Evil 2 remake too, that will undoubtedly be another big undertaking to recreate Raccoon City in modern HD and all of those different scenarios too...please don't get any ideas, Capcom. (They will, it's Capcom).

After the massively disappointing FFXIII, personally I'm more willing to buy multiple installments of FFVII as opposed to a brand new adventure. Sad but true. With 7, I know I'll like it even if it's the same story stretched incredibly long over the course of however they want it.

Technically, they kinda did release FFXIII in multiple pieces.
And XIV.
And XV might have multiple games they were saying a while ago.

Anywho, I hope XII gets multiple remakes like this...

[Kenny]

They sure did but I'm not willing to touch any of them.

That's the difference.

[Riku Rose]

http://kotaku.com/sounds-like-the-final ... 1746564216

Although Square wouldn’t go into too many details—and they wouldn’t say how many episodes FFVII REMAKE will be—they did send over this statement:

It means instead of concluding in one entry, multiple entries are being considered in development. Each entry will have its own unique story. As a gaming experience, each entry will have the volume of content equal to a full-sized game.

-

@ OL

You are missing my point entirely, I have taken all of that stuff into consideration. I am saying that development effort needed for this game wouldnt be any different from any other brand new RPG made by what ever big name RPG Developer (CD Project with Witcher, Bethesda with Elder Scrolls and Fallout, Monolith with Xenoblade all of which have similar fleshed out worlds) EXCEPT they already know alot of what they have to work with, and the most time consuming part is rebuilding that world to a 2016 caliber game. I feel you think I am trying to compare development of the FFVII remake with the that of the original FFVII which is not the case.

You're making alot of assumptions about what you think this game will be like and then getting upset with what you're 'assuming'. Maybe wait for more info, for all we know they could come out and say the entire first part is actually a HD remake of Crisis Core (Doubt it). Also I think the people making the game know better then anyone else if this could fit into one game and people saying they can should back it up if they feel so strongly about it. Just looking at the PS store the HD verision of FFX/X-2 is a 30GB download and that is 15 years old game in a month that's been uprezzed rather then built for the system from the ground up.

Also having played parts of some of the games you mentioned I think this game if it is a 1:1 remake of the original but made for the PS4 will be a very different beast. Just think of how massive the world map is and the towns will no longer be little doll houses but scaled for how large they actually are. What was just a JPEG that the characters ran around on will now be GB's of data which will also have tons of NPC's in it with tons of side quests.

I looked up a list of all the locations in FFVII to see how many towns they would have to remake on the world map and this is what I got:

Ancient Forest
Bone Village
Cargo Ship
Cave of the Gi
Chocobo Farm
Corel Prison
Corel Valley
Cosmo Canyon
Costa del Sol
Forgotten Capital
Fort Condor
Gelnika
Gold Saucer
Gongaga
Icicle Inn
Junon
Junon Underwater Reactor
Kalm
Lucrecia's Cave
Mideel
Midgar
Mt. Corel
Mt. Nibel
Nibelheim
North Corel
Northern Crater
Sleeping Forest
Temple of the Ancients
Wutai Village

All of those would be in 1080p and filled with stuff to do and then when you think about places like Midgar that has everything from the slums, the Shina building and the train graveyard all in it this is massive. Just a few pages ago you was saying they need to improve the Golden Saucer as well. Then you have the whole underwater section once you get the Submarine. Heck once you hit disc 2 and go back to some of the places listed above everything has changed.

The fact they want to keep everything in the game and then add more sounds crazy to me.

If they said the game was split into 2 parts with the end of disc 1 being one game and disc 2&3 being another I'm more then happy paying £80 for that. I'm also sure that everyone that bitches at every video and piece of news until this comes out will be buying all of it as well...

[AnimeGamer183]

I was thinking about some things today, about how the only people that MUST play this day one are really the only ones that will see the negative side of releasing this in parts. I personally have no reason at all to want to play it immediately and after hearing that announcement will certainly wait until all the parts are out THEN play them consecutively. We do need more information about the release schedule and pricing before any further discussion will be relevant, there are just too many "ifs" right now.

Good point about XIII being 3 different parts, but what we dont know is if the whole story was pre-determined before hand (which would be the case in the situation of the FF7 remake), or if they came up with new material when planning each game.

Also regarding FFXV possibly having multiple parts. It is a part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series of Final Fantasy games wihch also include all the FFXIII games and Type-0, but whether FFXV has a direct seuqel itself is still not confirmed.

[Mark James G]

Boo.

[AnimeGamer183]

(UPDATE: Square Enix confirmed to Kotaku that "As a gaming experience, each entry will have the volume of content equal to a full-sized game.")

Yeah, just noticed this on the link I posted. It was the first I had heard of it. This just keeps getting stranger and stranger, now im worried it might be too long. Not sure what to think anymore. I hope it doesnt got past 2-3 parts now, I cant imagine like 5-7 parts that all have "volume of content equal to a full-sized game.". Either way it sounds like its going to be massively huge now, it does kind of question whether or not square is exaggerating about that statement.

I am kind of wishing now that this was more like the original game with minor to half way upgrades and not a full over haul of the game. I really am not sure what to think anymore with all the current information, guess we will just have to wait.

[Axm]

I honestly dont mind aslong as the content matches the price.

Also anyone know whats up with Crisis Core? We need that back in some form.

[OL]

^^I totally agree. Considering all the love they've put into other HD remasters, I'm aching like hell for a Crisis Core on PS4. Already a beautiful game on PSP, and it easily has the best character arc I've seen in an FF game.