[Soph]

I hear the game has sold terribly in Japan, the price has dropped like a rock and many have returned their copies to the retailers.

You see, when you sell more than One Freaking Million on the First Day of Release, the "price" can plummet to negative amounts and it still won't matter, because you just owned every other product everyone else in the world is going to come out with for the next good year or so.


but please, do keep us most updated with all that you "hear," by all means.

[Tamika Jett]

Why don't we post this in the Official thread

http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=1069104&hl=

[Alexandra walker]

Gotta love all these pretend-opinions based on hearsay before you've even actually tried the product, before it's been released in your own language. In any case, just watch one of the gameplay videos on zoome.jp, and decide for yourself.

Here we go: I can just put the disc in my PS3 and play it. And I can surely tell you that it is very streamlined. Kind of a child of X and XII, sadly with most of the special stuff taken out. No more free-roaming combat (which was a welcome change and brought something actually new to the series) and from the more open areas again back to the style of FFX and its corridor-like appearance.
Which might be just like Squeenix said because of them still figuring out the capabilities of the current platform. Not being able to create big towns. Which is pretty ridiculous when they show us big towns for FFXIV on the same platform.
FFXII looked way better than X did, surely they will take another leap with XV. But they also said they wanted a very cinematic appearance, which those linear levels are very good for. The problem is, they are more fit to action games like first-person shooters. RPGs that directly lead you to your, no, the designers target feel just wrong. I've not felt free in FFXIII until chapter 10 or so, until then it was just walking a straight line, combat at the dedicated points, cinematics after, more combat, some cinematic, savepoint, boss battle, and so on. Going through the motions ain't fun, if a dev sacrifices fun for cinematics it's pretty tedious. It should at least feel like I have some freedom to go where I want. Garamsythe Waterway in FFXII was a great example, or the classic games were you could roam the map and were just limited by here-there-be-dragons areas.
Overall, I think Square did not really have a good general direction, everyone could demand changes in some departments he didn't know anything about - the most apparent example the art team at times changing the direction the combat designers were taking. Like a bunch of kitten with playing with yarn and someone trying to knit a sweater out of the leftovers.

Aaanyway, it surely isn't a horrible game and I thought it was at least better than FFX (by a thin margin), but it really feels like you're going through a tunnel for many of its playtime.

And you surely jest about the transcription of some people criticising the game, right? There's people complaining about everything these days, and I just said that looking at a special "Western point of view" isn't the thing you should do when those with it complain about the same things. Anyway, much more than I actually wanted to write, but you made me. ^_^

[Trent Theriot]

http://www.thelostgamer.com/2010/02/09/disappointing-japanese-ffxiii-sales-remain-below-previous-titles/

1 million on the first day, I'll give it that, but the copies sold in subsequent weeks flat out pale in comparison to its predecessors. The sudden price drop is not common practice for big games in Japan.

[Matthew Warren]

http://www.thelostgamer.com/2010/02/09/disappointing-japanese-ffxiii-sales-remain-below-previous-titles/

1 million on the first day, I'll give it that, but the copies sold in subsequent weeks flat out pale in comparison to its predecessors. The sudden price drop is not common practice for big games in Japan.

It's quite clear. In a spin off Anime we will see the conspiracy of who is trying to kill off the Final Fantasy Series. I have a theory about who could be orchestrating it.... but... *coughing and spluttering as he gets shot in the chest*.

It's the Laughing Developer... look for them... /cryptic message.

[Ridhwan Hemsome]

http://www.thelostgamer.com/2010/02/09/disappointing-japanese-ffxiii-sales-remain-below-previous-titles/

1 million on the first day, I'll give it that, but the copies sold in subsequent weeks flat out pale in comparison to its predecessors. The sudden price drop is not common practice for big games in Japan.

Yup. The game had the usual hyped FF first day and then sales plummeted. If there wasn't anything wrong with the game... What could be the reason? -_-

[Amber Hubbard]

Well a review saying a Final Fantasy game is bad because of its Linear story telling woul automatically be ignored by me. Pretty much every final fantasy game is linear.

[Rachel Tyson]

Maybe people are bored, and finally learning and realizing just how much the same each final fantasy has been? That they have been doing the same [censored] over and over again with a different paint job for 23 years. That they have been finally gifted with some taste to go out and play a game, and not an interactive movie? They got bored of the same crap over and over again and want something new? That perhaps they realized they wasted all of those years away on one series... they have spent a third of their lifetime playing final fantasy games.

Nah... crazy talk I say... crazy talk!

[Matt Bee]

Well a review saying a Final Fantasy game is bad because of its Linear story telling woul automatically be ignored by me. Pretty much every final fantasy game is linear.

That is true. Linear story telling would a very weak point. It's all about the levels.
Besides, said magazine was Famitsu. Which usually rates FF with 40 points minus the hours they had to grind, or something. :hehe:

[Shaylee Shaw]

"When you look at most Western RPGs, they just dump you in a big open world, and let you do whatever you like..." and as a result it "becomes very difficult to tell a compelling story when you're given that much freedom".

*cough*Morrowind*cough*San Andreas*

[OJY]

perhaps final fantasy is bitter that western rpgs are hybrid'ing and pushing limits, while eastern rpgs are slowly turning more into interactive adventure movies.

[N3T4]

I hear the game has sold terribly in Japan, the price has dropped like a rock and many have returned their copies to the retailers.

1 million on the first day, I'll give it that, but the copies sold in subsequent weeks flat out pale in comparison to its predecessors. The sudden price drop is not common practice for big games in Japan.

No, you will not give it that. Please stop trying to scratch around for a hold to support your attempted insinuation that the product is a failure.


You know what, it's only a few days until March, the 9th - so I suppose we all better use what little time we have left to try to appear cool by pretending to be in-the-know on overseas markets.

Here we go: I can just put the disc in my PS3 and play it.

Pics or it didn't happen. Also, 日本語は読めるか？じゃ、そのゲームの最初の話はどうだ？^_^

[Nany Smith]

I just want some fun combat, a decent and lengthy story, and some customization. Linearity is one of Final Fantasy's age-old traits, so I'm wondering why it's being mentioned in reviews. That's like saying Grand Theft Auto games make you drive too much.

[Genocidal Cry]

Maybe people are bored, and finally learning and realizing just how much the same each final fantasy has been? That they have been doing the same [censored] over and over again with a different paint job for 23 years. That they have been finally gifted with some taste to go out and play a game, and not an interactive movie? They got bored of the same crap over and over again and want something new? That perhaps they realized they wasted all of those years away on one series... they have spent a third of their lifetime playing final fantasy games.

Nah... crazy talk I say... crazy talk!

Hey, those people are way better than the players stuck with Western RPGs, looking at pointy-eared tree-hugging elves, bearded-midgets living underground, fire-breathing winged-reptiles, green-skinned apes with large teeth needing killing with a wide variety of swords, including big sword, small sword, and tiny sword, and men in dresses waving little (or big, depending on the kind of dress) wands and shouting some variation of al-kazam~ over and over instead of just reading a Tolkien book or watching LoTR.

FF at least has a different world and mythos each game, but maybe if you can point to that mythical "something new" in WRPGs, besides the same old Medieval-European rehash, I'm sure they'll all flock over forthwith to your wizened guidance. ^_^


No? Didn't think so.

[Terry]

I just want some fun combat, a decent and lengthy story, and some customization. Linearity is one of Final Fantasy's age-old traits, so I'm wondering why it's being mentioned in reviews. That's like saying Grand Theft Auto games make you drive too much.

Yeah I agree, they seem to be in the habit of comparing it to other games and some other people seem to be in that habit as well. SE never said FF XIII would be non-linear so it's pointless to dock points off or criticize the game for that.

[Avril Churchill]

Hey, those people are way better than the players stuck with Western RPGs, looking at pointy-eared tree-hugging elves, bearded-midgets living underground, fire-breathing winged-reptiles, green-skinned apes with large teeth needing killing with a wide variety of swords, including big sword, small sword, and tiny sword, and men in dresses waving little wands and shouting some variation of al-kazam~ over and over instead of just reading a Tolkien book or watching LoTR.

FF at least has a different world and mythos each game, but maybe if you can point to that mythical "something new" in WRPGs, besides the same old Medieval-European rehash, I'm sure they'll all flock over forthwith to your wizened guidance. ^_^


No? Didn't think so.

Fallout?

[Adrian Morales]

Fallout?

One of the few rare exceptions. How many sci-fi WRPGs are there in all anyway? Fallout, KoTOR, Mass Effect, Planet's Edge, maybe System Shock? and a few ancient DOS-era games are all that I can remember...

but then FF has encompassed medieval themes too, in certain installments of the series.

[James Shaw]

No, you will not give it that. Please stop trying to scratch around for a hold to support your attempted insinuation that the product is a failure.


You know what, it's only a few days until March, the 9th - so I suppose we all better use what little time we have left to try to appear cool by pretending to be in-the-know on overseas markets.

I did not say it was a failure. Terrible might be stretching things, but the figures so far look disappointing nonetheless. I did not try to "appear cool", it was literally something told to me by a FF-savy friend on IRC when we were discussing the game. Wow man, did you wake up on the wrong side today or what?

[james kite]

Ah, here's where it's gone.

*cough*Morrowind*cough*San Andreas*

Actually I can't even recall ten games series that do that kind of thing. Most "Western" RPGs are pretty linear, too.

Oh, and I just remembered http://i49.tinypic.com/14wdpp1.jpg from Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei. Fast transcription "They spent five years developing big dungeons which in the end were rasped down by executives and PR people... Now it's a huge corridor." And one of the executive people telling the dev in that tiny picture that "Today's kids just wouldn't get through that [kind of dungeon]."

Anyway, 猿も木から落ちる. People will get over that. I'll just shake away that awful feel with a bath now, if you excuse me. ^_^
€:

Pics or it didn't happen. Also, 日本語は読めるか？じゃ、そのゲームの最初の話はどうだ？^_^

Sheesh, if only I could. And, yeah, I can, studying it at Berlin's Humboldt university. Or was, since now I only have to finish my BA thesis. But I can't type on this machine here... Had to copy/paste the monkey proverb above since my laptop is so crappy. -_-
Anyway, wanted to sign off. In depth discussions maybe later. ^_^

[James Potter]

I'm a huge FFIII (US) fan, which I guess would be FFVI is Japan, but my SNES broke before I finished it. I've vowed to own another SNES, or gameboy, and play through the game again, so don't spoil it for me.

That's the only one I've ever played, although FFXIII looks amazing, I plan on getting it.

[Chantel Hopkin]

I did not say it was a failure. Terrible might be stretching things, but the figures so far look disappointing nonetheless. I did not try to "appear cool", it was literally something told to me by a FF-savy friend on IRC when we were discussing the game. Wow man, did you wake up on the wrong side today or what?

heh you should see this exact same thing going on the BioWare forums and pretty much everywhere else.

Almost everyone and their aunt is hopping on the FF-criticism rage as the release draws near, as if in fear of their own niche favorites being overshadowed in its wake, citing unconfirmed rumors or weak fallacies as the basis for their arguments, or the shallow nitpicking like "oh sure it sold 1Mil on Day1 and 1.5Mil in 2 months, BUT it couldn't sell a couple thousand more could it? hah failz." <_<

Me, I've barely ever played a single Final Fantasy to the finish, and won't even get to play FF13 either, damn the lack of a PC verison but I'm content with watching eyegasms like http://zoome.jp/gaoneko/diary/73/ ★

Oh, and I just remembered http://i49.tinypic.com/14wdpp1.jpg from Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei. Fast transcription "They spent five years developing big dungeons which in the end were rasped down by executives and PR people... Now it's a huge corridor." And one of the executive people telling the dev in that tiny picture that "Today's kids just wouldn't get through that [kind of dungeon]."

Ah Zetsubou した! Love that series, but I couldn't read the manga if not for the blessed furigana though.

[Albert Wesker]

Yeah I agree, they seem to be in the habit of comparing it to other games and some other people seem to be in that habit as well. SE never said FF XIII would be non-linear so it's pointless to dock points off or criticize the game for that.

it's a valid point as games are evolving. as newer games pull off better things, games which just stick to their same plan start to feel dated and stale, burrowing into a niche rather than setting a standard. same with the main quests/stories/plot. if you're sticking to the same formula, don't expect it to wow people the next time around.

i'm still waiting for a final fantasy that pushes the envelope where the player can influence the story arc, taking the reins rather than just being along for the ride. a final fantasy with real choices and consequences would really set a standard, but alas, would be too complicated for their devs to have enough cinema for the outcomes.

[Charlotte X]

The issue that I see most gamers complaining about is the freedom and immersion that you get in WRPG's

And while Final Fantasy is not the epitome of freedom (ie I can't go pee in a bush or loot my dead enemies) or immersion in the world, it very effectively immerses you in the games storyline and character development

[Makenna Nomad]

The issue that I see most gamers complaining about is the freedom and immersion that you get in WRPG's

And while Final Fantasy is not the epitome of freedom (ie I can't go pee in a bush or loot my dead enemies) or immersion in the world, it very effectively immerses you in the games storyline and character development

I usually notice the poor choice and consequence in most of them

[Eddie Howe]

I usually notice the poor choice and consequence in most of them

That was just from a couple of complaints that I've seen made when the other thread started up

But in terms of good storytelling you don't need to have a hand in the storyline (and many WRPG's don't give you this option anyway. Oblivion did not let you become a bad guy, nor did FO3 let you be part of the Enclave, and in Mass Effect you weren't able to join in on Sovreign's side)

So I really don't know what people are talking about when they are talking about choice and consequences