Square Enix wasted a console generation, but it's not too late for redemption

PSU writes:

"For Japanese RPG veterans Square Enix, this console generation has been utterly divisive. To use a word as noncommittal as "divisive" feels like I'm selling the legendary developer short, but it's absolutely true. Final Fantasy XIII was a hold-your-hand romp through a confusing plot with unlikable characters. Final Fantasy XIII-2 gave players more creative reign but saddled them with a plot one reviewer called "borderline insulting." While the studio trudges onward with yet another installment in this ham-fisted narrative arc, a vocal majority of Square fans young and old cry out for change.

Between false hopes raised, never-ending development cycles, and frustrating silences, this is not the Square we once knew."

[TheLyonKing]

They did waste it because they are stuck in a classic Japanese idology just like polyphony digital were it has to be perfect. That isn't a bad thing it's just they show things to early.

The risks SE took with 7 had long lasting affects which paid off but fans are starting to get tired. I am still holding out for a spark of true SE again in the form of kh and versus.

Wads really needs to get the bull under control and listen to fans e.g localizations of type 0.

More staff devoted on versus and less attempts at quick money making games e.g lightening returns.

[Donnieboi]

I don't know why people think Square will suddenly get better with time....Square sucked this gen because many of the heads of the company left. Expecting THIS current Square to improve, is like expecting Activision or some other unrelated company to make a great Final Fantasy. The new Square is not the same company/employees as the old square. THAT is why they struggle. I'm not saying they are entirely talentless: but I think that they struggle too hard to copy the old ways, yet don't understand what made those games great.

As for me, I've accepted this. So I follow Atlus, NIS, Level 5, Xseed, etc. Many of which are made up of legends from the JRPG genre. Final Fantasy is just a name now, like Resident Evil (another team void of it's original founding members).

Persona, The Last Story, Shin Megami Tensei, Ni No Kuni, etc are the future. If u think Final Fantasy (under the current Square/Enix) is still the future, then you've not played the above mentioned JRPG's which revolutionized the genre, while still staying true to old school, turn based combat.

Square/Enix has a lot of firing/re-hiring to do before things improve.

[TheLyonKing]

I think people will think they will get better because it is human nature to wanting the best out of something.

Plus they have talented people just poor choices mainly through their upper staff e.g wada and other big wigs like directors. There base staff are very talented at what they do and don't deserve to be laid of through other people's faults.

[wishingW3L]

the only person at Square with a bit of talent is Nomura and he hasn't made a single current-gen game, he has only been doing art and "supposedly" working on the vaporware FFvs.

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

They even wasted opportunity to make a good pc/ps3 mmo.

[user3915800]

Square suck because they dont have, the father of rpg, hes gone and so, square its left out with garbage, new people in charge with hardly any jrpg talent. Square suck.

[Oh_Yeah]

Square Enix was never that great of a dev team to begin with, what your all thinking of is SQUARESOFT. Most of the devs from soft have left...Enix is its shell.

[NastyLeftHook0]

i hope the next final fantasy game isnt about some kid who drives a chevy smokes camels listens to heavy metal eats mcdonalds burgers, is 240 pounds has curly hair, has a low iq, has stains on his shirt and loves guns.

stop americanizing stuff se

[cyguration]

The guy you just described sounds like a douche bag who I would punch in the face a lot.

I'm sure glad I haven't bought any games with a douche bag like that on the cover, otherwise I might punch the box until it breaks.

[dragonyght]

"Square Enix wasted a console generation, but it's not too late for redemption"
Versus

[Donnieboi]

People put a lot of hope in a game they never seen (except cut-scenes), and has little evidence of ever releasing.

Just think about it: If this game was the golden goose to get Square out of it's creative slump, then WHY have they not felt comfortable enough to release more info? We can only go by history, and in our MOST RECENT history, we see garbage like Final Fantasy X-2 and Lightning Returns (which looks like a cosplay convention gone awry). So, them thinking people would actually wan't that crap, WHY should I believe Square has the sense to make FF Versus any better. Why? Hope? C'mon, seriously. We're beating a dead horse here.

[paybackprahl]

I think information has been so scarce because it's being prepped for release on PS4, and (obviously) that means they can't talk openly about it until Sony gives an official reveal.

[koehler83]

There has been a small amount of actual gameplay shown of the game and it does look genuinely exciting. Of course it's easy to show the 10 good minutes of a 10 hour production but it's more than just cutscenes are you assert.

The prospect of a Kingdom Hearts style game without the candy-coated Kingdom Hearts aesthetic is a tantalizing proposition.

Even now, I remain cautiously optimistic that if it ever comes out, it will be good.

[uuaschbaer]

Because Versus is a side project, which means it doesn't have to be mainstream nor appeal to imaginary markets, i.e. do what all preceding FFs did.
(edit: all FFs preceding XI)

[Irishguy95]

Where to begin. I'll keep this short.

While i'm personally not a fan of KH - MANY people are. The KH team is making Versus. Now...Nomura can make good games right? He seemingly knows excatly what people want out of Final Fantasy.

In short. We have confirmed

-World map
-Airships and vehicles and chocobos to travel this map
-Summon hunting
- A more serious story and less Emo/Despite their appearance, the characters seem quite normal.
- Yoko Shimmumura's music - win

Additions
- New combat system. Upgrade of Kh.
- Vehicles and Tps added to combat

more
- Summon hunting it back. Remember searching for Bahamut in FF8? Remember searching for Odin? Yes this type of stuff is back

Well...they are the main reasons to be excited. There are more though. Such as the story so far, the art direction etc.

Anyhow..here is 4 minutes of gameplay
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Remember too, this footage is over 2 years old as well. For graphics sake I need to say that

[NateCole]

Just focus on being themselves. Not what they think other people think they should be. This goes for Capcom as well.

[animegamingnerd]

if square still continues to destroying the final fantasy series we will still at least have persona and tales

[Yodagamer]

They did produce alot of good portible games this gen, but bigger budget games seemed to be a problem with them. With the exception of sleeping dogs which was amazing imo.

[Godmars290]

If they continue along the path they're going, focusing more on presentation and production, simply getting games out ASAP that have story or narration, then they're screwed.

[LightofDarkness]

If they release Type-0 and Bravely Default in the West and Versus... well, anywhere, they might just redeem themselves. With no sign of any of that happening, I'm not hopeful.

[-Gespenst-]

Versus mightn't do so well if they forgo releasing it until after the Ps4's release, which'll presumably be this christmas, and imagine how sad that'd be, after all that work...

They need to start making moves to get the game out sometime this year.

[CLOUD1983]

The most crazy thing will be to see FFVII remake trailer on PS4 reveal in a few days but that's when I remember Wada's retarded statement that they dont plan to do something like that until the new FF's surpass the old ones something will never happen ever.

[Drithe]

Who cares about them now? We have Level-5 Studios!

End of Line.

[abzdine]

for sure they did, they followed Microsoft's wallet and it ruined them. that bastard Wada is the cause of all their downfall.

they have to change and fast if they are expecting to earn trust from oldschool fans.

[papashango]

Wrong. Ff14 is proof enough that its simply a lack of talent and creativity at fault here.

from what I've gathered through various articles is that developers in Japan see SE as the most stable place to be.

I.E they are boring salarymen posing as developers. SE will never reclaim its place in the industry. The core of the company now consists of workers who lack ambition and vision and just need to make ends meet.

[arbitor365]

the only ones more apathetic about square enix than me, are square enix themselves. there is just no ambition whatsoever in this company anymore. its a joke. they dont care about what their fans want, they dont care about putting out top tier games. they just dont give a ****.

[Hergula]

Everybody who thinks Square Enix wasted a console generation, is an utter moron and that is a fact...

[SirBradders]

I agree i dont think they wasted it but they didn't shine ona anything in particular. People don't realise they don't make just rpgs anymore.

[Hergula]

I fully agree, While they did not shine as much as on the PS2, Enix did their thing.

[Kratoscar2008]

I doubt it, mark my words: LR will NOT be the last we see of Lightning, you know she is the icon of Japanese gaming and such SE will not kill its cash cow *Sarcasm*

Better put your JRPG hopes in ATLUS.

[LondonMediaOS]

If Versus releases on PS4, I am suing for false advertisement. YOU PROMISED!

[FarCryLover182]

Square Enix Redemption, starring John Marston

[richierich]

If they kept most of the elements that made their previous JRPGs so great back in the days of the PS1 then they could have probably had a chance this generation. But instead they decided not to listen to their fans and do things their way and thats where they really screwed up. Nobody wanted FF13 spinoffs about Lightening in the first place we just wanted FFVersus13

[wishingW3L]

these Square-Enix fanboys will never learn. XD

[solid_warlord]

RPG is almost a dead and unwanted platform for console gaming. Sure there are 2 or 3 that have done reasonably well, but lets be honest. Take for example Mass effect, an RPG but a shooter at the core. This is the only way RPG should be heading. A shooter at the core with RPG elements instead of nasty WaW sort of anti social gaming.

[Relientk77]

"Square Enix wasted a console generation"

Definitely agree with this

[Cajun Chicken]

Everyone's forgetting that Square Enix also owns all the games under the previous Eido's brand. Personally as a publisher they've done pretty well and not at all wasted a generation with DE:HR and Hitman. As a homegrown developer doing what people expect them to do they haven't done too great.