Final Fantasy XV resting with Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn succeeding

[Shin Asura]

They've had two years and they should've never released it back then when it wasn't complete. I'm glad they got rid of the original guy

Square Enix on Final Fantasy XIV: "We Can't Let This End In Failure"

Written by: Dan Seitz | August 17, 2012 at 10:12AM





The original version of Final Fantasy XIV was… unpopular. The MMO debuted on PC back in 2010 toharsh criticism and low sales compared to the franchise as a whole, with less than a million copies sold worldwide.

So Square Enix has rebuilt the game from the ground up. Not just because it wants to have a successful MMO: It views any chance of a Final Fantasy XV resting with A Realm Reborn succeeding.

Producer Naoki Yoshida admitted in an interview that:

"In the 25-year history of the Final Fantasy series, there hasn't been a Final Fantasy that has failed. We can't – we just can't – let this game end in failure."

Yoshida was brought in two years ago as part of a change in teams that saw original producer Hiromichi Tanaka resign and most of the original team transferred to other titles. That happened in late 2010 and Yoshida and his team have been hard at work retooling the game ever since.

Yoshida essentially views A Realm Reborn not as an update to a game to make it more appealing, but the first step to Square Enix earning the trust of gamers and repairing the damage to a long running gaming brand. In other words, they've got a lot staked on salvaging an unpopular entry in this classic franchise. We'll get a better sense of if it paid off later this year: The beta is expected to open at some point between October and December.

[Wrath]

So glad that they revamped the title and basically rebuilt it from scratch. I saw a live demo at Gamescom and the new producer is such a charming guy that only wants to please his fans.

I am stoked! Signed up for the beta today too! Can't wait!

[Blacksite]

They can't let Final Fantasy Versus XIII fail either. Or the other inevitable sequel to Final Fantasy XIII. Or whatever large-scale game Hiroyuki Ito has been working on.

[Dave-The-Rave]

Why would a main single player Final Fantasy count on the success of an MMORPG title?

[Shin Asura]

Why would a main single player Final Fantasy count on the success of an MMORPG title?

Japanese pride and investor relations

[Lefein]

Release date for Versus damnit. It's like tits or gtfo for SE.

[zex494]

So glad that they revamped the title and basically rebuilt it from scratch. I saw a live demo at Gamescom and the new producer is such a charming guy that only wants to please his fans.

I am stoked! Signed up for the beta today too! Can't wait!

Where did u do this??

[Blacksite]

Release date for Versus damnit. It's like tits or gtfo for SE.

I'm waiting for that information at this year's Tokyo Game Show, along with a new trailer.

[SomaXD]

So glad that they revamped the title and basically rebuilt it from scratch. I saw a live demo at Gamescom and the new producer is such a charming guy that only wants to please his fans.

I am stoked! Signed up for the beta today too! Can't wait!

uh yeah whered you sign up for the beta?

[Shin Asura]

Where did u do this??

Attendees at Gamescom got it

uh yeah whered you sign up for the beta?

He got it at Gamescom

[Croyles]

Japanese pride and investor relations

Let's hope nobody performs seppuku before this ends...

[Wrath]

Where did u do this??

uh yeah whered you sign up for the beta?

As Shin Asura pointed out already, FF XIV was presented at Gamescom this year and attendees had the chance to sign up for the beta on either the PC or PS3. I signed up with two email addresses so I will have one spare code

[Shin Asura]

Let's hope nobody performs seppuku before this ends...

Only if it's Wada

[Dave-The-Rave]

As Shin Asura pointed out already, FF XIV was presented at Gamescom this year and attendees had the chance to sign up for the beta on either the PC or PS3. I signed up with two email addresses so I will have one spare code

If you get an extra code (PC or PS3) can you hook a fellow Final Fantasy fan up?

[D3seeker]

Sounds like someones knows the end is near if they don't get their act together............

[Fenix]

FF MMOs never should of been part of the main series, and FFXIV shouldnt effect FFXV. :/

[Thorzilla]

FF MMOs never should of been part of the main series, and FFXIV shouldnt effect FFXV. :/

Indeed, but I see his point. The MMO still carries the FF weight over its shoulders and it is of course a stain of ink in the story of the saga, so I see how it could affect (market wise) the entire brand.

[Versus]

So the series ends if they can't revive part XIV? That doesn't make a ounce of sense. And can't be true.

Dammit, if SE can't continue to do FF, sell it to a company with talent who can make a good game most people enjoy.

[Wrath]

So the series ends if they can't revive part XIV? That doesn't make a ounce of sense. And can't be true.

Dammit, if SE can't continue to do FF, sell it to a company with talent who can make a good game most people enjoy.

...

Selling their best known IP to someone else who will potentially bury the series in the ground for good. Pretty naive thinking there.

Also, XIV is part of the main series whether you want it to be or not. I have faith in them delivering this time around, given that it's a different team responsible for it.

[VayMasters86]

LOL, XIV IS part of the main series. Just because it's a VERY different game from most of them, doesn't change anything, just as FFXI IS part of the main series.

XIV, has a chance to succeed, when considering that it now has content in it. The game after release consisted of a few special instances, an occasional class quest and leve quests, and, as ridiculous, sounds like it's more than it actually was.

The game now, however, has built a decent amount of content, fixed many issues, added things that should be in EVERY MMO (in game mail, group finder etc...) and there seems to be a decent amount of story and game play content on the horizon, in addition that the new engine looks much better and supposedly runs better on weaker hardware....

However, as much as I want to play, all the content is being developed 5+ member parties and require practically no mistakes to succeed and a ridiculous amount of luck since getting anything is like a 1% chance drop, this is all compounded by the fact that all new content and content releases is experiencing vertical stat exhaustion/stacking, leaving a person who has a life/job/girlfriend unable to actually experience this content.

I guess my "Legacy" account may just have been a waste of time.

FF MMOs never should of been part of the main series, and FFXIV shouldnt effect FFXV. :/

I agree, but this is also the company that REFUSES to release ANY information on FFvsXIII, DESPITE how much people keep requesting it.

[Versus]

...

Selling their best known IP to someone else who will potentially bury the series in the ground for good. Pretty naive thinking there.

Also, XIV is part of the main series whether you want it to be or not. I have faith in them delivering this time around, given that it's a different team responsible for it.

Can you do me a favor and just not respond to any posts I make? You never seem to understand what I say. I never said I had a problem with XIV being a part of the series. Don't know where the hell you got that.

[Varsh]

I don't understand why people can't understand that FFXV depends on FFXIV's success, it's nothing about whether it's part of the series at all, it's all to do with one thing: money. MMOs cost an obscene amount of money and you can't be so insouciant about these things. If an MMO fails it can literally break the bank. Yes they might have regained some money but I doubt enough money to pay off debts with. High profile companies tend to get business loans for the next big thing and pay it back, games companies are no different.

[Versus]

Ya I thought about the financial aspect as well, but SE JUST revealed a FINAL FANTASY Real Time Tech Demo at E3. So something doesn't add up. I don't think the series really depends on XIV. I think this is a developer just talking tougue and cheek.

[Wrath]

Can you do me a favor and just not respond to any posts I make? You never seem to understand what I say. I never said I had a problem with XIV being a part of the series. Don't know where the hell you got that.

Because some of your posts just don't seem to make any sense whatsoever or are naive at best.

Plus, this is a discussion forum so people responding to other people's posts is vital to keep this site alive.

[KyleOnTheRun]

The thing about Square is, they make games nobody wants.

The future of the series rests on XIV's shoulders? Give me a break, Square. If that's even remotely true, then the hole you dug for yourself is pathetic. Nobody asked for another MMO, but you repeatedly go out of your way to NOT make the games we DO want:

1) FF Versus XIII
2) Kingdom Hearts III
3) A classic FF remake (doesn't even have to be 7!)

"XIV HAS to succeed" - like it's our fault or something. You're running your business by actively ignoring the feedback and wants of core consumers and then INSISTING on salvaging something we hate and convincing us it's not terrible. The FF reputation is already tarnished, so how about you just make the games consumers want and stop running your business like a pretentious think tank?