Quote Originally Posted by Gramul View Post
Let's look back at the FPS genre. I mentioned Portal earlier. It's a popular FPS that radically different. Genres don't need to cater to the expected to survive or even thrive, and that's something I feel most MMO developers are afraid of because of the mass amount of cost it takes to make them (even though almost all of them have sputtered into the forgotten void.)
Problem with this is that Portal is not an FPS per se, it is a puzzle game with first person elements. It would be better to compare a game that has gone a unique approach to an FPS in comparison with games like Halo and Call of Duty. Look at CoD and Halo, what are their biggest difference? Just story, setting, and what your weapons do. I look at MMO's the same way, and I am glad Yoshida is also.

(Now to kind of something else, this part not targeted at you.)
I would actually agree to an extent if Yoshida was trying to convince you that FFXIV was a complete unique experience that redefines the genre. He has already expressed several times that he doesn't believe being too unique is a successful approach to this game and creating a sense of familiarity with proper FF elements will make it a success. I completely agree with him, and he knows how we think.

I am willing to bet Gamespot twisted the story a bit, with how much confidence Yoshida speaks in all his interviews, I am sure he wasn't just sitting there, scratching his head going, "Uhh graphics?". I am sure he was asked this a million times and knew the question was coming up and would be a popular one. I am sure he said "Graphics" because he isn't going out of his way to make you think this is a genre breaker like other failed MMO's have tried to convince you. People will disagree with me, but I love how he approaches this. The only thing he wants to convince you is that this is a great "Final Fantasy" and "MMO" experience, that is it.

If you don't like what is coming because it lacks originality, then that is your opinion and that is fine, but originality doesn't always make a game good.

To myself personally, I 100% welcome a great online Final Fantasy experience with familiar concepts. I guess you can just call me bland and a sucker if you want.