SE to churn out a FF title/year?!

[Hanemakikaze]

people just like to pretend XIII wasnt a sucess because they personally didnt liked it
i played every ff and most of the spinoffs and XIII is character and storywise one of my favorits

If the majority didn't like the game, it wasn't a success. So I don't think anyone is pretending, as much of a fan of the series I am, I'm a gamer first and the gameplay in that game was terrible, I could literally just mash attack and win every battle up until chapter 11 pretty much aside from maybe one or two boss battles. The story was average at best, characters hardly memorable besides a few of the main cast and there wasn't much at all to do until the very end of the game. I mean throughout most of the game you're in tutorials and you're almost always seperated. The one thing they got right was the world and graphics. So in my opinion if they couldn't get it right within all the development time it took for 13 I'm kind of skeptical, but I wouldn't mind a yearly release since they finally have their engine ready & tweaked.

[Elexia]

If the majority didn't like the game, it wasn't a success. So I don't think anyone is pretending

It was one of the top selling FFs ever. Not only that but American and European gaming bases has 3 months worth of Videos, Reviews and Word of Mouth from importers to make an informed decision to not buy the game. It was a success, you can't deny this. It released in December in Japan, and in March or so in America and Europe, in that 3 months you could have decided:

"Game doesn't sound good, won't buy it."

The opposite happened.

[Bahn]

It was one of the top selling FFs ever. Not only that but American and European gaming bases has 3 months worth of Videos, Reviews and Word of Mouth from importers to make an informed decision to not buy the game. It was a success, you can't deny this. It released in December in Japan, and in March or so in America and Europe, in that 3 months you could have decided:

"Game doesn't sound good, won't buy it."

The opposite happened.

Top selling != Good game.

From my observations of game prices in the video game industry, a good indication of a game that goes bad (despite its sales) is if its price falls within a month (OR LESS) of its launch.

Example - FFX was the first PS2 version of FF, and it retained its value for a VERY long time after that. It sold like hotcakes, yet it stayed in the $40-$50 price range for a LONG time.

FFXIII, after its first few months, was already selling for bargain bin prices ($20-$30). So sure, it sold well, but people were probably returning their copies and moving on to other games due to many glaring issues that plagued it.

Also, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is one of the most top selling FPSes in this current generation. That doesn't mean it's good. It just means it sold well. Justin Bieber sells well. Twilight sells well. Need I go on? SE just figured that with FF13, if you cater to the lowest common denominator, you'll get great sales, and they did just that, and it worked.

And for the record, I didn't mind FF13 - I hated the straight-line gameplay and the automated battles, but I definitely think it could've been a lot worse than reviewers panned it out to be. I think it just suffered the DNF syndrome - after 5+ years of development, was this all they were really capable of creating?

Edit: Also something to note, arguing about which FF is the best is as bad as trying to argue politics or religion with someone. Everyone will have their own views and you will never convince the opposing party to see your side. In other words: it's a waste of time and space. Just saiyan.

[Scherwiz]

Top selling != Good game.

From my observations of game prices in the video game industry, a good indication of a game that goes bad (despite its sales) is if its price falls within a month (OR LESS) of its launch.

Example - FFX was the first PS2 version of FF, and it retained its value for a VERY long time after that. It sold like hotcakes, yet it stayed in the $40-$50 price range for a LONG time.

FFXIII, after its first few months, was already selling for bargain bin prices ($20-$30). So sure, it sold well, but people were probably returning their copies and moving on to other games due to many glaring issues that plagued it.

Also, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is one of the most top selling FPSes in this current generation. That doesn't mean it's good. It just means it sold well. Justin Bieber sells well. Twilight sells well. Need I go on? SE just figured that with FF13, if you cater to the lowest common denominator, you'll get great sales, and they did just that, and it worked.

And for the record, I didn't mind FF13 - I hated the straight-line gameplay and the automated battles, but I definitely think it could've been a lot worse than reviewers panned it out to be. I think it just suffered the DNF syndrome - after 5+ years of development, was this all they were really capable of creating?

Edit: Also something to note, arguing about which FF is the best is as bad as trying to argue politics or religion with someone. Everyone will have their own views and you will never convince the opposing party to see your side. In other words: it's a waste of time and space. Just saiyan.

Yes, look at Uncharted 2, quite possibly the most overrated game of all time.

[Nuru]

This means the long awaited Final Fantasy XXX is well on its way!

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

This means the long awaited Final Fantasy XXX is well on its way!

This sounds like a game that involves demonic molbols and lots of costume changing.

I can't imagine they would stick with the FF name that long without trying a renumber/rebranding.

I think what would sooner happen is a massive merge that will make the game companies sound like law firms: Squenix-Tecmoei-Capkonamco-Bandai-and Co.

With release titles such as: FFXXIV-X2-Triamere Decatetrahedron Master
consumer: Can I abbreviate that?
future: That is the abbreviation.
future: and you now have to solve for X to pronounce this title and those are minus signs

[Betelgeuzah]

So far from what I've seen I wouldn't say that XIII-2 is somehow "inferior" to XIII in quality.

Developing a major title in 2 years is by no means even that impressive (if its not an MMO). SE has taken way too long to get games out this gen, and so have Japanese devs as a whole. Even three years is starting to be a drag in this day and age, and you can hardly see it in the content or quality of the end product.

As long as the games don't start being rehashes of the same old systems (like FFVII-IX or AC) then I can not see the problem. Are you seriously saying that XIII-2 is coming "too soon" after XIII, or that Versus by 2013 will be "too soon" after XIII-2?

[Seif]

Nvm the whole OP then. If they make every FF game a waterslide with minimum interaction from here on out then I suppose doing one every year won't be too much of a challenge.

Personally I think the sales numbers were greatly affected by the fact that it was a FF-title. One which appears every so often and the previous ones were such great games. Also XIII was marketed like no FF title before it. People didn't buy XIII knowing what kind of game it was going to be like.

While pointing at the sales is definitely a good measure I think the sales of XIII-2 will be a much more telling of what people like instead of pointing at the great junction that happened with XIII.

Every single person I know personally that has played FF games in the past (about 17) absolutely hated XIII but bought it because they say ; -quote "I thought it was an FF game".

[Betelgeuzah]

Nvm the whole OP then. If they make every FF game a waterslide with minimum interaction from here on out then I suppose doing one every year won't be too much of a challenge.

Par on course with every FF title before it, then!

An empty world that barely has you interacting with anything beyond scarce sidequests with uncomprehensible objectives. A battle system in which pressing attack and heal every 10 seconds while figuring out mind-numbingly simple gimmicks to beat "bosses" is the pinnacle of it's gameplay. Pressing X while watching cutscenes that have no interaction whatsoever. Going from place X to Y as the only means of game progression.

[Seif]

Par on course with every FF title before it, then!

An empty world that barely has you interacting with anything beyond scarce sidequests with uncomprehensible objectives. A battle system in which pressing attack and heal every 10 seconds while figuring out mind-numbingly simple gimmicks to beat "bosses" is the pinnacle of it's gameplay. Pressing X while watching cutscenes that have no interaction whatsoever. Going from place X to Y as the only means of game progression.

While I fully understand your personal annoyment of JRPGs in general I can't help but wonder why you've played them in the 1st place? I mean especially the old ones are really really long but something compelled you to go through them anyway?