Kitase recently comments on a remake

[Maciariello]

I've been seeing this same story show up all over sites like Joystiq and N4G over the last few days. Kitase gives what can be considered a more final word on the often theorized (and infamous) FFVII remake:


Connected Consoles [source]

Joystiq [source]

Scrawlfx [source]

It's essentially the same story for all three links, but variety in websites never hurt anyone ^_^

[GypsyElder]

I honestly don't even want to hear or read the words Final Fantasy VII remake.

They really shouldn't exist in my book.

[Dodie16]

Zargabaath has mentioned this before in different threads around the forums, but I still don't really understand how a remake of FFVII would take 4 times longer and cost so much more than developing XIII. I mean, the story, the characters, the locations, the music, and all that jazz is already there, so what really is there to work that long on?

I don't really mind if FFVII ever gets remade or not. It would be nice, but I can live without it. The original game was wonderful enough. I just wish that the developers would announce a definate answer to the question of whether or not there would be a remake ever. It's not cool to keep tugging the fans along like they do.

[Maciariello]

Zargabaath has mentioned this before in different threads around the forums, but I still don't really understand how a remake of FFVII would take 4 times longer and cost so much more than developing XIII.

Shoot, I did a quick search for any recent updates with the same links that I posted above in the Final Fantasy VII section, but the only results I found had different articles from the ones I listed. Did I repost this on accident?

Or did you mean it was already expressed about how it's hard to believe it would take so long?

[Dodie16]

He never posted an actual thread on the subject, but he posted some of the same basic information in the FFVII remake thread, and also in the FFVIII remake thread. So, no worries about having a repeat topic or something.

Here's the links to his posts if you're interested:

http://thefinalfantasy.net/forums/fi...ml#post1251115

http://thefinalfantasy.net/forums/fi...ml#post1251117

[Alice]

Oh, more remake news! YAY!

On a more serious note, I don't really care if a remake comes or not. I think FF7 is fine just the way it is. But if there are places that people think can be improved on and a graphical update is something that's really that desirable, sure, go ahead.

Although, I always do like to hear what the creators say and how they feel. Interesting, nonetheless.

[Maciariello]

He never posted an actual thread on the subject, but he posted some of the same basic information in the FFVII remake thread, and also in the FFVIII remake thread. So, no worries about having a repeat topic or something.

Here's the links to his posts if you're interested:

http://thefinalfantasy.net/forums/fi...ml#post1251115

http://thefinalfantasy.net/forums/fi...ml#post1251117

I didn't think to check the FFVIII section, but I did see that thread about the remake for FFVII and saw they were talking about Chrono Break and the other Scrawl article about Nomura's big secret game in 2010. Unfortunately, I failed to read his post prior to those (which states the same general thing this thread is used for).

[Ernest]

I'd gladly sign a petition for this game not to be made. It's funny how someday it probably will be, despite the fact that so many fans don't want it to be. I guess mainstreamers would probably buy it.

[Dodie16]

^Not gonna lie... If a Final Fantasy VII remake came out, then I would definately be buying that badboy!

It's not just to see the graphical overhaul of the game, but mostly to see if I could try and experience the game just like I did the first time I played it when it was released many years ago. I know that I could never really fully get that feeling again, since the game would be pretty much the same.

Nostalgia is a cruel mistress, I suppose...

[Zargabaath]

...but I still don't really understand how a remake of FFVII would take 4 times longer and cost so much more than developing XIII. I mean, the story, the characters, the locations, the music, and all that jazz is already there, so what really is there to work that long on?

The gist of it is mainly the graphic overhaul that would be done. In the artilce I posted yesterday about it [a FFVII remake] taking 4 times longer than FFXIII is if they went for the same quality of detailed graphics as they did in FFXIII. Add in the towns that would take a long time to detail with now re-syncing the lips for the English VA, hiring Japanese and English and whatever other language for voice-acting, new translation, and possibly more story added in to the game would take a lot more resources and time to complete. Not to mention creating a world map the quality of FFXIII without screen transition would take even more time with detail and overall the remake would be huge in data consumption.

[Maciariello]

You know, I think they're looking at it in the wrong way. Who says they need to be graphics comparable to FFXIII? Obviously, that'd be wonderful to have, but if it'd take that long, then why not find another avenue to follow instead? Why couldn't they develop it for the PS2 and make it look as good as FFXII? Once they develop it for PS2, they could port the game to PS3 (keeping the graphics of the PS2 version) and give it a little HD overhaul like they did for the God of War Collection that just came out.

And lets be honest, almost everyone owns a PS2 in the world. Give them the pleasure of playing this game in addition to the current-gen players. Think of how many sales it'd make if it was put on both systems.

Seems more simple and less of a headache if it were to be done like this. I don't know how difficult it'd be to port a PS2 game to a PS3 cell structure, but it's not like it hasn't been done before.

[Andromeda]

If they did simply a straight remake of the original game without adding anything new to the game, which I'd imagine tons of people would buy it. All they would need is a large team of artists and a handful of programmers to do the work of putting it in and putting the past gameplay into action. Art takes the longest to do and since they already have a game. All of the programmers/designers can just do all of the work needed quickly without having to think about anything.

They already have nearly all of the characters done up in high-res thanks to Advent Children. So all of their FMV models are already done. They have Midgar already done because of the Demo they did a few years back. If they look at it they have a lot of work already done because of the side projects that they've been doing. In the end most of the work is going to be in the environments and monsters. And it is not as though they need to do new concept art, it all already exists from the first time they made the game. It is simply production.

I can only see it take 12 years to complete if they put a really small art team on the task. It is certainly a big world, but I think he's exaggerating how long it will take.

[Zargabaath]

They already have nearly all of the characters done up in high-res thanks to Advent Children. So all of their FMV models are already done. They have Midgar already done because of the Demo they did a few years back. If they look at it they have a lot of work already done because of the side projects that they've been doing. In the end most of the work is going to be in the environments and monsters. And it is not as though they need to do new concept art, it all already exists from the first time they made the game. It is simply production.

I can only see it take 12 years to complete if they put a really small art team on the task. It is certainly a big world, but I think he's exaggerating how long it will take.

I don't think that Midgar is done that much. Yes, in the tech demo they showed Midgar on the PS3's power but remember that the actual Midgar, the multiple fields were seperate from the original FMV on the PS1, so I think the developers would still have to create those fields which would take a long time with details. Also, from just recently looking at the tech demo it looks like the FMV of Midgar could use a touch up on details as well.

I'm unsure how useful some of the Advent Children hi-res depictions of certain characters would be because their outfit had been changed for Advent Children compared to their FFVII costume - unless SE decided to keep the Advent Children outfits they would have to do the old outfits.

Would the environments include the other towns as well because if not those would have to be done as well plus any dungeons though I think all of those are included in "environments".

While I remember you saying you have had experience in the process of making video games I will have to go with the person who works for the company and knows more intricate details about what would be needed to create a FFVII graphical scale as FFXIII; plus if the decided to do voice-acting as well. No disrespect, I just find Kitase to be more credible with the reasons I mentioned just prior.

[Andromeda]

They actually have the FFVII original costumes for the FFVII characters when they made Advent Children. If you recall they showed them all in the final battle going up against Sephiroth. Also I have pictures from a gallery showing they had of Advent Children quality models wearing their FFVII original clothes. Which were very impressive to look at. So they have that already done.

Environments is the term I'm using for anything and everything that you walk on, in, around or by as a video game character. So they means towns, forests, caves, homes, trains, everything.

But I think his numbers are heavily based on the size of the team that he is thinking of. Because you add more people to the project, development time goes down. If he is talking like 50 artists, sure it would probably end up taking a long time. But if he had like 100 artists it would be significantly less. The worst part of any game development and the most time consuming is the art/assets. And when you already have a game completed and you're just making it prettier all you were have is to change the assets. So the bulk of the team would be artists.

Though I wonder if he is also think of redoing the game to fit with some updated vision or something. Because that'll change everything as well. Most people just want a FFIII and FFIV treatment. They don't want a new game with changes to the gamplay, they just want the original game with the graphical upgrade it needs. I think he's over thinking the problem.

[Meier Link]

I think that 12 years, even four, would be a rediculous amount of time to spend on making a game that already has everything mapped out for them. It's not like they have to redo all the elements of every level and add in so much more stuff. They would have to translate over what is already there.

I understand that it would be a massive project and everything would have to be overhauled visually but to say that it would take more time then to actually create, program and finalize a game is obsurd.

I know they don't want to let the die hard FFVII fans down and it would have to be perfect but come on how long would that really take. As some of the other people have already said, they already have everything they need to make a great game outside of the graphics.

I give it a couple more years, or more, and this will probably become a reality. Honestly I hope they do remake it, I know I would buy it. It is not my favorite FF but it is a damn good game and is a solid title for the series.

Given I would rather them remake VI before VII heh.

[Che]

I got into the series starting with VII. I've stated before in several threads that I didn't want them to remake it, mainly because I didn't want them to screw it up.

Now, I think I would buy it if they did choose to remake it. I think they mean it would take longer than creating a new game because they wouldn't devote their main staff to the project, like they would in creating a brand new game for the series. That's why it would take longer. I'm actually surprised that people haven't tampered with it themselves, as fans.

Given I would rather them remake VI before VII heh.

I'd probably go for this. I didn't get a chance to beat VI because I wasn't really into it when I played it after VII. The graphics were a bit outdated and it took away from the interaction for me. This is the same reason I don't recommend anyone new to the series to play FFVII anymore, even though it's my favorite one. I just don't feel like they'd get the game like I did when it was new.

[Andromeda]

There probably have been a person or two that have tried themselves, Che. However, most people are probably too afraid seeing how Square totally came down on those people that were making Chrono Trigger remake. Square comes down hard on anyone regardless of intentions that tries to do anything to any of their days.

So if you did it you couldn't tell anyone or put it on the internet, because Square would hunt you down to the ends of the Earth to make sure you don't touch their property.

[Rosetyler1]

honestly i agree they shouldn't make a remake, if anything they should just use the same game and upgrade the cgi sequinces... Oh how I loved the way cloud looked in that movie! HOT!!


I was surprised though at the ff7 psp game, so far their sequals prove to suck EX: 10-2 but it wasn't that bad, I actually enjoyed it a lot. So personally I'd rather have remakes then sequals... ewwww..

[ZantetsukeN]

If they do eventually bring one out, then I won't be that bothered about getting it. I'd probably still prefer to play the original one.

The way I see it, a remake would tamper with the formula of the original. RPGs, sadly, have evolved past random battles and the formula that is represented in FFVII. Which would mean that that aspect of the game would have to be either updated or scrapped entirely, making the game, in my opinion, more like FFXII (despite myself loving XII, I would want VII turning out that way). Which would also mean no World map, which would take certain aspects of the game out, like the weapons etc. So personally, I don't think the interest in it is big enough. Only really the hardcore fans would like it, but would they want their beloved game changed like that?

If it was, however, just a redoing of the graphics, I still don't think it would seem right. I think it would just turn out like the PC version of FFVII with the patch that allows you to have more realistic looking models of characters.

So no, I'm not that interested.

[Rosetyler1]

they have a patch for the pc version that does that? wow, never played it, I kinda just bought it for my collection lol

[ZantetsukeN]

they have a patch for the pc version that does that? wow, never played it, I kinda just bought it for my collection lol

Yeah. can't remember which it is, but it just replaces the in game sprites with the ones you see in battle. It's pretty cool, but wierd to play if you're used to the PS1 one

[chrono]

There probably have been a person or two that have tried themselves, Che. However, most people are probably too afraid seeing how Square totally came down on those people that were making Chrono Trigger remake. Square comes down hard on anyone regardless of intentions that tries to do anything to any of their days.

So if you did it you couldn't tell anyone or put it on the internet, because Square would hunt you down to the ends of the Earth to make sure you don't touch their property.

Chrono trigger is my favorite game and they really layed the axe down on those guys trying to make a fan remake. I personally would like a true sequel to chrono trigger.

If final fantasy 7 ever gets remade i will run down the street naked(seriously)

[Maciariello]

If final fantasy 7 ever gets remade i will run down the street naked(seriously)

Please, my friend, keep yourself within the boundaries of the cloth and do us all a favor

[markandrewkinzett]

In reply to dodie 16's comment on taking such a long time to make the game I will say this. You are right in saying there is a lot of stuff done already which would reduce the timescale of remaking the game. However this is only the basis of charcters music etc you have to think of the other parts of the game. 1) You would have to employ a good voice cast which costs time and money. 2) The game would be done in HD so in this sense they would have to remake the entire World Map and every city in Realistic size which means the World Map would have to be at least 10X bigger than in the original. These are just the 2 biggest issues when it comes to a remake (don't misunderstand though I would give my left eye for a remake of this game!!!). It was the main programmer of the original FF7 who gave the 9-10 year timescale for a remake and Kitase said 1-2 years they would do it but not if it was gonna take 10 years. My final word however is this, with technology moving so fast as it is therewill come a day when they will be able to make a HD version of this game in the 1-2 years and I just hope I will be around to see it because I really believe that this game WILL be remade one day!!!