SQUAREWATCH (20100123): Tetsuya Nomura says "no FFVII remake; yes moar Cloud"

[Regulus Tera]

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/01/23/tetsuya_nomura_on_cloud/

Did you know that Final Fantasy VII hero Cloud Strife was born in 1986? He met Final Fantasy VII heroine Tifa in 1995 and headed out on his fateful mission with Final Fantasy VII villain Sephiroth seven years after that. Five years later, he helped Tifa and a jive-talking Baret destroy a reactor in Midgar. This was the beginning of the original PlayStation FFVII.

(Incidentally, the 1986 and 1995 above are in Final Fantasy VII's calendar system. In this system, years post 1999 are written as 0000, 0001, 0002, etc.)

Did you also know that Final Fantasy VII other heroine Aerith dies midway through the game? If you didn't, don't blame me for spoiling it! Aerith's death and the circumstances behind it are detailed in this week's Famitsu -- in large lettering, too. This can probably be taken to mean that Square Enix approves of everyone knowing about it. I think we can officially declare this little story development no longer a spoiler.

Why is Cloud's history taken up in this week's issue of Japan's largest video game magazine when new games like Valkyria Chronicles 2 and Resonance of Fate are seeing release? Famitsu is now in the middle of a multiweek look at popular game characters. Last week's issue featured Mario. This week, Cloud gets an eight page spread, and his Advent Children figure gets the cover spotlight.

In addition to a detailed timeline of Cloud's life and a look at the many games that have featured the character, Famitsu managed to get some commentary from Tetsuya Nomura, the character's creator. Nomura shared some secrets behind the character's creation and also discussed the character's impact and possible future developments.

The original Cloud design, revealed Nomura, had the character's hair combed back, with the front standing. The style was changed because, in that form, the character did not give the impression of being a main character.

Cloud's Buster Sword also underwent some changes. While its shape has always been the same, it was smaller. Nomura noted here that as he redrew Cloud's illustration, the sword naturally got bigger and bigger.

It looks like Cloud really was Nomura's creation. Until FFVI, explained Nomura, FF series father Hironobu Sakaguchi had the final say in character settings. With FFVII, Sakguchi left these decisions to the designers, meaning Nomura was able to have a major say in the FFVII project as a whole. This is why FFVII has great meaning to him.

Nomura believes that the reason Cloud has earned such favor amongst players is because of the strong impact from his personality and from Kazushige Nojima's scenario.

On the always hot topic of future developments for the Cloud character, Nomura said the following: "Fans are looking forward to an oft rumored remake of FFVII, but I don't believe this will happen for the time being. However, it's possible that he will appear in other titles as a guest character."

So, no to this:

http://i50.tinypic.com/29ylhmq.jpg

But yes to this:

http://i45.tinypic.com/9au7x3.jpg

It's gonna be Final Fantasy Tactics II: Advent Children Edition!

[Nique]

Pics or GTFO.

Kidding. Your images are broken though.

Anyway, well, an FFVII remake not happening is probably a good thing for me becuase I will not be able to afford a PS3 anytime soon, and such a game would be the proverbial straw of the back-breaking variety.

[Squall Leonhart]

You know, I think the comment just means he's going to keep appearing in future games and not something we should be waiting for in particular.

[Melfice]

To tie in with the "If you could take over a game company" thread.
Take over Square Enix.
Ban all Final Fantasy VII spin-offs, prequels, sequels and whatever-other-quels you can think of.
Put all resources on a PS3 remake of FF VII. Release the remake.
Bury the FF VII cash-cow.

Honestly. That is what they need to do.
I mean, honestly. I'm sure the only reason FF VII fans keep buying the crappy spin-offs, is so Squeenix gets to work on the remake. Which they won't do.


Ah well.

[Nique]

I would buy a FF anime based on ANY of the games. ANY of them. Even Chocobo Dungeon.

[krogothwolf]

They havae made 3 FF animes. One it's own and one based on Final Fantasy V. And Last Order: Final Fantasy VII. As far as I can remember none of them were that great. And the FF V one sucked balls.

[Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope]

They havae made 3 FF animes. One it's own and one based on Final Fantasy V. And Last Order: Final Fantasy VII. As far as I can remember none of them were that great. And the FF V one sucked balls.

Last order wasn't bad. Decent at best. The rest sucked however.

[Amake]

Since "Aerith" is apparently now the official anglicized spelling of Aeris, I think we can safely conclude that Square's official policies are not worth the Internet they're written on.

[Solid Snake]

I actually think Square-Enix should wait until the PS4 / whatever Microsoft's system is post-X360 to introduce a FFVII remake. By that time, graphics will have improved even more, allowing a single definitive, gorgeous version of FFVII to replace the original game. Plus, I think it's just been a little too soon. We could wait a few more years and (hopefully) see a few more original titles before forcing Square-Enix to reinvent such a title.

(Of course knowing Square-Enix instead they'll just release another Kingdom Hearts that screws up the KH franchise beyond repair even more, and then a few more Final Fantasy spinoffs, and all their other original titles from the SNES and PS1 era will be forgotten.)

[Bells]

Truth be told, no remake of FF7 should be made before a successful remake of FF6 hits the market.

I mean, FF6 actually deserves a re-imagining (that is not a fugly 3d ds port ), it's the game of the series that received the least amount of Re-working. I mean... outside of a GBA and PSX port, what else it got?

So... really... FF6 deserves a remake more than FF7.

[Solid Snake]

So... really... FF6 deserves a remake more than FF7.

I disagree there, actually. FF7 deserves a remake because, as the first 3D polygonal interpretation of the series, it frankly looks like crap these days. It was revolutionary for its time, of course, but now it looks like discombobulated lego blocks. (The pre-rendered backgrounds are still very pretty, though.)

FF6, on the other hand, remains in comparatively respectable condition. In the 2D SNES-era format that it's presented in, it and Chrono Trigger look just fine, even today.

I'm just personally against the notion of remaking CT or FF6 -- or any of the other old-school 2D RPGs -- into 3D PS3-era stuff.

[Krylo]

I disagree there, actually. FF7 deserves a remake because, as the first 3D polygonal interpretation of the series, it frankly looks like crap these days. It was revolutionary for its time, of course, but now it looks like discombobulated lego blocks. (The pre-rendered backgrounds are still very pretty, though.)

FF6, on the other hand, remains in comparatively respectable condition. In the 2D SNES-era format that it's presented in, it and Chrono Trigger look just fine, even today.

I'm just personally against the notion of remaking CT or FF6 -- or any of the other old-school 2D RPGs -- into 3D PS3-era stuff.

I agree entirely.

I also think such a remake would probably come with rewriting of dialogue to make it work better with real time facial expressions and what have you, and who really wants that?

[Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope]

I agree entirely.

I also think such a remake would probably come with rewriting of dialogue to make it work better with real time facial expressions and what have you, and who really wants that?

I dunno. I wouldn't mind hearing Cloud say my eyes are burning in his VA's voice [/sarcasm]

Anyway. If they were to remake FF6, they would make it ugly as sin. Despite the uglyness that is FF4DS, they were on the right track on how it should be done. Give it a whimsical, anime-esque style for FF6.