Square=Getting Worse? Gotten better?

[Citan11]

My opinion on Square has always been there the best of near the best, but ive heard some convo lately that there slipping.
I found FF 10 awesome, the best FF since 7 imho, but im concerned that Square is going toward's bigger is better and flashier graphics.
I dunno but im concerned that Square is making a mistake by going more mainstream in there games, i worry that Square will start making bad games, The Bouncer, is an example.
I dunno maybe its cus im getting older and i miss the Golden age of RPG"s
What do you think?
Citan11

[OldSchool]

Squaresoft would proably stick to better gameplay over graphics if it werent for this new age of gamers..."I only play games if they got good graphics" No no no no no...Ive said it before..and gosh darn it...i'll say it again. GOOD GRAPHICS DONT MAKE A GOOD GAME, and especially for RPGs...people are still playing the classic RPGs like Crono Trigger, Earthbound, Secret of Mana etc. Why go mainstream yet. Ive had the chance to play FF10 (thanx to Citan11) and all i saw was them trying to push the barrier of good graphics.

Working Designs is an excellent company...bringing us remakes of those RPG classics like Lunar 1 and 2, Arc the Lad etc.

[Knight of Lodis]

The problem is that those who never grew up with NES or SNES cannot appriciate good game play over graphics. Think about all of the people buying their first system as a PS2, gamecube, or xbox. They are being deprived of classic gaming. Most people who are not hardcore or caring gamers only want to play games they like to look at or games where you shoot people. People who have never played "old school games" could care less about arc, crono trigger, earthbound and my fav, secret of mana. They always say "I'm not playing that because it looks crappy." I hear it so many times.

As for FFXI, I doubt it will be huge in the states. People who like online RPGs will stick to ones that they are doing. I think that square is trying to go with the trends of today like online gaming and good graphics and not really caring about as much about gameplay.

[Citan11]

FF10 was a good rpg, i liked the fact that they updated the battle system and level up system but im still kinda sad that it was all graphics all the time. Im really into companies like WD and Enix because they make quality rpgs that dont rely on graphics and have that old school fell. I hope square can still release awesome Saga's and Chrono's but i am worried FF has become like the N'Sync of video games.

[Knight of Lodis]

Citan11 said:

FF10 was a good rpg, i liked the fact that they updated the battle system and level up system but im still kinda sad that it was all graphics all the time. Im really into companies like WD and Enix because they make quality rpgs that dont rely on graphics and have that old school fell. I hope square can still release awesome Saga's and Chrono's but i am worried FF has become like the N'Sync of video games.

FF has. FFT is proof of that. And now FFXI shows you how much square is trying to milk the franchise. Didn't the movie turn a few heads for you.

[Citan11]

Yeah the movie was......bad, very very bad, me and OldSchool saw it and we didnt know there was a plot until like the movie was over and we still didnt get it. Worst game movie ever, and ive seen most of them. I dunno i guess popularity ruins all good companies, but at least Chrono Cross was good, and im looking forward to what they do the GB. Nice insight Kol

[Lans Hamilton]

If WD= Working Designs ( Alundra, Lunar, Arc the Lad, Vanguard Bandits ), then they just translate and publish those games (like Atlus for TO), they're not the developers or designers.

[Citan11]

Thanks for pointing that out, and it's true but i still give them alot of credit for releasing games here no one would touch, and making them in nice packaging none the less. Thats almost as good imho as developing them.

[Lans Hamilton]

I agree to a point thats it good that someone picks up these "quirky" rpgs, but its still the Japanese that make the decent RPGs, more so than American/English.

[Citan11]

The jap's always make good RPG's , American made ones never come close, look at some of the ones made here for example.

[Dragoon Tony]

I think someone should get Victor Ireland over at Working Designs a medal for always picking winners when it comes to his decision on what games to publish in USA.

As for Square, I predicted long ago that FFXI would bring the series almost totally downhill. I think they are trying to hard to turn FF into EverQuest or Dungeon Siege. While those games have their merits, FF just doesn't fit that style to me. FFX was great, but the with what Square had to work with, that game should have been the best FF ever. It still is my third fav, though. The graphics were already great, but it they spent some more time tweaking the gameplay and storyline elements, it would have been fantastic.

Square seem to be heading into a rut, and I hope games like Unlimited SaGa, Chrono Break, and FFXII bring them out.

[Lans Hamilton]

Maybe its because they are stuck in franchise releasing, like the Final Fantasy series, SaGa and Chrono. They should release one off RPGs like they used to do on snes (Treasure Hunter G, Live a Live, Bahamut Lagoon)

[Dragoon Tony]

That's true. It seems like nowadays they stick to their established franchises and seem afraid to experiment and come up with anything new.

[Swordmasterdragoon]

the least they could is remake some games or translate others and ship them out to us gamers in America.Why do the japenese industries make some games Jap. and others they send out to the rest of the world. Why can't they send out all the games they make because not everybody knows how to read Japense.

[Dragoon Tony]

Square had been doing a lot of remakes lately. To me, that is basically the same thing as sticking with established games and series'. I'd like to see them come out with something COMPLETELY NEW.