The end is nigh? - November 3rd, 1999 - Drew Cosner
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this column are those of the participants and the moderator, and do not neccessarily reflect those of the GIA. There is coarse language and potentially offensive material afoot. I enjoy sleep. It's sexy. Don't say that I didn't warn you.
Grab that pitchfork, light up that torch, and storm my castle before this column gets a chance to eat your children, rape your women, and plunder your livestock. Only by reading it thoroughly can you truly be rid of its vile existence.
| I've had enough of you and all of your lies |
Hear me Double Agent.
You will all kneel before me!! Bow Down I Say, Bow Down!!
-Figure Four
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Why do you feel that in order to be complete, I must be subject to your will? At first the signs of your God complex were subtle; you would order for me at restaurants, choose which movie we saw, and refuse to allow me to pay for my own ticket. But as you become more comfortable around me, you began to order me to get you drinks, massage your dandruff-ridden scalp, or suck at the corns on your feet.
Of course, I kept silent as I enjoyed having your fortune at my dispense, and all of the things that came along with it, but this is the final straw. The next thing I know, you're going to want me to participate in that sado-masochism crap. Well, I won't have any of it. Although it's going to be tough going back to being a broke college student, at least I'll have my dignity. And there isn't enough money in the world to buy that from me.
| Keepin' it real |
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Hey Drew
I don't see how FF should be put to rest. It's been inovating and evolving
since FF1 and there is no need to make it stop. Look at FF1-3 , pretty much
all the same with a few tries of new gameplay. FFIV had character
development and a great story compared to the previous ones, changing the
face of FF forever. Then you have FFV, pretty much the same has FFIV with
the job system back, and nothing new with the story. FFVI, no more evil dude
in an armor a la FFIV-FFV who try to find all the crystals. Instead they
made a varitation of this story with more characters, a lot of character
development and a few backstories of the characters, a different setting,
and so on. FFVII, completely new setting, nothing wrong with that, changed
the magic system once again, awsome graphics compared to the previous FF and
now you see all of those RPGs using rendered backrounds and FMVs. FFVIII was
pretty much like FFVII but this time they tried to make a more mature story
and kicked the hobbits out of the way. Why stop at FFIX? It keeps on selling
more and more everytime (at leats in Japan). A new console is on the way and
Squaresoft will want to see what FF would be like on this console, to see
what they can do with it.
And then there will be the movie, making FF more popular than ever before.
Why not release a FF game soon after the movie? IMO there is no reason to
put Final Fantasy to rest anytime soon.
-Phil
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Pretty much every reader agrees with you and your sentiments, Phil -- including myself. The only reason that a posed such a question in yesterday's closing comments was in order to generate a little debate, and you all know how much I enjoy debate. The Final Fantasy series continues to be deep, intricate, and above all else, innovative. The day that a member of the franchise fails to meet any one of these prerequisites will be the day that I begin to feel otherwise.
| I'm afraid that we had no choice but to put your pet moogle down |
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Hey Drewzer,
You're right that line did piss me off.
Why do you continually pound medieval settings, this has been argued before but it is more then possible to make an original fleshed out medieval setting. But that's an old topic...
Anyway Square would be crazy to end Final Fantasy. With PSX2 they have alot more room to experiment with better graphics, AI, new features etc. I'm wondering why you think that a medieval setting is so bad, actually it seems like Square is trying something new here, it did medieval settings on NES and some on SNES but for PSX true medieval settings have pretty much been screwed over. Square might just be trying to end their PSX stint with a new style of game one that would create the most realistic looking moogles ever created!
Why for art thou Moogles neglected?
-Spy Guy
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I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I don't pound medieval settings, I pound derivative, insipid, and wholly uninspired medieval settings. The kind of medieval settings where the developers apparently felt that tossing in a few knights and dragons was all that's required in order to create an adequate backdrop.
As for the neglect of moogles, I'll have to admit that I'm a bit baffled. In Final Fantasy VII, moogles, or "mogs," I should say, were relegated to a laughably weak summon and a demented side game. In Final Fantasy VIII, the only representation of the endearing cat-bat-bear things were the minimogs, which is particularly strange as the moombas could have just as easily been moogles, shutting all of us gratuitously anal types up.
| Medieval India was where it was at |
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A couple of things about the 'fantasy' setting
Amano's hinted at for FFIX.
1) "Fantasy" needn't really mean "medieval." FF6
is widely considered that series' last "fantasy"
game, yet one of the two castles is an ancient
ruin, and the other is loaded with engines and
turbines and machinery. FF6 employs just as much
technology as either of the more recent game, but
it resembles real-world technology much less than
FF7 and to some extent, 8.
2) And even if he is implying medieval fantasy
themes, keep in mind that the images of long-
bearded sorcerers and knights in shining armor
that spring to mind are largely Western
preoccupations. 'Medieval' fantasy looked rather
different in Japan or India, for example.
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The sketches shown so far would hint towards a medieval setting, and until the Square Millenium press conference in January, they're all that we have to go by. However, I certainly wouldn't mind seeing another game with a setting similar to the one found in FFVI, should that form of fantasy prove to be the case.
I can't really argue with what you say, however, regarding the many forms that "fantasy" can take on. However, Amano did hint that FFIX's setting would be similar to that of previous titles, so I would imagine it would be akin to something such as FFVI, like you mention, or perhaps FFIV. We'll just have to wait and see.
| He's a little "out there," if you know what I mean |
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Deer Droo Koznre,
Before I say anything about the Final Fantasy series, I'd like to point out that Daylight Savings Time rocks your sorry world. At least in the Fall.
I think that there are three possibilities concerning the fate of our beloved FF series:
1.) Square will milk the series dry, producing titles until the name is synonymous with 'rehash.'
This probably won't happen. C'mon, this is Square, not Capcom. I would assume that they have the decency to kill something when its body is already mostly decomposed. The series isn't there yet (in my opinion, and probably won't be there for a while), but I trust Square to do away with it when the time comes.
2.) The series will end with IX or X, and a new series will emerge.
I think it would be pretty cool to see the series end on a high note and engulf itself in flames in a Phoenix-like fashion. Then, from the ashes of FF comes a completely new series that would spawn several unrelated sequels in the FF fashion. The probability of this happening is slim to nil, but I think it would be interesting. I know this really sounds like a scam in written form, but Square would find a way to make it innovative. This new series would share a few common elements and such, but the characters, plots, and settings would be completely original. It'd be tough, but Square might be able to pull it off. Maybe.
3.) A second ice age wipes out civilization and the gaming industry somehow goes with it.
This would suck. I'd be dead. You too.
Just thought I'd share.
- Toaster Thief
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Trying to maintain multiple spin-off titles based on the Final Fantasy universe would almost certainly lead to a whole slew of crap. The dispersal of common Final Fantasy elements would either result in several games with a few fine points that are drowned out and overshadowed by a sea of experimental and unenjoyable elements, or several games that are so much alike, its pointless to have even bothered creating so many titles. Not only that, it's simply not possible to crank out quality titles one right after the other, as would be required by such a plan.
But enough babbling. For all we know, that guy with the fleas wearing the sandwich board who stands on corner across the street from where I work warning of the imminent apocalypse could be right. If that's the case,
we'll never get to play Final Fantasy IX anyhow, and all of this talk is meaningless. Then again, he could just be nuts. He did spit in my face for "thinking about looking at him the wrong way" one time, which would lead me to believe that he may be a bit eccentric.
| If you make it, they will buy |
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The end of Final Fantasy? Why?
As long as Square can keep pumping out beautiful, intriguing, involved,
exciting and revolutionary Final Fantasy games, I'll keep buying them. And so
will you. And so will the rest of the fans out there. And as long as we keep
buying, Square will keep selling. Why would they stop, and why should they?
Until they run out of ideas and the games become shallow, boring and
repetetive, I welcome new ones.
-Wulfgang
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Hey, that sounds quite similar to my feelings on the matter. Have you been sneaking into my room during the middle of the night, placing a chloroform rag over my mouth, and dragging me off to your mountain cabin where you hypnotize me and force my opinions on various subjects out of me again? I really don't want to have to go to the trouble of getting that restraining order reinstated, so I would appreciate it if you would knock that off.
| This reply sounds more insulting than I intended it to |
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Yo Drew-
I WANT FFX to be the last in the series. Why? Not because I dislike the
series - Sakaguchi is a genius, ditto Uematsu and Amano. I hope to see more work
from each of them for a long time to come.
But FF is just getting too darn big. Unless it ends soon, we face the
prospect of someday playing FF XXVII. What's wrong with Final Fantasy 27?
Nothing, I'm sure it'll be a great game, but 27 of anything, especially 27 in a
series that prides itself on uniquely brilliant games, is too many. I fear the
individual installments in the series will lose their uniqueness, and begin to
blur together. Imagine being 50-something years old, and still seeing net wars
about "FF XIX WAS THE GREATEST EVER!!!!!" I love Square, but it's time to move
on. Ten is enough. Final Fantasy is dead, long live Final Fantasy.
-coldjones
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Of course, that could be overcome easily enough by the use of subtitles. There have been plenty of franchises which have taken that route after the number of sequels began to get a bit unruly. The Star Trek movies come to mind. I'm not exactly sure why the Star Trek movies were the first example to pop into my brain, but hey, who am I to fixate upon such unimportant minutiae?
Of course, this letter was one of only two which I received arguing in favor of the Final Fantasy series getting the axe. Just to let you know what kind of crowd you fall into, here's the other one.
| Elmo is quite the badass |
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Square better put Final Fantasy to rest. I wanna see more Elmo!!!!! He is
SOOOO THE MAN!!!
-Trying to change his name to Mr. Elmo, Mr. Frogwazzler
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If ever there was a reason to put an end to a beloved series, this would certainly not be it. How the existence of Final Fantasy would interfere with the creation of games starring Elmo is beyond me. I suppose it would be best if every company just closed shop, and their talent merged into a single company by the name of "Sesame Street Interactive" in this reader's eyes.
Closing Comments
And now, the moment that you've been waiting for: tomorrow's topic. That brief mention of the Final Fantasy Movie has given me an idea. What game would you like see made into a film, and why? Avoid basing your entire reasoning on the actors whom you feel would be suited for the role. Conversely, what movies do you think would make decent games, and naturally, why? How's that for a funkadelic topic, eh? I bet it just blows your minds.
-Drew Cosner
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