E3: Squaresoft PlayOnline movie impressions

[05.11.00] » Starring three young and spunky English actors, Square's E3 booth theater pushes their broadband PlayOnline network.

   Presenting a booth layout and structure nearly identical to last year, Squaresoft ushered E3 show-goers into a mini-theater in their booth's center to familiarize viewers with their full lineup of upcoming titles. A mechanical arm with a large LCD screen attached to the arm's end swung around in front of the theater's screen -- when the promotional show started, a woman's face appeared on screen. Bald and covered with silver facepaint, the woman introduced each of Square's upcoming titles as they appeared on the main theater screen: Vagrant Story, Threads of Fate, Chrono Cross, Parasite Eve II, The Bouncer, Driving Emotion Type S, and an extremely brief clip of Final Fantasy IX with only a few seconds of new CG footage.

   After each title was introduced, however, the movie transitioned to its largest feature: a 5 minute long introduction to Square's upcoming PlayOnline network. The movie, all starring professional English actors in their 20s, began with an attractive young woman named Ellie who kicks her brother off her computer and out of her room so she can log onto the PlayOnline network. Once online, she sends an electronic message off to her English-accented friend Nate, who sits in his office and tires of his office work; praising the "siren" who rescues him from his mundane responsibilities, Nate and Ellie then take control of their online personas. While the game Square was depicting was clearly supposed to be the online-only Final Fantasy XI (as a logo later revealed), the mockup gameplay displayed once Nate and Ellie took control was clearly adapted from Final Fantasy VIII -- their armored characters wandered through the streets of Balamb before heading towards the entrance of the "Sirius Caves."

   Tragedy struck once the pair arrived, however -- they encountered a foe simply too powerful for them to pass. Nate quips "Defeat bares its fiery fangs! Bummah." Emotionally distraught, the two frantically send a message off to their friend "Turo." Clad in both leather and a "don't mess with me if you know what's good for you" attitude, Turo entered what appeared to be a bar and sat down at a Final Fantasy XI PlayOnline terminal. Checking his mail, Turo discovered the plea for help and tells his buddies in the bar that he can't hang out with them -- "Ellie needs me," he intones dramatically. Turo then sternly sits down and types a message to be sent to Nate and Ellie. "Hang tight. Saved elsewhere. Need 3 minutes max."

   Nate and Ellie, relieved to learn that their friend is on his way, decide to explore the other aspects of the PlayOnline network. Nate looks at online manga comics and downloads music onto his Sony compact memory card, while Ellie wisely consults an online strategy guide to aid her in the quest. When Turo's online avatar finally arrives and stands beside Nate and Ellie at the entrance to the Sirius Caves, icons indicate that the pair are engaged in other areas of the PlayOnline network. Turo's character bangs loudly on Nate's metal-plated shoulder, and Nate and Ellie snap out of their online reverie -- dancing joyously for a moment, the three characters run forward into the caves to continue their quest.

   While the PlayOnline demonstration shown was only a mockup (with some of its footage already seen at the Tokyo Game Show earlier this year), the crowd at Squaresoft's booth was very clearly buzzed about the movie. The possibility of playing a title such as Final Fantasy VIII online with real-life friends is certainly exciting as broadband and online connectivity becomes much more commonplace and accessible. We'll have screens of the presentation later tonight, with a complete movie capture to follow.