Yasumi Matsuno on Final Fantasy Tactics GBA, Quest co-development

[03.27.02] » FFT to be a "remix," possible joint project with Quest in the works.

   The Wednesday issue of Weekly Famitsu contains an interview, reposted on the Japanese message board 2ch, with Square producer Yasumi Matsuno. In it, the ex-Quest staffer and director of Square titles such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story, comments on his upcoming projects.

   A Game Boy Advance version of Final Fantasy Tactics is indeed underway. Matsuno, the director of the original game, will oversee the GBA version as well, and the game is currently about 30% complete. However, it will not be a simple port of the PlayStation original -- Matsuno spoke of the GBA version as more of a "remix" than a port.

   The producer stated that the game is "not just a transplant of the PlayStation version, but a new arrangement." He was also quick to make it clear that FFT GBA will not be a true FFT2 or a continuation of the first game. The development team is also in the process of working out a new quicksave feature to allow players to save the game at any time.

   However, the more interesting comments were about a possible collaboration between Square and his former employer Quest. Apparently, at some point last year, Quest approached Square about co-developing a joint project. While the time wasn't right then, Matsuno indicated that circumstances had changed to allow a collaboration to be possible, and planning for the new project began in February. The exact nature of the collaboration isn't known, but it does give rise to the possibility that Matsuno could once again direct the Ogre Battle Saga he began during his time at Quest.

   Also revealed was the somewhat less earth-shattering news that Final Fantasy XII would be finished sometime in 2003.