in other news, Square Enix's Digital Future


..sounds yucky

Really Wada, really? Quit trying to fuck up what brought you to the ballgame, ya dumb bastard.

(Like he's really gonna see this, lulz.)

3rd Birthday looks so good. And yay, naked Aya, wouldn't be PE without it.

And ick, I am so tired of publishers trying to push "digital episodic downloadable games" as the future of gaming. I prefer my physical (and complete) media.

Yeah, I think Valve showed everybody that the episodic content doesn't really work....

And Square is hardly more on-time than Valve is, these days.

more on T3B
http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/06/25/3rd_birthday_staff_interview/

^Sounds awesome.

T3B PAs, pwease SQEX (Or at least Aya)?



Not sure if anyone has any interest in this, but might as well post it:




Some Pics.

Credit: The Magicbox

that Mindjack.. when you see the trailer, it makes you go...




you know it!

Ayaaaaaaa. And yay, auto lock-on. I'll be needing that. I can't wait for this game. And now, I can't wait for the soundtrack either.

Yoichi Wada continues to amaze me...


http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/7379.html

How delusional is this guy? People LIKE Japanese games, what doesn't he fucking understand about this? Good freaking God... Fire this dipshit already.

well, I hope it only means the JP teams will stick to their titles (FF's, DQ, etc..) while the western teams handle theirs (Tomb Raiders, Deus Ex's & all those) & not the stupid Nier formula where they have to make FFXV Replicant & FFXV Gestalt


here's another new PSP title from SQEX: Lord of Arcana - a monster hunter wannabe
trailer

its got bahamut in it though.. & some monster designs by Mcfarlane & other artists

^Wada has been pretty consistent about making stupid asinine comments like that (that usually get all kinds of backlash I might add), so I dunno. Konami is HUGELY popular worldwide, so is Sega, Namco, Capcom, etc. So to say they have failed at globalization is just ludicrous. Wada needs to focus on his company making better games, and not trying to westernize everything, then attempting to ditch the western market altogether because SQEX can't make good western-style games, and western gamers aren't intelligent enough to appreciate SQEX's Japanese games.

I hate to be that guy, but ever since the Square and Enix merger, the serious lack of competition has really hurt the JRPG market in long run. Where are the alternatives now? Mistwalker? Sure they have some truly bright minds on staff, and they do make excellent RPGs, but they're really not anywhere close to being a threat to SQEX. They don't produce nearly enough games to the point of getting SQEX's attention. Atlus, Capcom, Konami, etc. all do RPGs (pretty damn good ones at that), but again, not to the extent that would make SQEX go, Hey, look at those guys, they just keep putting those RPGs out one after another, and they're all highly acclaimed. We have to step our game up pronto! RAWR! Let's get 'em!!! Back when Square and Enix were separate, as most people know, they had a pretty fierce rivalry, and it made each company the best they could possibly be. Today, SQEX just doesn't have that kind of rival to light a fire under their ass.

Sorry to go off on a tangent, but this whole thing just pisses me off, and one thing just kinda leads into another... I really hope I'm not the only one that feels like this though, lol. SQEX is my favorite VG company, and it sucks to see what they are turning into, because some people feel the need to keep fucking with things.

^ That makes a lot of sense and it's been making me think about SQEX's performance since the merger...

Warning big rant coming :p

Imo, there has never been a truley superb final fantasy since the merger (not counting XI since I've never played it) but everything after X just hasn't been the same to me. That's obviously just my opinion and I know loads of people loved XII and XIII but honestly I think since the merger the magic just seems to have gone. I think the first Kingdom Hearts game was the last (or one of the last) Squaresoft titles and unless KH2 was brilliant (I've not played it) almost all of the main SQEX games I've played have been fairly decent, but nothing at all special, bar some remakes of older FF's etc. which are pretty hard to mess up tbh.

Obviously this is all my own opinion, who am I to say FFXII is a bad game etc. everyone has different tastes and I don't want to start a flame war or badmouth anyone's favourite game (I know a lot of people here have a lot of love for FFXIII)

Just what Yojimbo just said there made me really think, if SQEX was a new company and the new FF's were exactly the same but called somthing else: would they really be amazing games that would sell so brilliantly all over the world? They obviously wouldnt do as well as the name helps sell the games; but are they even good enough for us in the west to have even heard of them as must play JRPGs on their own merits?

I know I hated FFXII so I can hardly talk about that one, but if FFXIII was just another JRPG in any random series, I most likely wouldnt have even finished it, it's far too linear, the story is quite interesting but really the character development is almost non existant bar Hope who I hated anyway, the endgame stuff seems to be only there for the sake of it. There was nothing really that made me want to grind away to finish the crystarium other than achievements/trophys that wouldnt have even been there years ago on older consoles to drive the player to carry on playing. All in all I've played waay better rpgs than FFXIII from other companies that were almost unheard of over here and I think if it was called anything else (or if it was not made by SQEX) it could have had pretty much had no western success at all... think about it...

Wow that turned into a bit of a rant but I'm just saying, SQEX has had amazing success and their games will sell no matter what, but it seems to me their current success might only be because of their amazing games in the past released under SquareSoft. I think what Yojimbo was saying there about lack of competition is true, SQEX seem to have the JRPG market pretty much dominated (well in the west at least) so they dont need to make the amazing games they used to... theyre still gonna sell... especially if they whap on a name like Final Fantasy...

Step it up Square Enix or I for one might just have to admit that the Final Fantasy series is just an amazing series from the past that will just never get any better
</rant>

Sorry if i pissed anyone off with my big rant, it's just that last post really made me think about the state of one of my favourite game companies making games that cant even hold a candle to their past games I loved so much... sad times..

What's next? do they want to sell us our figures one body part at a time?

what if he's planning on letting people download figures too?
..maybe when 3D printers become regular household devices

^ Then I wouldn't be able to keep them MIB

for a couple of days now, Nomura has been tweeting on the 3rd Birthday JP account. catch on them:

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/08/05/3rd_birthday_twitter/
http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/08/06/more_3rd_birthday_twitter/
http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/08/08/nomura_3rd_birthday_tweets/

but 3rd isn't the only topic, there's some updates on KH, Agito & VERSUS!
http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/08/09/nomura_twitter_updates/
http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/08/09/versus_xiii_voice_recording/

Versus Field map Like a 2D FF, but in HD? That oddly sounds very attractive.

Funny how Versus seems to shaping up into the more traditional XIII game. If it turns out as amazing as it is sounding, might just refer to it as FFXIII. j/k

I'm not too happy with how Nomura says that his other games will be coming before Versus. If it doesn't come out by the end of 2011 I'm not even gonna buy the freakin thing the battle system is already making me question if I'll buy it

I would... but that could get very confusing when everyone thinks I've suddenly changed my mind on XIII

I'm thinking the battle system's shaping up to be quite interesting... least its hopefully not hammering the auto button and let the game play itsself...

^ right there is one of the biggest reasons why I didn't like XII + XIII Besides the fact of- ....... I won't go into it, I'll just be repeating myself!

If this is a more traditional FF then it could be the only FF that feels like I'm playing a FF since X.

^So true, especially about XII. Most of the time for the longer boss battles, I could leave the room for a little while, return, the fight was done. It was kinda neat, but it made the game so easy.

I don't know, the battle system using button prompts is already making it a non-traditional FF for me. And I can already tell that I'm not gonna like Noctis

^Way to keep an open mind.

Even though the reviews aren't as high as the FF games, my favorite battle system has always been KHs for an RPG. I know the battle system is obviously action orientated, but there were so many RPGish elements implemented into it that it just really had a good flow for me.

^ I've never played a KH game but we'll see. As long as it's not too much hack and slash I may like it. But my expectations aren't too high for the game.

Jason: I've always been fond of turn-based RPGs, but I've also really enjoyed the KH series' battle system, probably the closest to being a perfect mix of Zelda and FF-y gameplay. If V XIII has a similar battle system, as well as the ability to cycle through characters during battle, that'll be excellent.

all I know is Versus is gonna be awesome (for me)

I enjoyed XIII, but I've been on the Versus bandwagon ever since the FNC titles were revealed.
similarities from past favorites would be cool, but I'm looking forward to a new game, like I always do

but I think Versus will generate lots of hate too...
it just seems that way for FF. the further they go, the more fangroups there are to please/piss off.
not only does Versus have to face the old fans, now there's the XIII team out for revenge (in Gfaqs, it seems like the XII fans were the most vocal with their XIII hate )... & then the Versus loyalists are gonna retaliate & hate mostly on VII

^Hating on VII, what else is new?

But God, people are dumb. If V XIII has a strong, likable cast, a well-written/executed story, a decent soundtrack, and fun gameplay (battle system, freedom/exploration, sidequests, etc.), then I don't see how there should be a problem. That's what I never get, criticizing a game for valid issues is perfectly fine (like I've done with XII and XIII multiple times. I do like both, but that doesn't mean I can't point out obvious flaws both have), but you get these elitists pricks that think just because it isn't this game or that game, it automatically is garbage. They're so set on one game, they fail to see that there are a ton of FF games, and quite a few of them are VERY good.

haha I feel bad seeing as kinda fit into your category of elitest asshole right there.
My favourite battle system was actually X's. Probably the least action orientated but let you plan out your strategy sooo well. Never really got into KH's and I've tried a few times. Always wanted to but it just never happened. I'm trying to keep an open mind with V:XIII. Hoping I enjoy it more than XII and XIII and that's the most I can really do. Play it, if I like it, I like it. Final Fantasy as a series has the hype other games dont have... which means lots of people are gonna hate on em while others may just discover they love a few of them and hate the others. When you have somthing as massive as the FF fanbase you cant please everyone...
...still kinda wish Sakaguchi was still around though. I'm sure he'd stop my elitest attitude

I don't get the FF haters, out of all the FF games that I have played (FFI,II,VII,VIII,IX,X,XII,XIII,Tatics) There hasn't been one that I haven't enjoyed playing(XII was even my fav at one point ). Sure I find VII to be annoying a little but that's because of the fanboys and the fact that I fell asleep during a couple parts of the game(Wall Market) but I still like them all. FF fans(the ones that flame) are some of the most close minded gamers today. I'd take something new over something we've already seen before. I just hope Versus doesn't have a lacking story because of all the effort spent on the world map.

Not so much dude. I'm talking about the people that are SO set on one game, they fail to see that the majority of the series is full of amazing games, and automatically assume they're crap. Not liking a game for valid issues is perfectly fine (un-likable/interesting characters, weak plot, weak gameplay, etc.), but not liking a certain entry ONLY because it's not FF-whatever, or the character designs, or because of its fans, or the graphics, or any other number of ridiculous, close-minded things FF fans are known for, is just asinine. So yeah, I don't think you fall into that category.

I miss Sakaguchi at SQEX too, but at least he's giving us a nice alternative.

ah when you put it like that, yeah I see what you mean, I'm not that bad I guess the series makes me judge the new games against a higher standard because obviously your expecting somthing brilliant, your not just plugging in a bog standard rpg into your machine, this thing has a pedigree. I like to think I judge all games reasonably fairly though, not only thinking to my favourite games ever and thinking everything else sucks.

new short movies from 3rd Bday ! I can't wait for this game...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0hVgTo8dto&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrJGPfMarsA&feature=player_embedded

and the new jacket for cols PE winter
http://kontownia.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/t3b_tw4.jpg

^ I've never played a Parasite Eve game but I can see myself buying this.

same here!

It does look slightly different(better) than previous PE games...

graphically, yes. but overall:

PE1 = FFVII
PE2 = DoC
3rd = Crisis Core (by the looks of things)

..when it comes to gap in greatness

^Is PE2 really THAT bad?

I gotta admit, 3rd bday looks kind of bland to me, but I'm still going to beat it and hopefully I am pleasantly surprised.

HEY! DoC was pretty good


...no, its just that PE1 is that much better


also,
new Deus Ex:HR gameplay trailer

Ah. That's good. I was worried because on some site I saw somebody mention 2 was complete shit and a couple people agreeing, but if it's still good, I still can't wait to play it. I beat 1 btw.

Admittedly I've never played 1 but I thought PE2 was awesome.

SQEX's new 360 shooter: Gun Loco
http://www.gunloco.com/

the gameplay is described as "sprint action"
pics & trailer http://www.the-magicbox.com/1008/game100817a.shtml

its actually developed by the SQEX Japan side, not Eidos or other western branches

also:


Gun Loco PA Kai's anyone?



...now for a more SQEXier title, here's a new Lord of Arcana PV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkIFjT0yyzg

^Gun Loco looks fucking badass.

LoA looks like it could be decent as well.

Lord of Arcan looks not 2 bad! It reminds me of Dissidia little bit and Gun Loco... hm... I donno, looks strange....

What in the bloody hell?

Some word on Agito's graphics and story:




http://www.finalfantasy.net/final-fantasy-agito-xiii/17-08-2010/tabata-on-final-fantasy-agito-xiiis-quality/

^Nice, they're really pushing the PSP to the limits. I like that.

Agito sounds potentially awesome. Glad to hear the the plot won't be dinky either (CC was fun, but WAY too short for my tastes).

New 3rd Birthday trailer

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/gc-10-the-3rd/703176

thx

Not very excited for The 3rd Birthday anymore...Really excited for Aya though, haha, but the game looks kinda...bland, so far. Oh well, I'll always have the original PE <3

I feel the same way. I'm going to play it anyways, but I hope PE3 will be in the works since this is a spin-off.